Where's your go-to place to fly?

[Wagondriver]

Mexican Mountain, Utah. About 10 miles west of Green River. Great place to go camp for the night, or just go for a hike. But, watch out for the rattle snakes. I nearly got zapped by one this time last year when I went down to the creek.

 

[LanceS]

I'll second the DTS/JKA destinations. Both make for an easy weekend beach getaway. Plus, JKA is a great $100 hamburger destination - we usually take a courtesy car to Lulu's. It's a 3 minute drive or 10-15 minute walk from the airport.

 

[Jumpmaster]

McCall, ID (KMYL). Nice airport and friendly people. Stayed at the Shore Lodge which is on Payette Lake. The town is very busy in the summer with the lake and the winter (Brundage Ski area) but the shoulder seasons are great.

 

[Sean - TheFirePilot]

At least once a month - MYAT

If anybody is looking for a deal on a Bahamas trip, let me know. We have a couple of dates here and there at our house that would fit in perfectly for airplane owners.

We are planning a trip in July. Would love more info.

 

[Sean - TheFirePilot]

DTS/JKA. Going to both this month!

When will you be in Destin?

 

[Sean - TheFirePilot]

We don't a go-to spot. We don't have a second home, so not a lot of repeats like someone with a beach/lake/moutain/ski home. We like a lot of variety in our vacation destinations. We've probably flown to Lexington more than any other, but that's because our middle daughter lives there.

The youngest and I flew to St Simons Island a few times. She loves the beach. Now she's graduated college and it out working, so we don't do that any more.

We traveled a good amount last year via GA and plan to do plenty again this year. Just different locations than last year.

Lexington Ky?

 

[Sean - TheFirePilot]

For all the folks that fly to Destin, I just booked a hotel there, and would love your input.
What's the best way to get around?
Rent a car? a bike? Uber?
Places to go? Things to see?
Best restaurants?
Any pointers for the FBO?
Of course, we plan to spend a lot of time on the beach.
Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

We'll be staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites, Destin at the end of June.

The public beach access at the back porch is our favorite spot. I really have only been for quick trips. I’ll be down the end of this month. Other than that we really haven’t had time to explore. Ubers are always hard to get because of all the free money floating around.

 

[Sean - TheFirePilot]

For all the folks that fly to Destin, I just booked a hotel there, and would love your input.
What's the best way to get around?
Rent a car? a bike? Uber?
Places to go? Things to see?
Best restaurants?
Any pointers for the FBO?
Of course, we plan to spend a lot of time on the beach.
Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

We'll be staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites, Destin at the end of June.

Mcquires 100% for food. Top notch.

79J for fuel

 

[Tokirbymd]

For all the folks that fly to Destin, I just booked a hotel there, and would love your input.
What's the best way to get around?
Rent a car? a bike? Uber?
Places to go? Things to see?
Best restaurants?
Any pointers for the FBO?
Of course, we plan to spend a lot of time on the beach.
Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

We'll be staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites, Destin at the end of June.

Call ahead to see if they have rental cars available. Uber is almost non existent. I had to walk back to the airport a few weeks ago. Louisiana lagniappe is great. Also Vintage. Lynx is great but expensive. Brush up on crosswind landings. And either file IFR or read the vfr entry on aopa. I file PIGON CEW KDTS to get through the airspace but I’m coming from the north.

 

[ktup-flyer]

When will you be in Destin?

15-22

 

[SCCutler]

This airport happens to be right on my route of flight for an upcoming trip. I need a place to overnight in this general area. Can you explain why you like it and what accommodations are nearby?
Thx,
Gary

Sorry for my delay - working!

Good reply above. Stay on the field at the Hangar Hotel, very nice (adults only). The FBO has rental cars, the National Museum of the Pacific War is very good, lots of good German food (I like the Rathskeller, Main Street, basement of the old hospital - was it the morgue?). Lots of wineries (seriously), good music, a pretty fun local theatre if you happen to be there when a production is on.

Nice countryside - nice folks. Great airport.

We liked it so much, we bought a house there.

 

[ktup-flyer]

Also 4R9. Dauphin Island, AL.

 

[wayne]

Lexington Ky?

Yep.

Our middle daughter went to UK and now lives up there working in the thoroughbred business.


Wayne

 

[Flocker]

For all the folks that fly to Destin, I just booked a hotel there, and would love your input.
What's the best way to get around?
Rent a car? a bike? Uber?

Two words. Go Rentals. (.com) They tracked our flight on FR24 and pulled the car up to the plane when we landed. We never had to enter the FBO. Hopped in the car and drove away. Awesome service!

If you get tired of the tourists in Destin, I'd recommend spending a day (or 2) at Rosemary Beach.

 

[Flocker]

Is it just me or do more of you have a go-to place? A place that's a good weekend get-away for you and the wife or girlfriend or if you are really unlucky - both.

I'll never disclose our location. Stay away. LOL!

