Panama City Beach, FL

Today is the last leg of our East Coast to West Coast/ West Coast to East Coast journey.  Like I had wrote earlier; it is not the destination it is the journey, and it is so true.  I am happily returning home and looking forward to seeing my family and friends again but I will miss the travel.  Of course, there will be more...A Lot More!
We are in Panama City Beach, FL.  This is one of our favorite vacation spots.  Panama City Beach is a city in Bay County and is on the Gulf Of Mexico coast.  Often called Panama City they are two separate cities with their own municipalities.  The motto of Panama City Beach is "The World's Most Beautiful Beaches" and it is true!  This is due to its unique sugar white sandy beaches.  The population of Panama City Beach is 12,018 with a median income of $41,200 and a median age of 44.  It is a typical beach front community with a high rises on the beach and all the fun stuff to do on the beach and along the beach.  It is a huge Spring Break town known as the "Spring Break Capital of the World"  with over 100,000 + college and high school students who come in March and April.  It is sometimes referred to as the "Redneck Riviera" due to the fact that it is a very popular vacation spot for people living in the Southern U.S.  I hate saying this (it may bring more people here) but it really is a great vacation area.  In May, we come here every year for a week or two.  May 2012 will be our 7th in a row!
Panama City, FL is the county seat of Bay County and is the largest city between Tallahassee, FL and Pensacola, FL.  The population is 36,500 with median income of $31,600 and a median age of 37.  It was incorporated in 1909.  The developer of the town, George Mortimer West, gave the town its name because it was on a direct line between Chicago, IL and Panama City, Panama. 
Last night we had  our heart set on eating at one of our favorite places here, Pineapple Willy's, but when we pulled into the parking lot it was empty.  It is only open on week ends right now.  So, we headed down to Pier Park, which is a great shopping area with the touristy shops on the beach and the commerical stores towards the high way.  We ate at another one of favorite restaurants, Margaritaville.  We got there just before sunset so we got a table that faced the Gulf and enjoyed our dinner watching the sunset.  What a great way to end the last night of our journey. 
Tim and I have truely enjoyed our travels so far and it is not over yet... we still need to get to Jacksonville!