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.

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!

TedinVegas that's got to be one of the best, most informative posts we've had in some time! It reminds me of all the reasons for visiting Destin, and how lucky some of us are to leave so close to such an outstanding vacation destination.

And I couldn't agree more on your suggestion to take a day trip if possible to PCB if you're staying in Destin, and vice-versa. The differences between the two highlight the best aspects of both.

30-A is everything you said it is , and it's always changing, with new businesses, condos, and homes going up all the time.

Thanks for a truly helpful, informative and entertaining post! And for the nice compliments you sent our way... we strive to be as useful to visitors as we can!

So, Ted, let us know when you're coming back! We want to read more of your posts!