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Panama City Beach Means Family Fun
We just got back from a very fun trip to Panama City Beach, Florida. My husband and I packed the car, got the kids and hit the road to head down to PCB for a long weekend. About a five hour drive from Atlanta, Panama City Beach offers a laid back vacation atmosphere perfect for families.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Our two bedroom condo at the Long Beach Resort by The Resort Collection was the right size for our family of five. We stocked up on groceries at the Winn Dixie and then checked into our room.
The kids immediately claimed the spaces that they would be sleeping in and then put their swimsuits on to wait impatiently by the door for us to finish unpacking.
We visited two of the pools the first night and then spent the rest of our days at the 1300 feet of beachfront at Long Beach. Although we did go to a pool each night after dinner to let the kids burn some energy off. They also loved the cable TV because they could always find a movie to watch.
The accommodations were very nice. The condo felt very upscale with granite and a complete kitchen. We spent a lot of time out on the huge balcony overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. My husband and I both visited the fitness center a few times. It was well appointed.
FOOD
The food was part of the fun in Panama City Beach, Florida. My favorite place to visit has got to be Schooner's. They call themselves the last local beach club and it really feels like that from the moment that you walk in. There was a great mix of locals and tourists.
We sat on the deck overlooking the ocean and ordered dinner. We started with Crab Cakes which were amazing and served with a fruit salsa. I ordered the Beach Party for dinner which I highly recommend. The platter was overflowing with fresh, fried seafood and I had to get my son to help me finish it all. Don't leave Schooner's without trying their fabulous key lime pie.
Although we did make a lot of our meals in the condo, we did eat out a few more times. At J. MICHAEL'S RESTAURANT & OYSTER BAR we enjoyed lots of seafood and their famous oysters. The restaurant is decorated with sea life, license plates and dollar bills. They really take care of the kids at this restaurant. All kids get a goodie bag with candy and balloons plus they have an entire kids play area at the front of the restaurant. Expect a wait but it is definitely worth it.
We met family and friends at CAPT. ANDERSON'S RESTAURANT. This is such a great place to eat at. The food is wonderful and the atmosphere was super fun. The seafood is absolutely delicious.
ACTIVITIES
This was the first vacation that we took where we let the kids be in charge of the activities.
First we headed to Ripley's Believe It or Not where we entered the mirror maze. We had to wear gloves which was a little unusual but we really had fun. After the mirror maze, we walked our way through the museum. My kids and I are always fascinated by all of the strange things that you can find at Ripley's. We spent about three hours exploring the place, played some laser tag and then headed out.
The next day we visited Wonderworks, the famous upside down building. WONDERWORKS is right across the street from from Ripley's and is huge. They have 35,000 square feet and they offer more than 100 interactive exhibits. Wonderworks was a fun interactive place that entertained my kids for hours. My husband and I were even entertained as well.
EXPLORATION
One day we decided to take a drive and visit St. Andrews State Park. I really think that this is one of the best kept secrets in Panama City Beach, Florida. St. Andrews, which used to be a military facility, is just stunning. They have over 1 ½ miles of beaches, fishing piers, nature trails and a really cool marsh area featuring alligators. This is really the perfect place to explore but make certain to allow a full day. This is by far one of my favorite places to visit in PCB.
Our other favorite place for exploring was Pier Park. They have great shopping, lots of choices for dining and even a really fun doggy beach that my kids loved visiting.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Panama City Beach via Rhythm One. The opinions and text are all mine.
Spectacular places to eat, attractions and the beach! Panama City Beach has a lot to offer for vacationing families.
I have never been there, but it looks like a boatload of fun. DO you know if the hotel welcomes pets? I travel with my dog. I would be interested in learning more fur sure.
Oh my gosh so pretty there! I would definitely love to visit and check out Panama City beach with my family!
Love food and easy-going lifestyle when we travel.
This resort is a great place for family travels.
I *love* PCB! It is so much fun and has things for every age in the family. We had a nice condo for almost a week there last year.
Reminds me of my childhood. We used to go there when I was a kid. We spent loads of time on the beautiful beaches.
What a great place to relax and have some fun with family. It’s really nice that you have multiple fun local attractions as well as the beaches.
I went to Panama City a little over 20 years ago. It looks like it would still be a fun place to visit.
I love the idea of the last local beach club. I love that atmosphere. That I call a real vacation!
I love the places you visited! I’d love to see the Ripley’s too. This trip sounds fun!
The perfect place to take a family for a vacation! I would really like to see the Ripley’s Odditorium. That would be my first stop if I ever get to go to Panama City, FL.
I have only been to Panama City Beach once in my life and would love to go again. You make this look very inviting. Going to see if we have an opening in our schedule.
I would love to live within driving distance to FL. Sounds like a nice car ride for an awesome time!!
Wow looks like an amazing beach. Perfect to take the family away for the day to.
Wow, I have never tasted crab cakes in my life and I would love to try it out when I am in Panama city beach. I also love how there is a good seat to oversee the ocean view.
I never heard of Panama City Beach but it looks like a lovely place to visit. My MIL lives in Delray Beach, so I just looked up the distance, they are pretty far away from each other. Too bad, PCB looks nice.
omg look at this gorgeous beach!!! I miss going to a beach, can’t can’t can’t wait for Summer. Thanks a lot for the awesome read.
Family fun is a very important part for any vacation. Each member should have something for his or her own. This beach sounds absolutely ideal to me!
Oh my gosh! Wonderworks looks awesome! My kids would love to go into an upside down building! Too fun!
We have a trip coming up to Disney World and you have just reminded me I need to take my girls to Wonderworks before we head home! And of course, a trip to the beach is a must too!
Such a nice place for the kids and the family, am sure it was fun.
Reading this as I watch it rain outside I want to hop a place and get on that beach right now! Wonderworks looks like a super cool place, I’d never heard of it before. I would go with or without kids. 🙂
I’ve never been to PCB, but I’ve only heard good things. It was nice to see your post focusing on family-friendly activities rather than the non-stop party scene I usually hear about.
I’ve been wanting to get down to Florida for some time now. Such a beautiful place and Panama city is a perfect place to vacation…so much fun for the whole family!
what a great view! we will surely visit this place thankyou for sharing this article,
What nice plac ti come and viisit! i love the view and ambiance thankyou for the share
Looks like you had an amazing time, there is so much to do there
Yes this looks like a family friendly resort. It’s so hard to find something that has a lot of activities besides Disney that they family can enjoy. I would love to visit Ripleys as well, so cool!!
I love your photos, so pretty and full of adventure in Panama Beach… I would definitely love to escape MN right now and enjoy the nice sunny beach weather (it’s been a hard winter this year!)
We live about 5 hours from Panama City Beach and we have been there several times. I love the beaches and there is so much to do and eat there.
I’ve never been to PCB but I’d like to go. looks pretty down there
Oooo how fun!!!! I just love beach vacations with the family. Always so fu
This looks wonderful! We’ve never been to Panama City Beach but now I definitely want to go! We just recently discovered how great Florida is. I grew up in California so we typically head to the west coast when we want a beach vacation. Last month, we took a trip to Orlando and we were obsessed. The weather is so much nicer in Florida! Adding this spot to my list!