 

[Flocker]

From the Atlanta area, it’s definitely SSI. Great place to go do a weekend, and a great place to go for just for lunch. Destin is good as well. I still need to check out Cedar Key

+1 on SSI.
PS - You'll love flying into Cedar Key.

 

[GMascelli]

This is my primary go-to place. KOXB. Easy car rental at the airport. Don really reminds my of my Uncle Tommy. Haven't found my favorite restaurant yet.

We've been here almost seven years now and haven't secured an overall favorite. For Italian we like Restorante Antipasti, but we like Sello's too, located by the airport. For casual Harborside and Sunset grill, both by the airport. There is a brand new steakhouse in the old Hooters place on RT 50 and the people that own it had rare and rye and run the ocean pines yacht club. We are looking forward to trying that very soon. If you want to watch the sunset and eat at a really nice place, great food and service, we always go to The Hobbit Restaurant, it's a bit more expensive but it's worth it.

 

[k9medic]

We are planning a trip in July. Would love more info.

Sent you a PM.


Also, Cedar Key is a great but you better be up on your aircraft carrier landings...

 

[benyflyguy]

I've been meaning to go check Ocean City out - that sounds like a nice place to fly in and spend the day.

I’m a 26N kinda guy too. Airport restaurant is closed right now. But easy walk to boardwalk. Nice beaches. Clean. Low Key town. I’ll make trips just for pizza and doughnuts to bring home

 

[Adam Weiss]

Two words. Go Rentals. (.com) They tracked our flight on FR24 and pulled the car up to the plane when we landed. We never had to enter the FBO. Hopped in the car and drove away. Awesome service!

If you get tired of the tourists in Destin, I'd recommend spending a day (or 2) at Rosemary Beach.

Thanks for the info!
I just checked out the gorentals.com site.
As there's no pricing on there, I guess it falls under the "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" category?
Would be interested if you have any insight on the rates.
I'd love to rent their Model S for a few days.
Thanks for the Rosemary Beach recommendation too!

 

[Adam Weiss]

Call ahead to see if they have rental cars available. Uber is almost non existent. I had to walk back to the airport a few weeks ago. Louisiana lagniappe is great. Also Vintage. Lynx is great but expensive. Brush up on crosswind landings. And either file IFR or read the vfr entry on aopa. I file PIGON CEW KDTS to get through the airspace but I’m coming from the north.

Thanks for the tip!
I'll file IFR.

 

[Adam Weiss]

I'm a local, so a slightly different perspective, but I will give it a go.

Transport

A bike is useful depending on where you are staying, the Hampton is sort of pigeon-holed in a weird spot where a bike isn't very good. Please don't ride a bike on HW 98, please. Depending on time of year, traffic will verge from non-existent to very heavy on 98. In June... it'll be busy. Uber has worked for me a few times, but can't comment on using it as a main transport. Parking will be difficult at the public beach accesses, so walk or bike to those when possible.​

Things to Do

Difficult to answer, depends on what you like. General watersports are always top of the list for most (jetski, pontoon boat, parasail, etc) send me a PM and I can tell you who to stay away from on that front. There are some art galleries if that is your thing. A few small breweries. Outlet mall. Fishing trips. Some very nice state parks and hiking areas. Harborwalk is nice to check out and if that is your scene you can stay there all day. I would go for a drive down 30A and see Seaside (Truman Show) and the state parks and forests there.
​

Restaurants

Again depends on what you like and your price point, some personal favorites are Harbor Docks, Boshamps, McGuires, and Dewey Destins (bayside, not harbor) for Destin proper. Back Porch right near that hotel is decent and gets a great sunset, but not top of my list for food. Just try to stay away from the chains, please.
​

Can't comment on the FBO, other than to say gas is typically kind of expensive - look at CEW, could be as much as a dollar a gallon cheaper.

​

This is great info.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[chemgeek]

Also, Cedar Key is a great but you better be up on your aircraft carrier landings...

I guess it depends on what you are flying, but it should be no sweat for a C-172 or my AA-5. 2300 feet should be plenty for most light singles. Even my ground-hogging Traveler. Great seafood at CDK. When I was on sabbatical in Gainesville at UF, CDK was a short hop for a lunch or dinner.

 

[Flocker]

Thanks for the info!
I just checked out the gorentals.com site.
As there's no pricing on there, I guess it falls under the "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" category?

I don't remember the exact rate, but I didn't think it was excessive. It was worth it to have them pull right up to the plane as I was shutting the engine down.

 

[Flocker]

For all the folks that fly to Destin, I just booked a hotel there, and would love your input.

One more thing... you'll need to know the special airspace rules. Take the online course. The website is listed on the sectional. Destin can be crazy with all the military aircraft, helicopters, banner tows, etc. You'll need to know the checkpoints too. Field 2, Flag, White Point, ect.

 

[Adam Weiss]

One more thing... you'll need to know the special airspace rules. Take the online course. The website is listed on the sectional. Destin can be crazy with all the military aircraft, helicopters, banner tows, etc. You'll need to know the checkpoints too. Field 2, Flag, White Point, ect.

