Saturday ... I think I slept very late. Had some food in my room, enjoyed the beach, took a nap. Then over to Pineapple Willy's for early dinner outside on their pier overlooking the beach. Had to have the famous ribs that I had seen a bunch of times on Beach TV. If you travel often, you know that half the time this "famous food" stuff is hype. Not in this case. These ribs fell off the bone almost before you got them to your mouth. Check them out.

After another nap (hey ... I am on vacation and finally catching up on rest) I headed over to La Vela. Eleven PM and going very strong. All the rooms were open and the cool thing about this place is you can go dance, you can go mellow, you can shoot pool, be in foam, chill by the pool, or (if you have the look) hit the VIP Lounge.

I was dressed nice, black on black, and went up to the *****kat Lounge (VIP area) about 2 AM. Wild decor, nice upscale environment but not too pretentious. I'm sure that admittance varies by time of year, but think about dress pants/slacks, dress shoes, and a shirt with a collar.

Sunday was my "see the area" day. Started out with lunch at Sharky's on the beach. Grouper sandwich. Service was friendly, crowds were light, Gulf looked great. (I made it a point to eat outdoors on the Gulf whenever possible -- I didn't fly all that way to stare at a wall.) Then out to Bay Seaplanes ( http://www.bayseaplanes.com ) just five miles north of PCB on State Route 79.

This was a blast!!! We flew from one end of PCB to the other along the Gulf at altitudes of about 500 - 1000 feet. We flew over uninhabited nature areas and over the beautiful beach. I even spotted dolphins in the water. As someone who is studying to be a private pilot, I will attest to the pilot's skill so don't let concerns about flying deter you. Don't cheat yourself -- at least take the 30 mile flight ($42 a person, two person minimum).

After that, I headed west on US 98 and 30-A to Seaside, where they filmed The Truman Show. Big mistake do that on a Sunday. This town is built with the idea that you don't need a car, has limited parking for visitors, and was swamped with tourists. Will visit next time on a weekday. So I went on to Grayton Beach, a small artistic beach community. Watch for the signs -- you have to turn off 30-A and drive a mile toward the beach. Red Bar has some great food and real characters.

So back to PCB with a quick stop at Hooters (gotta do Hooters), then next door to Harpoon Harry's to enjoy the afternoon on the beach. Then back to the hotel for a nap. (You thought I was kidding on that "catching up on sleep").

OK ... here was the plan: Hammerhead Fred's for dinner, Ms. Newby's because Randy on Beach TV Club Hour says one must have the Hunch Punch, then to Spinnaker for a nice evening/late night. You locals or people who have spent plenty of time in the area know what is coming when you plan to stop at Newby's for a quick stop ...

Hammerhead Fred's was cool and a lot of fun. Nothing overly special, but a fun atmosphere and close to Spinnaker. Had the Blackened Tuna at Fred's. Good stuff. Plus, bartender was a wealth of knowledge. Then I went to Ms. Newby's ( http://www.msnewbys.com ). For just one drink. Just wanted to try the "famous" Hunch Punch ...

Never made it over to Spinnaker. Newby's is just your basic local bar located in a liquor store with wild red decor, TV's showing sports, and darts.

1. The Hunch Punch is as advertised. This stuff tastes like fruit punch but you could probably run it in a jet plane engine or drag car. Keep away from open flame!

2. Not used to the Gulf heat and humidity? This place is like a refrigerator inside. They must know someone at an air conditioning company. Very comfortable.

3. This is where the local service workers in the area go to hang out and everyone was really cool and really friendly. Staff, patrons, you name it. Had a good time, met a bunch of cool people. Never made it to Spinnaker.

Slept in Monday. My room had a refrigerator and microwave so I had stocked up at Wal-Mart and sometimes it was just cool to eat in my room and sit on the hotel balcony or the beach.

Had an early dinner at Laguna Grill ( http://www.lagunagrillpcb.com ). The Beach TV commercial joked about not feeding the alligators, and they weren't far off the mark. Laguna Grill sits on the edge of the lagoon. Didn't see any 'gator, but did see fish and turtles swimming as I looked over the edge of the outside dining area. A fun place that is easy to get to.

From there, to Schooners for beers and the sunset again. Always a great place to meet people, great drinks, great food, great entertainment. I wish I lived across the street from the place!

Had to be up reasonably early on Tuesday as it as checkout day from my hotel. I had lunch at Spinnaker with a friend, and while it is a fun club at night, well worth checking out for lunch on the beach. Then the reasonably quick drive back to Destin. Stayed at Hampton Inn Destin ( http://www.hamptoninn.com/en/hp/hote...tyhocn=DSIFLHX ) for the second time in four visits to the area. Would suggest it to anyone as it is nice for the money and right across the street from public beaches plus easy walking distance to various dining, a club, and a water park.

Tuesday night, I had a cigar and cocktails at Destin Chops ( http://www.marinacafe.com/chops/chops.html ) while watching the sunset, then dinner there (well worth it ... upscale dining), then a nap, and then the night at AJ's on the Harbor. AJ's is a fun, open air party spot with live music. I wanted to go to Skybar (a happening place for the 30+ crowd) but they were closed Monday - Wednesday.

Wednesday, late breakfast at Waffle House and driving around Destin and South Walton checking out real estate. One can always dream of a place at the beach! Needing to be up early Thursday for the long flight (and added time zone hours) back to the West coast, I ate at The Back Porch ( http://www.backporchseafood.com ). Always good, and another place with a great beach view.

Thursday was uneventful. Arrived at the Ft. Walton airport 1.5 hours before my flight only to find no lines of note at ticketing or security. I fly about once a month, and flying has been easier the past year before 9/11/2001.

Only regrets? I should have spent all the time in PCB. I was familiar with Destin and they are very different areas (despite being close and in the same region). Destin is nice and upscale. PCB is more of a party town to hang loose and have fun. I enjoyed both.

I should note that I didn't have time to check out the more upscale activities in PCB, so I'm not making a blanket comment on the area. Also, I only checked out PCB and didn't get over into Panama City or down toward Mexico Beach and Apalachicola. Next visit will probably be devoted entirely to PCB so I can see more.

A big tip of the hat to Tripsmarter.Com here -- I spent hours doing research here before I came down and feel like it really helped me prepare as well as choosing the places to dine and party. Plus, by watching the video clips I actually felt like I had visited these places even before stepping foot in them.

Hope to be back soon!