Which area has a better choice of restaurants, activities, etc. Is one beter for families with kids?

Sandestin is a huge resort outside of the town of Destin.

www.sandestin.com

Destin, of course, in total, has a greater variety of activities & restaurants than the resort, but there's PLENTY to do on the huge Sandestin grounds.

Destin, IMO, is overpacked with tourists and traffic. Sandestin is a way to enjoy Destin without having to go into the main part of Destin. (It is like an enormous resort within Destin.) If it were me, I'd bypass both and try Seaside, just a few miles away.

Seaside is great if not a bit isolating. If you're planning to stay for more than a few days, you'd definitely want a car (and I think that applies to all three destinations).

www.seasidefl.com

Comparing Destin the town to Sandestin the resort is comparing apples to oranges.

Depends on the ages of your kids, imo. Seaside is lovely and where the movie 'The Truman Show' w/ jim carrey was filmed. But shopping is limited - there may be 3 stores, one a bookstore, which is very limited for teenagers. The rates are also ALOT higher.

We lvoed Destin and so did our teen dd and her friend. But as others said, if you have a car and don't mind the drive, any of the resorts would work for you.

We have stayed in Destin and in Sandestin the past two years. I think I prefer Destin to be a little closer to the shopping and restaurants. We only ate at one Restaurant in Sandestin and I thought it was quite expensive. If you have teens I would not stay in Seaside, but if younger children maybe. Not a lot of rental units that are actually on the beach in Seaside.

We stay in the Crystal Beach area of Destin with our kids. Grand Caribbean East and West condos are right across the street from the beach...2 minute walk. Crystal Sands is directly across the street and right on the beach. You can go over to the Sandestin Resort (about a 10-15 minute drive away) and look around at the shops, restaurants. In the summer last year they had a kids' evening at Sandestin on Tuesdays, I believe. We had a blast. I'm not sure about this, but I think at Sandestin you're forced to drive to the beach. I hate lugging the kids and all our beach stuff. I much prefer to be able to walk to the beach. Anyway, check out Crystal Beach. Two big rental companies in Destin are Abbott Resorts and Dale E. Peterson. Also, about Seaside. Great place to visit, kind of crowded and expensive, though. We usually go out there one or two nights during our week in Destin and walk around. Fun shops and beautiful town centre and amphitheatre. Have a great time. You will love Destin....the sand and water are gorgeous!

Can anyone comment on how well Destin and the vicinity have bounced back from Hurricane Ivan? I was on Perdido Key near Pensacola two weeks ago, and damage was extensive and recovery will be slow for some of the more badly battered condos.

Destin was a few dozen miles east of ground zero, but it was still on the northeast side of the hurricane and caught some high winds and torrential rain.

I have not talked with anyone who has been there recently.

I do have some insight as my Mom lives there (controller for seaside) and I visit often. I recommend the destin area (emerald coast- ft. walten/destin area) for your family. I don't know your budget or timeframe. But, during the summer try to hit a time early in the season as the seaweed really becomes a problem late summer. Otherwise, the water is like caribbean turquoise. Sandyb12 makes a good suggestion if you are looking for good value for the Caribbean east/west condos. Straight across from the beach. If I am not mistaken these are owned by Abbott realty (www.abbott-resorts.com) and they have tons of properties in the area that will house families of all sizes. The Sandestin is cut off from the beach and is a resort community with shopping area, etc. If you are a beach family I would stay on the beach. Seaside is really nice if you want upscale, but it is away from the main shopping areas and overpriced for most (sorry Mom!). Next door to Seaside is watercolors and you will do a bit better pricewise I think there if this is more your style. The area is still trying to recover from the hurricane. But, you should not be affected on your vacation too much (there are a couple hotels not yet open, but most are).

I agree with wtggirl! Sanddestin, for the most part is hidden from the roadways, and more difficult to get your bearings, in my opinion. I love Destin! It's beautiful! The Silver Dollar Outlet Mall is there also.

There was significant damage, but reportedly less than Perdido. Do a search on pensacolajournal.com or weartv.com or destin.com for pics of Ivan damage.

I put together your two posts. Baytowne is a fake village, made up of condos and a restaurant/shopping area. It's actually quite nice but not a great multi night stay for kids who think they are going to the beach!!. The latter requires a shuttle!
If you are looking for the classic beach experience --get a car, get a condo ON THE BEACH, do the waterparks, do a half day fishing charter, do all the tacky restaurants --in Destin--but don't do it at high season.
For a more laid back experience get Abbott to find you a house out of town on the beach ie Grayton Beach or like it, cook a few meals and head to some of the finer restaurants along the coast at night--and there are some good ones.

Google "Emerald Coast" for a wider view of the area