I had the great pleasure of visiting Panama City Beach (PCB) and Destin a couple of weeks ago for an extended weekend. The names have not been changed ... I am guilty! Guilty of sleeping in way too late, guilty of drinking beer on the beach in the afternoon, guilty of enjoying the Southern hospitality, and hitting some great night spots in the evening.

The only reason I waited a couple weeks to write this is because I'd be too tempted to turn around and do it again right away if I thought about it! I am posting this on both the Destin and Panama City Beach boards here at Tripsmarter.Com because 1. I spent time in both places and 2. These areas are only about 50 miles apart. If visiting one, take a day to drive over and see the other. Highly recommended is taking the "old" highway (now called State Route 30-A). It won't add much time to the trip unless you stop, and you'll want to. It runs closer to the Gulf and is quite scenic.

Me: 36, single male (straight), Tourism Executive in Las Vegas, Nevada. (No, I am not connected with the mob -- we chased them out years ago.)

Why do I visit this area? I never knew the Emerald coast existed until about three years ago. A "business meeting" brought me down (OK ... the opportunity to mix business with pleasure). Somebody in the area arranged a get-together in Destin for an online group. I checked and saw that I could fly in and rent a car. I needed a vacation. I was on my way.

Now I am hooked on the beautiful white sandy beaches and the relative affordability (minus the airfare from out west) of vacationing on the Emerald Coast. I give huge credit to Tripsmarter.Com because it has been my #1 source of tourism info for the area, and I have not been let down.

Thursday, August 8'th: After getting up at 3 AM my time to catch a sunrise flight and a three hour layover in Atlanta (good thing Atlanta Hartsfield airport is like a huge mall with bars), I arrived around 4 PM in Destin. Was upgraded to a Red Mustang Convertible rental car (Budget) for a few dollars more. I couldn't pass that up!

Stayed at the Super 8 Ft. Walton which I reserved through the hotel search on Tripsmarter.Com. I was splitting my time between Destin and PCB on this visit, and it is cheaper to fly into Destin, plus on a full-sized jet (Delta). Will be nice when PCB gets their new airport done that is on the drawing boards.

Just wanted decent, cheap motel because I had no idea how exhausted I'd be flying in and didn't want to HAVE to drive over to PCB that night. Super 8 on Miracle Strip Parkway is actually a great deal. Older looking on the outside, but rooms are new and nice with full amenities. If you need to do Destin/Ft. Walton for cheap and be a 7 minute drive from the beach, I'd suggest it.

Quick nap and I caught a cab to Okaloosa Island to eat and have a cocktail. Why a cab? I was pretty exhausted after the early wake up (virtually no sleep the night before). That and cocktails wouldn't be a good combo for keeping a car on the road and spending time in jail isn't the way to start a vacation. Plus, cab was only $6 both ways.

Did Joe's Crab Trap for dinner just before sunset outdoors. My receipt says I had the Mix with veg/ and garlic mash for $17.99. Spendy, yes ... but that "mix" is a mixed seafood platter. Well worth it, even before you factor in the view of the Gulf at sunset. Preseason football was on, and I checked that out from Anglers Lounge (sports bar) above their restaurant on the pier area. Then I hit both Howl at the Howl at the Moon, a dueling piano bar ( http://www.howlatthemoon.com/destinhowl.htm ). Very entertaining and a really fun crowd there. Back to Super 8 for plenty of sleep.

Next morning, Waffle House in Destin. I'm not from the South, so there I HAVE to do Waffle House at least once on a visit. There is serious construction between Destin and PCB but don't sweat it. No worse than what things were like before they started it and not much slowing. The cool thing is that they are making great progress on making the entire trip a 4-lane divided highway.

Stayed at the Boardwalk Beach Resort in the Gulfwalk. Avoid this dive. Great view, but very run down. I found out that half the resort is being torn down for a condo this fall, and they weren't sure about the other half. Thus lack of maintenance. However, Gulfwalk room faced the Gulf and what a view to have. Plus, it is walking distance from many of the great clubs and hangouts mentioned on Beach TV like La Vela, Spinnaker, Hammerhead Fred's, and Ms. Newby's.

Had drinks and food at Schooners ( http://www.schooners.com ). They are a Tripsmarter Featured Pick and deservedly so. This is THE quintessential beach bar. Fun, friendly people, great view, great food.

That night, I hit both Spinnaker ( http://www.spinnakerbeachclub.com ) and La Vela ( http://www.lavela.com ) for a taste of the "Super Clubs". My previous Emerald Coast visits had only been to Destin and I had to check out the biggest party draws on PCB. They both have very different feels to them. Spinnaker is more clean, updated, and upscale. La Vela is huge, a little dirty, much more of a carefree party scene. Different owners, so you have to pay cover to both, but past that you can walk from the entrance of one to the other in a matter of minutes so check them both out.