Panama City Beach?????

**imasunbum** · 10-16-2005, 08:32 PM

For those of you who have been wondering and asking about PCB. Actually it is much, much fun. You have to know where to stay. We are just putting our gorgeous unit at Sterling Beach on the rental program. We are located on Thomas Drive which is directly on the beach at the very East end near the State Park. The traffic flow is way different than front beach road (Hwy 98). We are near the marina. You can stay at the property and ride wave runners, parasail, we are near the marina if you want to rent a boat or take a charter out to the unbelievably beautiful Shell Island. Many great restaurants and if the children like the "goofy stuff" many have discussed it is there if you want but you are comfortably removed from it is you don't. Take a look at us on vrbo listing # 65202 - for those of you not familiar with vrbo go to www.vrbo.com and put in listing #65202. Email for more pictures if interested. Thanks and Happy Vacationing at the World's Most Beautiful Beaches.

**Capricious** · 10-16-2005, 09:25 PM

"...For those of you who have been wondering and asking about PCB..."

I, too, think Panama City beach sometimes gets a "bad rap."

Off-and-on through the 1990's we used to stay at the Holiday
Inn @ PCB, and I liked it a lot. Sure the traffic was bad (even though
we went during off-peak times, mid-May and mid-Sept.) but
there is a Waffle House right accross the street for breakfast
(The Holiday Inn has a tunnel under the road so no "road kill"
concerns walking acorss the street.)

There is a shopping center right across the street that has a Montego Bay
Rest. that had really good lunch specials back in the '90s, and a Burger
King two doors down for a cheap supper. Lots of (kitchy) shopping within
walking distance. Even that staple of the family vacation: miniature golf. One could go for days without driving. At today's
gasoline prices, that is worth something.

But now the Holiday Inn has really raised it's rates, the shopping center
across the street has really gone "down-hill," and the last time we were
in the Montego Bay (May '03) it was a dive. As of March '04 there was
almost a solid wall of high-rise condos going up along the beach.

A really big problem for the wife and I, however, is that all we want is
a motel room and there are fewer and fewer motels; everything has gone
condo. We don't need a kitchen (aint cooking) nor do we need (2) or
more bedrooms. For a family a condo rental can be a good deal but for
a couple that does not spend much time indoors, a condo is a waste.

Which is not to say that we have "given-up" on PCB; it certainly still
has some advantages over other areas of the Panhandle.

Nothing is perfect. I did notice on the web cam that a dredge was dumping
sand on the PCB beach the last couple of weeks. Maybe not the whitest
sand, but sand none the less.

To each his own.

**luvthebeach** · 10-16-2005, 09:41 PM

We too used to spend our beach vacations on Panama City beach during the 90's. I have fond memories....the beautiful white sand of Panama City Beach was my first beach experience..I couldn't believe how wonderful it felt to dig my feet into that white powdery soft sand! We used to stay at the Boardwalk Beach Resorts on Thomas Drive, but they slowly went downhill. I remember going there once right after spring break and it was disgusting. I hear they've since remodeled, so I imagine it's much nicer. My kids loved all the things to do in the area, and restaurants/fast food were always in abundance.

However, now that the kids are no longer "kids", but adults with families of their own, we enjoy the wonderful calm and ambiance of 30-A. We discovered it by mistake during one of our stays in Panama City. We were heading west to visit some friends in Ft Walton Beach and ended up on 30-A. We instantly fell in love with the area, and although we had been looking to buy in Panama City Beach, we ended up purchasing a townhome on 30-A. Best decision we ever made! When our kids come to visit with THEIR kids, they usually drive to Panama City Beach one day and hang out there, but then they spend the rest of their time in SoWal, enjoying the beach, Seaside, great food, etc. Panama City is great if you're into the touristy places, but for a quiet, relaxing get-away, there's nothing like 30-A!!

**bsmart** · 10-16-2005, 10:34 PM

My fondest memory at PCB was being hit up for drugs or money to buy cocaine with. I ran like hell and then thought, how could you live in a place like this (anywhere near SOWAL) and have such a bad habit?

**imasunbum** · 10-16-2005, 11:18 PM

Gee - I guess with fond memories like that you don't need any bad ones. My family and I have had no bad experiences yet - but you have to remember we hardly every make to the so called "strip" (front beach road/hwy 98). We pretty much stick to the extreme east end of the beach.

