While all of the recent press about the Gulf Coast has been about the oil spill (and I agree that this is one of the worst tragedies of my lifetime), it is nice to think about something positive in the Gulf. The Henderson Park Inn just released Exceptional Tastes—Tales and Recipes

If you have ever visited the Emerald Coast—Orange Beach, AL east to St. George Island—and especially the Destin area, you have experienced first-hand natural beauty that is indescribable. Robin and I first vacationed in Destin during the summer of 1987. We flew into Pensacola and stayed one night with my Aunt Sissy in Pensacola Beach before driving east to meet up with neighbors on Holiday Isle in Destin.

The breathtaking view when we saw the sugar white beaches and emerald green waters for the first time remains vividly in my mind. While we didn’t particularly care for the condo we rented on our first trip, we did find a jewel of a place farther east called Hidden Dunes. We have been back to stay at Hidden Dunes every year since 1987 and still love it just as much today as we did then.

There is so much to see and do in the area as is evidenced by the fact that in all of the years vacationing in the area I had never visited Henderson Park Inn until last October when my friend Tim Creehan had re-opened his Beachwalk Café at the Henderson Park Inn. My family and I enjoyed a great meal and wonderful service, but moreover, loved the quaintness of the Inn itself. Tim and I began to discuss a book and before you know it, we had a meeting set up with Shannon Howell, the Manager of the property.

The objective of the Inn was to preserve the history of the building along with showcasing the great food at the Café. Shannon realized that this book would be a great branding tool for the Inn while serving the need of offering a high quality souvenir to guests of the Inn and the Restaurant. This beautiful volume captures the “essence” of the gulf coast through photographs and stories of the area along with the photos of the fresh seafood. The book is broken up into chapters such as "Breakfast on the Beach", "Beachside Picnics", "Sunset Toasts", "Starlit Dinners" and "Sweet Evenings".

Every recipe and food photo is mouthwatering and the scenic photos simply make you want to visit. Never do Robin and I feel that we eat as well as we do along the Gulf—while The Beachwalk Café was already one of our favorites in its former location, we now have it on our list at the Henderson Park Inn.

For everyone in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana who already vacation along the Emerald Coast this is a must have for your shelves and will make you yearn for a “beautiful gulf break” regularly. If you’ve never visited the area you should pick up a copy to serve as motivation for visiting paradise.