Locals Get in Free to Daytime Concerts Today Only!

The first ever Gulf Coast Jam is hitting Panama City Beach today and organizers have announced that today is “Locals Appreciation Day” and will allow all area residents to attend daytime concerts at any of the stages today at no charge.

It is important to note that this perk is only for today, Thursday, September 26th and only for the daytime shows. You will need tickets for the shows starting this evening. Though are area expects several thousand out of town visitors for this event, there are still some Weekend Passes available.

For ticket information, call 888-512-7469 or visit their website at www.gulfcoastjam.com. General Admission Passes for the weekend are only $139 while supplies last. Panama City Beach country music fans can stay up to date with all the weekend has to offer by downloading the Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam Mobile App on your smart phone or visiting their Facebook page.

Some of headliners on the line-up include: Trace Adkins on Thursday, Brantley Gilbert on Friday, and the one and only Toby Keith on Saturday. Stages will be at Frank Brown Park, Edgewater Beach and Golf Resort, Boardwalk Beach Resort and Seahaven Beach Resorts.

The Violet Blues Back at the Beach for a Limited Time!

The Violet Blues featuring Ashleigh Smith, Jenne Weaver and Beth Beighey are a Folk/Blues/Soul trio based out of Nashville, TN with ties to the Gulf Coast area with two it’s members hailing from Panama City Beach, Florida.

For a limited time only, two of the three members will be doing some shows in the Panama City Beach for those of us who have missed their unique sound and warm harmonies.

They will be playing at some of the local hot spots so check out their tour lineup on their website www.thevioletblues.com or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thevioletblues.

Here’s their lineup so far:

3/1 Morning & Midday News Panama City Beach, FL

Channel 2 WMBB News 13

3/2 Finn’s Island Style Grub Panama City, FL
St. Andrews location

3/4 Newby’s Back Door Lounge Panama City Beach, FL

3/7 Hook’d Pier Bar Panama City Beach, FL

3/9 Hook’d Pier Bar Panama City Beach, FL

3/11 Newby’s Back Door Lounge Panama City Beach, FL

3/14 Tin Lizzie’s Atlanta, GA

3/15 Tin Lizzie’s Atlanta, GA

3/16 Tin Lizzie’s Atlanta, GA

And for their friends in Nashville…come see them at The American Pickers Store: Antique Archaeology on Sunday 4/14 at 2:30PM!

Operation Tango Heats up the Dance Floor

Operation Spay Bay needs your help. And all you have to do is break out your dance shoes and make room for some Spanish Paella.

Paella? Don’t know what it is? Who Cares? All you need to know is it is delicious and it is being served Friday November 16th alongside a fun night of Spanish Culture, music and dancing!

Have two left feet? No worries, the professionals at Fred Astaire Dance Studios will be leading small group sessions for beginners to try some of the most popular Latin dances from the Tango to the Rumba. No experience or partner is needed just a willingness to learn and have fun. There will also be general dancing if you want to bypass the lesson and just enjoy the music.

Operation Tango is the perfect cure for the routine “dinner and a movie” date night and is a great excuse to do something you wouldn’t normally do…and no worries there are no judges with score cards! Participants can enjoy all the event has to offer for just $35 per person or $65 per couple.

Participants will enjoy authentic homemade Spanish cuisine as well as Sangria courtesy of The Wine Dog. Tickets to this event can be purchased from The Wine Dog at 103 West 23rd Street or at Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Panama City. You may also purchase tickets from Beachy Beach Real Estate on the West End of Panama City Beach.

Save the Date for Operation Tango on Friday, November 16th, 7 to 9:30 pm at Fred Astaire Dance Studios at 2401 Ruth Hentz Ave off of 23rd Street in Panama City.

For more information visit: www.operationspaybay.org or call 850 -784- 2826.

Fishing Tournament along side PCB Seafood Festival

Deep-Sea & Bay Fishing Tournament is coming to Capt. Anderson’s Marina the last weekend of October.

