Fort Walton Beach

"THE CAMELLIA CITY" with a population of approximately 20,500 permanent year-round residents, and located along the Gulf Coast in the northwest Florida Panhandle, is Fort Walton Beach. During the summer and winter, however, short-term visitors and longer-term seasonal residents cause the number of inhabitants to swell exponentially.

In addition, people who live in smaller nearby communities in Okaloosa County and beyond come to Fort Walton for shopping, dining out, attending a performance, conference, convention, sports event, or for an abundance of other reasons.

From a personal standpoint, I love Fort Walton Beach, and my wife and I are there many times during the winter months. For us, it's only a short drive of 6 miles across Okaloosa Island from Destin. Ft. Walton has several neat places to eat, including Magnolia Grill and Mary's Kitchen. The Santa Rosa Mall and Uptown Station are always options for shopping. Plus, the city's museums, parks, and waterfront attractions are great places to visit. And, on most Sunday mornings, we are in Ft. Walton to attend one of the city's many churches.

As a leisure destination, my opinion is that Fort Walton Beach is two thumbs up! Now, enjoy some scenes of the Camellia City.

                                          Downtown

                                          The Beach

                                          The Fishing Pier

                                          Emerald Coast Convention Center

                                          Magnolia Grill

     
                                          First United Methodist Church

                                          Uptown Station