As a full-time owner of one small business, two teenage boys, a husband and three love-hungry pets, I was feeling starved for some me time.

Between chauffeuring the kids around town, meeting demanding client needs and making runs to the airport to drop off/pick up my ever-traveling husband, it was time for a break away from it all. So, I called my mother and asked if she'd like to accompany me to the emerald green waters and white sands of the Beaches of South Walton and Destin area for a little grown-up fun in the cooler, autumn sun. She agreed, and after dropping off the kids Friday morning, we scooted down the road in my Volkswagen convertible and headed for The Crescent, a ResortQuest vacation property on Old US 98.


Beach Bungalow Escape

 Growing up, we were your typical chain motel-staying family, so renting a vacation home for the weekend was a departure from the familiar-but-pedestrian hotel experience. I had heard about ResortQuest and its collection of northwest Florida properties (which also include rentals in Panama City Beach and Perdido Key Beach, just to name a few), and I was eager to try out this home-away-from-home getaway.

At The Crescent, there was no burnt coffee to endure as we enjoyed a full kitchen complete with coffee pot and gourmet coffee, not to mention marble countertops and cool slate flooring. Nor were we subjected to stiff sheets or cheap facial soap. Nope. This time, we vacationed in style.

Our rented bungalow, complete with family photos adorning the walls and red and yellow beach décor straight out of Coastal Living Magazine, felt like bumming at a friend's beach pad. This is a place where you can really get comfortable and stay a while – there's dual garden sinks, professionally designed interiors and a prime location near shopping and the beach. Plus all the extras like a gym, kids' playroom, in-room washer/dryer, free high-speed Internet and more – not that I planned to use any of this for my short but much-needed retreat.

I took a deep breath and let the medicinal power of the sea work its magic on my tired shoulders, stiff neck and general stress.


Ditching our bags, we went for a walk on the beach and later watched the sun sink from the sky. I took a deep breath and let the medicinal power of the sea work its magic on my tired shoulders, stiff neck and general stress. Soon I was fetching seashells just as I did when I was a kid.

We walked back toward The Crescent, stopping for a dip in the pool (there are actually two pools – one for kids and one for adults) and then unwinding in the glorious warmth of the Jacuzzi. Life suddenly seemed manageable.


Out on the Beach Town

 We gussied up for dinner and set out for Destin Commons, a beautifully architected shopping center with open plazas, great restaurants and plenty of shops. Free concerts are held near the fountain on the first Friday of every month, and the local band "Sticks and Stones" was in the middle of their second set of soul-funk music when we arrived. We danced in our high-heels until our feet ached, and then threw off our shoes a la beachcombers and danced some more.

Exhausted and ravenous, we decided on The Grape for dinner and drinks. With it's posh décor and moody lighting, it belongs somewhere on Manhattan's Upper East Side, but we were thrilled it was in Destin instead.

The Grape serves small-plate gourmet fare that's paired thoughtfully with wines from around the world. After much deliberation we settled on a bottle of the 2003 Chatenuef du Pape and the Stilton Blue Cheese Plate. We gabbed like schoolgirls the rest of the night about everything and nothing: how busy life is, what the kids are wearing and, oh yes, I was that bad as a teenager.


Local Diversions

 Day two of our adventure was to be a decidedly girly day of shopping, visiting local gardens and museums and, of course, eating. After all, we were on vacation – and calories don't count on vacation.

Our first stop was Eden Gardens State Park on Choctawatchee Bay. This 1895 Greek revival estate is surrounded by spreads of enormous moss-clad oaks. Today it houses the second largest collection of Louis XVI furniture in the country.

Next stop: The Indian Temple Mound and Museum. We were in awe over this 6,000-piece exhibit, which showcases America's largest collection of Southeastern Indian ceramic artifacts. The mound itself was built with an estimated 500,000 basket loads of earth.

The rest of the day was spent shopping at the Silver Sands Factory Outlet Stores, the nation's largest designer outlet center, where we kept trying to top each other with bargain finds.

Sunday morning came too fast, and we finished our stay by eating breakfast at Another Broken Egg Café, voted best breakfast on the Emerald Coast for five years in a row. We now know why: they offer six different kinds of Benedicts and Bananas Foster French Toast, which I engulfed.

The sun bloomed bright orange as we headed out, the perfect ending to an all around sweet reprieve from life.