Pensacola - Memorial Day
 

Trying to decide where to stay over a long Memorial Day weekend. Would like to stay close to Pensacola but want nice beach conditions. Looking at condos through Abbot/Resort Quest. Portofino in Pensacola, Waters Edge in Ft. Walton, Crescent & Huntington By the Sea in Destin. Does anyone have thoughts about those properties & in particular what the beach at Pensacola will be like by then?

Don't go to Pensacola that weekend if you aren't gay.

If you are, by all means go...you'll have a blast!

A word of caution. Carefully investigate any place that you might be interested in relation to hurricane damage. Just cause it looks good in a picture on the internet doesn't necessarily make it so. Alot of damage in the area. Unless you are going for 'celebration' over Memorial Day at P'cola, I'd suggest trying to stay further east - Destin at the very least.

Portofino on Pensacola Beach did not sustain damage in the hurricane and the units are very nice (and expensive). The complex is not on the Gulf, however. It is across the street on the Sound (intercoastal waterway). Pensacola Beach is not very pretty right now due to all the destruction but is actually better down by Portofino because it is located at the very east end of the town and right next to the National Seashore. Definitely do take Starrsville's advice though regarding the gay situation. If you have any reservations at all about gays then please don't go that weekend. Another very nice Abbott property on P. Beach is Emerald Isle. The location is much better too - right in the heart of P. Beach and right on the Gulf. Although they are renting now, it is still under construction from the storm and to date the pools and lobby are still unfinished. By staying there though you can walk to restaurants and bars. You can't really do that from Portofino.

Thanks for the info! This is a family vacation - will Destin be far enough from the crowds? Would Sandestin be better? Grayton Beach?

Your family will be completely comfortable at any of the alternate beaches you list.

The "families" of the other persuasion will only be at Pensacola Beach proper.

The "crowds" are not only in Pensacola. I spent a memorable Memorial weekend in Navarre Beach with my mom and sister one year...
Another bit of advice, I would think about Grayton, Seaside, Seacrest, etc. Destin is a big draw for the college and above crowd that is also not family oriented.

Neworleanslady - what was so memorable about your Memorial Day Weekend in Navarre Beach? Was it the crowds or something else. We are thinking Destin because we would like a nice hotel pool/resort as opposed to a beach house. Not sure if the college crowd & above would really bother us except to get into restaurants. We tend to go out for dinner early though & home after. If you have specific suggestions that would be great. I am very unfamilier with the area.

Sorry... I was trying nicely to say that the gay crowds extend into Navarre - they aren't confined to P'cola.
I can't help much with Destin, only been once years ago, but my boyfriend and his friends used to go to Sandestin for Memorial Weekend every year and judging from the pictures, it didn't seem like a "family" atmosphere. Although, I'm sure you can get away from those crowds. Don't get me wrong - it's not as bad Panama City during Spring Break so don't think GIRLS GONE WILD.
I would choose Destin over P'cola and you are right that Grayton, etc aren't what you are looking for if you want a resort type setting.
Another option is Perdido Beach Resort in Perdido Key. The area was hit hard by the hurricane, but from what I've read have been able to recover faster than P'cola. They are advertising in all the newspapers in La looking for visitors!
I am jealous. I will be on the not-so-white sand with not-so-blue waters of Grand Isle, LA for Memorial Day. Your trip sounds better! :-P

We are looking forward to it. Was just looking at Destin Pointe website. Any thoughts on that? Will the Pensacola crowd not extend to Perdido Key? Will look into that option.

I would think Perdido is too far for the crowds. P'cola & Navarre are (were??) attached so I'm sure that's why the crowds overlap to both.

Perdido was more expensive (for 2 rooms)so it looks like Destin may be our best bet. Anyone else have any opinions on Destin Pointe?

It's like we are in the 1950s and talking about going to public pools and beaches with "those people."

Why not go to Pensacola if you're not gay? I don't understand. Starrsville, can you elaborate.

Memorial Day weekend is party central at Pensacola Beach. Of course, there are gays and lesbians on every beach on every weekend, but on Memorial Day it is an organized event - kind of like Gay Days at Disney.

Just didn't want BetsyG to stumble on a celebration she might not want to join in!

Evidently neworleanslady got caught up in some of the overflow at Navarre Beach. I'm sure they had a perfectly good time on their vacation that year, but I imagine the neighboring vacationers were a little bit more out there than they expected (pun intended).

PS - The worst experience I can imagine is being caught with reservations at the Holiday Inn at Panama City during spring break...no, I didn't imagine it...it was very real...and a NIGHTMARE!

Parents - you just don't want to know. Commercials for Girls Gone Wild gives you a glimpse of what's going on...and JUST a glimpse.

Give me Pensacola any day, including Memorial Day!

MikeT and others who may be offended by my posts:
My best friend is one of "those people" and having lived in NO, I have plenty of "those types" of friends. But just as I wouldn't suggest taking a family down to Bourbon Street on Labor Day weekend for Southern Decadence, I would also steer someone away from Pensacola for Memorial Day Weekend or at least want them to understand what they are getting in to.

I appreciate all the info I have gotten! I wouldn't take my family to Panama City for spring break either, or South Padre or Daytona BEach (do they still go there for spring break as we did?) No offense to anyone but I wouldn't take them to Mardi Gras either, not my idea of a vacation. We are planning to go to Amsterdam in July or August, now that could be interesting, but I think we may be able to avoid some of the more "educational" experiences. At least that's what they say.

No offense taken, BestyG, on the Mardi Gras comment. Though, just so you know - Mardi Gras AWAY from downtown is much more family oriented. Uptown, Metairie and other cities (Thibodaux being my favorite) have great MG activities WITHOUT the flashings! O:-)

Betsy,

I normally live at Pensacola Beach and will again when our house is repaired. I don't know if the now-traditional Memorial Day gathering will happen this year or not. This event draws thousands and thousands of folks and this year there simply are not thousands and thousands of rooms/condos available on P'cola Beach.

Also, many of the events were held a bit east of Portofino between P'cola Beach and Navarre Beach. At this time nothing is open east of Portofino - not the road, no parking areas, nada. Some may be back by Memorial Day, but that's iffy.

As for Navarre Beach and the overflow going there to lodge. First, NB is short on rooms, too. But more importantly, the road along the Island connecting the 2 communities was cut in several places by IVAN and will most likely not be repaired by Memorial Day. So if they should have the Gay/Lesbian event this year, I doubt any of the attendees would stay in Navarre Besach because they'd have drive the long way around to get to P'cola Beach.

I'm not trying to discourge from coming here, with all this. We need the tourists, badly. I just want you to realize that it won't be "business as usual" anywhere along the Gulf coast from Gulf Shores to Navarre Beach. Some things will be up and running, some won't.

Just call the C of C, or the Visitor's Bureau in the areas you're considering and ask. They may paint a bit rosier picture than reality, but I don't think they'll flat-out lie to you about conditions.

FF