where to stay in Destin with college age kids

I have three kids, a 16, 19, and 19. The want to be near ';the action';. I want to stay somewhere that they can walk easily out of and to shopping , and stuff kids this age like to do. Was considering the 4 Points Sheraton or the Holiday Inn Beach Resort, because we want to be on the west side of town I think, due to our having a tight schedule back to the airport on our return, and my recollection that the traffic there is much worse the farther south you go. Any ideas? Are any of the condo rentals ';happening'; centrally located places? (would like to get a 2BR)

where to stay in Destin with college age kids

Stay in Crystal Beach. You can walk to almost anything. Avoid staying at any hotel. Look at Caribbean Dunes or Nantucket Cottages for a good value right across the street from the beach. Start with VRBO.

where to stay in Destin with college age kids

There are lots of teenagers at Holiday Inn. It will be crowded but there is security guards patrolling. Traffic is heavy there on 98. Destin is not really a walking friendly town.

thanks! So would your vote be Holiday Inn over the Sheraton? Could they walk from the Sheraton into Destin?

I probably would not stay there but my son is younger. I like it a little more uncrowded but I am not a teenager. I am not sure where the Sheraton is. The only one I know is in Ft. Walton. If you do a search on here, there is a community map that shows the location of everything.

S%26amp;S meant here:

http://www.communitywalk.com/map/2872

I have teenagers also, 16, 16 and 20. And they want to be right in the middle of the ';action'; too! I would prefer something more secluded, but hey this is about creating memories for them ....they will be grown too soon! We having been making the trip to Destin every year since they were small. The past two years we have stayed at Sterling Shores and Sterling Sands which is right near the Back Porch restaraunt. And in the middle of the ';action';. My son prefers Sterling Shores because they have a cool pool, and like to hang out there in the evenings with new friends they have made on the beach. Both locations are excellent and have beach balcony views. Fudpuckers restaraunt also has a teen night that they went to a couple of times last year.

No you cannot walk from the Sheridan to Destin. You aren%26#39;t going to like my answer, but if your kids are so he*l bent on being near the action, take them to Panama City Beach.

Destin is a quite famiiy friendly town, not a party place.

Okay, my teenagers when talking about being near the ';action'; don%26#39;t mean wild partying. They just want to be where their are lots of kids/teenagers their own age are, and like to be able to walk up and down the beach and be able to grab something to eat right where they are at also. What I do is let them have a fairly large free roam area as long as they check in with me about every hour so I have a good idea what they are up to! I am usually laying on the beach somewhere in front of where we are staying and they know where I am at. The last thing two 16 year old boys want is their mother tailing them down the beach, however I do believe in monitering to some extent where and what they are up to. With us being down in the center of whatever they call ';action'; I can let them have some free roam and at the same time be where I can know what is happening....

as far as Panama City beach goes my teenagers will have to wait until they are not living with me and I suppose that is when my sweet teenagers will ';discover'; what ';real action'; is.....as far now, I will just go along with them when they want some innocent ';action';.

You may want to look somewhere near pompano Joes or the Whales Tale. There aren%26#39;t a lot of places to walk up from the beach and get something to eat.

Also, look into Sandestin. Baytowne Wharf has a lot of things for kids to do on the resort grounds. There is a tram that takes you anywhere within the resort you want to go.

I think there is a snack type bar on the beach near the Hilton.