Shopping/ Browsing at Destin Commons

February 6th, 2010.  We stepped out to take Maggie and Rico for a morning walk and it was chilly!  Temps in the upper 40’s. It was still overcast and not much promise for a sunny day.

We decided to go visit a Bass Pro Shops we had seen in Destin.  We had only previously visited one Bass Pro Shop and that one was in Spanish Fort, Alabama.  The one in Spanish Fort was like an enclosed coastal woodland exhibit.  Aside from the merchandise, it had two large aquariums and several stuffed animal exhibits.

We arrived at the Bass Pro Shop around 1:00 and we were pleasantly surprised to discover it was part of a host of shops known as Destin Commons.  The shops are aligned in a manner that makes it look like a small town including a narrow two way cobblestone street and roundabout down the center.

This particular Bass Pro Shop paled in comparison to the store in Daphne.  It was really a bit of a disappointment.  However, there was plenty to look at in the shopping complex.

We walked to the Hard Rock Cafe in the Destin Commons complex and had a late lunch.  We shared the nacho appetizer which was plenty for both of us.

We spent the rest of the afternoon browsing through the stores, including one of my favorites, Brookstone.  When we decided it was time to go, it was already approaching 5:00.  We managed to get away with only a small birthday gift for our daughter.  Again, one of the benefits to our full time RV lifestyle is that we don’t need or have room for a lot of superfluous things!  

On the way home we marveled at all the shops in the greater Destin area and determined there are very few if any brand name stores that are not located in at least one of the many large shopping complexes. 

The wind really picked up in the late evening, making it very unpleasant to walk Maggie and Rico.  We soon settled inside for a cold winter night.