Tag: panama city beach

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.

Pier Park Summer Concert Series Schedule

Ah, summertime.  When I think of it, almost every time without fail, a certain Sublime song begins to play in my head – nevermind the underlying story.  All I remember is “Summertime and the livin’s easy.”  And easy living will surely have this fantastic summer we have coming up.

Tourism numbers are up, the weather’s been perfect lately and today we’re announcing the lineup of this summer’s Pier Park Summer Concert Series!

The series is every Thursday evening and begins at 7 pm.

Pier Park Summer Concert Series Band Lineup and Schedule

June 7  — Eric Lindell

June 14 — The Black Lillies

June 21 — Telluride

June 28 — The Kevin Jacobs Band

July 5 — Heritage

July 12 — George Porter Jr. and the Runnin’ Pardners

July 19 — The Lee Boys

July 26 — Boukou Groove

August 2 — Heat and the Zydeco Gents

August 9 — Colin Lake

August 16 — The Barry Fish Band

ZooWorld Celebrates 20 Years, Admission $1 [THIS WEEKEND]

For those of you that came out a couple weekends ago and helped volunteer, thank you!  The community service project was an enormous success with over 75 people showing up to help. Tons of great work was done and the zoo is infinitely grateful for our service. Again, thank you.

This upcoming weekend ZooWorld celebrates 20 years of caring and entertaining, and they’re honoring that celebration with a super sweet $1 admission on Saturday.

Details about this one day event.

The event is this Saturday only, May 19 (my birthday!) and runs from 9 am to 5 pm cst.

  • Price of admission: $1 per person (no other discounts)
  • The last entry will be at 4:30 pm.
  • They’ll have concessions available for sale.
  • Animal shows will be at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm.
  • They’ll have a magician doing shows and demonstrations, a bounce house and pony rides.
Volunteers needed!

If your Saturday is free this weekend, and you’re looking to do some good service, ZooWorld needs your help.  They need volunteers to help man the stations, keep an eye on pony rides and help out where needed.

They need volunteers in three different shifts:

  • 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
  • 12 pm to 5 pm
  • 8:30 am to 5 pm

Volunteers would check-in at side gate and they’d like for them to call and RSVP on Friday, 850-230-4839 ext. 202.

Aaron Bessant Park Improvements [UPDATE]

Well, the Jazz Festival was awesome!  They had record numbers and mostly excellent weather (minus Saturday), and they’ve already started selling tickets for next year!  With that out of the way, the improvements that are slated for Aaron Bessant Park are preparing to begin! Although I don’t look forward for the workers working during our hot summer days.

We’ve discussed what the plans are here, and you’ve certainly chimed in.

Q&A with the City of Panama City Beach

We were curious about what was happening over there and fired off some questions to Mario Gisbert, the director of the CRA, who also happens to handle some of the logistics regarding the development of this project.

Q. Now that the Jazz Fest is over, is there a projected begin date for the Aaron Bessant Park Amphitheater Improvements?

We are fine toning the drawings now, we will be pricing per the City of Panama City Beach requirements shortly (one month process).  Upon council approval of bids (two week process) and not exceeding the budget we would start construction.  Goal would be June start.

Q. What is the projected construction time on the amphitheater?

The construction duration is approximately 5 months.

Q. What has been learned about the acoustical ramifications of the way the speakers can be oriented?

With proper speaker orientation, building configuration and amplification limitations, the performances will work within the current sound ordinance.  These issues are being addressed with the building design.  The performance standards are being developed at this point in time.

Q. How will the speakers be oriented in order to be sensitive to the needs of the surrounding public?

The speakers will be aimed (7 degree cone) into the audience and not out towards the neighborhoods.

Q. Was some of what has been learned put into practice for the Jazz Festival this year?

The performance provider was aware of the current issues and did coordinate the speakers for a proper responsible performance.  The current sound ordinance limits were adhered.  We did monitor the event.

Q. How will the sound be monitored on an ongoing basis to be sure everyone is happy?

We will complete the performance standards and monitor the effects and adjust as needed.  We are planning on having the acoustician present during the new building performance in order to make final adjustments with building and speakers and amplification.

