Emerald Coast Magazine - Emerald Coast Magazine August-September 2009

Saving Grayton BeachIt was nearly lost forever, but a few tenacious nonconformists fought for a decade to save their precious beach By Wendy O. Dixon It’s Memorial Day, 2009, and local residents and tourists bask in the sun and bury…

Turning Grief into HopeThe Sudden Loss of Her Husband to Marfan Syndrome Prompted Ashley Barkocy to Get the Word Out About the Rare Genetic Disorder By Lisa Monti Ashley Hunnicutt and Steve Barkocy, married almost 10 years, were living full…

Mobile’s Charms and Sarasota’s SurprisesCreate Your Own Adventure at These Drivable Destinations By Audrey Peaty Swisher and Rosanne Dunkelberger If you need some time away from home to regroup and be refreshed, a weekend getaway might be just the ticket.…

Here’s One for the UnderdogFrogs to Dogs’ Dr. Jenny Fortune Finds Loving Homes for Special-Needs Animals By Lee Gordon For the past 27 years, Dr. Jenny Fortune has worked as a veterinarian at the Niceville Animal Clinic. Her last name…

High-Flying Food ServiceEglin Air Force Base’s Award-Winning Food Service Keeps Military Well Fed By Dana Sleger It’s no secret that the Emerald Coast has staked its claim as one of the top culinary wonders of the world, with numerous renowned…

One to Watch: Libby Baker She loved playing house as a child, and now as an adult she is playing designer for some of the nicest homes across the Emerald Coast. Libby Baker, an up-and-coming interior designer for Spy Lifestyle,…

Trail BlazerUniversity of West Florida Alumna Makes Campus History and Proves Age Doesn’t Matter In 2004, Shayla Simmons was a 15-year-old student at Navarre High School when she “decided high school wasn’t for me.” Already on the fast track to…

Run with ChiLearning to Align Body and Mind Can Take Your Running Routine to a New Level  By Andrea Walker A relatively new concept of running has trained and beginning runners thinking differently when putting one foot in front of…

Coins For a CauseWhoever Said Pennies Can’t Make Change Has Obviously Never Been to Destin Commons By Ashley Kahn Since the shopping center opened in 2003, Destin Commons has worked to change lives in the Emerald Coast area through Coins…

An Icon ReturnsSeagrove Villas Motel is Back to Its Original Glory By Joyce Owen For more than 50 years, visitors to Seagrove Villas Motel in South Walton enjoyed amazing Gulf views, a 1950s-style pool and even a couple of hammocks…