Holy cow, this week on The Beach Show we have some really amazing homes in a super secret and super charming area, Sanctuary Beach. This area was originally envisioned as a high-end coastal craftsman community and some of the homes that were developed are on the foreclosure block at drop-dead amazing prices.
You have to check out these homes.
One of everyone’s favorite local animal attractions is having their annual ZooBilee festival this weekend and they’re inviting all to come at a discounted admission rate. With kid’s admission normally $10, the $1 admission this weekend at ZooWorld is an amazing deal for you to take the family and enjoy a day at the zoo.
If you missed the opportunity to volunteer the last time at ZooWorld, you have another shot! Read about it here.
ZooBilee is an annual event where ZooWorld opens up their doors for a discounted rate to invite the public to see their amazing animal friends and raise money to help care for them.
Date: September 29 and 30
Time: 9:30 am to 5 pm (last admission 4:30 pm)
Location: 9008 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, 32407
Cost for admission: $1 per person
VIP parking is available onsite for $3, but it will fill up extremely fast and very early, so plan on parking at Super Walmart and taking the free Kincaid shuttle bus.
And as if seeing some of these great animals wasn’t enough fun, ZooWorld will be holding raffles, will offer photo ops with some of the animals, they’ll have pony rides, food concessions and more!
ZooWorld is a 501(C)(3) non-profit educational facility that is open to the public daily. Home to over 260 animals including exotic and endangered species, they are supported through public donations and programs.
Some of the varieties of animals they’re home to include tigers, wolfs, leopards, lions, monkeys, bears and snakes, just to name a few.
ZooWorld is open daily from 9:30 am to 4 pm Monday through Sunday except on Thanksgiving day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
A Fabulous Short Sale…
and a beautiful building lot in a great community with Grand Lagoon views and an amazing ammenity package, and even more building lots on the water, just minutes to Shell Island!
Hot deal #1 is a Golf course community home for only $234,500
Short sale GREAT DEAL!!!
Gorgeous back yard with lush vegetation and SALTWATER POOL.
sprinkler system
HARD SURFACE FLOORING THROUGHOUT
Split bedroom plan
Hot deal #2 is an amazing corner lot in Bay Point with WATER VIEWS for only $149,000
1/4 of an acre all cleared with Lake views
Builder plans to be furnished with Lot
12,000 square foot Serenity Spa on property along with 2 golf courses
Hot deal #3 is an amazing group of Foreclosure lots
Lots ranging in price from 30,000 up to 63,000
3 of the 4 lots are right on the water and just a few moments away from Shell Island by boat
On the eastern end of Panama City Beach in a quiet gated community
If Panama City Beach is like a second home to you, then you know that this time of year is THE BEST time of year to come to the beach. Very little crowd, excellent weather and warm gulf water is extremely inviting–it’s even making my mouth water and I live here! If that pesky little thing called school didn’t get in the way, this time of year’s popularity across the board would rival summer!
Fall weekends at the beach are greeted with events, great weather and super low accommodation rates, so if you haven’t planned your trip for this weekend, beleive me, it’s not too late. Pack your swimming suit, check our rental availability calendar and head down!
Fall at the beach is super special because we have consistent 80 degree days and 60 degree nights. Warm enough to swim in the pool or take a dip in the gulf, this time of year is so perfect.
Panama City Beach this past summer had tons of rain. It felt like it rained almost every day! Many of us locals were grateful for the water, but I know the tourists were asking us to do anti-rain dances. 🙂
For about the last 3 weeks, the days have been clear and we’ve been blessed with deep blue skies, emerald green waters and flat seas. When it is like this, swimming in the gulf is like swimming in an enormous salt-water swimming pool. It’s a blast to play with the kids in the smaller surf or just relax in the water and let the salt soak in and sun rays warm your body. It’s therapeutic, really.
This weekend, the weather is very promising with daily highs in the mid to upper 80’s, sunshine and lows (at night) in the mid to upper 60’s. Wind is predicted to be very low which will ensure flat surf, keeping the water clear and beautiful.
Yesterday afternoon I was hanging on my back deck with my mom and we were commenting on how perfect it felt outside. Not too hot, nor too cold. Just perfect.