They are calling it the Lionfish Dive Tournament, officially it is the inaugural “Lion Tamer Spearfishing Tournament” and will be held in conjunction with the PCB Seafood & Music Festival: UNwineD 2012 Saturday, Oct 27, 2012.

Capt. Anderson’s is “Calling all old salts, new salts, (even slightly salty) Fishers & Divers to take part in this awesome opportunity to have FUN, introduce a whole new generation of kids to fishing and raise money for these local Bay County Charities: Anchorage Children’s Home, Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, and the Boys & Girls Club.”

Categories Include:
Tuna (any)/ Dolphin / Wahoo / King Mackerel
Red Grouper / Gag Grouper / Amberjack / Beeliners (Vermilion Snapper) / White Snapper (Red Porgy)
Speckled Trout / Flounder / Spanish Mackerel / Blue Fish / Pompano / Sheepshead
Lionfish / Red Grouper / Gag Grouper / Amberjack
*Lionfish will be “wild cards”, each one to count as 1 lb towards fish of diver’s choice*

Tournament Entry Fees (excluding trip cost):

– Head Boats – ONLY $5.00 for each angler
– Private Charter Boats – ONLY $25.00 per Boat up to 6 anglers, $5.00 for each extra head
– Divers –ONLY $5.00 for each diver

Tickets will be on sale until 1pm CST and must be purchased PRIOR to fishing or diving (on your honor!)

Weigh-In @ Lady Anderson dock (behind Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant):
Date:
Saturday, Oct 27, 2012

2:00 – 5:00PM DIVERS

3:00 – 6:00PM FISHERS

There are rules for the tournament that we will not go into here, other than the official tournament begins at 5 am central time, regardless of your departure time, and that there is a MANDATORY safety briefing required of participants on 10-24-12 at 7PM on the Lady Anderson.

For a more detailed list of rules, please contact Lady Anderson’s Marina, 850- 234 -3435.

There will be a FWC Tent to educate locals about the lionfish species and how it is disrupting our local ecosystem.

Candy Hansard of the Emerald Coast Reef Association will be demonstrating how to safely handle the Lionfish, and the Boatyard Restaurant will grill them so we can all have a taste of this beautiful delicacy!

Capt. Anderson’s Marina , “Where the Fish are always biting and the Kids are always smiling” is located at 5550 N. Lagoon Dr. in Panama City Beach.

For tickets to the PCB Seafood and Music Festival itself go to: www.pcbseafoodfestival.com.

For more event listings like these or to submit your own event, go to www. carpediem365.net and after the fun is over…make sure you share your BIG CATCHES with PCB Daily!

Share the Shelter Music Fest Hits 30A

Shelter House and Alaqua Animal Refuge are joining forces once again to raise awareness and funds to save the lives of people and animals impacted by violence in Okaloosa and Walton counties. The 2nd Annual Share the Shelter Music Fest will take place Saturday, September 29 at Gulf Place on 30A in Santa Rosa Beach.

Concert goers should expect a full day of music, art, food and fun. Gates open at 11 am with performances running from noon to 10 pm.

In addition to music, the festival will feature local food vendors and artists with selections ranging from jewelry to clothing to refurbished furniture. A bounce house will be on-site for the kids to enjoy.

Share the Shelter jpeg — Invite Friends with their Event Page.

Performers include: Geoff McBride of NBC’s “The Voice” , singer and songwriter of hits such as “American Honkey Tonk Bar Association” Bryan Kennedy; Florida GRAMMY Showcase winner Chris Alvarado; and 2012 Best Band on the Emerald Coast in Emerald Coast Magazine Heritage. Kelsey Anna, Boukou Groove, Megan McCormick, Forrest Williams and Daphne Willis round out the lineup.

General admission tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children (ages 2 to 12). VIP tickets are $125 and include VIP lounge seating, food and drinks. The VIP section sold out last year, so be sure to purchase your pass early.

