While visiting Florida’s Emerald Coast you may have picked up the popular VIE Magazine. VIE is distributed locally and delivered to many residents doors.

Sallie Boyles, writer for VIE, recently interviewed Nathan Abbott, asking for his favorite local spots and activities. Since Nathan grew up in the Destin area, he truly knows the Emerald Coast. With Spring Break just around the corner, our coastline is destined to see a major spike in visitors.

While the beach is always the most popular spot, Nathan has several other areas and activities to recommend visiting during your time in the Destin and Panama City Beach areas. Read an excerpt from Sallie’s article below, or read the entire article here to learn about all of Nathan’s favorite local spots.

 

“A Family Man Rooted in a Legacy – Destiny Met Its Match”
By Sallie W. Boyles

Most can relate to the back-to-reality feeling that descends when a vacation in paradise comes to an end, and home, no matter how sweet, cannot compare. Nathan Abbott is an exception, claiming that other destinations rarely rival the beauty, activities and people of his Northwest Florida home. Biased or not, the man born in Fort Walton Beach fell in love with life on the Emerald Coast as a boy growing up. Now president of the Nathan Abbott Team, which originated from Abbott Realty, the first real estate company in Destin (established by his father and uncle in 1977), Nathan not only praises the Florida Panhandle’s lifestyle, but make a point of living it.

“I feel so blessed that my family brought me into the world to such a beautiful destination,” says Nathan. They moved from Fort Walton Beach to Destin when the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village was, as Nathan recalls, “a place to go camping and explore the coastline. My father would take me in his four week drive truck down the beach and we would jump sand dunes to discover coastal dune lakes and other environments.” In that era before cell phones, they packed plenty of water for such excursions. “If you were to get stuck in the sand or your vehicle broke down, you could expect to be stranded for hours or have to walk several miles to find anyone that could offer friendly assistance with a telephone.”

Nathan also fondly remembers Sunday boating outings with his family, still a favorite past time. “Over the years,” he says, “I believe we’ve explored every waterway that our area offers. People always think of the Gulf when they visit, but the bay and bayous are just as amazing. For a true appreciation of the area, my best suggestion for tourists is to stop by Destin Harbor to rent a boat for the day and explore. Destin’s deep waters just off the coast foster an abundance of sea life, and common sightings from boats include dolphins and turtles.

During the summer, the Abbotts love taking the Intracoastal Waterway to Black’s Island, located in St. Joseph Bay at Port St. Joe, where they go scalloping. “You’ll feel like you’re in the Bahamas,” Nathan remarks. “It’s lie forgotten coast with miles of undeveloped land and pristine waters.”

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