$69 Shipwreck Island Season Passes [THIS WEEKEND]

Shipwreck Island is well known locally for splashing, laughter and a super fun break from the beach.  Our small town waterpark brings big fun, short lines and inexpensive entertainment to kids and parents alike.  Having come from the big city, I have a very special appreciation for Shipwreck Island.  The free parking, extremely well maintained rides, excellent management and short ride lines bring me and my family back year after year.

I’ve told you how much I love Shipwreck Island before, and now you can find out for yourself!

Last chance for $69 Season Passes

Normally, season passes are $99, which is a bargain considering it pays for itself in just 3 visits! But last Saturday and this Saturday (May 5) they are running a super duper awesome special of just $69.

They literally had a line with hundreds of people waiting to buy the discount passes last week, and I fully expect the same this week!

Normally, admission for one adult is $33 per week, so to get a season pass for just $69 – well, that’s just a steal.

Note: there is a limit of 6 passes per person.

For more information, make sure you keep an eye on their Facebook page.

An added bonus.

Plus, if you come out this weekend and pick up a season pass, you’ll get a coupon book with over $250 in savings.  Some of the coupons in this book include:

  • Get a friend in for $10
  • Buy one pizza slice, get another for 30 cents
  • Buy a hot dog, get another for 30 cents
  • Discount souvenir cups on certain dates
  • And tons more.

This coupon book is in celebration of their 30th anniversary.

Thunder Beach 2012 Full Event Schedule and Rally Information

If the continuous rolling thunder didn’t clue you in, then all the motorcycles everywhere surely will.  And if you’re not down here, then you’re missing one heck of a party this week.  But it’s not the kind of party we had a few weeks ago with the Spring Breakers, it’s a group, that while very loud and sometimes rough looking, they’re overall much better patrons to our beach.  Love them or hate them, they bring in good money, treat our vacation rentals well and they give our economy a much needed injection of activity before our busy summer season.

The bikers have been here all week, but the majority are coming in today and tomorrow and staying through Sunday and Monday.

Here is a full schedule of events for this year’s Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally.  As always, more information can be found on their website, even though it used to be much better. 😉

Note: I copied all of the schedule info from their pdf download – please excuse typos or formatting errors.  

Wednesday May 2 Schedule

9:00AM- 9:00 PM — — Thunder BeachWelcome Center (Information&Media)  — — Shoppes at Edgewater

2:00 PM- 5:00 PM — —  Live Music with Michael Compton — —  WickedWheel

4:00 PM- 8:00 PM  — — Live Music with Big Engine  — — Sandpiper Beacon

4:00 PM- 8:00 PM  — — Live Music with Clay Musgrave – — —  At the Tiki Bar Sharky’s Beach Club

6:00 PM-10:00 PM  — — Official Thunder Beach Kick-Start Party  — — Shores of Panama

featuring National Recording Artist Jasmine Cain Top of the Garage-12th Floor

7:00PM — —   Official Miss Thunder Beach Pageant – 1st Preliminary  — — Shores of Panama

Emcee: Daric “The Hitman”Daniels Top of the Garage-12th Floor

8:00PM-11:00PM — —  Live Music with Mustang Sally  — — Sandpiper Beacon

8:00PM-12:00AM — — Live Music with Horizon  — — Ms. Newby’s

8:30 PM  — — Live Music with ZZ TopTribute Band-Velcro Fly — —  WickedWheel

10:00PM-12:30AM  — — Official Thunder Beach Kick-Start “After Party” — — PineappleWilly’s

with Kevin Jacobs & Terry Brock

11:00 PM  — — Live Music with Big Engine — —  Sandpiper Beacon

Thursday May 3 Schedule

9:00AM- 9:00  — — PM Thunder BeachWelcome Center (Information&Media) Shoppes at Edgewater

9:00 AM- 9:00   — — PM Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H Tent Boar’s Head

9:00AM-7:00PM+   — — Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H Tents Club LaVela

9:00AM-7:00PM+   — — Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H Tents Frank Brown Park

