Panama City Beach - Trolley Update

With a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work, the Pier Park Express will hit the streets running this summer.
Anticipating the usual traffic congestion on the Beach, a group of Bay County business leaders and Greater Panama City Beaches Chamber of Commerce officials have been working for several months to establish weekend Bay Town Trolley service for tourists, resort employees and residents.
The current concept calls for a “Pier Park Express” route running between the Beach Wal-Mart and Pier Park along Middle Beach and Front Beach roads. The plan calls for two trolley vehicles driving back and forth on a minimum-stop route across the city from 10 a.m. until midnight Saturday and Sunday.
A workshop on the express service has been scheduled May 22 at the TPO office in Panama City.
If the committee is able to launch the new express, it will mark the second increase in Bay Town Trolley service this year. In April, the trolley expanded its weekday service with two evening hours of operation from 6 to 8 p.m.

This will be a nice addition to service if it works!

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Panama City Beach - Family Attractions

Family Attraction Action

Not far from Pier Park, Gulf World Marine Park makes a splash with the X-Treme High Dive Show. Watch professional, world-class divers perform flips and twirls from dizzying heights in precision. The Olympic-style performance begins Memorial Day and continues through Labor Day. Additionally, magician Noah Wells returns to Gulf World this summer to amaze and delight with his show that combines music, comedy and interactive illusions. The excitement continues with other shows starring dolphins, sea lions, parrots and more. In Dolphin Encounter, visitors learn about preservation before getting into the water for a dolphin swim.

For more action and adventure, visitors cruise the Gulf waters aboard the Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise, an authentic 85-foot pirate ship with cannons blasting, swords swinging and pirates hanging from the rigging.

At Shipwreck Island Waterpark, visitors enjoy one of Florida’s largest water theme parks. A new online ticketing service gives guests more time on the water slides when they buy and print out their tickets at home.

ZooWorld Zoological & Botanical Park is home to more than 250 animals, including rare and endangered species, in a lush tropical landscape. Visitors feed endangered primates and assist in the animal shows.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium is the place to view fascinating finds from around the world: an authentic shrunken head from Ecuador, a mummy, and an 11-foot Eiffel Tower made entirely of matchsticks, just to name a few.

For other above-par recreation, Coconut Creek Family Fun Park welcomes with two 18-hole miniature golf courses. Plus, Coconut Creek’s Gran Maze is one of most challenging human mazes in the country.

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Panama City Beach - Circus Update

Per the News Herald...

After more than a year of preparation, the Circus by the Sea is coming to town.
The famed Florida State University Flying High Circus will make its pre-season debut at Frank Brown Park on Monday morning when a massive tractor-trailer is due to arrive from Tallahassee bearing the circus’s massive 240-by-140-foot tent. Circus staff members, under the supervision of Circus Director Chad Mathews, will erect the big top over a two-day period as the organization prepares for its initial summer performance season at the Beach a month later.
One of only two collegiate circus programs, the FSU program has committed to an initial 10-year summer season at Frank Brown Park, Circus by the Sea President Don Hamrick told the Beach Chamber of Commerce at a presentation Friday. Staffed by 19 FSU students who have trained in circus acrobatics and stage performances, the Circus by the Sea will conduct a daily performance in the three-ring tent at 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday from June 13 to Aug. 2. It will hold matinee performances on July 4-5 at 3 p.m.
Fares for the performances will be $24 for adults and $16 for children ages 4 to 16. Children under 4 will be admitted free.
A special gala inaugural performance called “FSU Day at the Circus” will take place June 12 at 7 p.m. Open to the public, the circus is inviting FSU students and alumni to come wearing their school colors of garnet and gold. Tickets for the special event are priced at $15 for all ages.
“This is a summer job for them,” Hamick said of the FSU students, who perform and operate the circus in Tallahassee during the school year as an extracurricular activity. “Students rig the equipment, sew costumes and raise the big top.”
In addition, the college students will run a four-day summer day camp each week offering youngsters ages 7 to 12 an opportunity to train in basics of acrobatic performance, rigging and safety, he said. Six camp sessions will run Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the first beginning June 23. Each Thursday, the camp attendees will assist the college performers at the evening show. The weekly cost for Summer Camp is $285 per child with lunch and a snack included each day.

