Shopping in Destin

Sailfish, marlin, dolphin, and barracuda veritably leap to life at the brush of marine biologist and watercolorist Guy Harvey. In his quarterly magazine, the dedicated conservationist’s team of journalists, photographers, sportfishers and mer-folk report on ecological stewardship, responsible boating, travel destinations, and even straightforward seafood recipes. The cover of each issue features one of Guy’s unmistakable paintings of majestic sea creatures in their native habitats.

Located inside the sprawling 28-court Roger Scott Tennis Complex, Get a Grip Pro Shop prepares players for on-court superiority with bags, strings, towels, and rackets from brands such as Prince, Babolat, and Wilson. The shop is an authorized dealer of Orthaheel footwear and Power Step orthopedic shoe inserts, which help protect feet from damage even when kicking in the windshield of a rival tennis player’s car.

Since opening Joslin Family Eyecare in 1982, its team of ocular professionals has believed that vision ought to last. That's why they ensure eyeballs stay healthy during comprehensive eye exams, in which optometrists check for glaucoma, cataracts, and other diseases. Then, the staff fits frames with durable, scratch-resistant Crizal lenses. These lenses not only stave off scratches and never, ever record your Internet search history, they also reduce glare from headlights, overhead lights, and monitors.

Young women send hangers of gauzy tops and bold, colorful dresses clacking across Frock Candy’s colorful racks, where designs hang in four storefronts in Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Destin, Florida. Independent and well-known brands, such as Chinese Laundry, Qupid, Theme, and Lush supply casual and special-occasion dresses, prim and everyday tops, and shoes both saucy and demure to an inventory which rotates as tastes change. Frock Candy’s style experts forecast trends such as fresh colors and trending images of celebrity pets for each season.

For more than 25 years, the technicians at Bikes Plus have enabled smooth zooming by stocking new bikes and servicing cycles of all makes and models. With the addition of new location on Palafox Street, they now sharpen their skills at three locations alongside factory technicians several times per year, channeling newfound knowledge into repairs and tune-ups that keep two-wheelers healthy and humming. Customers can also take advantage of staff expertise as they scour racks of rides such as Scott bikes and Fuji cycles. Those already in possession of rides can accentuate them with accessories such as lights and locks, which prevent bikes from being hijacked by someone fleeing a unicyclist.

One of the largest nurseries in northwest Florida, Floral Tree Gardens surrounds its customers with a land-grown sea of lush foliage and vibrant blooms. Row upon row of the outdoor gardens are painted with yellow daisies and purple cornflowers, and loquat and avocado trees cast shadows over shoppers. Plant purchases may be complemented with garden accents such as clay pots and metal butterflies, which, unlike their living counterparts, follow orders to sit and stay. Floral Tree Gardens' stock changes with the seasons; its facility brims with pumpkins in the fall and poinsettias in the winter. It also stocks fauna at an onsite pond, where visitors can fish for bass or pygmy submarines.