Purple haze was in my brain, lately things don’t seem the same. Actin’ funny, but I don’t know why. ‘Scuse me while I kiss the sky.
– Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970)
Panama City and its beach are the Panhandle’s fun city, a place that welcomes spring breakers, families, and everyone in between. The Miracle Strip Amusement Park has thrill rides and a midway. It’s open daily, June through Labor Day, and on weekends from mid-March through May. Across the way, Shipwreck Island Water Park has a wave pool, a tube ride, and thrill slides. The beach at St. Andrews State Recreation Park took accolades from Condé Nast Traveler magazine as the “number one beach in America.”
This is four-season Florida, where winter cold fronts can bring icy temperatures. It just makes springtime all the sweeter, a starburst of color, birdsong and fragrance. It usually arrives in late February or early March. Summer is the high season, with the highest hotel rates.
Marriott Bay Point Resort
Better Homes & Gardens magazine voted this 1,100-acre resort village one of America’s Favorite Family Resorts. Its grounds are a natural wildlife sanctuary, the beaches are white as talcum. It has two championship golf courses and its own paddlewheeler,Island Queen, to take you to secluded Shell Island. It’s simply a first-class resort where you can pamper yourself with golf, tennis, a great beach, dining and all the rest. There’s a fabulous Dolphin Excursion that gives you a chance to swim and snorkel with Flipper; it’s handled in accordance with the Marine Animal Protection Act, and is a rare chance for humans to bond with these sweet, smiling sea creatures.
The resort has four swimming pools, two of them heated, a supervised play program for children, five places to dine, a lobby bar overlooking St. Andrews Bay, dancing to live entertainment, an upstairs cigar room, and acres of wetlands and wilderness where you can stroll, bicycle, birdwatch, or just whisper sweet nothings to each other. Guest rooms include a deluxe king or suites with one or two bedrooms. Every unit has a telephone, cable television with movie channels, a coffee maker and supplies. The resort has its own marina, post office, travel agency, and convenience store – all you’ll need for a weekend getaway.
• 4200 Marriott Drive, Panama City Beach 32408, 40 miles south of I-10 via Highways 98, 231, 331, or 79. 850-234-3307 or 800-874-7105
• Rooms: 355
• Rates: From $129.
• Credit cards: MC, V
• Dining: The resort has formal and informal restaurants, a snack bar, and a lounge (see Tables For Two, below).
• Children: Yes. Tuesday-Saturday, the Explorers Kids Club operates for children ages five-12, from 10am-3pm and 6-11pm. Cost is $25 per session, including lunch or dinner.
• Pets: No.
• Parking: Ample.
Marriott Bay Point Resort Village
This 1,100-acre resort is your own island of privacy for the weekend, a place to forget highways and road maps while you choose among the resort’s own restaurants, depending on your mood. For lunch, snacks, or sunset on the water, join the locals at Teddy’s Back Bay Beach Club at the end of a 385-yard boardwalk. (Many of the locals arrive by boat.) Relax over a meal of peel-and-eat shrimp, a burger, or grilled chicken, then stay on for mellow moods and conversation. The Bay Breeze Bar poolside is a place for cocktails in hot weather. Stormy’s Grille, next to the pro shop, serves soup, sandwiches, and snacks overlooking the Lagoon Legends course. For dinner, they specialize in steaks, but other options are available as well; dinner entrées are $16-$20. You can always have breakfast (starting at 6:30am), lunch or dinner (entreés $10-$13) at BayView in the main hotel. At the buffet breakfast you can get a waffle or omelet cooked to order. Early bird specials are featured each evening. There’s a lunch menu daily except Sundays and major holidays, when a big buffet is spread. The lobby bar is a place to have a quiet drink and to listen to a jazz ensemble on Friday and Saturday evenings. Throughout the resort, restaurant hours vary seasonally, so get an update when you arrive.
• 4200 Marriott Drive, Panama City Beach, in the Marriott Bay Point Resort. Contact all restaurants through the main number, 850-234-3307.