Panama City Beach is a popular spring break and vacation destination for those in the nearby southern states. It’s miles of sugar white sand beaches are rated among the top in America. Panama City Beach experienced a real estate boom in the mid 2000’s with a lot of new construction and price increases. Hurricane Michael in 2018 destroyed a large part of the county, but it was hard to tell since most structures have been rebuilt or repaired. Driving around the area, there is still evidence of downed trees from the hurricane. From Orange Beach, Alabama it was about a 3 hour drive.
Emerald Coast RV, Panama City Beach, Florida
This was our first time staying at Emerald Coast RV Beach Resort. They had full service, 50 amp, cable, and fast WIFI. Emerald Coast had 2 pools, a spa, gym, basketball, shuffleboard, horseshoes, and pickleball. Best of all was that the sites were paved which significantly helps keep the RV clean inside.
Jake loved the huge dog park. He really enjoyed chasing turtles into the water at the lake.
We came across a black swamp snake a couple of times. It must have been the same one and this was his favorite spot to sun.
Taco Tuesday with a couple of cold beers was a perfect evening at the Brass Tap. The tacos were amazing.
Next to Emerald Coast RV is Zoo World. Daily we could hear their birds and animals.
Pirates Cove Marina, Panama City Beach
It’s just a marina but it had been raining, so we wanted to get out for lunch. Night time temperatures had been in the 30s with overcast and rainy days with a cold wind, so the weather limited our outdoor activities.
Sisters of the Sea was what we were looking for. Their theme was mermaids, good prices and good food with a harbor view. The gumbo was just what we needed on a chilly day.
Historic St. Andrews, Florida
Historic St. Andrews is a small marina area that is part of Panama City.
Their holiday decorations were still up. Oak park was a nice park with a boardwalk that led to a beach with a great view. The oak trees that were destroyed in the hurricane were transformed into beautiful carvings.
Barefoot on the Bay had delicious fresh raw oysters at a great price. Oyster on a saltine with a dollop of horseradish is one of Sandy’s favorite lunches. Picturesque views of boats and water surrounded our shaded table. Jake was able to join us on the outside patio. We enjoyed spending time there.
