This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Visit Panama City Beach for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
We just got back from a quick trip to Florida for some family stuff and didn’t have time to make it to the beach. I know, what a travesty! I can barely live with myself. So, now that we’re back in NC with all this sunshine and warmth, we’re working on planning some fun in the sun for our little family. If you read our last post, you know we just got a new addition. Nope, not another dog, a tiny human! Now that we have Parker, our vacation requirements are a little different.
I’ve been doing a lot of research on the Visit Panama City Beach website and planning a trip. A Panama City Beach, Florida vacation checks ALL the boxes for our family! There really is something for every type of traveler. Whether you like adventure, time on the beach with your family, hiking, water sports, dining out, or even looking for a little romance, PCB has it all. I think it’s time to visit the Real. FUN. Beach.
Sand & Sun
First thing on my mind when traveling to a beach vacation is well, the beach! I love walking the beach in the mornings looking for shells and there’s nothing better than a beach sunset. The dogs go completely bananas at the beach too, chasing the waves and zooming through the sand. Panama City Beach has TWENTY SEVEN miles of white sand beaches along the Gulf Of Mexico with over 100 beach access points. I can’t wait for Parker’s first beach trip. So many sand castle opportunities!
The beach I have my eye on though is Shell Island. Beaches like this are my favorite… undeveloped and only accessible by boat, the way nature intended. We can catch a shuttle or take a tour boat and spend the day in the sand and sea. Ooh, and then there’s St. Andrews State Park, named the Best Beach in America with jetties and scuba diving and snorkeling opportunities. PCB also has a dog-friendly beach. aptly named “Doggie Beach”, where the pups can run and play in the sand and surf! Can we just skip this adulting thing and go right now??
Eco-Tourism
On days when we aren’t being beach bums, we’ll do a bit of exploring. Camp Helen State Park looks amazing! It’s bordered on 3 sides by water, the Gulf on 2 sides and Lake Powell, one of the largest coastal dune lakes, on the third. The part I’m most excited about are the hiking trails. With the baby on my back and the pups leading the way, we’ll wind through the dunes and scrub oak forests and 4,000+ year old prehistoric middens and mounds. Hubby is a history buff and I love nature and the dogs love to explore new places, so check, check, check!
I’m also excited to check out Panama City Beach’s new geocaching trail. If you’ve never tried it, geocaching is an outdoor adventure and a treasure hunt wrapped in one. Grab your smart phone or GPS-enabled device, a snack, and some sunscreen and hit the Pirates of the High Seas GeoTour on the hunt for the treasure of Capt. Dominique Youx.
In addition to all the human fun, PCB has your pup covered too. I’d love to hit Frank Brown Park’s fenced dog park or the dog-friendly trails and boardwalks at PCB Conservation Park with our pack. Or maybe catch a concert at dog-friendly Aaron Bessant Park. You can also take your dog with you to Pier Park, Panama City Beach’s outdoor shopping mall and visit Ron Jon’s.
Panama City Beach is a prime location for water sports. Whatever your speed, there’s a water activity for you and your family. For a calm day on the water, how about renting a pontoon boat with water slides, trying paddle boarding or kayaking? Anglers have a variety of fresh and saltwater fishing options.
Panama City Beach is a prime location for water sports. Whatever your speed, there’s a water activity for you and your family. For a calm day on the water, how about renting a pontoon boat with water slides, trying paddle boarding or kayaking? Anglers have a variety of fresh and saltwater fishing options.
Thrill Seekers
Seeing some thrill on your Panama City Vacation? Find some thrills on the water by renting some jet skis, parasailing, riding a banana boat, or take a high-speed airboat tour off the beaten path through the creeks, islands and marshes.
It’s gorgeous turquoise waters, sunken ships and manmade reefs make Panama City Beach a prime scuba destination. Skin Diver Magazine dubbed Panama City Beach the “Wreck Diving Capital of the South.” I’d love to get scuba certified and take a guided tour of the historic wrecks like the 185-foot Black Bart, the 441-foot World War II Liberty Ship, and the 465-foot Empire Mica.
If you love fast, adrenaline pumping rides like we do, PCB has you covered. At the top of my list would be the flight simulator at Cobra Adventure Park and the Slingshot and go-karts at Indy Speedway. On a hot day, nothing would sound better than Shipwreck Island Waterpark. Nothing better than keeping cool while having LOADS of high speed fun. They have everything from wave pools to fast, fun water rides that get you racing up to 35MPH.
Romance
Most of our trips include the pups, and now a young baby, but we always try to take some time away to from the stress of everyday life and reconnect. PCB has plenty of opportunities to do just that. After a long day of sun and thrills, it’s a perfect time to slow down and reconnect. I could really go for a sunset stroll, a spa trip, a frosty beverage with a water view. Or if you want to go all out, a romantic meal at Firefly, rated the “Most Romantic Restaurant 2017,” and a little dancing or live music after dinner.
