By Lynne Christen
In 1513, Ponce de Leon searched in vain for a mythical Fountain of Youth in Florida. Too bad he can’t come back today. Almost 500 years later, there are plenty of ways to stay young at
Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort along the
Beaches of South Walton.
Spend leisurely days on beaches where emerald green waters tickle your toes and the warm sunshine and gentle sounds of the surf lift spirits and banish cares. Build the biggest sandcastle on the beach. Go beachcombing for treasures. Pack a sunset picnic. Hang around and make a wish on a falling star.
New skills boost brain power and physical fitness. Hone your putts and drives at the award-winning
Sandestin Golf Academy. Perfect your backhand with a tennis clinic at Sandestin Tennis Center. YOLO is a new watersport with stand-up paddleboats that’s sweeping the nation, and it was invented on the Emerald Coast. Learn to YOLO at
Baytowne Marina.
Be a kid with your kids. Hop on a bike and explore scenic spots along bike trails throughout the resort’s 2,400 acres. Climb to the top of Captain Joe Lee’s Treehouse (right) and play “I Spy” across the woods and wetlands. Snag a
cane pole and try your fishing luck. Buy the biggest lollipop at
The Candymaker.
Bring back the good old days when you danced the night away. Slip into dancing shoes and boogie to old-time rock ‘n’ roll and beach music at nightspots such as The Funky Blues Shack, Rum Runners and the famous Village Door.
And, it never hurts to toss a lucky coin in the Fountain of Youth at the entrance to Baytowne Wharf [http://www.baytownewharf.com/]. Read the wise words engraved around the sides of the fountain. My favorite: “You can’t turn back the clock, but you can wind it up again.”