FOOD+DRINK

Local restaurants open for Thanksgiving Day feasts!

Several popular restaurants operated by Saltwater Restaurants Inc. will be open on Thanksgiving Day to provide guests festive dining options, from traditional turkey dinners to signature seafood dishes.

The Surf Hut in Destin will offer “Blessings on the Beach” with open seating from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The restaurant will serve a traditional Thanksgiving plated dinner for adults at $38.99 and children at $16.99. A limited regular menu will also be available, according to the company.

The Crab Trap locations in Destin and Fort Walton Beach will be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for “Thanksgiving on the Beach” and “Thanksgiving on the Island,” respectively.

• Both will offer a Thanksgiving plated dinner, adults $38.99 and children $16.99 in Destin, adults $36.99 and children $15.99 in Fort Walton Beach. A limited regular menu will also be available.

The Crab Trap in Perdido Key will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., serving its regular menu with reservations and walk-ins welcome.

Nick’s Boathouse in Pensacola will host “Thanksgiving on Pensacola Bay” from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The restaurant will serve a plated Thanksgiving dinner, adults $28.99 and children $14.99, along with live music, outdoor dining and take-out turkey dinners available. Reservations and walk-ins are welcome, according to SRG.

The following Saltwater Restaurant properties will be closed Thanksgiving Day: Rockin’ Tacos, Floyd’s Shrimp House, The Boathouse Landing and Blackstone Golf Course.

MILITARY

Hurlburt Field aircrews awarded Distinguished Flying Cross for 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal efforts

Three U.S. Air Force crews received the Distinguished Flying Cross on Friday for their efforts evacuating Americans and allies from Afghanistan in August 2021 as the Taliban was taking control of Kabul.

Col. Allison Black, commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, presented the medals in a ceremony inside the Freedom Hangar. It marked the first time the elite special operations U-28A Draco aircraft community received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the nation’s highest honor for aerial achievement.

• “They were ready to execute, they were ready to save lives and they were ready to answer the nation’s call,” Black said at the ceremony. “For its entire existence, the U-28 community has lived in the shadows of recognition, but today there are no shadows.”

Over 24 hours on Aug. 15-16, 2021, the crews faced attack from enemy anti-aircraft artillery and rockets as they flew intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions to aid the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy and Kabul airport. Despite the threats, they remained focused on their mission of providing overhead surveillance to ground forces securing the evacuation.

The crews safely landed and took off from an airfield swarming with unidentified armed personnel. They assisted in clearing Kabul’s airport runway when air traffic control personnel fled the tower. And amid chaos at the airport, they helped guide inbound military planes evacuating Americans and Afghans fleeing the country.

Capt. Max Arnold, a U-28A pilot who flew the first mission on Aug. 15, said his crew “only made us more eager to get after it and make sure we did our jobs” after taking off through a firefight between Afghan security forces just 100 yards away.

Capt. Nicklaus Lutz, a combat systems officer, said the reality of the danger hit their crew when they landed after their Aug. 15 mission. “It dawned on us that we almost died,” Lutz said.

A MESSAGE FROM OKALOOSA GAS

Okaloosa Gas survey offers chance at $100 gift card

Okaloosa Gas District is asking local residents to complete a natural gas safety survey for a chance to win a $100 gift card.

• The public utility company is conducting the survey from Nov. 1-30. Five $100 gift cards will be awarded via a random drawing on Dec. 1.

To enter the gift card drawing, participants must complete the online safety survey, available at https://www.okaloosagas.com/safety-survey-23. Respondents must live in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa or Walton counties.

Okaloosa Gas employees and their family members are not eligible for the gift card promotion. Only one winner per household is allowed.

BEACH

Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center releases four rehabilitated sea turtles

The Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center successfully released four more rehabilitated sea turtle patients on Friday, November 17th, 2023 in Perdido Key, Florida.

After a record summer of turtle intakes, the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center has been relieved with the slowing down of the season. As the weather cools down, sea turtles swim towards deeper, cooler water, and their activity in the shore of the Emerald Coast lessens.

“Dakota,” a 200-pound adult male Loggerhead was rescued on August 10th, 2023 after being accidentally hooked at Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier. He was the 100th turtle to be brought into the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center in 2023.

Dakota’s foul-hook was easily removed, but he was extremely lethargic and his blood tests showed he was very anemic, according to the C.A.R.E. Center. He was also missing more than 50% of his left front flipper and the distal portion of his right front flipper, but the C.A.R.E. Center says those wounds appeared to be old and healed.

Through a three month rehabilitation process, Dakota’s energy returned, his anemia leveled out, he gained an appropriate amount of weight for a turtle of his size, and he was medically cleared by the veterinary staff for release.