Make It Yours
Panama City Beach really does have something for every kind of traveler. And the best part is, you don’t have to pick just one vacation style. Pick and choose your activities at the Real FUN Beach, make lots of memories and make it yours. I really want to hop in the car and head South right now, do some snorkeling, play on the beach with Parker and the pups, go on an airboat tour, hit the water park and watch the sun set. Ahh, I think it may be time to plan a trip!
What’s your vacation style?
What would you love to see or do in Panama City Beach?
Thanks for reading,
Debbie & the MUTTS (& Parker)
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19 Comments
Looks amazing for all those beach lovers!! We’re not beach people and we lived in Florida for 5 years, actually just as snowbirds, and we only went to the beach once…can you believe it? I do like that there are other things to do, especially when our dogs can join us. I go back to Florida once a year, so perhaps on my next trip I should plan a visit to Panama City Beach. It’s been years since I sat on a beach, perhaps it’s long overdue.
HAHA! That is pretty unusual about the beach, especially for snowbirds. But hey, you go South for the warmth right? I’m not a huge beach person during the day, but I love sunset strolls and walking the beach in the morning looking for shells. There is definitely a lot to do aside from the beach in PCB. You should definitely check it out with the pups. Maybe the dog beach would make sitting in the sand worth it!
Hey, I just a new little human, too! Congrats!
Oh, how awesome! They’re the best, aren’t they? Congrats to you as well.
Sounds like the place I would love to visit, I grew up next to the beach in Cape Town South Africa and we were always at the beach in summers and when living in Israel I lived in Eilat which is on the Red Sea and there was so much to do also, from scuba diving, to amazing restaurants, to just sitting on a beach doing nothing. I also love collecting shells although there you are not allowed to take anything natural from the beaches especially the sea.
So Panama City Beach sounds like the place I would be very happy visiting.
Ahh, that’s great that you spent so much time near the beach growing up. How fun! I bet visiting beach areas now brings back all sorts of happy memories of your childhood. I love that about the beach too, that you can do one of a million activities or just be in the moment and enjoy it while doing basically nothing. I bet you would just love Panama City Beach!
O. M. G. Thank you for sharing this!!!! I love the NC mountains but sometimes I just want some salt water but I always want to take my pups. I feel like I don’t get to spend as much time with them as I’d like already, so leaving them completely for a vacation sounds like a terrible vacation! With this information I can look into a beach vacation with them too!!
Absolutely! Happy to share. We’re exactly the same when we plan vacations. I hate leaving the pups at home! If we go on vacation, I want to be able to take them with us. I love that Panama City Beach has so many dog-friendly attractions and restaurants and even a dog beach! The only thing I love more than being AT the beach is watching my dogs get the zoomies in the sand and play in the water. Let me know if you do check out PCB. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Congrats on your new addition to the crew! Hmmm if I travled to PCB I’d definitely try the sandy white beaches. I like to relax while on vacation. The beaches look so beautiful like a postcard.
The beach is such a great place to hit the reset button. The sand, the sun, the sound of the waves. It’s so centering and relaxing. I bet you’d love PCB. Thanks for the congrats too! So excited for new adventures and lots of exploring with our little guy!
It looks absolutely amazing and so much to do for everyone with different interests. I love going to the beach and going in the WARM sea! hahaha Hope you enjoy your trip to the beach and congratulations on baby Parker (love the name!). :o)
Thanks Michelle! We are over the moon about Parker and can’t wait to take him on lots of awesome family vacations with the pups! PCB really does have something for everyone and every speed of vacationer. Ahh yes, warm water is a necessity for any good beach vacation. I grew up going to the beach up North and swimming in the frigid water as a kid, but I’m too old to be cold at the beach these days! lol
Omg your pictures are absolutely gorgeous! I definitely would love to visit. This looks such a fun a vacation. I live in Texas so, unfortunately, our beaches are kind of gross and nothing like this at all. Whelp, guess I have to start planning a trip lol.
Panama City Beach really is such a beautiful place! Ahh yes, Texas Beaches. We lived in the Austin area for a few years and took a few beach trips in Texas. I think it’s definitely worth the extra effort to make it to a beautiful sandy Florida beach! Hope you get to make the trip sometime soon! Thanks for reading
What a beautiful place. Makes me regret we don’t travel. A little bit. I was in Spain in the past; it was awesome.
You don’t travel?? Do you not like to? Traveling is my favorite! I love checking out new places and exploring new cities and cultures. I bet Spain was a blast. Where all did you go?
It looks like a lovely place! It sounds like there are lots of things to do in the area. Traveling with an infant will be a cinch for you!
It does look awesome and there is definitely no shortage of FUN to be had at Panama City Beach. I am so ready for a beach trip. I bet traveling with a baby will require a little extra effort, but we have more than enough practice traveling with the pups and all of their stuff. I think it was good practice! lol. Thanks for reading.
Oh wow, Panama City beach is right up our ally! I love beach vacated & one that’s dog friendly is the best. I can’t believe those crystal clear waters, just gorgeous! This is going on my list of dog friendly vacay spots for sure. Thanks for sharing this!
Love & biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them