Family Trip to Okaloosa Island, FL

One of our favorite vacations to book is a family trip to Okaloosa Island, Florida, located in the Fort Walton Beach area.

This little gem of a spot sits in the Florida panhandle, not too far from Destin, Florida.

However, it’s just enough out of the way as to not feel quite as busy and congested as the Destin area can get.

In this post, I’m sharing where our family stays when we go and the things we enjoy doing while we’re there.

If you’re looking for a family-friendly vacation spot to travel, this is definitely it!

The Condo Where We Stay for a Family Trip to Okaloosa Island, FL

One year, while searching for a beach condo in the Destin, Florida area, David happened upon this VRBO listing.

He showed it to me, knowing I was going to love the light-and-airy feel of the accommodations, and he was right!

We have now stayed there several times!

I know sometimes looking at an online listing can make you still feel a little unsure about whether or not you want to stay there for a week.

I get it – and I love when I get the chance to see real-life photos someone else has snapped with their phone.

So here are a handful I’ve snapped over the years at Bleu Bliss!

This condo is the perfect set-up for our family – complete with a full kitchen and a washer and dryer combo that is a huge help to parents.

We absolutely love the owners of this rental!

Their communication is fantastic, always making us feel like they are there if we need anything at all.

This is not a sponsored post.

We’re simply sharing one of our favorite places to spend time together as family!

If you’ve never visited this part of Florida, you are going to be blown away by the blue water and white sand!

It is truly stunning!

On the days when the waters are calm, you will feel like you’re in the Caribbean!

Waking Up at the Beach on Okaloosa Island

We love waking up in an oceanfront condo!

The mornings begin with coffee and breakfast on the balcony.

Just look at that view!

Over the years, I have enjoyed loads of coffee and lots of good books on this balcony!

Our Days are Spent on the Beach

At the time I’m drafting this post, our stay at Bleu Bliss includes a beach umbrella and a set of chairs, which is super helpful for our family!

When it’s time to head down to the beach, all we have to take is the beach towels, some toys, and a cooler full of snacks and drinks!

No umbrella set-up required!

We love spending the day at the beach!

The kids play on the body boards, rent kayaks from the nearby stand, build sand castles, hunt for shells, all the fun beach activities!

The shell hunting on Okaloosa Island can be fantastic!

We’ve actually seen all kinds of neat things on this beach – including a whole sea turtle situation that happened one year. We all loved that!

We’ve even had trips when the weather was cooler, and we still had a great time at the beach.

Those cooler fall beach trips have their own kind of magic!

It truly is so easy for learning to happen at the beach!

As the kids explore, the opportunities for great conversation are truly endless.

What a fun opportunity for hands-on experiences that will teach far more than any textbook has the power to do.

Down Time in the Afternoons

As our kids have walked through different ages/stages, our vacations have adjusted to fit their different needs for naps, down time, etc.

For the younger kids, the afternoons have been the perfect opportunity to encourage some quiet-time activities.

I usually pack a little tote bag of beach-themed activities, puzzles, and books.

Bringing along beach-themed books can be great for helping little ones wind down before bedtime as well!

Especially if they have older siblings who are staying up late doing different things while on vacation.

Looking back, we truly have walked through so many different stages with these things and still have many more to go!

Our Evenings at the Beach

For me, one of the highlights of vacation is visiting fantastic restaurants!

Friends, in the Okaloosa Island area, there is no shortage of yummy places to eat, and most evenings, we head out to dinner.

Our Favorite Restaurants:

• Stewbys – Of course their seafood is delicious, but their chicken sandwiches are out of this world!
• The Gulf – My kids love this place! We do, too – but it’s for sure the kids’ favorite place to eat! We like the tacos, and the kids always order the cheeseburgers.
• Lola’s – David loves the Shrimp and Grits!
• Burrito del Sol – You know I’ve never met a burrito spot I didn’t love!
• Boshamps – The Snapper Destin is the most incredible meal! David and I usually treat ourselves to this for our wedding anniversary, and it never disappoints!
• Parlor Donuts – I’m not sure who loves this stop more – David or the kids!

Not all of these restaurants are located right on the island.

Some are in the Fort Walton area and some are closer to Destin.

Evening Photos on Okaloosa Island, FL

At some point before or after dinner one night, when the lighting is just right, we try to grab some family photos on the beach!

I snap the ones of the kids, and to get a family shot, I set our tripod up in the sand and use the self-timer.

Night Time at the Beach

Our crew loves sunset ice cream in the sand, night time walks on the beach, late night swims in the pools, and watching storms roll in from the balcony!

Friends, it has been so much fun gathering these photos for you and chatting about our travels to Okaloosa Island!

Putting this post together has most definitely been quite the trip down memory lane!

I’ve loved reminiscing about all of the special trips we’ve taken to this favorite vacation spot of ours!

This area of Florida holds loads of special memories for our family!

We’ve explored together, met up with friends who were also staying the area at the same time, celebrated milestone birthdays in the spot…I’d better stop or I’ll start tearing up just thinking about it all.

I’ve truly loved revisiting these memories and look forward to making new ones the next time we go!

If you’ve never ventured to this part of Florida, we highly recommend!

Now you know where to stay if you plan a family trip to Okaloosa Island, FL – and where to eat while you’re there!

An Additional Note

If you’re ever in this area and need an emergency dentist, Dr. Sonny Davis is who you want to call!

One year, we had an injury that needed weekend attention!

Dr. Sonny was the only person who answered his phone, and provided us with fantastic care at an amazing price.

Again, this is in no way a sponsored post, but I just had to tell you about Dr. Davis!

I hope you never need an emergency dentist while you’re on vacation – but we all know how out-of-the-blue things can happen on family vacations!

Be safe out there, y’all! Boogie boards can be dangerous! ha!