I am going on vacation from June 18-25th to Destin, Florida. A couple of questions: Does anyone know a good pool to swim laps? (I know the condo has a pool but not the lap kind). Does anyone know a good bike shop to rent a decent road bike for a few training rides?
Unfortunately, the Destin YMCA pool is still under construction. Unless you’ve got a Department of Defense ID, swim options are limited to the Ft. Walton Beach YMCA, which is a serious hike from Destin, or seeing if you can hook up with the Bluewater Barracudas masters group on the north side of the Mid Bay Bridge. (I think Bluewater Recreation Services sells one week passes at some hugely inflated price, but it’s probably not worth it) We’re at the point where the Gulf is pretty swimmable. Just pay attention to the beach flags, and listen to the surfers if they’ve got any advice on conditions.
I’m not sure if they rent bikes, but the local tri shop in Ft. Walton Beach is Dragon Sports. Pam from there also runs Bluewater Barracudas. Here’s their web page for contact info: