Sandestin, FL could almost be classified as another dimension. In fact, we’ll go out on a limb and say it – Sandestin is a world of its own.

Sandestin is every fisherman’s delight, a golf lover’s paradise, the perfect setting for a romantic getaway, a shopping haven and Sandestin even has some of the best wine and beer tasting extravaganzas around.

But, it’s the aforementioned festivity that brings us to the topic at hand; the 3rd Annual Baytowne Wharf Beer Festival. October seems to be the chosen month for many beer festivals, and this one is no different. This year, the Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin will present the 3rd Annual Baytowne Wharf Beer Fest October 22-23, 2010.

Known as “the best beer fest on the Emerald Coast,” the Baytowne Wharf Beer Fest will feature over 100 domestic and international craft beers available for sampling. Brewery representatives will be at your service, offering up opportunities to learn about the various types of lagers and ales. From light, pale ales, to dark, rich stouts, and numerous bottled and summer golden summer beers, the 3rd Annual Baytowne Wharf Beer Fest will have it all – including live music.

Some of the beers that will be featured this year are Shiner, Blue Moon, Terrapin Beer, Dogfish Head, and Heiner Brau- just to name a few.

Coincidently, or perhaps not so coincidently, Vettes at the Village will be happening at the same time. When you’re ready to take a break from all the beer sampling, you can simply walk up the hill and find some of the area’s best corvettes on show, both new and antique.

Beer, music, corvettes, and the beautiful Emerald Coast beaches, how often do you get a chance to experience all of these at the same time? The easy answer is, rarely.

Beer lovers unite, and then mosey on down to Sandestin for one of the best beer festivals in the world. iTrip.net has the perfect Sandestin vacation rental for you to settle down in, and it’s smack dab in the middle of the Sandestin
Golf and Beach Resort, just minutes from the
Baytowne Wharf Beer Fest.

Foodies get your taste buds ready, because the long anticipated 32 Annual Destin Seafood Festival is set to kick off September 17-19, 2010. The festival will include loads of yummy seafood, (obviously) arts and crafts, and live music.

The Destin Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Destin Fishing Fleet Inc., has announced that the 32nd Annual Destin Seafood Festival will set up along the Destin Harbor, in the Fishing Fleet Marina, City of Destin Royal Melvin Heritage Park and Fisherman’s Wharf.

According to the official Destin Area Chamber of Commerce and Destin Seafood Festival website, “the change in location positions the festival amid Destin’s fishing docks, and the change in dates makes it a true kick off to the Destin Fishing Rodeo, which takes place the entire month of October.”

Besides the seafood, the highlight of the festival will undoubtedly be the music line up. Two major record label pop sensations from the 70′s and 80′s will be headlining the festival. Friday’s (September 17) headliner will be Starship, featuring Mickey Thomas. Thomas will be performing  “Top 40″ hits such as, “We Built This City”, “Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now,” and ”Sara,” from the bands, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, respectively. Saturday’s (September 18) headliner will be LOVERBOY. They have released four multi-platinum records, and several international gold records. LOVERBOY is most notably known for their songs, “Working for the Weekend,” “Turn Me Loose,” and “The Kid is Hot Tonight.”

Talk about nostalgia!

Admission for all three days of the festival is $15, or you can purchase daily tickets for $5 each on Friday and Sunday, and $10 on Saturday. (One word, LOVERBOY.)

The festival hours are Friday, September 17, from 4-10 p.m., Saturday, September 18, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, September 19, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased now at the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce, located at 4484 Legendary Drive, Suite A, in Destin. Tickets may also be purchased on the days of the festival from any festival admission gate, or you can call (850) 837-6241 for additional ticket info.

Just abide by your general festival site rules, and you’ll be good to go! Come on down to Destin Florida and spend a month- or two. iTrip.net has the perfect condo rental in Destin for your triple whammy vacation. (Great seafood, live, nostalgic music, and championship style fishing.)

We’ll see you there!

The Beaches of South Walton are one of Florida’s best kept secrets.

So Wal is home to 15 of the most beautiful beaches in the world, (all 26 miles of coastline are certified as Blue Wave) and several naturally preserved coastal dune lakes, where you’ll find an abundance of unique wildlife.

South Walton is only one of iTrip.net’s many markets along the Florida Panhandle, the Gulf Shores, Costa Rica, and the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee; but, because of its exquisite beauty and esoteric nature, we decided to feature South Walton, in-depth, in an exclusive video clip.

 Kayce Stark, the daughter of Dennis Stark, who is a licensee for our 30-A market, was an intern for us this summer. She did a remarkable job in putting together an accurate account of  the Beaches of South Walton.

So, without further adieu, here is the fabulous video clip introducing the Beaches of South Walton.

Thanks Kayce.

The Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach has seen a great deal of success in the cleaning and de-oiling of over 140 sea-turtles since the BP oil spill crisis.

In fact, their perseverance is what prompted PCB Mayor Gayle Oberst to present Gulf World Marine Park director, Melanie Secret Holmes-Douglas, with a proclamation for her round the clock work. The proclamation officially names August 19 as “Melanie Secret Holmes-Douglas Day,” according to several sources.

Currently, the Gulf World Marine Park is the only de-oiling facility in North Florida, say state officials. This newly built facility contains “large tubs for cleaning the animals and a tented triage area to treat the turtles when they first arrive, including administering glucose and fluids, if needed,” reports the Walton Sun.

Right now, you may be asking yourself, “how did the state of Florida come up with the funds to build this magnificent facility?” The answer is- they didn’t. BP shelled out the bucks for the long list of equipment the facility required in order to provide proper care for the (BP) oil covered sea-turtles- justice prevails!

The Gulf World Marine Park’s de-oiling facility still has 60 turtles under rehabilitation, but “the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released 23 rehabilitated turtles back into the wild last Wednesday at Cedar Key, 11 of which were de-oiled at Gulf World, said Holmes-Douglas in the Walton Sun article. And, in July, 19 turtles were transported from Gulf World to Sea World’s (Orlando) Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, where they also joined in on the de-oiling and cleaning process.

As PCB Mayor Oberst said, “We live in such a wonderful community. . .  We are a resilient bunch of folks, it’s comforting to see how we come together as a community.”

The iTrip.net family couldn’t agree more.

A little under a year ago, the St. Petersburg Times wrote an article about the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and their famous dolphin, Winter. In the article, David Yates, CEO of the non-profit aquarium, announced that a deal had been made with “Alcon Entertainment to produce a major motion picture based on Winter’s story.” Now, nearly nine months later, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium has gotten the definitive green light.

Winter’s heroic story began at the age of three months old, when she found herself entangled in a tightly wound buoy line. She was unable to escape on her own, but, fortunately for Winter, a fisherman by the name of Jim Savage came to her rescue. Savage found her during one of his morning fishing outings and worked diligently throughout the day to help save her life.

Winter was rescued from Mosquito Lagoon and transported to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to begin immediate long-term rehabilitation. Tragically, Winter lost her entire tail and two vertebrae as a result of the serious injuries she sustained. But, Winter’s resiliency shone through. (Living through the tangles of a buoy line is rare for most dolphins, and a dolphin living without its tail is extraordinary.)

According to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium website, “Winter’s energy and ability to adapt to her new physical form has surpassed the expectations of many experts. Winter has done amazingly well in the short time since her stranding. She has completely healed, adapted to a new swim pattern, and learned to eat fish on her own.”

Certainly movie material, Winter’s story is based on her real life experience – with a few added tweaks for dramatic effect. The working title is Dolphin Tale, and it is scheduled to be directed by Charles Martin Smith (Air Bud and The Snow Walker), from the script of Karen Janszen (A Walk to Remember).

As of now, things are moving along “swimmingly.” The Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce has reported that Winter is getting “used to lights and reflectors and desensitizing her with fake cameras in preparation for filming.” Alcon Entertainment has also “signed a lease with the City to take over Harborview Center as a place to construct props and movie sets,” adds the Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce.

But- you don’t have to wait for the movie to hit theaters; you can go see Winter right now at Clearwater’s Marine Aquarium and learn how you can help with “Winter’s Dream Adoption Campaign.”

Are you ready to undergo your own life changing experience? If so, than come on down to Clearwater Beach Florida and let iTrip.net transform your ordinary vacation into the Clearwater vacation of your dreams with one of our fabulous Clearwater vacation rentals.



The Super Boat International Championship (race) and Festival (SBI) is back in Clearwater, FL for the second year in a row thanks to the success of the 2009 Clearwater Super Boat National Championship and Festival.

Last October, over 60,000 thousand spectators crowded the beaches, restaurants, and vacation rentals of Clearwater Florida to watch some of the fastest offshore powerboats battle it out at speeds of up to 180 mph. According to the official Clearwater SBI website, “the races & festival brought a much needed boost to area tourism” during a typically slow season. This year the races are expected to do the same, if not exceed last year, providing Clearwater with a  much needed boost after the affects of the Gulf Coast oil spill.

“…because of outstanding sponsorship and partnering with the business community,

the 2010 Festival promises to be even bigger, better, faster and louder!!”

Thanks to the 2009 Clearwater SBI sponsors it’s beginning to look like the 2010 Super Boat Offshore National Championship and Festival is going to upstage last year’s performance.

Slated to transpire Oct 1-3, the festivities will begin at Coachman Park Racing Village and will continue throughout the greater Clearwater area. The day’s events will include boat demonstrations, celebrity appearances, driver meet-and-greets, and live entertainment.

The fans and racers should get ready to experience “the ultimate thrill of offshore racing” as race day takes place October 3. There will be several classes of boats competing in the race, but “the majority of super boat events fall into two categories: V-bottom and Catamaran boats.” The race course, start to finish line, will be at Sandpearl, 500 Mandalay Avenue, in Clearwater Beach, FL and the location will be at Coachman Park, 301 Drew Street, Powerboats Dry Pits. Admission is free, so spectators can see the boats and teams up close.

Don’t be the one who misses out on one of the most exhilarating sporting events of the year, come on down and let us here at iTrip.net set you up in one of our luxurious Clearwater vacation rentals by the harbor.

For more information on the boats, sponsors, teams, and complete schedule please visit the Clearwater SBI website, or to follow their updates, check out their Facebook page.

Reporting from London last week, the Wall Street Journal caught up with BP’s ex CEO Tony Hayward in what was supposed to be a refutation. Instead, it came across (once again) as insincere and self-centered. It stunk of a pity party, and we saw more of the blame game.

As reported in the WSJ article, Hayward was “unrepentant” about how BP responded to the “U.S.’s largest offshore oil spill.”

“I became a villain for doing the right thing, but I understand that people find it easier to vilify an individual more than a company,” said Hayward in his first interview since BP announced he will be stepping down. In the same breath however, Hayward also said that some of his comments such as, “I’d like my life back,” were “wrong,” according to the article.

Hayward made reference to the Obama administration by saying “he resented the daily onslaught of criticism,” but then added: “I understood their frustration.”

He also made it clear in the interview that he wanted to stay with BP, but thought that it would hurt BP’s public image as they try to “permanently cap the well, and repair the Gulf Coastline.” With or without Hayward, BP didn’t need any help destroying their image- they did bang-up job themselves.

As for the pity party, one sentence out of Mr. Hayward’s mouth sealed his fate-”BP can rebuild faster in America without Tony Hayward as its CEO.”

Rep. Edward J. Markey had this to say about Hayward’s remarks, “Mr. Hayward should be less concerned about his vindication, and more concerned about what BP will do to end the victimization of families and businesses in the Gulf,” he continued on by saying, “It will take years of continued commitment to the restoration of the Gulf before BP has the legitimacy to engage in historical revisionism.”

Richard Charter, senior policy adviser for maritime programs at Defenders of Wildlife, echoed Markey’s sentiments. “No one in his right mind would characterize BP’s effort as successful,” said Charter in the WSJ.com article.

Blame, blame, and more blame. Although, it is easy to empathize with Markey and Charter. What’s done is done- move on and own up to your mistakes.

 iTrip.net is extremely proud to be a part of the Florida Gulf Coast and Gulf Shores communities. We only hope that these so-called “professionals” can step up their game.

“Star Wars” is back in Orlando once again-but this time, it’s a celebration commemorating the “Star Wars” saga and their fans.

In short, the “Star Wars” celebration is the official Lucasfilm event, which celebrates all things “Star Wars”; it is produced by fans, for fans. “Star Wars” celebrations (or conventions) are equivalent to the red carpet post show parties for Hollywood elitists in the eyes of fanatics-they feature cast and crew celebrities, fans, a diverse array of costumes, music, live entertainment, autographs, and panels. According to their website however, “it’s mainly friends who gather to have fun and celebrate their love for the saga. From fans who first experienced “A New Hope” in theaters to kids just discovering “Star Wars” through “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.”

The fifth annual celebration of “Star Wars” will be taking place August 12-15, 2010, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. It will mark the 30th anniversary of “The Empire Strikes Back,” and it will also be honoring the “continuing televised adventures of the animated series ”Star Wars: The Clone Wars.”

Special guest hosts will be “the man,” George Lucas himself, Jon Stewart, and Warwick Davis. The autograph guest list is too lengthy to list, but we’ll give you a sneak peak at some of the most popular “Star Wars” celebrities attending this year’s celebration.