9:00AM-6:00PM   — — Demo Rides ~ Yamaha, Can-Am, Boss Hoss Pier Park

9:00AM-9:00PM+   — — Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H Tent PineappleWilly’s

9:00AM-9:00PM+   — — Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H Tent Sharky’s Beach Club

9:00AM-9:00PM+  — — Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H Tents Shoppes at Edgewater

9:00AM-9:00PM+  — — Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H Tent WickedWheel

9:00AM-6:00PM — — DJ Daric “The Hitman”Daniels Frank Brown Park

9:00AM-9:00PM — — Old Skool Road Show- Traveling AntiqueMotorcycle Experience WickedWheel

11:00 AM — — Ives Bros.Wall of Death Show WickedWheel

12:00PM-5:00PM — — Poker Run Sponsored by the Shriners

Registration: Reggae J’s

  • 1st Card Stop: Sharky’s
  • 2nd Card Stop: Barefoot Beach Club
  • 3rd Card Stop: Red Door Saloon
  • 4th Card Stop: Sugar Sands Inn & Suites
  • 5th Card Stop: Hammerhead Fred’s
  • 12:00 pm: Registration
  • 12:30 pm: First Bike Out
  • 1:00 pm: Last Bike Out
  • 4:30 pm: Last Bike In @final stop
  • 5:00 pm: Prizes @ final stop

12:00 PM — — Ives Bros. “Ramp to Ramp” Stunt/Jump Show — — Frank Brown Park

12:00 PM- — — 4:00 PM Live Music with 345 Express — — Sandpiper Beacon

12:00 PM- — — 4:00 PM Live Music with Sticky Tea — — Shoppes at Edgewater

12:30 PM — — Ives Bros. Wall of Death Show — — WickedWheel

2:00 PM — — Ives Bros.Wall of Death Show — — WickedWheel

2:00 PM – — — 5:00 PM Live Music with Michael Compton — — WickedWheel

3:00 PM — — Ives Bros. “Ramp to Ramp” Stunt/Jump Show — — Frank Brown Park

3:30 PM — — Ives Bros.Wall of Death Show — — WickedWheel

4:00PM–8:00PM — — LiveMusicwithBigEngine — — SandpiperBeacon

4:00PM-8:00PM — — LiveMusicwithClayMusgrave – — — At the Tiki Bar Sharky’s Beach Club

4:00 PM- 8:00 PM — — Live Music with The Dan Lawson Band — — Shoppes at Edgewater

5:00 PM — — IvesBros.WallofDeath Show — — WickedWheel

6:00 PM — — Ives Bros. “Ramp to Ramp” Stunt/Jump Show — — Frank Brown Park

6:30 PM — — IvesBros.WallofDeath Show — — WickedWheel

7:00PM — — OfficialMiss Thunder Beach Pageant – 2nd Preliminary — — Hammerhead Fred’s

Emcee: Daric “The Hitman” Daniels

8:00PM-11:00PM — — LiveMusicwithMustang Sally — — Sandpiper Beacon

8:00PM-10:00PM — — LiveMusicwithWall of Echoes – The Ultimate Tribute to Pink Floyd — — Shoppes at Edgewater

8:30 PM- 2:00 AM — — LiveMusicwith KevinJacobs&TerryBrock — — WickedWheel

8:30 PM- 12:30AM — — LiveMusicwith ZZ Top Tribute band Velcro Fly — — PineappleWilly’s

9:00 PM- 11:00 PM — — LiveMusicwithBuckcherry – James Durbin – Redlight King — — Club LaVela

8:00PM-12:00AM — — LiveMusicwithHorizon — — Ms. Newby’s

10:00 PM- 2:00 AM — — LiveMusicwith Geneva – Live at the Tiki Bar — — Sharky’s Beach Club

11:00 PM — — Live Music with Big Engine — — Sandpiper Beacon

Friday May 4 Schedule

9:00 AM– 9:00 — — PM Thunder BeachWelcome Center (Information&Media) — — Shoppes at Edgewater

