Fall along the Emerald Coast is a beautiful time of year to visit the breathtaking white sand beaches of Destin Florida.

With lots of blue skies, cool temperatures and low humidity, not to mention the fact that the off season means endless stretches of uncrowded, pristine coastline for your family to enjoy, practically all to themselves, autumn on the gorgeous northern gulf is the best kind of treat, without the trick.

Even though our water temperatures stay fairly warm for quite some time, should you visit and decide that swimming is not for you, rest assured, there are a ton of fun activities the whole family will enjoy still left to do!

For instance, building a sand castle can be a great way to be creative and spend some quality time with those you love, surrounded by all the natural beauty of our beaches!

It only requires a few basic tools which can be found just about anywhere along the Panhandle, and it’s a good time for all ages or abilities!

If you want to learn how to make a sandcastle here’s some sandcastle building tips just for you, from the beach pros that know at the fantastic, original beachfront vacation retreat in Destin, the classic Sea Oats Motel!

• Use a spatula for smoothing sand flat and use a small shovel to scoop sand out of the bucket rather than your hand.
• You’ll want to know how to make a sandcastle look clean and that’s with a straw. Use the straw to blow away loose sand from your finished areas.
• A large soft paintbrush works well to remove unwanted sand off of the flat surfaces.
• Use a spray bottle to wet down the sand if your sandcastles begin to dry and crumble during construction. This will give your sandcastles a solid structure. Make sure the spray is a soft mist – just enough to apply moisture yet light enough to not cause damage to your sandcastles.

How to make a sandcastle tower?

• The best and easiest way to make a sandcastle tower is with your bucket. Fill your bucket with wet sand. Compact it really, really good.
• Then turn the bucket over real fast and yell “sandcastle building” before you lift your bucket up.Then lift your bucket up and you should have a beautifully shaped mound of sand that will be one piece of your sandcastle!
• You’ll want each mold or tower to be smaller than the one before it. So put the biggest mold or tower on the bottom and go smaller as you go up so the largest and strongest part of your sandcastle is the bottom — which is your foundation.

And remember to yell “sandcastle building” each time you turn your bucket over!

For more tips or ideas for your time spent on our ravishing shores, be sure to make your next reservation at the beautiful Sea Oats Motel in sunny Destin Florida. 850-837-6655

photo credit: Sister72 via photopin cc