Mark Hamil, (Luke Skywalker) Carrie Fisher, (Princess Leia) Anthony Daniels, (C-3PO) and Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) are just a few of the ”Star Wars” cast members guests will see in attendance.

There will also be a long list of events to partake in, including the highly anticipated hour long interview between comedian Jon Stewart and Lucas, the creative mind behind the “Star Wars” saga. This is the main event of the day, and fans will have the chance to submit their questions for Lucas and Jon via the event section of the website before the celebration begins on August 12, 2010. If you plan on attending this year and would like your question to be answered during the interview, head over to the website as soon as possible!

This event is one of the hottest of the summer, and tickets are selling quickly- so get your tickets reserved, come on down, and let iTrip.net take care of all of your Orlando vacation rental needs.

The BP oil spill has been the” talk of the town” for months now-with good reason.

A lot has changed since the first BP oil spill blog we wrote, titled, ”Gulf Shores Are No Longer in Imminent Danger.” Unfortunately, since the writing of that blog, some of Florida’s Gulf Coast has seen “scattered tar balls” and other traces of oil. Thankfully, very few of Florida’s beaches have been closed, and none of these beaches are in iTrip.net’s vacation rental markets.

Moreover, BP’s oil spill has long surpassed the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989, and its recent eclipse of the Ixtoc I oil spill in Mexico (1979) has put BP’s mess at number three on the list of the worst oil spills recorded in the world.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, it is most likely because of this, that on Monday, July 12, 2010, the Obama administration issued a ban on “most new deep-water drilling activities until November 30th.” According to WSJ’s report, this will set up a “fresh round of conflict with the oil industry over when it will be safe to drill again offshore.”

Ironically, the new ban comes at a time when BP installed a new cap on “its blown-out undersea well,” which is meant to capture all the “spewing” oil. Apparently, BP’s aim is to “finish drilling a relief well that will allow them to permanently stanch the flow.” But, as the WSJ says, even if BP can successfully seal the well, it is going to be a long and arduous cleanup process for them.

The oil drilling moratorium could last up to several weeks after the oil has stopped pouring into the gulf, and why not? Yes, it will cause some to lose their jobs in the offshore oil industry- but, the Obama administration and many other lawmakers from Florida and California are in agreement with the current moratorium.

“We know that it is not without some economic consequences to the region,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday. “But it’s imperative that we have a sense of what happened before we continue to do this again.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. In these types of situations, you have to take a look at the long-term effects. How could something like this further affect our economy in the future if it were to happen again and we have not found a solution to the problem?

Over a month ago, Jimmy Buffett mentioned he was going to put on a free concert from a beach in Gulf Shores, AL to promote awareness and tourism in the area; ever since, major news outlets haven’t been able to stop gushing about it.

One such news outlet is the popular NYC finance magazine, The Wall Street Journal. In the July 1, 2010 edition, they ran an article titled “A Gulf Coast Beach Guide: Which Parts of Texas are Clear? Is Mississippi Risky? Where are the Best Deals?.”  The article focuses on the current situation regarding the BP oil spill, and how the states along the Gulf Coast have been affected. But, more than that, the article discusses how and where to find the best deals this summer, and how each affected state is dealing with the situation.

According to the Wall Street article, “Florida has rolled out a national advertising campaign, with $25 million in financial assistance from BP PLC,” and the ads, which are “directed at 100 markets, highlight that only a few dozen of the state’s 825 miles of beaches have been affected by the spill, and most remain far out of harm’s way.”

In Alabama and the Gulf Shores area,” tourism officials have added a channel on YouTube beaming daily video feeds from local beaches to convince tourists that oil intrusions are scattered.”

As for Jimmy Buffett and his concert? Well, they had something to say about that too. “Margaritaville musician Jimmy Buffett is giving a free concert in Gulf Shores July 11.” Of course, we here at iTrip already knew that, because we did a blog about it on June 28th.

I may not need to mention this, (it’s already been mentioned once in this blog) but, the free Buffett concert everyone is talking about is taking place tonight! And, don’t forget, it will be aired live on CMT at 8 p.m. EST.

Point in case, there’s no reason to cancel your vacation plans. As Mike Foster, the vice president of marketing at the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau says, “If you really want to help us, come down and spend a week with us.”

Here at iTrip.net, we can help you secure your ideal vacation rental. Whether it’s in the Gulf Shores, or Florida’s Gulf Coast- we’re guaranteed to have what you’re looking for.