• “Dakota is a special case, as research on male turtles is incredibly limited since they don’t come to shallow water often,” said the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center. “Because of this, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has placed a satellite tag on Dakota to monitor his activity throughout the Gulf.”

“Lorna,” a 185-pound adult female Loggerhead was accidentally foul-hooked at Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier on October 1st, 2023. Lorna was initially hooked on September 27th, but her rescue attempt was unsuccessful.

Lorna came into the C.A.R.E. Center with hook fragments, one in each shoulder region. She also had a j-hook in her left front axilla region, and radiographs revealed she had at least five internal hooks in her esophagus. Lorna’s hooks were removed and/or passed, and after a one-month stay at the C.A.R.E. Center, she was medically cleared for release.

“Grilled Cheese,” a subadult Loggerhead weighing just under 80-pounds, was accidentally hooked on November 8th, 2023 at Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier. Grilled Cheese is no stranger to fishing piers, and no stranger to the C.A.R.E. Center as he was treated there this past June as well, according to the Gulfarium.

• This time around, Grilled Cheese had a hook in his esophagus, which our veterinary staff was able to non-surgically remove with their new scope provided by a grant from the Sea Turtle Conservancy. After quickly recovering from the procedure, Grilled Cheese was medically cleared for release.

“Butterflake,” a subadult Loggerhead, was accidentally foul-hooked at Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier on November 13th, 2023. This was Butterflake’s third time at the C.A.R.E. Center, each time from a foul-hook at OIFP.

• This time, Butterflake had a hook in the mouth which was removed, and a hook in his GI tract, which was passed during his short stay at the C.A.R.E. Center. Butterflake was medically cleared for release by the C.A.R.E. Center veterinary staff.

“I think this was my favorite release of the year,” said Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center Stranding Coodinator, Tabitha Siegfried. “The process of rescue and rehabilitation can sometimes be strenuous, but days like today never get old, and are such a great reminder for our staff and team that what we do matters. Hopefully we can help inspire hearts for conservation of these incredible animals for those in attendance, too.”

If you see a sea turtle in distress, injured, or deceased please report it to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission immediately at 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922). 

SURVEY

Nearly 1,000 comments on this question!

On Friday, while sitting in the veterinarian’s office with my overly excited German Shepherd/Lab, I posted this question on Facebook: “What’s the one thing you would like to see become a reality in Okaloosa County?”

• Thirty minutes later I checked my phone and had received 100 comments. As of this morning, there are nearly 1,000 comments between the Facebook and Instagram posts.

You may follow Get The Coast on social media and already saw this, but I know many that still don’t. (Maybe you missed it!). I’d love to get your thoughts on this too.

Hop over to either Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you would like to see become a reality in Okaloosa County. I’ll be compiling all of this for an upcoming story 🙂

THINGS TO DO

‘Explore Okaloosa’: 11 local museums to experience over Thanksgiving holiday (or whenever)

With students and many parents off this Thanksgiving week, the “Explore Okaloosa” coalition of museums has a full slate of exhibits and activities to keep visitors and locals busy over the holiday break.

• The area’s 11 museums offer guests the chance to explore history, culture and education across a variety of subjects. From aviation to fishing to local heritage, there is something for all interests. (See all 11)

At the Air Force Armament Museum, visitors can view over 29 different aircraft and the largest collection of armament in the Air Force. The museum is the only one in the world dedicated to Air Force armament history.

The Carver-Hill Museum honors the historic Carver-Hill School and chronicles the local African-American community, with archives of photos, yearbooks and other memorabilia.

Fort Walton Beach Heritage Park contains the Indian Temple Mound Museum, Camp Walton Schoolhouse and Garnier Post Office. Visitors can explore the history of Florida’s first peoples, experience an 1890s classroom and see an early 1900s post office.

The Destin History & Fishing Museum features fish mounts, a mural explaining varied fishing methods and a gallery about the Destin Fishing Rodeo. Interactive exhibits and vintage items depict early Destin.

At the Emerald Coast Science Center, over 45 hands-on exhibits teach about science and nature. With animal presentations, workshops and a state-of-the-art SMALLab exhibit, it’s a place of discovery for all ages.

The Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida includes a hands-on kids room, classes, summer activities and promotes the region’s heritage and culture.

With cooler fall temperatures (and rainy weather like today), it’s an ideal time to explore inside one of Okaloosa’s many museums and make some discoveries over the Thanksgiving holiday.

• Dates/Times of operations may have changed this week. For up-to-date information on admission, please contact the museums.