Spending a Long Weekend in Panama City Beach
When traveling to Florida you have SO many beautiful beaches to choose from. I have written about several which you can read in some of my other blog post. The beach my family chooses time and time again is Panama City Beach. This beach is only about 5 hours from home and it makes it by far the easiest and quickest weekend retreat for us. There are so many great things that make it the perfect vacation spot!
When we tell people we have our “beach time” in Panama City Beach, we sometimes are not received very well. Panama City Beach has made national news with the partying that takes place on the beaches during Spring Break. The key to having a great time and avoid the crowds is to know when to go. Yes, I know, why go if you can’t be down there during Memorial Day or the 4th of July? Truthfully, we enjoy going on vacation during the off seasons. We tend to go the week before school gets out or the week after labor day. We also like to go middle of June and end of October. The weather is always spectacular during these times. Not too hot and not too many people. You can really appreciate the area more in the low season and not having to wait 2 hours to eat dinner is always a plus. Speaking of dinner, here are a couple of restaurants we enjoy while in Panama City.
Places to Eat
Eating at The Back Porch is always a must for our family. They have some of the most delicious seafood you can eat. While the menu is slightly pricey, an entree can easily be shared by two. The Back Porch at Panama City Beach is located at Pier Park, a great place to spend the day, but I will get to that later.
If you don’t like the “chain” restaurants I also highly suggest Uncle Ernie’s. It is located in downtown Panama City and sits right on the St. Andrew’s Bay. If you go at sunset, you will have a spectacular view and they have live music on the weekends.
If Oysters are your thing, then check out Hunt’s Oyster Bar. They are located in downtown Panama City right near Uncle Ernie’s.
Another place we also have to visit is The Homemade Ice Cream Shoppe. Yes, it is actually churned every morning and is truly HOMEMADE! It is absolutely delicious and I highly recommend the cookies and creme!
Things To Do
Pier Park has become so much bigger than I had ever imagined. I remember walking through Pier Park as a teenager with the lease signs still placed in all the windows of the shops and now it it has tripled in size. It has so many things that the entire family can enjoy. There is ice cream at Kilwins and movies at The Grand, shopping at all the cool retail shops. It is super clean and not to mention HUGE. The best part for kids and big kids alike is the carnival rides located in the center of Pier Park. The old Miracle Strip Amusement park was closed many years ago, but these rides have been brought back for those of us nostalgia lovers to enjoy all over again. There is also great beach access at Pier Park, just get there early for the best parking!
St. Andrews State Park is one of our favorite spots. There is wildlife viewing, bird watching, pontoon boat rentals, beaches, a jettie area for the kiddies, and camping!
Pontoon boat rentals are a must while you are visiting PCB. We rent a boat every year we go and explore Shell Island. Shell Island is a 5 mile, uninhabited island that is open to the public. However, the only way to reach it is by boat or ferry from the State park. When you have your own boat you can explore the entire island and really feel like you are a world away. If you have any questions or comments for other fun and exciting things to do, please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email!
Place to Stay
While all the condos are nice enough, we tend to try and stay off the beach. The rates are lower and we can use the added savings to come to the beach more often. There are endless options for places to stay on the beach and off. Another option is to rent a little house or a condo through VRBO, the inter coastal waterway is usually more reasonable than the right on the beach condos. There are several campgrounds if you are looking to stay in your camper. There are even a few with across the street access to the beach. St. Andrews State Park has on the water access to the St. Andrews Bay for campers. There really is no end to where you can stay while visiting the area on any budget!
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