Panama City Beach - Southwest To Announce Destination Cities

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Here is the news that you all have been waiting for…Southwest Airlines on Wednesday will announce its four destination cities to and from the new Panama City airport, along with special introductory fares.

Bob Montgomery, Southwest vice president of properties, will make the announcement during a press conference at 10 a.m. at the Breakers Restaurant in Panama City Beach. Officials have anxiously awaited the location of the four “gateway” cities from which Southwest plans to schedule its eight daily non-stop flights to the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, scheduled to open May 18 near West Bay.

Need a beachfront condo? You will land approximately 10 miles from our Panama City Beach Condo Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation

Bay County Tourist Development Council (TDC) officials say they want to jump-start a marketing campaign in the cities once they were announced, particularly using the new social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

“We are waiting to get the names of the cities,” said TDC executive director Dan Rowe. “It is a very important day. When they start selling tickets, it really brings energy to the whole project.”

Watch for my post of the cities tolowwor morning!

Panama City Beach – Nightlife Listing - December 10-16, 2009

Panama City Beach – Hey Pat here is the stuff for you and Connie to do this weekend while you are at our Panama City Beach Condo Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation Courtesy of the News Herald. I still hope to get to one of the Boatyard Little black Dress Parties but I always seem to be in Nashville instead of PCB. Have fun this week. Check it out on Thursday Night!

Looks like some New Years Eve opportunities as well!

BEACH VFW
At Panama City Beach
17680 Ashley Dr. , PCB, FL 249-3025
Call for membership/guest information
Every Thurs. 2-6 p.m. Ms. Cues
Fri. 7 p.m.-till: Cross Fire Band in the Ballroom
Sat. 3-7 p.m.: Todd Sparks in the Ballroom (2-6 CrockPot yumms)
Every Wednesday 2-5 p.m.: “Big Al” and Beach musicians in the Ballroom

BETSY ANN RIVER BOAT
5505 Sun Harbor Rd. 233-7487
Located at the SUN HARBOR MARINA
Saturday: Santa Claus Cruise, 12-1:30 p.m.…Bring $20 unwrapped gift for donation to Boys & Girls Club & ride for FREE. Boarding 11:30.
Annual Parade of Lights Cruise, 4-8 p.m. Board 3:30
Sunday: Blues, Booze and Bustiers Cruise. Live blues music-ladies wear your favorite bustier & your 1st drink is free! 3-5 p.m. Only $10pp
New Years Eve Cruise, 9:30-12:30
www.betsyannriverboat.net

BOAR'S HEAD RESTAURANT & TAVERN
17290 Front Beach Road, 234-6628
Olde English style restaurant with award winning wines. Join Pat "C" in the Tavern Wednesday-Saturday beginning at 6 p.m. with guitar and vocals that will remind you of Joan Baez or Joni Mitchell. Relax with cocktails and appetizers, or coffee and dessert, or for a full coarse dinner while hearing her sassy but beautiful rendition of old standards that complement your evening here.

THE BOATYARD
5323 N. Lagoon Drive.
850-249-9273 - www.boatyardclub.com
Open 7 days a week - 11 a.m. til….
Real Good Food. Cool Music. Birdseye View of Grand Lagoon. The Boatyard is located on the docks of Grand Lagoon behind Capt. Anderson's restaurant... Dress is casual, prices are reasonable.
Reservations are not necessary and plenty of boat slips are available if you are coming by boat.
**Stop by to pick up your Lunch & Martini Club Cards.**
SUSHI BAR - Thurs. thru Sun., 4 p.m.-close
“TUESDAYS ARE FOR FRIENDS” - "Friends" (Friends of Grand Lagoon) every Tuesday evening this fall/winter, Boatyard will provide a special 4-course dinner to include a soup, a salad, a choice from 2 entrees, and a dessert, all for only $12.95 per person. $1 from each dinner will be donated to the Friends of Grand Lagoon.
LITTLE BLACK DRESS PARTY – Thurs. Dec. 17th – Steve Wiggins Band & DJ Vladi
The hottest party on the Coast is for a good cause, raising money to fight breast cancer. Slip into your favorite LBD for a beautiful… classic and FUN night out! Boatyard salutes beautiful women at their beautiful best! You could win a beautiful designer little black dress from Envy Boutique. Start with a tall frosty flute of champagne for all ladies in their best little black and each lady receives a custom LBD gift bag full of goodies and discounts at all your favorite shops, salons and fun spots. There are stylish gifts for everyone, and Chef Konrad has cooked up a delicious assortment of yummy and free little edibles for the Ladies in Black. Plus, $2 import beer specials and $3 Mojitos, Bellinis, Chambord and frosty sexy drinks for the ladies – all night long.
NOW TAKING RESERVATIONS FOR HOLIDAY PARTIES
NEW YEARS EVE DINNER & DANCE – Dec. 31 – Chef Konrad is preparing a Gourmet Dinner menu. Menu can be found on website www.boatyardclub.com. Entertainment Provided by DJ VLADI. Fireworks at Midnight. No Cover Charge
Call NOW to make your reservations.

