Panama City Beach, Florida
Last month I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Panama City Beach, Florida, a city that holds a special place in my childhood. Growing up my parents would take me to PCB almost every summer and I have so many wonderful childhood memories from the emerald coast. We would stay at the exact same hotel every summer (shoutout to the Osprey Hotel) and we even got to know families who vacationed at the same time every year, just like us. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I was contacted by the Panama City Beach Visitor’s Center to come down and partake in some fun activities and their event, “UnWined Food & Wine Festival” hosted by Southern Living Magazine.
Where We Stayed
We worked with the Visit PCB team who graciously put us up at the Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort with an awesome room overlooking the ocean. Our suite had a fully-equipped kitchen with tons of room for four or more people. We were on the 9th floor, so our views were really something. Even though the resort itself is huge and spread out, there are several pools sprinkled throughout the property so you don’t have to walk very far. We also felt very safe since this is a gated property and there are 24/7 guards on patrol. The Edgewater is located right in the heart of the PCB strip which makes it easy to walk everywhere.
Unwined Food & Wine Festival
The weekend was centered around the Unwined Food & Wine Festival which was a fun-filled weekend of amazing craft beer, wine and spirits from around the world. We also tasted mouth-watering creations from many of Northwest Florida’s renowned chefs. The weekend started with the preview party which was hosted by Southern Living where we ate small bites by top named Chefs, custom cocktails, live music and more. We ended the evening with a great concert by Brandi Carlile and a beautiful sunset with perfect weather. After the festival we headed to a local restaurant called Gulf Coast Burger Co. for some food and milkshakes. These weren’t just any milkshakes, they were snazzy milkshakes!
Overall Thoughts
Panama City Beach is just as special as I remember it from my childhood, with a few updates. There is a new area called Pier Park where there are several stores, restaurants, and things to do. A lot of the hotels were still the same from back when I frequented the strip. If you are looking for a fun and affordable beach trip with your family and want lots of option for things to do, you should definitely consider Panama City Beach, Florida!
Have any of you all been to PCB? If so, what did you think of it?