Panama City Beach, Florida
Panama City Beach, Florida
Season III - Chapter 10
The U.P. and Heading Down
“The End of the Road... Dipping Tires in the Gulf of Mexico!”
The stroll around Bayshore Park in Munising, Michigan was spirited, energized by the 4th of July festivities or perhaps the anticipation of the things to come. We had spent the last few days securing our big rocks for the next adventure: “The U.P. and Heading Down.” Having gazed into the crystal blue waters of Lake Superior we had no idea what to expect, only that it would end here on one of the pristine beaches of Florida’s Emerald Coast. Panama City Beach (PCB) is that final destination or rock. We choose this area, not for it’s challenging hikes (Hocking Hills in Ohio) or the face melting motorbike rides (The Tail of the Dragon in Tennessee) or even the serenity of Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail. Instead , we chose this place for it’s P..T..B.. Pace, Temperature, and Beaches! From March to October PCB is home to Spring Breakers and the Redneck Riviera Ramblers of the South, then returned to the locals and a few snowbirds who desire the quality of restaurants and white sand beaches at a much slower pace.
The journey from Savannah is only 400 miles, but it crosses time zones and the Suwannee River. Even though we gained an hour in returning to the Central Time Zone we arrive after dark. We have shared a lot about riding, hiking, and even an excursion or two, but not much about the day to day of RV living. Moving an 18,000 pound, 40 foot long, 13 foot high mobile structure has it’s challenges. Threading this beast thru a narrow, tree lined RV park built in the 80’s adds even more. Daylight revealed that we missed remodeling our RV with a pine tree by only inches! 😳 The good luck seems to follow a rig named “The Grand Shamrock.” 🍀
Our first RV site was too close to the trees and included a broken concrete pad. The site was definitely not enough room for our 40 foot RV. After two moves we found the site that was “just right” for the Winter. The third photo is our final site that ended up working quite well.
PCB - Our warmest day on the Panama City Beach having 80 degrees during the the first week of December. We know the weather will cool as it gets closer to January.
Now, after settling in to our camp site for a couple of months, it is our intention to rest, recreate, and report on the sugar sand beaches of Florida’s Panhandle. We will seek out a boat ramp to splash the treads of our Beemers and take time to summarize our impressions of Season III. Until then, a gentle sea awaits as we come to...
“The End of the Road... Dipping Tires in the Gulf of Mexico!”
As we wind down our third season we begin to plan for the New Year. We wish you the best in planning your and may 2023 bring some very special moments.
Travel safe... and yes, we will see you out on the road in 2023!
John and Caroline 🍀
Points of interest:
1. Sunsets: Our RV park is just a short walk to the beach and pier so catching the evening sunsets has been a joy. The parking lot fills with locals who feel the same.
2. Walk the M.B. County Pier. Fishing is available. We walked out well after sunset and found the night photography to be interesting.
3. Bike: We have been able to use our e-bikes as much or more than many other locations. The PCB area is bike friendly especially during the quieter time of winter.
4. Bike: to St. Andrews State Park and hike the Gator Lake Trail.
5. Bike: Pier Park is full of shopping options so enjoy the venue or park and get a scoop of ice cream at Kilwins.
6. Hike: The Panama City Beach Conservation Park. There are several hikes available. We chose the Cypress Pond Trail for a 4.7 mile excursion.
7. Visit Fort Pickens at the Gulf Island National Seashore. We so enjoy riding our motorcycles along the coast line as they provide better access and views of the Panhandle.
8. St. Andrews State Park offers ferry rides to Shell Island as well as an evening Dolphin Cruise that leaves just before sunset. We so enjoyed the numerous pods of dolphin swimming in the bay!
9. *And finally the list of “best places to dine” in the Panama City Beach area as listed by people we have met along the way:
- Patches Pub: Live Music and outdoor dining and a delicious Bloody Mary.
- C Level: Local seafood with the best Dirty Martinis.
- Captain Anderson’s: Overall best food but a bit pricey.
- Shore Shark Pizza: Excellent.
- The Wicked Wheel for biker friendly dining.
- Sharky’s Beachfront and Lounge
- Rudy’s “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q
* While in the area we will attempt to sample at least of few of the above restaurants. 😊
A sunset panorama of Panama City Beach.
Scenic Motorcycle Rides:
1. West: Follow the coastline from Panama City Beach (PCB) to Destin and Fort Walton Beach. Be sure to pick up Highway 30A for an interesting view of the colorful homes and towns along the way. We stopped at the Cocina Cubana in Seaside for a delicious Cortadito with our Cubano and Tostones.
2. East: From PCB we head east towards Apalachicola, Florida and on to St. George Island to take in as much of the gulf coast that we can.
3. Riding along the Gulf Coast is part of the intrigue here in Florida. They call this the Emerald Coast for the beautiful colored waters. Our ride to the Gulf Islands are part of the National Seashore for the National Park system. Fort Pickens is one of four military forts designed to protect Pensacola in the 1800s.