**bsmart** · 10-16-2005, 11:21 PM

Originally Posted by mkitchens

Gee - I guess with fond memories like that you don't need any bad ones. My family and I have had no bad experiences yet - but you have to remember we hardly every make to the so called "strip" (front beach road/hwy 98). We pretty much stick to the extreme east end of the beach.

Unfortunately that is where I was on the strip--I just wanted to see what it was all about, and had a bad experience. I have never been to the part of town that you mention, but I have heard that it is nice.

**lindatat** · 10-20-2005, 10:37 PM

I don't know - it wasn't all bad. The hubby kind of enjoyed cruising the strip over spring break with his plethora of Mardi Gras beads and the mini-van doors open!

**Beach Runner** · 10-20-2005, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by Capricious

... we used to stay at the Holiday
Inn @ PCB

LOL. My husband didn't have any money for a fancy honeymoon (since then he's made up for it times 10^6), so we had our honeymoon at the Holiday Inn at PCB. Actually that's not entirely true. Our first night was at a motel at PCB recommended to us by one of my best friends in ATL who got her first fur coat at 13 and wore big/real diamonds and was a fashion icon. The motel she recommended had a heart-shaped bed with a red velvet bedspread and a bidet in the bathroom. I had no clue what that was for at the tender age of 20. We checked out the next morning and went to the Holiday Inn. I mean, we felt like we were in a whore house. The first day we got so sunburned that it hurt just to go outside in the June heat to go to a restaurant. So we stayed in the room essentially the entire time. I'm sure all of our neighbors thought we were busy doing honeymoon stuff since our car was all painted up. But, heck, we were so burned that we couldn't even stand to be touched, much less do the dirty.

**Beach Runner** · 10-20-2005, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by lindabobhat

I don't know - it wasn't all bad. The hubby kind of enjoyed cruising the strip over spring break with his plethora of Mardi Gras beads and the mini-van doors open!

My daughter says you have to flash someone to get beads at PCB. (That's a given in NOLA). So, who was the flasher? LOL.

**lindatat** · 10-21-2005, 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by Beach Runner

My daughter says you have to flash someone to get beads at PCB. (That's a given in NOLA). So, who was the flasher? LOL.

No no no! He bought the beads and was passing them out!!!!

**Miss Kitty** · 10-21-2005, 05:20 AM

Originally Posted by lindabobhat

No no no! He bought the beads and was passing them out!!!!

Good save lbh! Watch out for BR....she has a fondness for flashing! She learned this first hand at Tulane when she took Mardi Gras 101, 201, 301, 401!!!!

**Johnrudy** · 10-21-2005, 07:24 AM

Originally Posted by Sueshore

Good save lbh! Watch out for BR....she has a fondness for flashing! She learned this first hand at Tulane when she took Mardi Gras 101, 201, 301, 401!!!!

Wow! Who would have guessed that!

**Miss Kitty** · 10-21-2005, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by Johnrudy

Wow! Who would have guessed that!

She has flashed all over the world!

**Beach Runner** · 10-21-2005, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by lindabobhat

No no no! He bought the beads and was passing them out!!!!

Oh, did he have them so he could get females to flash him?

Actually SS I never indulged in flashing at Mardi Gras (only on the beaches of Europe). My boobs are so small that no one would have ever given me any beads for flashing them. :oops:

**Miss Kitty** · 10-21-2005, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by Beach Runner

Oh, did he have them so he could get females to flash him?

Actually SS I never indulged in flashing. My boobs are so small that no one would have ever given me any beads for flashing them. :oops:

Never underestimate the power of the breast!!! Size doesn't matter, RIGHT!

**Lady D** · 02-06-2006, 09:03 PM

Nice place imasunbum. but unfortunately we could never afford such a nice place. Extra nice furnishings also. We do good to pay the $850.00 we pay for a week. And it is a nice place and right on the beachfront. Step right off the deck and you are on the beach. We love driving the strip. We are in our 40's and 50's and love waverunning and renting the gas scooters and riding them around. We hit every Alvin's Island in PC Beach also. I have pictures of my mom and I on the beach at PC Beach back when I was 3 years old. We had on matching one piece bathing suits and matching sun hats. Enjoyed the water and the beach as much then as now. Quite along time ago. Capricious, have you thought about trying Mexico Beach. Very nice and a good deal smaller. Still has the motel atmosphere. About 30 minutes east of PC Beach. We drove there one time and rode around checking out the place. It was very nice.