3-Day History Weekend on the Emerald Coast

Your day-by-day plan

1. 1

   The Fishing Village

   Morning:The Destin History & Fishing Museum: Leonard Destin, the seine-boat era, the Rodeo wall.

   Fishing charter:Destin Inshore Fishing Co

   Afternoon:Captain Leonard Destin Park (where it started), then the harbor's 3:30-5 pm catch unloading, the museum's living epilogue.

   Culture:CHROMA/Kathleen Broaderick Studio & Gallery

   Evening:Dinner at Dewey Destin's: the founding family, still frying fish six generations on.

   Shopping:Kilwins

   Insider Tip:Ask the museum volunteers for a seine-boat story; the oral history beats the placards.

2. 2

   Mounds & Warbirds

   Morning:The Indian Temple Mound Museum in Fort Walton Beach: centuries of pre-contact history under one grass pyramid on US-98.

   Culture:Modus Art Gallery 30A

   Afternoon:The Air Force Armament Museum: free, daily, B-17 to F-15, plus the Eglin history film.

   Culture:Jonah Allen Art Gallery

   Evening:A harbor dinner at Marina Café.

   Dinner:98 Bar-B-Que

   Insider Tip:The museum film runs about half an hour and frames everything else on the base side of the fence.

3. 3

   Lumber Barons or Chautauqua (Pick One)

   Morning:Option A is Eden Gardens State Park and the 1897 Wesley House tour under the oaks. Option B is DeFuniak Springs, the Victorian Chautauqua colony ringing its round lake.

   Breakfast & coffee:The Bay

   Afternoon:A late lunch wherever you chose, then the drive home.

   Lunch:The Wine Bar - Watercolor

   Evening:Home with a reading list started.

   Drinks & nightlife:Salty Duck

   Insider Tip:Couldn't pick? That's what the 5-day is for; it does both, plus Pensacola's 460-year saga.