Here are 60 items of note for this spring, thanks to the folks at Visit Florida, the state’s tourism promotion office:
Northwest Florida
1. Beaches of South Walton Tourist Development Council (TDC) will soon experience a major Web site upgrade. The new site, set to debut in early 2001, will make up-to-the-minute area information available on everything from special events to beach reports and restaurant offerings. The Web site is located at www.beachesofsouthwalton.com and will offer online reservations.
2. The Embassy Suites Hotel, located on the Beaches of South Walton near Destin, opened in January. The hotel offers 154 two-room suites, including "Celebration Suites" with Jacuzzi tubs and four-post beds.
3. Hilton Sandestin Beach and Golf Resort, the Gulf-front hotel located near Destin, opened Serenity by the Sea spa, salon and fitness center March 1. It offers a luxurious, exclusive setting featuring premier spa services with uniquely personalized services. Facility features include a fitness center with the latest equipment as well as private men’s and women’s lounges with steam room, sauna, cascade whirlpool and private dressing rooms.
4. Sam’s Fun City, Pensacola’s first amusement park that opened in September, opens its gates for visitors to survey the park absolutely free. The park is shaded by historic oaks, features small ponds and rushing waterfalls. It features ’60s cartoon stars Rocky and Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right and many others. In addition, there are 22 rides and attractions for kids of all ages including go-karts and bumper cars. An arcade and a water park are scheduled to open in 2002.
5. The Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, a 2,400-acre community in the Beaches of South Walton, announces plans for the addition of Baytowne Wharf. The new resort village will sit on 28 acres around the existing Baytowne Marina, drawing upon the Spanish, French, Colonial, Antebellum, New England, low country and fishing village influences of the region. The village will be open to the public and feature shopping and entertainment.
6. Silver Sands Factory Stores in Destin will soon offer more choices for discerning shoppers. The shopping destination is undergoing a major renovation and expansion, adding new stores and renovating existing retail space. New dining options as well as a permanent guest services center will enhance the shopper’s visit.
North Central Florida
7. Tallahassee’s Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science celebrated its new name March 15 with a dedication ceremony. The museum also announced an affiliation agreement with the Smithsonian Institution that will make 142 million artifacts and specimens from the Smithsonian available for study and display in Tallahassee. The affiliation agreement will embrace both the art and science communities.
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