A friend took me to lunch at one of the new restaurants on the beach, we sat outside with a beautiful view of the beach. There was a very light breeze, what a great way to have a little nosh!
I agree, it really has grown! Another place that seems to be booming is Mobile. I moved from there over 5 years ago and it's grown by leaps and bounds in that time. It has a Whole Foods now, I discovered that my last visit to Mobile, I love Whole Foods! I was like a kid in a candy store, lol!
The Gulf Coast - from Panama City to damn near picayune - is becoming like the Hamptons for Southerners - it's truly the redneck riviara but in a good way. Diverse cuisine, nice shopping, hotels and resorts have seriously improved.