When school’s in session, it’s no secret that the beach slows down a lot. Travel schedules are limited and demand for beach rentals goes way down. With that, with the natural principle of supply and demand, accommodation rates come way down too. In many cases, the cost of getting into your favorite condo or beach home is half what it cost in July, sometimes less!
For example one of our 1 bedroom 2 bathroom condos in Sterling Breeze would normally cost around $522 for three nights in July, but right now, it’s just $89 a night. And properties all up and down the beach are negotiable just to keep some revenue momentum up through the end of our fall season.
When I’m shopping around using VRBO, I always just send inquiries through with an offer of what I can afford to pay at that time and many times I find several that are willing to work with me.
With travel demand down this time of year, much of the beach’s attractions and amenities are slower than they are in the summer. This means fewer lines, shorter wait times and less traffic. You’ll be surprised at how many people are still coming to the beach, but the sheer volume is definitely much less than summer time.
There are many local businesses that close their doors in the off-season, but for them that doesn’t come around until after October is over. This time of year is amazing because all the perks of summer attractions still exist, but with far fewer crowds. Grocery stores are easier to shop at, parking is easier to find and the beach itself is less crowded so you can find your perfect spot.
Summer at the beach is great, but us “locals” know that fall is the best time of year to come. Amazing weather, cheap rates and fewer crowds make this time of year in Panama City Beach the perfect time of year to make a quick weekend trip to the beach.
Remember when we did that awesome service project at ZooWorld a few months back? We had an amazing turnout with over 75 people showing up to help. If you missed your chance then, there’s another opportunity to serve this weekend at this great local attraction
ZooBilee is this weekend and ZooWorld is looking for a few dozen caring people to come help out with the extremely large crowd of people that attends this annual event.
Date: September 29 and 30
Time: 9:30 am to 5 pm (last admission 4:30 pm)
Location: 9008 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, 32407
Cost for admission: $1 per person
Some of the areas that volunteers will be working include parking, dunking booth, food concessions, security, raffles, etc.
There are three shifts: 9 am to 1:30 pm, 12 pm to 5 pm and all-day.
These events are amazing and super fun to volunteer at. Service is one of the best ways to help your community and it feels great too!
If you’re interested, just get in touch with Stephanie at 850-230-4839. The sooner the better.
With all this talk of being green, there is few of us that actually do it. So I find it intriguing when someone’s entire business utilizes cast off materials.
That is what Linda Shannon of Cottage Collages off of Hwy 79 in Panama City Beach does every day. And she is not the only one, many local craftsmen and artisans are taking to using reclaimed wood and fabrics to turn the ordinary into something extraordinary….trash to treasure.
“I take things that are normally cast aside, broken furniture, excess wood….and I turn them into something useful”, the longtime resident, Mrs. Shannon says.
I find Linda refreshing because in a day and age full of ordering off Pottery Barn and IKEA online, here is a hardworking women that uses her creative resourcefulness to turn out one of a kind pieces of furniture for area residents at affordable prices, and all with a spirit of gratitude.
“I feel very blessed to do what I do, I get to do something I love, not everyone can say that”, Linda says to me when she is talking about her work.
When I asked what her favorite materials are, she said she loved it all, but utilizes reclaimed wood most of the time. Aged Pine and driftwood are very popular materials favored by many of her customers right now as the rustic, coastal look is very popular, especially along Hwy 30A.
“I started this by accident” she says, “many years ago as a hardworking mom, I did not have the money for pretty things for my house, so I just found a way to make my own….then I realized I liked it”, Shannon, owner of Cottage Collages says. She said her favorite part of her work, is the transformation process of it, turning “nothing into something.”
We are so glad for her happy accident inspired by her resourcefulness over two decades ago, for it developed into a niche that supplies us with beautiful and yet functional pieces, some you can see in Peaches to Beaches on Back Beach Road near the Fire Station just West of Hwy 79, and if you are in Walton County…..Retail Therapy (where Scavengers was) off of Hwy 98.
Cottage Collages, not unlike many other local artisans, likes to support local craft fairs and artist markets, often times choosing events that are fundraising for a cause, rather it be a domestic violence shelter or an animal shelter, she often tithes a percentage of her earnings back to the cause.
