Jewels of Florida's Emerald Coast sparkle with sun and fun

The communities of Destin and Fort Walton Beach are nestled midway within the 130-mile curve of the Florida Panhandle between Pensacola and Mexico Beach. It's an area often referred to as the "Redneck Riviera," so-called because it was where working-class families throughout the South often took their vacations.

By Carrie Alexander

June 13, 2001