Retail therapy
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Three very different shopping runs, all air-conditioned and all good with kids. Thursday's the day for it; the pick is a vote.
Silver Sands Premium Outlets
One of the country's better outlet centers: 110-plus stores, all the names you'd want at a discount, Polo Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Coach, Nike, Tory Burch, Saks OFF 5TH, Columbia. Open-air with covered sidewalks and a kids' play area, plus Carrabba's and Panera when everyone's hungry. The pick if anyone's hunting actual deals.
Destin Commons
The everyday mall, right in Destin and the easiest with the two kids. Anchored by Bass Pro Shops with its aquarium and the AMC theater, plus Belk, Lululemon, Sephora, and a surf shop, and a water-jet play area the kids can run through. A clean rainy-afternoon or beat-the-heat option.
Grand Boulevard at Sandestin
The nicer one: a pedestrian town center with Anthropologie, Tommy Bahama, Vineyard Vines, and lululemon around a central park, a 10-screen theater, and some of the area's best dining, Emeril's Coastal, Fleming's, P.F. Chang's. The pick for an afternoon that turns into a grown-up dinner.