For example, you can see her work next weekend at the ” 2nd Annual Share the Shelter Music Fest” on Sept. 29th in Gulf Place benefiting Shelter House and Alaqua Animal Refuge.
Other upcoming shows:
Oct 19th and Oct 20th @ the Angel’s Garden in Pensacola
Oct 27th @ Harvest Market in Rosemary Beach
And Saturday, November 3rd she is back on Panama City Beach, at the 2nd Annual “Celebrate the Arts” co-hosted by Cerulean Interiors and Beachy Beach Real Estate. The intimate local artists market is an avenue to provide monetary support for Beach Care Services, an organization that helps Bay County families in need.
Summer’s almost over and July was another banner bed tax revenue month. April, May and June were record breaking months and July just barely cinched an improvement coming in at 1.59% over last year’s numbers.
Industry wide in Bay County for July 2012, $60,187,713.40 was generated in room-night revenue.
Looking into the future creates feelings of excitement and anticipation. Dreaming of what prosperity may come from careful planning and growth makes me all giddy inside. At last week’s TDC meeting, the revised strategic plan was released that discusses the vision of 2020 in Panama City Beach and how we’ll get there.
This new plan is updated from the last plan that was released in 2008. So, as you can imagine, we have a much better idea as to where we are and where we’re going.
Preserve and Enhance the Beach
Enhance Visitor Experience
Year-round Destination
Enhance Public Venues
While we’ve been bustling and hustling, the city municipality rolled out a huge conservation park and trail system that winds around a large array of retention ponds and natural Florida forestry With 24 miles of trails to walk or bike, the trail system offers a very unique opportunity to get to know our local ecosystem.
The park is located on the west end of the Panama City Beach city boundaries, about a mile west of Highway 79. If you travel west on Panama City Beach Parkway (Back Beach Road) and take a right just after you pass the La Quinta Inn, Griffin Blvd will dead-end right at the park. The entrance to Griffin Blvd is adorned with a St. Joe Commerce Park sign. Concurrently, Conservation Park is practically at the end of the Gayle’s Trails system that runs along old Power Line Road.
There are 5 trails in all, ranging in difficulty from “easiest” to “most difficult”, and they range in distance from less than 2 miles to 11 miles, respectively.
In all, there are endless options for varying routes through the trail system, and one can easily spend weeks (nay months), seeing all there is to see. But if you want to stick with the map, there are 12 trails in all mapped out.
The trails were refined from old logger paths that were already cut into the area years ago, with boardwalks being constructed in areas that weren’t dry to make sure everything stayed connected.
View the park brochure and trails explanation here.
Aside from being an awesome place to recreate, the park serves a functional purpose that is environmentally beneficial to both west bay and the conservation ecosystem. Conservation Park totals in area approximately 3,000 acres, which quoting the City’s page on the park, is about twice the area the Bay County city of Parker encompasses.
Further quoting the page:
In early 2011, after nearly a decade of planning, designing, permitting and constructing, the City completely stopped discharging reclaimed water from the Wastewater Treatment Facility into West Bay. This redirection of water to Conservation Park will protect the water quality of the Bay while helping to restore the altered hydrology of the natural lands at the Park. The City and its residents take pride in knowing they’re leading the way to a cleaner and healthier Bay.
A pump station, designed with the ability to pump up to 18,000,000 gallons of highly treated water per day, was constructed at the City’s Wastewater Treatment Facility on the north end of Gulf Boulevard. The pump station includes two pool areas (wetwells) to collect water not used for irrigation in the City. Once collected in the pools, pumps send the water through a 3 foot diameter pipe to Conservation Park.
There are a total of six pumps at the pump station–2 small pumps and 4 large pumps. The small pumps are designed to operate when flow at the Wastewater Treatment Facility are low such as late at night. The larger pumps will be used during high flow times such as in the morning, during summer months, and holiday weekends. Each pump includes a motor at the top that drives a vertical turbine pump which extends down into one of the pools.
The pump station site is also the location of the Gulf Boulevard Trail Head which is part of the City’s Gayle’s Trails System. This area includes a public parking lot and trail signage and information for Trail users accessing the Trail System from this location.
