By Tamara L. Young, PhD, Public Information Director for the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village
It’s a fish tail [tale] as old as time, and it contains all the basic bones of a solid story: setting, characters, conflict and climax. The setting is 7.5 square miles of living space, parks and land. It’s 8.2 if you want to add in the bayous and Harbor with views of green and blue ombres. The characters abound; just check out one of the more raucous City Council meetings for confirmation. The conflict centers around a small, pristine area being outpaced and overcrowded with a growing influx of people and development. The theme, the underlying message, is one of unity. It’s of a City that came together to cast a vote that let it control its own narrative by having the ability to govern itself. The climax of the story up until now will be the City of Destin’s birthday party taking place on August 10th from about 6-8:45 p.m. at HarborWalk Village. You’re invited.
The Incorporated Chapter
It was 40 years ago that residents came together to cast a vote that would alter Destin’s collective culture. There had been mounting pressure for incorporation with the ever-increasing awareness that more development and more tourism would require even more localized control. “We knew we were at a crossroads,” a resident is quoted as saying in archives. “Either we shape our future, or we let it shape us without our say.”
Incorporation in 1984 allowed Destin to continue to create its own chapters. The ability to govern itself meant the ability to cultivate a story complete with zoning laws, environmental protection of parks and marine habitats, and infrastructure that admittedly still battles the dichotomy of 14,000 residents and millions of visitors.
The Falling in Love Chapter
We each are part of Destin’s story, whether we are part of the founding fathers or only more recently discovered it. Maybe your story includes the memory of a long-ago circular hotel that felt more magical than any Ritz Carlton; the big fish that took an hour to reel in; or just the sound of the waves.
My own story with the Emerald Coast began in the 1970s. My grandparents were responsible, hard-working people by day. But they had an itch for a glorified vagabond life and would bring their camper to the area for months at a time. My dad, an Air Force vet, felt at home on the beach, and had us there any chance he could break away from work. It meant road trips from the Midwest in the late 1970s and early 80s. I’d squash down on the floorboard (before the importance of seatbelts was understood), and the backseat served as a table to hold the bingo, cards or coloring books for me and my big brother. Once we arrived, it was all day beach time, packed sandwiches and sunburns (before the importance of sunscreen was understood).
Later, in the early 90s, it was where I chose my honeymoon to take place. It was pure romance every single day, barring the few hours I got violently ill deep-sea fishing. But a little sickness over the side of the boat couldn’t stop the story, and the rest of that trip, and every other, were bestsellers in my mind.
Then came the 2000s. The marriage didn’t withstand unanticipated tragedy, but the beautiful children it produced remained, and we began adding our own memories to the plot. We’d build sandcastles, catch and release lizards and ride our bicycles rain or shine. The drive down from the Midwest was also part of the story, including the 3-2-1 countdowns at each state marker. There were landmarks to pass: The Giant Peach, The Wheel, and, one year, even a stop at The Rocket, complete with lunch with an astronaut named Don Thomas who had spent 44 days in space with 700 orbits of Earth.
A few years ago, I made a full-time move here, to work for the City of Destin, and the oasis is all part of a dream turned reality. It was a family decision, as the story impacted my children. The son became a deckhand before moving to New York City, and I know the memories he made out on the water are book-worthy (although I’m quite sure I don’t need to read all of that book). For the daughter’s part, it was a romantic classic. She goes to college in Tennessee and was home for the summer interning for a great resort company. She went out boating with friends for the day when she met a young military man. It’s a wonderful love story, complete with a first kiss on the beach.
Whatever your genre of choice, Destin remains the protagonist. The City of Destin is younger than me (but older than my friend who is also our Mayor), and it’s seared into the heart of all of us who have experienced it. Everyone has their own story that lead us, many chapters later, preparing to celebrate Destin’s 40 years of incorporation as a municipality.
The Big 4-0 Birthday Chapter
In whatever shape Destin is desirable to you, we hope you join us on Saturday, August 10th. As Destin is special to all ages, we’ve created a night that will hopefully offer something for everyone. We’ll start the night with live music around 6 p.m., pass out goodie bags for the first 400 people, and we’ll have a stilt walker, cupcakes and more for a carnival flair. At 8:15 p.m., we’ll have the City’s first drone show – 12 minutes long with several custom shapes. The drones will take off from Norriego Point, and the Coast Guard has helped us set up a safety perimeter to keep everyone at a distance for that time period. We want drone shows to be part of our story’s future. So, we’re hoping all boaters and helicopter pilots respect this safety precaution. We’ll end the night with fire spinning with Autumn Lyfe.
Where to hold the event was an easy choice. The City had recently invested staff time in creating one of the most fun PR campaigns a City can do, and that was touting our Harbor. For a small City, earning the title of America’s 2nd Best Harbor in a people’s choice award is exciting. For the 40th birthday party, we wanted a place with a spirit of community camaraderie, restaurants of all varieties and fun things for kids.
The Next Chapter
Incorporation 40 years ago was more than a definitive mark on the map. It was affirmation of a community’s resolve to preserve the essence of what makes Destin truly special. It was ensuring the City remains an oasis not just for those who call it home today, but for generations to come.
Join us in celebrating a story that is all of ours. It’s a story that is …To Be Continued.
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