Destin is located on the Emerald Coast along the panhandle of Florida. Coming from the Appalachian Mountains, the sand on Destin's beaches is among the whitest in the world. The clear emerald-colored water makes it even more inviting. The weather on our day of arrival did not cooperate. The high surf red flag was up but we didn't know what the purple flag meant until we found the air on the beach was hard to breathe. It was called the Red Tide, the invasion of red algae that left many fish of all kinds dead on the beach. The toxins released was all over the air and we felt suffocated. Yet there were still people on the beach and surfers in the water,

Fortunately it got better the next day and the weather was nearly perfect. We got to see the clear emerald waters and nice blue sky, It's our second visit to the Sandestin area in Destin. This Hilton property is better than average. We were upgraded to a full oceanfront room with balcony all around the corner room. While Amy and Carina enjoyed the beach, I attended a wonderful 2-day conference on IT education.