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Sunday, April 14, 2013

PanamaCityFL -- Where Jimmy Carter is still President.

We wanted a beach. We wanted sun. We wanted to get out of Atlanta.

 
 
 
Not too hard to fulfill these wants when you work in the airline industry AND live close to ATL. After being disappointed by spring break oversold flights to nearly every international beach destination -- Logan and I came across Panama City, Florida. Neither of us had heard of this place but decided that google was showing white sand and that turquoise water we craved so off to the airport we went! Luckily, dear friends of ours live in Tallahassee and were willing to meet us there so we had great company too!
 
 
 
We quickly were exposed to the reason for the empty flights --- it is an odd tourist destination. The "resorts" that line the whole beach are old and worn down. There is miniature golf courses (complete with fiber glass octopuses and pirate ships) that line the main drag. Discount surf shops where everything you buy is either bright neon or will assist in consuming alcohol also lined the streets. I did get Benson a hot pink (neon of course) shirt that says "LIKE A BOSS" for him to take to his summer sales job. I also indulged and got a neon Panama City Beach, FL shirt. It just seemed the proper thing to do. It was very old America family friendly with mom and pop liquor stores, ice cream shops and diners everywhere. The sand at the beaches, although white, were infested with broken glass and trash.




I am sure it was the happenin' place to be 25 years ago. But today, it survives off of retirees that couldn't afford the Everglades, Spring Breakers and Flight Attendants suffering from full flight loads to the Caribbean.
 
Amy and Vladi made the trip fun - as we decided to embrace the southern getaway. How can you go wrong with the beach, sun, great friends, great conversation and seafood???
 
Logan and I did make it home with sunburns to make sure we didn't forget our trip too soon!


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