Leashed dogs are also welcome at this year’s concert. VIP Pooch Passes are available for $20 and include access to the VIP lounge (with human VIP) and a Puppy Pampering Bag with treats. Advance tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.sharetheshelter.org. There will be an additional $5 charge for tickets purchased at the gate.

Like the Share the Shelter Facebook page for the latest updates on musicians, vendors and more.

The 2011 concert drew more than 500 music fans and brought in over $21,000 for Shelter House and Alaqua Animal Refuge.

Shipwreck Island Celebrates 30 Years, Offers Something New for 2012

We’re certainly no stranger to Shipwreck Island Waterpark. “30 years of tips, dips and flips,” is no lie. And me and my family have spent many a’ summer day splashing, playing and sliding.

Originally paired with the original Miracle Strip Amusement Park, Shipwreck Island has stood alone since 2004. They’ve weathered the test of time and are still held dear to the hearts of decades-old loyalists.

This year marks their 30th year of fun!

“It’s almost like we’re being rediscovered by the visitors to Panama City Beach as well as the many wonderful lodging facilities. Some people may have thought that Shipwreck Island went away when Miracle Strip Park was sold. This year the momentum and excitement has grown so rapidly that we’ve had to make some adjustments in how we operate. Our Facebook page is growing by leaps and bounds, and has around 21,000 friends with no slowing down in sight.” ~ Buddy Wilkes, GM

Just a couple weeks ago, they commemorated their big anniversary with a huge sale of season passes for just $69/per. This included a rather sweet coupon book that had a large variety of sweet deals like 30 cent refills and drastically discounted snacks.

Something special for Summer 2012

Now the park is promoting seven day passes to be provided in packages through local accommodations on the beach. The passes will allow visitors to hit the beach in the morning and do Shipwreck in the afternoon, or vice versa. A pass that is good for seven days in a row can provide numerous mini visits, and guests can go and come as they want all week long. It’s like having a season pass just for your week at Panama City Beach. New Attraction for 2012 too!

The Pirate’s Race is the newest attraction which was added to the park this year. It features two twisting waterslides that lets moms and dads challenge their little ones to see who splashes into the pool first. Shipwreck Island is open every day from 10:30 a.m. until about 5:00 p.m. through August 12. The park will be open on weekends after that until Labor Day weekend.

Duck Adventures gives Duck Boat Tours in PCB

Since 1942, the DUKW has been carrying people from land to water to land again. Originally the DUKW was a military vehicle, but one of Pamama City Beach’s latest attractions has these amphibious buses dressed in yellow giving creative tours of the beach.

Duck Adventures has two of these yellow, open-aired boat-buses giving tours daily. Opened in February, their “wall of fame” is already quickly growing with pictures of happy travelers blowing their duck billed noise making “quackers”.

You’ve probably seen them driving around town – you know, those big yellow boats on wheels with “Tame the Duck” on the side?

About the DUKW

From Wikipedia

The designation of DUKW is not a military acronym; rather, the name comes from the model naming terminology used by GMC:[5]

“D” indicated a vehicle designed in 1942,
“U” meant “utility”,
“K” indicated driven front wheels,
“W” indicated two powered rear axles.

The DUKW was used by the US Army, US Marine Corps and Allied forces in landings in the Mediterranean, Pacific, on the D-Day beaches of Operation Husky, Normandy and also during the battle of the Scheldt, Operation Veritable and Operation Plunder.

They’re 31 feel long, 8.25 feet wide and capable of up to 50 mph on the road and 6.4 mph on water. The original DUKW’s had 6 cylinders, but the Duck Adventure models have 350 V8’s and all new transmissions.

Tame the Duck Tours

Currently they have two tour boats with a third scheduled to come online in the first weeks of summer. Each boat holds 28 people.

Tours run every two hours daily beginning at 10 am and ending at 6 pm, and they run about 75 minutes. They operate out of the Shoppes at Edgewater and travel a route on the east end of Panama City Beach. A “west end” tour is in the works, but won’t launch this tourism season.

Beginning the second week in June, tours will run every hour on the hour.

