Welcome to Panama City Beach – or, as it’s affectionately known…
…the Redneck Riviera.
As near as I can figure, the name is pretty appropriate. Country music blasts from all speakers, everything is fried, and there’s a cooler-to-people ratio of about 2:1. But that makes it a fun, weird, and laid-back place to spend a few days in Florida.
Pier from afar (you have to pay to go on it)
We went for a wedding and arrived via Florida Northwest Beaches International Airport – a small but really lovely airport. From there, it was a $50 taxi ride to Panama City beach where we promptly checked in, changed, and got ready for the wedding. Held on the famous Panama City 25-mile white-sand beach, we sat with beach breezes blowing and sand in our toes during the short ceremony. Not too bad. That night, we stayed out until 2 AM, sitting around the hot tub, drinking beers, and generally enjoying the warm weather.
The beach isn’t too shabby!
Even though it was Oct, it was hot AF, so the next day was spent entirely on the beach – which, again, is beautiful. The sand is soft as can be, the beaches go on forever, and the waves are super minimal. Its not so great for body surfing but it’s perfect for playing in the surf and burying your feet in the sand. We hopped on a jet ski for a little while (waaaay more frightening than I thought if you’re sitting in back!) and generally a good time. We had hoped to do some scuba diving but unfortunately couldn’t make it work with our flights.
And what better way to spend a slow night in Panama City than by doing the traditional beach trip activity: Mini-golf!! We played at one from 1959 which, I have to say, was pretty awesome! Goofy Golf, at only $8 per game, has interactive holes, trick shots, and plenty of caves, dinosaurs and dragons for climbing in and around. Overall, a fun place to play! And when you follow it up with dinner at a seafood shack and two hours of Jurassic Park Dinosaur Catching game at Dave and Busters, it makes for a cheesy but awesome evening in the Redneck Riviera!
Public Pier in Panama City, FL