9:00AM-9:00PM — — Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H — — Tent Boar’s Head

9:00AM-7:00PM+ — — Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H — — Tents Club LaVela

9:00AM-7:00PM+ — — Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H — — Tents Frank Brown Park

9:00AM-6:00PM — — Demo Rides ~ Yamaha, Can-Am, Boss Hoss — — Pier Park

9:00AM-9:00PM+ — — Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H — — Tent PineappleWilly’s

9:00AM-9:00PM+ — — Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H — — Tent Sharky’s Beach Club

9:00AM-9:00PM+ — — Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H — — Tents Shoppes at Edgewater

9:00AM-9:00PM+ — — Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H — — Tent WickedWheel

9:00AM-6:00PM — — DJDaric “TheHitman”Daniels — — Frank Brown Park

9:00AM-9:00PM — — Old Skool Road Show-a Traveling AntiqueMotorcycle Experience — — WickedWheel

11:00 AM — — IvesBros.WallofDeath Show — — WickedWheel

12:00 PM — — Ives Bros. “Ramp to Ramp” Stunt/Jump Show — — Frank Brown Park

12:00 PM- 4:00 PM — — LiveMusicwith 345 Express — — Sandpiper Beacon

12:00 PM- 4:00 PM — — LiveMusicwith Sammy&The Slammerz — — Shoppes at Edgewater

12:30 PM- 5:00 PM — — Poker Run Sponsored by the Defenders LE

Registration: PineappleWilly’s

  • 1st Card Stop: Boar’s Head
  • 2nd Card Stop: Hooters on Thomas Dr.
  • 3rd Card Stop: PlazaMotel/Banana Peel
  • 4th Card Stop: Coyote Ugly
  • 5th Card Stop:WickedWheel
  • 12:00 pm: Registration
  • 12:30 pm: First Bike Out
  • 1:00 pm: Last Bike Out
  • 4:30 pm: Last Bike In@final stop
  • 5:00 pm: Prizes @final stop

12:30 PM — — IvesBros.Wall of Death Show — — WickedWheel

2:00 PM — — LaVelaBikini Contest — — Club LaVela

2:00 PM — — IvesBros.Wall of Death Show — — WickedWheel

2:00 PM – 5:00 — — PM Live Music with Michael Compton — — WickedWheel

3:00 PM — — Ives Bros. “Ramp to Ramp” Stunt/Jump Show — — Frank Brown Park

3:30 PM — — IvesBros.Wall of Death Show — — WickedWheel

3:00PM — — OldSchoolBikeShow — — Ms. Newby’s

4:00 PM- 8:00 PM — — Live Music with Big Engine — — Sandpiper Beacon

4:00 PM- 8:00 PM — — Live Music with Clay Musgrave – At the — — Tiki Bar Sharky’s Beach Club

4:00 PM- 8:00 PM — — Live Music with King Cotton — — Shoppes at Edgewater

5:00 PM — — Ives Bros.Wall of Death Show — — WickedWheel

5:00 PM- 8:00 PM — — Live Music with Sin Seven — — PineappleWilly’s

5:00 PM- 8:00 PM — — Live Music with ZZ TopTributebandVelcro Fly — — WickedWheel

6:00 PM — — Ives Bros. “Ramp to Ramp” Stunt/Jump Show — — Frank Brown Park

6:30 PM — — IvesBros.WallofDeath Show — — WickedWheel

7:00PM — — OfficialMiss Thunder Beach Pageant – 3rd Preliminary — — WickedWheel

Emcee: Daric “The Hitman” Daniels

8:00 PM- 11:00 PM — — Live Music with Eli — — Sandpiper Beacon

8:00PM-10:00PM — — Live Music with Highway to Hell – Tribute to AC/DC — — Shoppes at Edgewater

8:30 PM- 12:30AM — — Live Music with TheDanLawsonBand — — WickedWheel

9:00 PM- 2:00 AM — — Live Music with Kevin Jacobs&Terry Brock — — PineappleWilly’s

9:00 PM — — Live Music with Jackylwith special guest – Nigel Dupree Band — — Club LaVela

