'You can see it perfectly': Destin turns out for eclipse at AJ's Seafood & Oyster Bar

It wasn’t a total eclipse, but it was enough that people in Destin got the chance to witness a drop in the temperature as well as a bit of overcast as the solar eclipse took place Monday. 

A little after noon, people began to pour onto the upper deck of AJ’s Seafood & Oyster Bar to catch a glimpse of the eclipse. AJ’s had a “watch party” where they handed out free glasses for those who joined them for lunch to watch. They even had a special menu item called an “Eclipse Burger.” 

And those who showed up for the party were not disappointed. 

“We came down just for this,” Chris Markham said. 

“And you can see it perfectly,” Markham said after peering at the sun through his paper glasses. He was there with his wife, Jan, and other friends. 

“This is my first one ever,” Jan said of the eclipse. 

Howard and Lee Williams of Seagrove came to Destin to watch after seeing the Facebook post for the watch party at AJ’s. 

Tammy D’Agostino and Sherri Wagner had lunch plans and decided to come out to AJ’s to watch the eclipse, as did many others around town. 

About 12:40 to 12:45 p.m., things were starting to happen. 

“It’s a tiny piece right now,” Hayley Houser said. 

“It’s a baby eclipse of the heart right now,” Drew Messina chimed in. Messina, Houser, Mason Charles and Allison Mignard were enjoying lunch. 

Jessica Aniceto figured out how to capture some unique photos of the eclipse by placing her glasses over the lens on her phone. 

“It’s pretty cool,” Aniceto said of the eclipse. She took photos at about 12:40 and again at 1:50 p.m. 

The descriptions that folks were talking about as they peered through their paper glasses were as unique as the photos. 

One described it as a “slice of mandarin orange” at one point and another likened it to a “banana.” 

About 1:25 p.m. the temperature started to drop, and by 1:32 p.m. it looked like a crescent moon in the sky. 

There were times it looked as if it would disappear, but it was cloud coverage going back and forth. 

By 2:15 p.m. the sun was starting to make its way back and lunch was over.