Transmission Main Pipe
A 3 ft (36 in) diameter Transmission Main pipe carries the reclaimed water from the City’s Reclaimed Water Pump Station five miles to Conservation Park. The installation of this pipe included bends and valves weighing more than 7000 pounds each. The Transmission Main route was completed with a paved trail on top of the pipe. This trail is part of the City’s Gayle’s Trails System with connections to the Highway 79 Trail, Frank Brown Park Trail, and Gulf Boulevard Trail Head. The base material beneath portions of the asphalt is crushed concrete recycled and reused from the former Fiesta Motel on Panama City Beach.
Public Building
A 4,400 square foot building was constructed at the southeast corner of the Park. This building functions as a shelter for Park users and provides public restroom facilities. The building also provides a useful space for City staff and equipment needed to keep the Park maintained for all residents and tourists. The 3 foot diameter Reclaimed Water Transmission Main divides into four different, smaller pipes inside the building. The manifold of the 3 foot diameter Reclaimed Water Transmission Main is located in a concrete pit inside the southwest corner of the building and divides the flow of reclaimed water into one of four areas in the Park. Each of the four pipes are color coded to coincide with a specific area in the Park and each area receives water on a rotation to rehydrate the wetland during different times of the year. The building includes three garage work areas and employee offices used to maintain and operate equipment necessary to properly run and maintain the Park. A chemical storage tank used as a final treatment method for the reclaimed water and a back-up power generator for the building are also located on the site.
Wetland Rehydration
There are 14 different discharge structures strategically placed around the Park to help distribute and rehydrate the wetlands on site. The hydrology of the site was altered during silviculture activities when the vegetation was changed and a large ditch dredged down the center of the Park site. Flow to the different discharge structures is rotated from the Control Building during different growing seasons during the year. Reuse water from the Control Building is conveyed through one of four pipe systems ranging in pipe size from 15 to 30 inches. The pipes follow along trails in the Park and terminate at one of the discharge structures.
What do you think?
Tell us in the comments what you think of the park. Have you been there? Share with us some of your experiences you’ve had there.
Every year the thought of Lobster Fest makes my mouth water, and every year it comes and goes bringing smiles, fun and full bellies. The 23rd annual Lobster Fest is this weekend behind the ever famously popular Schooners.
Panama City Beach, FL – Every year in September, Schooners, The Last Local Beach Club, hosts the largest 4 day Lobster Festival & Tournament in Florida. This year the 23rd Annual Lobster Festival will be held September 13, 14, 15 & 16th.
Schooners Lobster Festival and Tournament has always been a local favorite, but now as the festival continues to grow in popularity, there is an effort to attract visitors from all over the South East to come and enjoy the festivities and take advantage of Panama City’s beautiful beaches and seafood.
Divers from all over the country will compete in a variety of lobster categories including Spiny Lobster, Big 6 and Shovelnose, with an opportunity to win cash and prizes totaling over $10,000. Weigh-ins will be from 3-6pm on Saturday and Noon-3pm on Sunday.
There will be a “mini” lobster feast served on Saturday, with the famous traditional Lobster Feast beginning at Noon on Sunday. A special Schooners menu has been developed for all the fresh local lobster that will be harvested by the divers.
The festivities will kick off on Thursday with live entertainment on the beach and the Schooners main stage.
From kids to grandparents, Schooners Lobster Festival and Tournament is four days of non-stop fun – and, although the Lobsters are at the heart of it – it’s a lot more than just that.
On the beach there will be a giant Lobster Festival sand sculpture – one of the biggest in the Southeast as well as a sand sculpting competition on Saturday for enthusiastic amateurs competing for cash and prizes.
Live entertainment starts Thursday with Solshine performing on the Beach Stage followed by Arizona on the Main Stage. Friday afternoon DJ Dave Tracy spins dance music from the Beach Stage with Arizona performing again on the Main Stage. Saturday, The Barry Fish Band will start the afternoon entertainment followed by Cool Rayz on the Beach Stage and then Arizona on the Main Stage. Sunday the Cool Rayz preforms on the Beach Stage, followed by the famous Swingin Medallions.
Proceeds from the event will benefit two local youth oriented charities; Florida Aquatic & Marine Institute (FAMI) and the Toys for Kids Foundation.
Admission to the event is free and open to the public. FEAST tickets are $25 each
PCBDaily 