8:00 PM- 12:00AM — — Live Music withTodd Simpson&Mojo Child — — Ms. Newby’s

10:00 PM- 2:00 AM — — Live Music with Geneva – — — At the Tiki Bar Sharky’s Beach Club

11:00 PM — — Live Music with Big Engine — — Sandpiper Beacon

9:00AM- 9:00 PM — –Thunder BeachWelcome Center (Information&Media) — –Shoppes at Edgewater

2:00 PM- 5:00 — –PM Live Music with Michael Compton — –WickedWheel

4:00 PM- 8:00 — –PM Live Music with Big Engine — –Sandpiper Beacon

4:00 PM- 8:00 — –PM Live Music with ClayMusgrave – — –At the Tiki Bar Sharky’s Beach Club

6:00 PM-10:00 PM — —Official Thunder Beach Kick-Start Party — —Shores of Panama

featuring National Recording Artist Jasmine Cain Top of the Garage-12th Floor

7:00PM — —OfficialMiss Thunder Beach Pageant – 1st Preliminary — —Shores of Panama

Emcee: Daric “TheHitman”Daniels Top of the Garage-12th Floor

8:00PM-11:00PM — –Live Music withMustang Sally — –Sandpiper Beacon

8:00PM-12:00AM — –Live Music with Horizon — –Ms. Newby’s

8:30 PM — –Live Music with ZZ TopTribute Band-Velcro Fly — –WickedWheel

10:00PM-12:30AM — —Official Thunder Beach Kick-Start “After Party” — —PineappleWilly’s

with Kevin Jacobs & Terry Brock

11:00 PM — –Live Music with Big Engine — — Sandpiper Beacon

Saturday May 5 Schedule

9:00AM- 10:00 PM — –Thunder BeachWelcome Center (Information&Media) — –Shoppes at Edgewater

9:00 AM- 9:00 PM — –Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H — —Tent Boar’s Head

9:00 AM- 7:00 PM+ — –Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H — —Tents Club LaVela

9:00 AM- 7:00 PM+ — –Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H — —Tents Frank Brown Park

9:00 AM- 6:00 PM — –Demo Rides ~ Yamaha, Can-Am, Boss Hoss — –Pier Park

9:00 AM- 9:00 PM+ — –Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H — —Tent PineappleWilly’s

9:00 AM- 9:00 PM+ — –Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H — —Tent Sharky’s Beach Club

9:00 AM- 9:00 PM+ — –Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H — —Tents Shoppes at Edgewater

9:00 AM- 9:00 PM+ — –Vendor Village ~Look for the Thunder Beach CRUZ4CA$H — —Tent WickedWheel

9:00AM- 6:00 PM — –DJDaric “TheHitman”Daniels — –Frank Brown Park

9:00 AM- 9:00 PM — –Old Skool Road Show- Traveling AntiqueMotorcycle Experience — –WickedWheel

9:30 AM- 4:00 PM — —Official Thunder Beach “Best

of the Beach” Custom Bike Show — —Pier Park

Sponsored by Steel Horse Law/ Presented by USRiderNews 16 Classes; IMBBA Sanctioned

Benefits Local Shriner Charities $10,000 in cash & prizes

10:00 AM Sgt. Kevin KightMemorial Bike Parade Sponsored by the SWcorner of R Jackson Blvd

Panama City Beach Police andWhite Sands Riders. Benefits Cops for &Middle Beach Rd.

Kids. • Line Up at 10am• KickStandsUp@11amSHARP! (across from old Publix parking lot)

