Highlights from Panama City Beach, FL
Happy Wednesday friends! I hope you all enjoyed the weekend! Ross and I had a wonderful time down in Panama City Beach, FL! I lived in FL (Boca Raton area) for a few years during my childhood and made it around the state a good bit because of that, but this was my first time in the Panama City area, and their tourism board made sure it was a memorable one!
Panama City Beach used to be a big 'Spring Break' destination, and while it still is to a degree, it's also a fun spot for a family vacation or getaway with a few friends/significant other! The beaches are gorgeous, with the white, soft sand and aqua blue water we all dream of, and there's quite a lot of fun things to do and amazing places to eat! Here's some of Ross and my favorites from the trip:
UNwineD Festival
The UNwineD festival was definitely one of our favorite parts of the trip! It's a food, wine, and craft beer event that takes place in March in partnership with Southern Living Magazine. The location is perfect, as it's right next to Pier Park (more on that next), and the setup is magical because, well, the SL Mag team are basically wizards at decor. The inside of the festival looked like it belonged right in one of their magazines, which meant it was great for getting cute photos! The food and drinks were equally as amazing; we definitely indulged this weekend but can't regret it for a minute as it was so worth it!
Pier Park
Speaking of indulging... the food & drink options at Pier Park are insane! We had the most decadent PB & Chocolate Milkshake, a delicious key lime smoothie, amazing bang bang shrimp and still left wishing we had more meals to enjoy there. There's also boutiques sprinkled all throughout, as well as lots of fun activities. There's a ferris wheel, Dave & Busters, laser tag, live music... we went a few times and still didn't see it all! Definitely a fun must-visit spot with something for everyone!
Sunset Watching
The skies are just gorgeous in PCB! The sunsets, sunrises, and even post-sunrise skies were just stunning, showing off gorgeous pastel hues. We loved waking up and enjoying our coffee in the morning while sitting on the balcony of our condo. We stayed at Edgewater Resort, and it was as the name implies, right on the water.
Beach Time
Being right on the water, of course we had to enjoy some time on the beach! We didn't have much time to lay out, but we did go on a few walks/runs that we thoroughly enjoyed! I know I keep mentioning that the beaches were gorgeous, but when you've been to your fair share where the water is murky, there are rocks/coral/gross brown algae on the ocean floor, or the beach is rocky/dirty, you reallllly appreciate beaches with soft, white sand and clear blue water. The only things to be found in/on the sand on the beach or in the water are gorgeous shells, some of which looked like they belonged in a shop!
Dinner at Grand Marlin
As much amazing food as we had at Pier Park, I think this was my favorite meal of all! The fish was crazy good and so, so fresh here! We adored the fried calamari, tuna tartare, grilled shrimp, barbecue shrimp, and swordfish! (yes, we went to townnnn, don't judge haha) The drinks were good too, and the dessert was phenomenal and generously portioned! Best of all, the restaurant sits right on the water, so you can eat outside and enjoy the ocean breeze while watching the sunset if you play your cards right!
There's so much more to do and see in Panama City Beach that will just have to wait till next time, but for now, hope you enjoyed!
Bisous,
Laurelle