The tour leaves the Shoppes and heads east on Front Beach Road to Thomas Drive, then down Thomas Drive to the Curve. From there they head north to Captain Andersons where they take a right to launch at a private boat ramp just to the east of Lighthouse Marina.

Once they enter the water they tour Grand Lagoon and “land” the same place they “launched”. The tour then takes you up Thomas Drive to the Fly Over, down Front Beach Road to Middle Beach Road, then back to R Jackson Blvd.

All along the tour, the guide/captain offers an entertaining narration of fun local hotspots, must-see places and live events you can’t miss.

Tour Costs and More Info

Adults $24.95
Kids 12 and under and seniors $17.49
Kids 3 and under are free
Family of four special – $69.95

For more information, visit their website or swing by and take a peek!

Marina Cantina Coming soon to Grand Lagoon!

There is a new, hot Mexican restaurant coming to Panama City Beach in just a few days! I am as excited as an avocado….do they get excited?

Anyhow, having a mother that makes excellent home made salsa and with myself, having the inclination to put jalapenos on anything that doesn’t move…..I could not help but jump up and down when I found out that Jeff Freidrich, a seasoned Restaurateur was opening a nice Mexican Restaurant on Grand Lagoon at Capt. Andersons Marina.

Knowing that Friedrich had ran a chain of successful, Gourmet pizza restaurants in Seattle , I posed the question, “Why Mexican?” He said that he saw the space and just knew he could do something great with it. He asked himself, “What do we like to eat?”. “What do we have a taste for that is not readily available in PCB?” “How could we bring it here?” These are the questions that lead him to the answer…….Marina Cantina, Modern Mexican Cuisine and Tequila Bar.

In the past, Friedrich mentioned he and his family had to drive into Panama City or down Highway 30A for gourmet mexican fare. He wanted to be able to bring a nice, modern restaurant for our local PCB beachgoers with a discerning taste, and yet still make it casual enough that you could enjoy one of their signature margaritas in their flip flops.

The restaurant will not only have a full bar inside, with the largest tequila selection on the beach, but Marina Cantina will also boast a full bar outside, for patrons to enjoy nightly live entertainment on the dockside patio overlooking Grand Lagoon.

From what I have learned about this upcoming, modern mecca for authentic, Mexican cookery and a good time, is that there will always be SOMETHING going on. In addition to providing a variety of live entertainment options for their customers, Marina Cantina will feature daily happy hour drink and appetizer specials. Their menu, which is said to have been inspired by South American street vendors will include fare made from scratch using fresh ingredients. Vegetarian and kid friendly options will also be available. You can get a taste of what they have to offer, starting April 30th, Monday through Saturday, from 11 am to 11 pm. They will also serve brunch on Sundays, starting at 10 am. I know where I am going to eat after church now!!

As I sat down with Jeff and listened to him talk about his new place, I could feel goose bumps inching there way up to my skins’ surface. Here was a man that was passionate about his business, who believed in it, with every inch of his being. Tableside gaucamole delicious. Live entertainment every night….too cool. But a person that is completely and wholly invested in their business with the desire to serve their community…well, that is amazing. If the enchiladas are half as intense as Friedrich’s enthusiasm, the tables at Marina Cantina will surely be full.

I will you let know about those enchiladas after I try them and touch back in next week. Until then, why not open up your Facebook and LIKE them or give them a call: 850 – 249- 5500. If you are as excited as I am and want to enter your email at a chance to win tickets to the Family and Friends Pre-Grand Opening Party THIS weekend…..go to their website, http://www.marinacantinapcb.com/ to enter!

Old Cypress Canoe Rentals Opens With Big Plans For Eco-Tourists

Panama City Beach is known for being an incredibly diverse vacation destination, capable of luring people of all kinds to hit the beach and experience our great city. Every season offers a little something for everyone. But, in the last decade, Panama City Beach and it’s surrounding areas have seen an increase in Eco-Tourism. From South Walton to Washington County, our area is filled with brilliant nature trails, creeks and springs that boast a ton of fun beyond the beach. Old Cypress Canoe Rentals, a new canoe and kayak business on Holmes Creek, plans to make that fun more accessible than ever.