11:00 AM IvesBros.WallofDeath Show — –WickedWheel

12:00 PM- 5:00 PM Poker Run Sponsored by Red KnightsMC & Fire and IronMC

Registration & 1st Card Stop: Rock’it Lanes 12:00 pm: Registration

2nd Card Stop: Newby’s Too 12:30 pm: First Bike Out

3rd Card Stop: Ritz Store (@corner of Front Beach Rd 1:00 pm: Last Bike Out

&RJacksonBlvd) 4:30 pm: Last Bike In@final stop

4th Card Stop: Dirty Dick’s 5:00 pm: Prizes @final stop

5th Card Stop: Whiskey’s Saloon

12:00 PM — –Ives Bros. “Ramp to Ramp” Stunt/Jump Show — –Frank Brown Park

12:00 PM- 4:00 PM — –LiveMusicwith 345 Express — –Sandpiper Beacon

12:00 PM- 4:00 PM — –LiveMusicwith The Ayers — –Shoppes at Edgewater

2:00 PM — –LaVelaBikini Contest — –Club LaVela

2:00PM OfficialMs. Thunder Beach Contest For lovely ladies 35+ — –Shoppes at Edgewater

Emcee: Daric “The Hitman” Daniels

2:00 PM — –IvesBros.WallofDeath Show — — WickedWheel

3:00 PM — –Ives Bros. “Ramp to Ramp” Stunt/Jump Show — –Frank Brown Park

3:30 PM — –IvesBros.WallofDeath Show — –WickedWheel

4:00 PM — —Awards for Steelhorse Law”Best of Beach” Bike Show — —Pier Park

4:00 PM- 8:00 PM — –LiveMusic with Joe Santana’s Kingfish — –Sandpiper Beacon

4:00 PM- 8:00 PM — –LiveMusicwith ClayMusgrave – — –At the Tiki Bar Sharky’s Beach Club

4:00 PM- 8:00 PM — –LiveMusicwith Kelly&TheHealers — –Shoppes at Edgewater

5:00 PM — –IvesBros.WallofDeath Show — –WickedWheel

5:00 PM — –LiveMusicwith Sin Seven — –PineappleWilly’s

6:00 PM — –Ives Bros. “Ramp to Ramp” Stunt/Jump Show — –Frank Brown Park

6:30 PM — –IvesBros.WallofDeath Show — –WickedWheel

7:00PM — —OfficialMiss Thunder Beach Pageant Finale — —Hooters on the Beach

Emcee: Daric “The Hitman” Daniels

7:00 PM — –LiveMusicwith TombstoneBeltBuckle — –WickedWheel

8:00 PM- 11:00 PM — –LiveMusicwith Eli — –Sandpiper Beacon

8:00PM-10:00PM — –LiveMusicwithHighway to Hell – Tribute to AC/DC — –Shoppes at Edgewater

8:30 PM — –LiveMusicwith KevinJacobs&TerryBrock — –WickedWheel

8:30 PM- 12:30AM — –LiveMusicwithTheDanLawsonBand — –PineappleWilly’s

8:00 PM- 12:00AM — –LiveMusicwithTodd Simpson&Mojo Child — –Ms. Newby’s

10:00 PM- 2:00 AM — –LiveMusic with Geneva – — –At the Tiki Bar Sharky’s Beach Club

11:00 PM — –LiveMusic with Joe Santana’s Kingfish — — Sandpiper Beacon

Sunday May 6 Schedule

7:00 AM- 3:00 PM — — Thunder BeachWelcome Center (Information&Media) — –Shoppes at Edgewater

9:00AM-12:00PM — –Old Skool Road Show- Traveling AntiqueMotorcycle Experience — –WickedWheel

9:00AM-12:00PM — –Vendor Village open ~ some vendorsmay choose to stay open later — –Boar’s Head

9:00AM- 12:00 PM+ — –Vendor Village open ~ some vendorsmay choose to stay open later — –Club LaVela

9:00AM- 12:00 PM+ — –Vendor Village open ~ some vendorsmay choose to stay open later — –Frank Brown Park

9:00AM- 12:00 PM+ — –Vendor Village open ~ some vendorsmay choose to stay open later — –PineappleWilly’s

9:00AM- 12:00 PM+ — –Vendor Village open ~ some vendorsmay choose to stay open later — –Sharky’s Beach Club

9:00AM- 12:00 PM+ — –Vendor Village open ~ some vendorsmay choose to stay open later — –Shoppes at Edgewater

9:00AM- 12:00 PM+ — –Vendor Village open ~ some vendorsmay choose to stay open later — –WickedWheel

