Southern Breeze 2007 Holiday Issue

travel SWEET DREAMS PHOTOS COURTESY OF HENDERSON PARK INN Coast of Utopia The Henderson Park Inn is your first stop for a picture perfect Emerald Coast weekend. story by MARK A. NEWMAN Henderson Park Inn (below) is an adults-only B&B that greets each guest with a bottle of wine and whose amenities and architecture—seen in the lobby (above) and guest room (far right)—will wow even the most discriminating traveler. T HENDERSON PARK INN 2700 Scenic Hwy. 98 Destin, Florida 1-866-5RESORT www.hendersonparkinn.com ucked away at the westernmost end of scenic Highway 98 in Destin is an odd sight—it’s a New England-style bed & breakfast replete with wooden shingle cladding outside and wainscoted corridors within. Just a few feet from the Emerald Coast’s lapping tides, the Henderson Park Inn is a true escape from the ordinary. As you make the short drive down Matthew Boulevard from Highway 98 to Scenic 98, this iconic structure quickly catches the eye. Its location ensures privacy—it’s on the edge of Henderson National Park and adjacent to the shuttered Coral Reef Club, a long-suffering victim of Hurricane Ivan. The Henderson Park Inn’s presence is a testimony to its resilience—it reopened last May after being closed since 2004 when it couldn’t dodge Ivan’s nasty wrath. The revamped B&B still offers the amenities that guests have loved for years such as 32 spacious rooms and suites, each with a cozy private balcony perfect for intimate moments or to take in unobstructed Gulf views that stretch for more than a mile. If you’d rather, catch a favorite flick from the Inn’s DVD library; each room has its own DVD player and flat screen TV. Or you can just relax in your room as the sounds of crashing waves gently rumble just outside your open balcony doors. Ceiling fans over the four-poster king-size bed gently ease the salty beach breeze around the room as you tread on carpet so plush that it begs for bare feet. At bedtime you don’t just get a mint on your pillow, you get a small bag of candies from local sweet shop Candy Maker at the Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin made exclusively for guests of the Inn. You’re in for another delectable treat when you wake up and take your spot either in the dining room or outside on the rambling beach-side deck for your freshly prepared breakfast. Not only do you have your choice of every breakfast food imaginable, but a chef is on hand to prepare an omelet any way you want it! If fun in the sun is your goal, you won’t have very far to go—the Inn’s back door opens right onto the beach. There is a concierge and you can have your pick of beach umbrellas, chairs, towels, and a variety of seafaring items that will make your day at the beach as memorable as your stay at the Inn. Managed by Sterling Resorts, Henderson Park Inn is the only beachside bed & breakfast in Northwest Florida. 18 s o u t h e r n b re e z e . c o m http://www.hendersonparkinn.com http://southernbreeze.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Southern Breeze 2007 Holiday Issue

Editor's Letter Contributor Gumbo Words & Notes Coastal Calendar Storefronts Sweet Dreams Art of Living Fixtures Our Backyard Make Yourself at Home Beach Bam! A Big Easy Christmas Upwardly Mobile Can't Drive Old Dixie Down Rock On! The Play's the Thing Cheers Dish Chef's Table Let's Eat Reader Services Last Bite

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