Panama City Beach: Growing up but still laid back
Watch for:
- Located in the heart of town on Front Beach Road, Pier Park is scheduled to complete its second phase this spring. At 1.1 million square feet, it will be the largest shopping, dining and entertainment complex in Northwest Florida, and will feature al fresco dining on rooftop restaurants with Gulf views.
- A 10,000-sq. ft. spa and fitness center is planned at the Emerald Beach Resort and Spa; no completion date has been set. The $250 million resort and residential community opened two of what eventually will be four beachfront towers with 260 oversized guest suites in each (completion anticipated in 2009). Dining venues include the upscale Garden Market with butler’s pantry offering a wine and cheese section, and the stylish SkyBar in the resort’s sky bridge.
- Readers of Panama City Magazine awarded the Bay Point Marriott Golf Resort & Spa top honors in three categories: Best Wine List in Bay County (30° Blue Restaurant), Best Place for Spa Services (Serenity at Bay Point) and Best Weekend Getaway.
Want offbeat venues with team-building options?
Designed to look like a 1950s luxury cruise liner run aground on the beach, the Ripley’s entertainment complex houses Ripley’s Moving Theater, and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium has team-building events and room for group of up to 1,200. Rock’It Lanes Sports Bar has 24 bowling lanes, skating, arcade games and billiard tables available for parties and team building.
Want self-contained convention resorts?
The Edgewater Beach and Golf Resort is the only full-service resort in Panama City. Meeting facilities include a 32,700-sq. ft. conference center with theater seating for 2,000. The Boardwalk Beach Resort has the largest private beach in the area, a convention center (capacity: 2,500), and hotel and condominium accommodations.
Want group adventures?
High Seas Adventures takes voyagers back to the days when pirates roamed the briny. An authentic 85-foot pirate ship will take your group out on the Gulf with cannons blasting, swords swinging, and pirates hanging from the rigging. Or take them diving — historic, natural and artificial reefs are teaming with sea life just a few miles offshore. Historic wrecks include a 441-ft. World War II ship, a coastal freighter, several tugboats and the Gulf of Mexico’s most famous wreck, the 465-ft. Empire Mica. Customized packages and charters are available at full-service dive shops.
Want family activities?
Circus By The Sea, showcasing the renowned Florida State Flying High Circus, makes its debut in Panama City Beach this summer with air-conditioned big-top seating for more than 2,000 in Frank Brown Park. ZooWorld Zoological & Botanical Park promotes wildlife preservation through hands-on activities and personalized animal encounters. Gulf World Marine Park offers up-close-and-personal dolphin encounters. Shipwreck Island Waterpark is one of Florida’s largest water parks.
Want group dining featuring water views and the local catch?
In the self-proclaimed “Seafood Capital of the World,” fresh catch is unloaded daily, and some restaurants will let you pick your entrée fresh off the boat. There are plenty of waterfront choices: 30° Blue, an annual recipient of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, credits its name to its location at 30 degrees north latitude overlooking the blue waters of the Bay Point Marina and the Grand Lagoon. The Lady Anderson Dining Yacht offers cruising and entertainment. If you want to turn your dining experience into a festival, join the annual Indian Summer Seafood Festival, held the second week in October each year.
Want to create gift baskets?
Jane’s Expressions makes Florida-themed gift baskets and Caroline’s Florist for fruit, floral and/or snack baskets. Plus, you’ll find plenty of shell shops throughout the city to customize your own gift basket.
Want to take advantage of local events?
World-class sporting events, music festivals, crafts fairs, horse shows, fishing tournaments, car rallies, holiday fests and more fill the local calendar. Highlights include: the Gulf Coast Charity Horse Show & Music Festival (April); the Grand Lagoon National Saltwater Fishing Tournament (August); and the Super Boat Florida/National Championship (October).
Want to pamper your attendees?
Marriott Bay Point Resort has opened the Serenity at Bay Point, a 12,025-sq. ft. spa, salon and fitness center with calming views of the Grand Lagoon. Other options include The Spa at Majestic Beach Resort and The Shores of Panama. The Carillon Beach Resort and Spa was expected to open its 7,500-sq. ft. spa and fitness center this spring.
