This past week I spent time vacationing with family in Panama City Beach, Florida. An enjoyable trip for sure, my time was well spent in the water, sand and local restaurants. The month of May probably isn’t the best for beach trips in my opinion, as the temperature isn’t quite summer-ish yet and the water is pretty cold, but hey the condo was free (thanks to a relative’s friends), so I cannot complain! I was also able to see the movies Ironman and Prince Caspian, both of which I highly recommend to anyone heading to the movies anytime soon.
Panama City has a more or less dubious reputation among the southern states as somewhat of a cess pool of drunk, immature high school and college folks making base there during spring break and other periods of the year, but during my own visit (not for the above reasons!) I noticed a delightful trend taking place in the beach side of the city. Nicer hotels are replacing old ones, new shopping centers are going up, and the mood seems to be a little more family-friendly. Perhaps the city is trying to shake off its image as an alternative to New Orleans and is beginning to cater to a calmer crowd. In any case during my time there the crowds were minimal and the scenery was not nearly as commercialized as the nearby cities of Destin and Ft. Walton Beach.
To anyone making a trip to the Gulf beaches in Florida, I recommend you investigate Panama City Beach as a possible spot for your vacation.