BREAKERS
12627 Front Beach Rd., 850-234-6060
Breakers Winter Schedule-Open Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The Main Dining room opens at 4 p.m.
The Breakers is available for Holiday Parties, up to 250 guests.
*Make your reservations now for our traditional Christmas buffet, serving 11 a.m.till 6 p.m.
Todd Herendeen, returns with “A Very Elvis Christmas,” December 11, 12, 18, 19 & 26th.
*New Year’s Eve reservations are also available, call for party information, 234-6060
www.breakerspcbeach.com

CALYPSO BEACH CAFÉ & SPORTS GRILLE
15812 Front Beach Road, 850-234-6788.
Mon. – Fri, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. $5.99 Lunch specials
4–6 p.m. $10.99 Early Bird Specials
Daily Happy Hour specials
Try a 22 degree chilled Bud or Bud Light – Tasty!
Saturday – You want to watch your College basketball team– we’ve got the game your looking for on over 90 TV’s!
Sunday - Food, Fun, Flavor and the NFL. Drink specials ALL day long.
Try the “Tampa 2” Tacos with a “4th Down” Daiquiris!!
Monday – Monday Night Football
2 for 1 wells-2 for 1 drafts
Tuesday – Live Trivia with Chris Berry starting at 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Learn to dance with Mary and Patrick. Instructions start at 6 p.m. Come early and join in the fun!
“Get updates and become a Fan on Facebook.”
“Follow us on Twitter!
Check schedules for all sports on our website: www.calypsobeachcafe.com

CRAZY MARLIN’S
6628 Thomas Drive, 249-5270
Wed. – Sat./$6.95 Lunch Specials (11 a.m.-4 p.m.)
Thurs. - Ladies Night w/DJ Kenno…$1 Off Drinks For All Locals
Fri. – Kuhlcher Korner Presents…3 Ska/Punk Bands for only $5
Sat. - Enjoy Football on our 140" screen w/ $.25 wings & $5 pitchers!!
Live Music after the Games
Sun. - SUNDAY BRUNCH….Live Music by Marcus Words…Endless Bloody Mary Bar
Mon. & Tues. - CLOSED
Wed. - BAR WARS

FIREFLY
$14.95 Early Dining Specials 5-6 p.m. nightly!
Sushi Happy Hour Mon-Thurs 5-7 p.m.: Buy one roll get one half price, half price hot Sake & $5 Vodka Martini¹s.
Join us for “Tini Tuesday¹s”, all Vodka Martini¹s $5.
A night spot for upscale locals and guests who are looking for something different than our usual beach bars.
In the Shoppes at Edgewater, Panama City Beach.
Open 5 p.m. daily.
850-249-3359. fireflypcb.com

THE GRAND
11800 Front Beach Rd., 249-1447
Grand Panama Resort Tower II
MEET ME AT THE GRAND
Thursday & Friday: Acoustix, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Bitter Sweet, 8 p.m.
Sunday & Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday & Wednesday: Wayne Morton, Live Piano

MS. NEWBY'S
8711 Thomas Drive, 234-0030
Friday & Saturday: SCREAMIN FLEAS, 9 p.m.
Sunday: BIYOU’S OPEN MIKE, 3 p.m.
Tues. & Wed.: KARAOKE

NEWBY'S TOO
4103 Thomas Drive (on the curve), 234-6203
Open everyday 7 a.m. until
Thurs.-Sat.: Rock Star Karaoke w/Anita, 8:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Bucket Specials
Sunday & Monday: Football
Sports Bar, Pool, Foosball, and Darts
Smokers Welcome

