What service can you provide to groups that they normally might not receive?
Great fishing year round—both fresh and salt water in rivers, creeks, the Gulf. Charter fishing service and boat rentals on site. Quiet and surrounded by nature but with modern amenities like Wi-Fi, cable, cleaning service and all new facilities. We also have a large, outdoor pavilion with industrial size outdoor grills and comfortable seating and tables for groups. People love having parties and get-togethers in this. Another interesting fact about Live Oak Landing is that we’re the only overnight lodging facility in the city of Freeport….but our variety of activities give guests more than just a place to stay.
What are your bar or nightclub recommendations?
Freeport is a small town, so the best nightclubs are usually found a short drive away in Destin. Hard Rock Café, which appeals to all ages, is only 22 miles away in Destin. ‘The Outpost’ is 10 miles away and is known as “The World’s Friendliest Biker Bar.” They have karaoke nights and it’s a great place to get some drinks and mingle with people, even if you don’t own a bike. Also, it’s on Black Creek, so the atmosphere of the outdoors is warm and welcoming.
Can you recommend a good place to take a stroll?
Well, Live Oak Landing’s property is very ecologically diverse—river views, boardwalk, and ‘Old Florida’ views all around! If you want to venture out, Topsail Hill Preserve State Park has 3.2 miles of secluded white sand beaches and is a beautiful place for bird watching and hiking. Or, Point Washington State Forest (about 16 miles southeast from Live Oak) is another local hot-spot for nature lovers and has more challenging trails for advanced hikers.
Are there any quirky places we should check out?
Confederate General’s bay front mansion – a token of Florida history. Timpoochee trail is a bike trail that takes you along 30A, the cool thing about it is that it takes you through seven distinctive beach communities. You’ll learn a lot about Florida just from this bike ride. I don’t think there’s any other trails that allow you to sightsee this much.
What is an unusual request from a group you’ve had?
One group held a “gator-palooza” and they wanted to use our grills to cook alligator. That’s another cool thing about Live Oak Landing – alligators are visible from the property almost every night!
A party of 12 wants to have dinner right away. What restaurant can accommodate last-minute requests of this size?
Probably Nick’s Fishing Lodge on Choctawhatchee Bay. You’ll want to go here even if there’s a short wait because it has unique (yet delicious) seafood and the atmosphere is so fun. A lot of people make a drive just to come there
What’s a unique event that has taken place at your property?
“Gator-palooza”—catching and serving freshly caught alligator in our pavilion! And, very opposite of that event—we recently had a wedding on the property.
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