See you at the Circus
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Panama City Beach - Top 10 Beach

Top Honors…Last month, Panama City Beach’s St. Andrew’s State Recreation Area ranked number two on the 2008 list of top 10 beaches in the United States by Trip Advisor. The giant travel information Web site recognized each of these epic beaches for “world-class sand, breathtaking water and all-round relaxing environment.” TripAdvisor’s top 10 beach list is determined by the site’s editors and the TripAdvisor Popularity Index, reflecting the unbiased opinions of millions of travelers worldwide. The beach at St. Andrew’s State Recreation Area boasts sugar-white sand overlooking the turquoise and emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The 1.5-mile-long beach has a child-friendly area, the calm Grand Lagoon. Spanning 1,260 acres, St. Andrew’s State Recreation Area offers swimming and snorkeling in tranquil Gulf waters. Visitors also can take the shuttle to nearby Shell Island for more surf and sun. For hikers and birders, the park has miles of pristine trails with an incredible array of plants and wildlife. At St. Andrew’s, anglers enjoy surf fishing, two fishing piers, a jetty and a boat ramp. Concession stands and campsites also are available.

Come and enjoy Panama City Beach
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Panama City Beach - May Fishing

From my fishing guide friend Captain James Pic…
As I said in my last report the trout bite is hot this year. This type of catch is the rule instead of the exception this year. My clients put so many fish over five pounds in the boat each year we don't even count them. If you want that big trophy fish....trust me, I'm the one to call.
Red fishing is starting to turn on along with some flounder being caught here and there.
Along the beach and inside the pass we are still catching nice pompano and a few cobia. Had a cobia on yesterday but the client let it sling the hook.
The palegics will be here soon which brings 100 fish morning on light tackle and fly.
After that the kings show up....Oh...you didn't know I run king trips? Heck ya! I love putting my clients on those smoker kings on light tackle.
Fishing is great this year come be a part of it.
Want to go fishing while you are in PCB Call James @ 850-215-5578

Jerry
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Panama City Beach - May Pier Park Update

Pier Park stores open or scheduled to open through May
Borders, Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, Ann Taylor Loft, As Seen on TV, Bath & Body Works, Blender Clothing, Cache, Carlyle & Co., Chico’s, Claire’s, Coldwater Creek, GameStop, Hollister Co., Jos A. Bank, Justice, Kay Jewelers, Lane Bryant/Cacique, Maurices, Motherhood Maternity, New York & Company, PacSun, Payless Shoes Source, Peace Frogs, Per-fumania, Rack Room Shoes, Reggae J’s Island Grill, Regions Bank, Rocky’s South Philly Cheesesteaks, Solace Day Spa & Salon, Sunglass Hut, Sunsights by Solstice, The Walking Company, Tilly’s, Tootsies Orchid Lounge, Verizon, Victoria’s Secret, Yankee Candle and Zales.

Let me know what your favorite stores are.

Jerry
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Panama City Beach - New Tourist Information Center

One of the Greater Panama City Beaches Chamber of Commerce’s top prioritys for 2008 has been to relocate its offices to a larger facility which would double as a tourist and relocation information center. That goal was met on April 7, 2008, when the Chamber’s new Tourist Information Center opened at the Beckrich Centre located in the heart of the Beckrich corridor. The spacious, state-of-the-art lobby is informative and historical, educational, entertaining and fun, and is the perfect resource for visitors coming to the area looking for accommodations, things to do, demographics, economic stats and community information. “Our new lobby combines a variety of communications and information mediums in a cutting edge, first-of-its-kind environment,” says Marta Rose, Senior Vice President of Marketing and PR for the Chamber. “The colors, style and décor of the space, not to mention the technology that went into this lobby, give it a uniqueness in the community. This is an attraction people will not want to miss.” The interactive touch-screen kiosks will promote shopping, accommodations, eateries and fun activities. A Virtual Floor, powered by a built-in motion detection engine, will interactively intermingle Flash animated nature effects. The boldly colorful history wall features artwork and facts on Hernando DeSoto’s trek into Northwest Florida in 1539, nearly 500 years ago. The lobby’s Coastal Chic-style sitting area faces a large flat screen featuring “The Best of PCB,” a Travel Channel-style hosted program showcasing resorts, restaurants, attractions, community events, and relocation information. The Tourist Information Center is planning a reservations and concierge service, selling tickets for tours, area attractions, sporting events, cultural events, restaurants and ecotourism/nature-related activities. The Community Board Room, with built-in A/V capabilities, will host Board meetings, monthly focus forums and quarterly New Member Welcome Days. The building is Wi-Fi enabled for complimentary Internet access. “The Chamber has tripled in size over the last twenty years,” says Debi Knight, President and CEO of the Chamber. “It is critical to the tourism industry that we promote our community and region to the best of our ability. Our number one goal as a non-profit membership organization is to help our business members grow.” Knight says the Chamber has been working for over two years to relocate to a larger facility on the ground level that has ample parking, highly-visible signage, a community board room, and a large lobby to take care of visitors, residents and businesses.

The Chamber’s extended hours are Sunday - Thursday, 9:00 am to 5 pm; Friday and Saturday, 9 am to 9 pm. For more information call the Chamber at (850) 234-3193.

Jerry
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