Things to Do in Panama City Beach, Florida (DAY 4)

To check out the rest of our trip, click here,

Day 1 click here, and Day 2 pt 1 Myrtle Beach and Charleston,  Day 3 Savannah.



Going South from Georgia, we stopped in Jacksonville and discovered a place called Taco Libre that had the most incredible, huge $3 horchatas and tacos. This was the only restaurant that prompted us to take leftovers with us on the road. And let me tell you, eating pork tacos with your feet up at a random gas station in the middle of nowhere, is one of the greatest enjoyments one can have.



Panama City Beach seems to be known more for beach and hotel rentals than hip eats and exciting things to do. But we found it all!



In the New York Times article '36 Hours in Panama City Beach', it's written,

"In this self-styled “Spring Break Capital of the World” — a moniker validated by the hundreds of thousands of students who descend on the town every March and April — you’ll find a predictably high density of tattoo parlors and mini-golf courses. But hidden amid this lowbrow mix are welcome additions including a farmers’ market and the area’s first craft beer pub. And in 2010, the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport opened just north of the city, making the trip south even easier. So trade in expectations of starched tablecloths and fine-art museums, and embrace the carefree notions that swirl with silly pineapple daiquiris and every facet of the relaxing life aquatic here on Florida’s laid-back Emerald Coast."



We had dinner upon getting into town - at a place called Schooner's Last Local Beach Club. I called ahead and asked if it was busy, and the woman on the phone giggled. I soon discovered why, as we pulled up. This beach-side institution looks like the most popping place in town. People lined up 5 rows deep waiting for a table. We put our names down, and walked along the beach (watched the sun beginning to set) until I got the text that our table was ready.



They seated us right by the water, and the cannon- which they shoot off every night at sunset. Enjoyed a pina colada (in complimentary plastic tumblr- it's substantially large), grouper (me) and chicken (him) sandwich.







We walked back onto the beach at night and enjoyed feeling the soft sand under our feet.

The next morning, we were so excited to wake up.

We had an appointment for the Dolphin Encounter at Gulf Marine World Park!

This was such a bucket list item for me. It was just enough time to really interact and enjoy the moment. But there were a lot of other great things happening as well, and with the Dolphin Encounter ticket we also had the opportunity to see the rest of the park afterwards. Here is a video of some of the highlights.









We stopped by a Sea Lion Show:

Saw some sharks!

Touched a stingray or two:

And then we were off to New Orleans!

Surprises at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (DAY 2 pt1)

DAY 2 of our East Coast Road Trip is split up because of just how much happened when we hit the Carolina's. (DAY 1 on Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, and Wilmington here)



The rain was coming down really hard, the morning we set off for Myrtle Beach. This city is on South Carolina’s Atlantic coast, and the hub of the Grand Strand, a 60-mile string of beaches. The plan had been to get toes wet at the water's edge, but the downpour and a slight burn from Virginia Beach the day before discouraged us. Went to Wal-Mart to get some sunscreen and snacks, and I researched from last minute indoor activities.







Black Biker Week was going on, as it happens, every year over Memorial Weekend at Myrtle Beach. It was the coolest thing to see all the bikers and their motorcycles. I remember seeing the event on an episode of Eastbound and Down, and it was something we also hadn't planned but were really happy to be unwitting spectators.

There was an area on Celebrity Circle that had a bunch of cute shops. The rain had stopped a bit we were able to feed fishes from a boardwalk. I'll never forget, relaxing in one of the deck chairs under a shop awning, watching the rain. Everything smells more clearly when it's wet, and the all the colors around you look richer, more saturated.

Wandered into a Laser Maze Challenge. This was probably more for children, but made us feel like Catherine Zeta Jones in Entrapment. And we beat the Expert Level- twice! There was also a connected Mirror Maze, that was really fun. They give you gloves when you go in, because you keep your arms out to check which pathways are real, and which are the mirrored halls.

Grabbed lunch at a big restaurant by the water called the Sea Captain's House, mostly because it had a big parking lot across the street and you could walk from the dining area to the water. Pleasantly surprised to try she-crab soup for the first time there; it was really good.



Went back to another boardwalk and shops area but this time to see some tigers!

The best possible last minute thing ever - the T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Station at Myrtle Beach Safari. The first time slots start at 5:00 pm, so we hit up a magic store across from the entrance (saw a 'Zoltar Speak's machine, just like they have at Coney Island and the Tom Hanks movie, Big). When the time finally came- we were so excited. The admission goes to funding preservation efforts- and the monkeys, wolf cub, and two-month-old tiger were so amazing to hold and touch. I still can't believe we had that once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it was my favorite part of our time at Myrtle Beach.

And then it was off to Charleston for the evening.

Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, and Wilmington (DAY 1)

DAY 1

Let me just preface by saying that we planned this entire road trip for a long time! (for example, this entry from February). Lots of hand-scrawled notes and maps and google spreadsheet formats. Right on the cusp of our thirties, we really wanted to make the most of this trip and hope you enjoy the tips we found useful.

Woke up bright and early Wednesday morning before Memorial Weekend to visit Colonial Williamsburg VA, Virginia Beach VA, and Wilmington NC. This was the first leg on a road trip that would span all the way down the East Coast of the USA from Baltimore, MD.

Out of the many options out there- we went with National Car Rental Service. Got lucky with a Hyundai Tucson that had only 9 miles on it! Though it was picked up at the BWI Airport, the expectation was that it would only be driven one-way and dropped off at the NOLA Airport eventually. Armed with Starbucks Almond Chai Latte (no foam, no water) and Herbal Tea, we started heading down 95.



If you drink water and tea at the start of the trip, you'll start wanting to take a rest stop around Colonial Williamsburg appearing on the route. Having never been there before (but I had heard stories about the reenactments and history), we stopped by the Visitor Center and wandered through the Great Hopes Plantation for a bit. The weather was really nice, and there a lot of old examples of housing structures and a windmill.







VIRGINIA BEACH



This is the largest city in Virginia, known for it's naval installations and shoreline beaches. It wasn't long after leaving Williamsburg that we got to Cape Henry Lighthouse. I had no idea it was part of a military establishment! Fort Story is a beautiful area right on the water. Though we weren't expecting for our vehicle to be investigated before admission, it made the destination feel more hidden and special. There's a Memorial and beach outlook point across the street from the Lighthouse, that's nice to stop at. *One thing we found out the hard way is enter through Gate 8*.







I highly recommend printing out the VA Beach Public Art Scavenger Hunt map. It made it much easier to identify the art installations scattered along the Virginia Beach Boardwalk, and became a fun game. Our favorite were the Beach Balls and Birds in Flight.

We dipped our toes in the water, and ate froyo from Kohr's when it got hotter (Strawberry/Banana, and Chocolate/Peanut Butter).



We stopped at Commune for lunch, and were not disappointed. There was a healthy mix of families and young people. Everything was responsibly sourced and delicious. I had iced coffee (from local coffee company, PJ's) with burnt honey and a Ham & Jam Biscuit (both the Peach and Strawberry jams were great) for less than $10 total. The parking lot they share with Esoteric, a bar and restaurant is so beautiful, right?







This was our longest driving day, 550 miles, so to get something that would keep us alert and feeling our best went really, a long way.



WILMINGTON



Chris Dixon writes this in this New York Times article 'In Wilmington, N.C.', "a band of fortune seekers and opportunists braved the un-air-conditioned heat -- as well as the mosquitoes, alligators and bears along the banks of the Cape Fear River -- to create Wilmington, which in time became the northernmost hub of the Southern rice culture. Now it makes its living as a resort, a busy port and an aspiring movie capital. In 1983, Frank Capra Jr. found Wilmington a good place to shoot his film "Firestarter," and now his Wilmington studio, EUE/Screen Gems, says it is the largest film production facility east of California. Downtown this fall, you might find the cast of the WB network's "One Tree Hill" among the contented tourists in search of antiques, a night at the theater or a bowl of ground white hominy".



Dinner was at Front St. Brewery Taproom. I'd heard good things, and the person who checked us into our hotel also recommended this place. Best Pulled Chicken Burrito I've ever had, for around $10. The Mug of the Day beers are a great deal, where you can get their choice of beer that day for $1.99. (Normally it's $4.99 a beer.)



We wandered into KGB Lounge nearby for drinks, sipping a mule and dark & stormy. From there we kept walking down to the water a bit before getting some much needed rest.







In the morning- the heaviest rain we would get occurred.

Ate breakfast at Ezzell's Breakfast House, a local diner. The coffee was strong. Solid breakfast food. A little group of local older folks held court near the entrance.



Full and happy, we headed down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Road Trip Planning

Been enjoying planning the most amazing road trip possible for us this summer. 

We want to go all along the Northeast coast from Baltimore to New Orleans, with a bunch of stops in between (Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah, Panama City Beach, and more)

Here's a little preview of the route:

I'm using this app called Roadtrippers to scout out everywhere we want to go- it links to Google Maps or the Apple Maps app, and tells you how many miles between each stop. Before this I had an interactive pdf and sketches in my notebook- I can't tell you how excited I was to use this, but also sad for all the other work I'd done previously. (should've known there was an app for that)

'When was the last time, you did something for the first time?' 

-'First Time' by Darius Rucker