Call ahead to see if they have rental cars available. Uber is almost non existent. I had to walk back to the airport a few weeks ago. Louisiana lagniappe is great. Also Vintage. Lynx is great but expensive. Brush up on crosswind landings. And either file IFR or read the vfr entry on aopa. I file PIGON CEW KDTS to get through the airspace but I’m coming from the north.

Thanks for the pointers on special airspace.
I'll be coming from the North as well. Looks like @Tokirbymd has a good route.

 

[Country Flier]

MCD Mackinac Island for us. We go a couple of times a year, getting a room at our favorite hotel just east of downtown. We like to sit on the front porch with a drink and watch the foot/bicycle traffic go by in the evenings.

 

[MBDiagMan]

We have a beach house in Galveston, 1 Mooney hour and 39 Mooney minutes away. Depending on traffic, driving it is a minimum of 5 1/2 hours and the beach house is about ten minutes from the airport.

 

[MBDiagMan]

Fredericksburg is my second home! My grandparents on my dad's side lived there, and we used to drive from SoCal there every summer to visit. Lot of fun going to Balanced Rock and Enchanted Rock, hiking around. Opa's Smokehouse can't be missed for great German sausage, and the Nimitz Museum is a good time...Chester is a distant cousin of mine.

My go-to is Hemet-Ryan (KHMT) based on the strengths of excellent eats and friendly hospitality at Bambi's Hangar One Cafe. Also, relatively low traffic in the pattern, which is a plus on weekends.

Gotta go to Big Bear...haven't been there for a while.

I know the area well. My Grandpa ranched on the Blanco River. Our youngest daughter lives at Dripping Springs so we get in that area often.

 

[Sean - TheFirePilot]

One more thing... you'll need to know the special airspace rules. Take the online course. The website is listed on the sectional. Destin can be crazy with all the military aircraft, helicopters, banner tows, etc. You'll need to know the checkpoints too. Field 2, Flag, White Point, ect.

We did a video on this. It’s not the greatest explanation but it gives you a reference. I mis identified field 2. But other than that it shows you the details of what you’ll have to do.

 

[k9medic]

I guess it depends on what you are flying, but it should be no sweat for a C-172 or my AA-5. 2300 feet should be plenty for most light singles. Even my ground-hogging Traveler. Great seafood at CDK. When I was on sabbatical in Gainesville at UF, CDK was a short hop for a lunch or dinner.

I think the OP is in a Cessna 310

 

[Sean - TheFirePilot]

I think the OP is in a Cessna 310

Yea - not a chance I’m getting the 310 into CDK.

I’ll respond to your PM tomorrow.

 

[ktup-flyer]

Thanks for the pointers on special airspace.
I'll be coming from the North as well. Looks like @Tokirbymd has a good route.

I always punch in VP243-VP229-KDTS and go by that. VP218 is the flag, if they want that.

 

[Mahneuvers]

My wife is a beach lover and Destin is probably the nicest beach outside of the Bahamas you can get. It's only 2.5 hours for us in the 310.

I completely agree about Destin being one of the best beaches in the country. Soft, white sand. Swimming pool clear water. Nice people. Tons to do. NAS Pensacola nearby to watch the Blue Angels practice! I've owned a condo there for 21 years and cannot get there enough. I've yet to fly there (from Charlotte) but I'll make that happen some day.

 

[Sean - TheFirePilot]

I completely agree about Destin being one of the best beaches in the country. Soft, white sand. Swimming pool clear water. Nice people. Tons to do. NAS Pensacola nearby to watch the Blue Angels practice! I've owned a condo there for 21 years and cannot get there enough. I've yet to fly there (from Charlotte) but I'll make that happen some day.

We are seriously considering buying a condo there.

 

[Warlock]

Hanger Hotel on the airfield at Freidericksburg...nice cafe as well

 

[Mahneuvers]

We are seriously considering buying a condo there.

Real estate in general is hot right now. Throw in a place with a view, in Florida, and it's red hot. We've received a couple unsolicited offers this year. I would typically recommend holding off until the market cools, but, there's some that think the pandemic has impacted housing in a structural, long term way. Who knows? Best of luck with your decision/purchase.

 

[Sean - TheFirePilot]

Real estate in general is hot right now. Throw in a place with a view, in Florida, and it's red hot. We've received a couple unsolicited offers this year. I would typically recommend holding off until the market cools, but, there's some that think the pandemic has impacted housing in a structural, long term way. Who knows? Best of luck with your decision/purchase.

The hard part is deciding if it’s hot and the bubble will pop or if it’s still climbing for a while.

 

[Mahneuvers]

The hard part is deciding if it’s hot and the bubble will pop or if it’s still climbing for a while.

Buffet is famous for saying buy when every one else is selling and sell when everyone else is buying. Sure feels like everyone is buying right now.

 

[stevenhmiller]

When I lived in Florida, Albert Whitted Field and Venice were my go-to places.
Then I moved to Poughkeepsie, NY area and flew out of KPOU. Loved to fly to Sky Acres for lunch. Then sold my plane and not flying now.