A Day at Panama City Beach

For two native Hoosiers, a huge benefit of living in Georgia is the ability to go to Atlantic or Gulf beaches for day or week-end trips. Aron takes me on many adventures, but one of my favorites while we were dating was the time we drove 200 miles to Panama City Beach for the day. We left at 3:00 in the morning and got back at 3:00 the next morning. Aron had an itinerary all planned for us, and he made sure it was a day we would never forget. That itinerary included a sunrise breakfast on the beach, libations and lunch on the bay, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, miniature golf, a walk on the pier, and a sunset dinner.

Barefoot Hideaway Grill

We shared the Panama City Beach Gulf of Mexico sunrise over bacon and eggs at the beach side restaurant, Barefoot Hideaway Grill.

For a quick virtual trip to the beach, you can view their live cam of the Gulf any time at this link: https://barefootrestaurants.com/live-cams/

St. Andrew’s Bay

After breakfast, we drove over to historic St. Andrew’s, where we saw the beauty of the bay contrasted with the destruction (which has since been restored) of a recent hurricane. St. Andrew’s is actually part of Panama City, rather than Panama City Beach. It existed well before Panama City Beach, and boasts a beautiful bay, marina, shops and restaurants—making it worthy of a visit.

Alice’s on Bayview

Alice’s is a quaint restaurant at St. Andrews, right next to the infamous Hunt’s Oyster Bar (which we will most likely blog about soon).

Alice’s was serving breakfast, which we had already eaten, but they also offered Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s along with some delightful live entertainment.

Barefoot on the Bay

After a walk around St. Andrews, we were ready for lunch, so we wandered into the Barefoot on the Bay Bar & Grill. If fish or shrimp tacos are on the menu, I’m there—and the view from this restaurant is fabulous!

Ripley’s Believe it or Not

Visiting the Ripley’s Believe or Not Museum is a touristy thing to do in Panama City Beach, and since neither of us had ever been there, it seemed like a good way to spend an hour or so during our day trip. It was filled with odd and amazing sights that would appeal to adventurers of all ages!

Pirate’s Island

No vacation (even a day-long one) is complete without a round of miniature golf. Aron has natural athletic ability, and he wins a LOT. I have never beaten him at miniature golf, but I keep trying. Panama City Beach has more than one mini-golf course, but Pirate’s Island is our favorite.

Panama City Beach Pier

With a few minutes to kill before our dinner reservation, we visited the Russel-Fields City Pier, which is one of the longest piers on the Gulf. On this cooler, overcast day, it was fairly deserted, but on most days it is filled with sightseers and fishermen. It was the perfect spot for a romantic kiss!

The Grand Marlin

By far, the highlight of this trip was our sunset dinner at the Grand Marlin Restaurant & Oyster Bar. They say they feature “seafood so fresh we print our menus daily to take advantage of the local catch.” If you visit this restaurant, you need to take a walk around the marina right outside, and check out the area where all of that fresh seafood arrives and is processed—it’s amazing to see wheelbarrows full of huge redfish.

We always make it a point to visit the Grand Marlin on every trip we make to Panama City Beach, and when we do, we start every meal with their Crispy Lobster Fingers with Vanilla Bean Honey Mustard. At every visit, I order their Grouper Piccata. Aron has even learned how to fix it at home (and his is every bit as good). Check out their menu for other wonderful dishes. For dessert we shared the Signature Praline Basket with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream–delicious!! Their service is always top-notch too!

In Summary

We sure felt it was worth the 200-mile drive (one way!) to experience a day at Panama City Beach. We have returned several times, but have since been able to steal away for a few days rather than just one. I hope you have a chance to visit yourself, but if you don’t, just click on the links in this post for your own virtual visit to Panama City Beach, Florida.