Today on Flashback, I want to you to imagine this town, our County with only two or three hotels or inns. Dirt roads abound. A commercial airport has not yet been created. The railroad in the County is still relatively new and the only way to get to Okaloosa County by land is by rail. No bridges have been built and places like Destin are minor blips on a map, let alone the consciousness of would-be vacationers. In fact, vacationing in Okaloosa County isn’t even a thing.   Mail was delivered by boat and yes people would come by boat if not by rail.

This is a story about the early days of tourism in our County centered around a vacation rental dating back to the 1920s that is no longer with us today. The Valparaiso Inn