10:00AM — –Blessing of the Bikes by CMA — –Edgewater

10:30 AM — –Scenic Ride – depart from– –Edgewater

8:00AM- 11:00AM — –Last chance to redeemCRUZ4CA$H cards@Welcome Center — –Shoppes at Edgewater

1:00 PM — –CRUZ4CA$H Drawing–Main Stage Shoppes at — –Edgewater

3:00 PM- 7:00 PM — –LiveMusic with Sterling Silver — –Sandpiper Beacon

4:00 PM- 8:00 — –PM LiveMusicwith ClayMusgrave — — At the Tiki Bar Sharky’s Beach Club

8:00 PM- 12:00 — –PM LiveMusicwith345Express — –Ms. Newby’s

10:00 PM- 2:00 — –AM LiveMusicwith Geneva – — –Live at the Tiki Bar Sharky’s Beach Club

We’re Looking for Aqua, Splash and Majestic Owners [RENTALS]

Our vacation rental business is growing leaps and bounds and we’re gearing up for summer!  We are looking to bring on some fantastic condos in a few fabulous resorts, specifically Aqua, Splash and Majestic Beach Resort.

There are a variety of reasons we love these resorts, including the fact they are all very nice, tend to rent extremely well and guests love to return to them year after year.

A little about who we are.

As you have come to know, one of our sister companies (my company to be specific 😉  ) is a short term vacation rental company.  We manage 30+ amazing rental condos on the beach in a variety of resort locations.  Our successful management program is unique in many ways and we’re looking to expand.  We offer complete and full service management, handling everything from rentals, maintenance, upkeep and cleaning.

There are a lot of things that set us apart from our competition, but a few of the major differences between us and many other management companies are:

  • We charge a low, flat rate management fee of $397 per month, regardless of size and revenue
  • Our marketing is second to none, innovative and always on the cutting edge

You can read more about who we are and why our marketing is awesome on our Owner’s page.

What about our marketing that’s so awesome.

You’ve heard the success stories of property owners managing their condos themselves.  They list it on VRBO, give their property tons of TLC, follow up rigorously with their rental leads and they book their condo extremely well.

As you may (or may not) know, this is all a ton of work and it’s something for which we have an extremely good system and work that system full time.  The reason why our program is so successful is that we combine all the great things of managing a property individually with the scalability of a great system found in larger companies. The result is more bookings, higher revenue, better care for your property and less costs.

Each of our properties are marketed individually.  This is done several ways and ensures that the condo that you’ve worked so hard to make awesome is rewarded for that hard work.

Each property on our vacation rental program gets: 

  • Their own page on our website
  • An HD video tour
  • High resolution photos
  • An exclusive email database (created from inquiries)
  • VRBO listing (paid for by owner)
  • Album on our Facebook page

This individual attention creates a ton of work when bringing on new properties but translates to higher bookings and, of course, higher revenue than you’ve seen before.  In most cases, we command a higher price than the competition because we pack so much value into a guest’s stay!

Plus we own PCBDaily and use it to leverage all sorts of opportunities for our guests.

Why We’re looking to expand in Aqua, Splash and Majestic.

We work hard to look for properties in great destinations.  Each of these three resorts have characteristics that lend perfectly to performing well for vacation rentals.

When it comes to sophisticated luxury, Aqua is second to none in Panama City Beach.  When you walk in, you’re greeted with a refined style that just isn’t found anywhere else.  The surfaces, colors, accents and modern amenities make this resort an attractive, complete package.

Splash Resort is extremely well-known for being family-friendly and a blast for kids of all ages. The large-resort feel, tons of water play areas and quiet location in Panama City Beach make it perfect for families to vacation and property owners to enjoy fantastic rental performance.

Majestic Beach Resort is just huge.  The amenity list seems to go on forever, and guests that stay at Majestic talk about it for weeks when they get home.  Majestic is one of those resorts guests ask for year after year and condos in this resort perform well for owners, their management companies and the companies that service them.

Why we are a great fit for you.

The flat-rate fee does a couple of wonderful things for us and our owner-clients.

  1. It saves our owner clients money almost 100% of the time
  2. It gives us a projectable business model that works year round (you know we aren’t going anywhere)

And don’t worry about it not giving us the motivation to book your condo.  If we don’t book you’re condo, you’re not going to be happy, then you’ll leave us.  Unhappy owner-clients make an unhappy Jason. 😦

Our goal is to book 100% during peak season times.  And so far, we’ve almost always achieved that.  Now that’s cause for a smiley face. 🙂

How to find out more information.

So we’ve piqued your interest.  Great.  For more information, hop on over to our rentals website, or give us a shout at 850-238-6250.

Panama City Beach Mayor Election – Oberst Wins!

In what I would consider a landslide win, Mayor Oberst takes the election grabbing over 54% of the entire voting turn-out.  The elections were today, and issues involved ranged from future development to spring break.

The Mayoral election results.
Sharon Hagstrom 19 (0.901%)
Ken Nelson 808 (38.34%)
Gayle F. Oberst 1,158 (54.95%)
Travis Schofer 122 (5.790%)
Panama City Beach City Council results.

Council Member, Ward 2

Phil Chester 878 (43.25%)
Rick Russell 1,152 (56.74%)

Council Member, Ward 4

Ed Benjamin 389 (19.01%)
Keith Curry 891 (43.54%)
Debbie Sasser 766 (37.43%)

Run to Rum Runners in Pier Park

Fun is Contagious at the new Rum Runners in Panama City Beaches’ Pier Park. If you walk out of the Grand Theatre and turn right, you’ll see it on the corner in the space previously occupied by Tuscany Italian Grill and Guglielmo’s. When you walk in, you’ll be greeted by friendly faces that invite you in with a smile and a warmth that fits right in with the tropical décor.

In fact, Vincent Wood the same artist that designed the scenes for the Sandestin Resort location also brought his iconic tropical designs to the new Pier Park location. The artwork is fun and festive and complimentary to the tiki hut roof over the bar. The suspended surfboards and Hawaiian printed shirts make you feel like it is definitely five o’clock somewhere….and most likely somewhere on a beach.

Karen Smith (aka My Mom) who is always ready for adventure, and me – always ready for a good meal 🙂 – decided to pay this new hot spot a visit. Our server, Jonathon, was friendly and knowledgeable and had nothing but good things to say about his job.

“They make it fun here. It is not just about getting the food out, it’s about making sure our customers have a good time.” He told us both we needed to come back after 8 pm for the dueling piano players. Rum Runners is known for their great entertainment. And the fun is not just for the vacationers, many locals enjoy the casual atmosphere and seven-day-a-week music acts that both encourage audience participation and expand over a variety of genres.

When we asked what we should order, he pointed us to some of the favorites on the menu like the Hurricane Burger and the Lobster Bisque. I opted for a small fresh salad and the appetizer portion of their famous Ahi Ahi Tuna with Wakame, which was delicious. The portions were generous, and the presentations attractive, at least until we devoured them! We drank sweet tea, but at night, the creativity of Rum Runners bartenders attracts many. Many of these “mixologists” have their own unique special creations, but like in Sandestin, the two most popular crowd pleaser drinks are the classic Rum Runner and the Calypso Punch.

Before you run to Rum Runners, run and find them on Facebook. Then run and get you some of that Ahi Ahi Tuna!

The Beach this Week – Amazing Picturesque Water

This time of year is famous for bringing perfect weather, clear skies and shimmering, emerald green waters.  For the Panama City Beach connoisseur the period between the second week in April and the last week in May and the month of October is the best time to come to the beach on the Gulf Coast.  The air temperatures during the day have been consistently in the mid-80’s and the gulf waters are floating around 75 degrees.  We’ve had a variety of yellow to red flags marking calm vs choppy waters, but overall, it’s been just amazing.

This video was shot last Sunday.  I had to run over to one of our vacation rental condos and couldn’t miss a chance to twinkle my toes in the sand to shoot this.  I shot it with my iPhone 4s.  As you can see, there were quite a lot of people out enjoying the Easter holiday weekend.