Just 30 minutes north of Panama City Beach, Old Cypress Canoe Rentals provides kayaks, canoes and tubes to locals and tourists within range of Holmes Creek and Cypress Springs in Vernon, FL. Make a reservation, check in and within just a short, relaxed paddle you will be cruising one of the most secluded and majestic springs on Earth. Completely inaccessible to the public by land, Cypress Springs, is one of the origins of the fresh water flowing down Holmes Creek and surrounding water systems. Sandy bottomed aquamarine waters are ideal for swimming, snorkeling, tubing, paddleboarding, and, of course, canoeing and kayaking.

Creek Clean Up Grand Opening

Old Cypress Canoe plans to go beyond the business of rentals, and wants to keep the creek clean and beautiful by starting a Creek Clean Up Non-Profit organization. In fact, their “official” Grand Opening, will be a Creek Clean Up. The Creek Clean up will begin On April 29th, 2012 at 10am and will include free Canoe and Kayaks for the day as well as lunch and door prizes. So you can come, experience the creek and help keep our area clean.

Sponsor Your Own Canoe

You can even sponsor your own canoe and hit the creek anytime. For three hundred dollars, you can sponsor a new canoe and the bare sides will be yours for sticker advertising. Check out the link for more at http://gofundme.com/oldcypresscanoerentals. Donations are also welcomed on the site and will earn you coupons for future rentals.

You can visit Old Cypress on the web at www.oldcypresscanoe.com for reservations as well as pictures and videos of the area. Like them on facebook at www.facebook.com/oldcypresscanoerentals.

Make Your Reservation Now

Old Cypress is located at 2728 Traverse Drive in Vernon, FL 32462

Call them anytime for a reservation at (850) 388-2072.

Old Cypress Canoe Rental Pricing

Holmes Creek Tours:

Canoe rental: $40.00 + tax(price for 2 people, shuttle included)

Kayak rental: $35.00 + tax( price for 1 person, shuttle included)

Overnight camping: $60.00 + tax(price for 2 people, shuttle included)

Choctawhatchee Tours:

Canoe rental: $45.00 + tax(price for 2 people, shuttle included)

Kayak rental: $40 + tax(price for 1 person, shuttle included)

Overnight camping: $60.00 + tax (price for 2 people, shuttle included)

Half-Day and Group Rates may be Available: call (850) 388-2072 for more information.

Photos of the Creek

Shipwreck Island Adding New Ride: Splish Splash

Shipwreck Island Waterpark is one of Panama City Beach’s most beloved attractions. And this season, they are giving you another reason to love going. Splish Splash has just arrived (photo above) and will be in construction this Spring to be ready for Summer.

Numerous guests to Shipwreck Island Waterpark have shared how much they missed the old skull and the waterfalls. The truth is, the stability of the old structures couldn’t be determined because the faux rock surface covered the rebar inside. Some of the rocks definitely had corrosive rebar, so the decision was made to tear down the old structures and replace them with fun, family attractions.

Last season Shipwreck added a tipping bucket and fort known as the Shipwreck Water Company. The Shipwreck team came up with a plan to redesign the existing kiddie slide, now called the Likity Split, and add dual racing slides next to the tipping bucket. The new attraction is called, “Splish Splash.” Not nearly as high as the “Pirate’s Plunge” racing slide, “Splish Splash” is a family racing where moms and dads can challenge their little guys, or vice versa.

The two hundred feet of fiberglass slides bow out widely with twists and turns as sliders race down at fourteen feet per second. The slides come together at the bottom where racers enter the splash pool. The slide structures were built by the largest fiberglass slide manufacturer in the world, White Water West Industries of Canada, and the design was a collaboration between the White Water and Shipwreck Island teams.

Check out the recently added, Tipping Bucket”

For more information about ticket prices and park open dates go to http://shipwreckisland.com or http://facebook.com/shipwreckisland