By the way, going about a half-hour further than Sandestin and getting a cottage or beach house along Hwy 30-A (like at Seaside or Dune Allen) beats either Destin OR Sandestin....
My friends and I do this every few summers. getting the beach house is much better than being in a condo or hotel. I love the Destin area, and I can't wait to take my family there on vacations in the future.