3-Day Empty-Nester Escape

Your day-by-day plan

1. 1

   Arrive Whenever You Please

   Morning:Leave when you feel like it; that's the whole point now.

   Breakfast & coffee:Alphy's Restaurant & Catering

   Afternoon:Check in; long first beach walk with nobody's schedule but the tide's.

   Lunch:Johnny Huston's Grille & Bar

   Evening:5 pm sunset table at The Back Porch, best seats, no wait, golden light by accident.

   Drinks & nightlife:Hurricane Oyster Bar & Grill

   Insider Tip:Shoulder season is your birthright now; April-May and September-October are what the empty nest is for.

2. 2

   Water & Stories

   Morning:Dolphin cruise out of the harbor, unhurried, narrated, delightful.

   On the water:Dockside Watersports

   Afternoon:Lunch at Camille's, then an hour at the Destin History & Fishing Museum for the town's backstory.

   Fishing charter:Reel 30A

   Evening:Oysters and live music at Boshamps while the sun performs.

   Dinner:Seagrove Village Market

3. 3

   The 30A Taste

   Morning:Coffee at Amavida and a browse at The Hidden Lantern Bookstore in a Seaside you can actually stroll.

   Breakfast & coffee:Bad Ass Coffee

   Afternoon:Brunch, one last shoreline walk, unhurried drive home.

   Breakfast & coffee:Nectar Coffee

   Evening:Home planning the 7-day version, this weekend was the free sample.

   Drinks & nightlife:Cajun Corner Sports Bar and Grill

   Insider Tip:If the weekend clicked, the 7-day (#73) and the 10-day (#91) are the escalation path, and January here is the final boss of good decisions.