Emerald Coast
The Emerald Coast (sometimes called the Emerald Riviera) is an area in the southeastern United States on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, roughly bounded by Pensacola, Florida on the west and Panama City, Florida on the east. The area is known to have some of the most stunning beaches in the world, famous for their sugar-white sands and warm, emerald-green waters.
For many years, the beaches were also deemed to have the whitest sand in the world but recent hurricanes in the 1990s and 2000s have necessitated the addition of grayish or beige-colored sand, something that has angered residents of the area. Over time, the sands will bleach white again in the sun, perpetuating the beauty of the area.
Popular vacation destinations include Pensacola Beach, Gulf Breeze, Fort Walton Beach, Panama City Beach, relative newcomer Destin, and tony Seaside, a development community whose iconic pastel-paint and tin-roof construction was made famous in the Jim Carrey movie The Truman Show, filmed in the area from 1996-1997.
The area is known as a family drive destination, although in the past decade, its popularity has expanded greatly, leading to new construction booms and seemingly overnight changes. Many development communities similar to Seaside have sprung up in Walton County and the west end of Panama City Beach, raising property values, and some might argue, aesthetic appeal.
Deep-sea fishing is a huge draw for the area, with Destin holding the nickname "World's Luckiest Fishing Village" (and several saltwater world records) and Panama City Beach hosting the annual high-dollar Bay Point Billfish Invitational. Eating seafood is perhaps even more popular than catching it, with a seafood restaurant and/or oyster house seemingly on every other corner.
This roughly 100-mile stretch is home to several military bases, with installations including Pensacola Naval Air Station (home of the Navy's famed Blue Angels flying squadron and the initial training site where all naval aviators earn their "wings of gold"), Hurlburt Field, Eglin Air Force Base (one of the largest military bases in America), Tyndall Air Force Base (home to the Air Force's new F-22 Raptor fighter jets), and Coastal Systems Station-Naval Surface Warfare Center (home to the Navy Experimental Diving Unit and Naval Diving & Salvage Training Center).
In addition to military and related civilian contractors, which are a major presence, tourism, fishing and hospitality industries are also major employers in the area.
"Redneck Rivieria"
The Emerald Coast is also known colloquially as the Redneck Riviera, although this term is sometimes applied to a larger region of the coast, from Mobile, Alabama to Apalachicola, Florida. Some people find this term offensive (see "Redneck"); however Panama City Beach, Florida also claims "Redneck Riviera" as a nickname.
On August 29, 2005, a portion of the extended region considered the Emerald Coast was wrecked by Hurricane Katrina. The term Redneck Rivieria was referenced in national newscasts referring to the region impacted by the hurricane.
Redneck Riviera is also the title of a song by Tom T. Hall about this region. Lyrics include:
- Gulf Shores up through Apalachicola
- They got beaches of the whitest sand
- Nobody cares if gramma's got a tatoo
- Or Bubba's got a hot wing in his hand
External links
 | This Florida state location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |