Olive Oil Excellence opened less than a month ago in Destin. The store sits in a corner of a busy shopping center. Co-owners Dar Zook and Gina Seton have placed small signs around the parking lot inviting drive-by customers to come in and have a taste. The name of the store raises expectations; it delivers on them...

Flamingo’s Tropical Wines & Gifts lists some 32 or so kinds of wine; only one listed is made from grapes. The others are made from a variety of other fruits, including berries, citrus, banana, tomato, and carrot (the latter, in this instance, an honorary fruit)...

“I always wanted to be a drummer,” he says. “You can get a great musical education in the Midwest. I wanted to be a pro.” In addition to that, Wehner says he also had early entrepreneurial skills. In the early 1980s he went on the road (age 17), drumming with a rock band...

I admit I have lived in this area since 1995, and this was my first visit to the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park. I have no excuse; they opened in 1955. The place was closed for a brief period recently, in order to renovate and add to the existing park.

The eco dolphin/sunset narrated cruises let guests experience the unparalleled Emerald Coast waters and sea life, such as dolphins, stingrays and birds. The cruises also explore the area’s natural beauty and history, including shipwrecks.

Getting a massage or facial or any other spa service generally connotes luxury and indulgence. Usually the price of such services reinforces that image. Massage Envy Spa is a nationwide franchise that began 10 years ago in Phoenix, Arizona and now boasts more than 750 spas in the United States.

Ava’s Attic consignment store in Miramar Beach is named for co-owner Courtney Hood’s young daughter. Like Ava, the store started small. Three years ago coowner Susan Henry (Courtney’s mother) had some furniture in storage she wanted to sell. What began as a 1,400 square-foot operation now occupies 10,000 square feet, and six suites at Miramar Plaza.

Modeled on boutiques that carried superior products and placed customers first, Trousseau in Chicago opened its doors. Starting with 300 square feet, then expanding to 3,000 in just three years, Horton’s shop became the talk of the town and known as the best overall lingerie store in the city.