PIER BAR
9875 S. THOMAS DR., P.C.B.
850-235-0928
FRI. DEC. 11TH 7 P.M.
STERLING FLETCHER
Saturday, Dec. 12th:
COLLEGE GAME PLAN
Sunday, Dec. 13th:
SUNDAY TICKET
SCHEDULE: pineapplewillys.com
Myspace.com/willyspierbar

THE PLACE
429 Harrison Ave. , 785-3010
Friday: Turtlefoot & Friends, 8 p.m.
All you can eat family style fish fry, $9.99
“Home for the Holidays” Downtown

SCHOONERS
5121 Gulf Drive 850-235-3555
www.schooners.com
Open 7 days a week – 11 a.m. till……
Lunch is awesome. Dinner is awesome. The bands are awesome. The beach is awesome. The sunsets are awesome. As a matter of fact, this just might be the best place on earth.
LIVE MUSIC: PHAR FLETCHER- Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Now taking reservations for Holiday Parties
NEW YEARS EVE DINNER & DANCE: Hosted by Troy Syfrett & The Nashville Mafia,
Dinner music provided by Boyd & Wood.
Call now to reserve your dinner reservations.
SHARKY'S RESTAURANT & BEACH CLUB
15201 Front Beach Road 235-2420
One of the last places on Panama City Beach where you can dine right on the beach, watch the sunset at the Tiki Bar and enjoy a cocktail.
Serving fresh seafood, steaks, sandwiches & more.
Open daily at 11 a.m.
Lunch Specials, M-F, 11-3, $5.99
Early Bird Specials, M-F, 4-6
Friday & Saturday: Clay Musgrave, 6-10 p.m.
Saturday: College Game Plan
Sunday: NFL Sunday Ticket

SPINNAKER
SPINNAKER BEACH CLUB/PARADISE GRILL/CANTIN Open 7 days a week – 11 a.m.
8795 Thomas Drive / 850-234-7882 / www.spinnakerbeachclub.com
PARADISE GRILL-CLOSED FOR THE SEASON-REOPEN FEBRUARY 2010
* Now Booking Holiday Parties for Large Groups. Menu on the website www.spinnakerbeachclub.com in Event & Catering Section-Available dates are posted on the website calendar.
* SAVE by booking your holiday party Mid Week! Chef PJ is offering $250 off every $1,250 spent if you book your party Monday-Thursday. Offer valid Dec. 8-23, 2010
SPINNAKER- Friday & Saturday 9 p.m.-4 a.m.
* Free Entry for Everyone till 10 p.m.
* Dance Party with DJ Will & DJ NYU
* Friday – Ladies Night Party – Ladies 21+ get in FREE All Nite!
* Saturday – Sex & The City Party – Ladies 21+ get in FREE til 12.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
* “All I Want for Christmas-Naughty or Nice” Holiday Fashion Show from CK’s Secrets – Dec. 11th.
* New Years Eve Black & White Ball. Dinner & Dance Party, Dec 31ST – Gourmet Dinner from Chef PJ. Live Music with Ocean Street. DJ’s Will, NYU & Tadashi.
Call now to reserve your table! Menu and pricing available at www.spinnakerbeachclub.com on the event calendar.

Panama City Beach – Northwest Florida in Frommer’s TOP 12 in the World for 2010

Panama City Beach – We have always known that our Panama City Beach Condo Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation is in a great spot. More and more travel guides are starting to agree with us.

Among worldwide favorites such as Copenhagen, Hawaii, and Melbourne Australia, Northwest Florida’s Beaches have been named in Frommer’s most recent list of Top Destinations.

Here’s what they had to say: Like the Rodney Dangerfield of the American Southeast, Florida’s panhandle never gets the respect it deserves. Dubbed the “Redneck Riviera” by dismissive northerners, northwest Florida, in fact, contains some of the most diverse recreation choices along Florida’s drastically under-appreciated Gulf coast, and some of the best options for visitors seeking an affordable family vacation.

From Destin to the west, where you can hire a fishing or sailing charter, to the smattering of National Seashores as you move east toward Panama City Beach, there’s really something for everyone. Seaside’s planned community is so “perfect” it was the setting for the The Truman Show, yet you’ll also find old-school Florida towns with funky shops, tiny hotels, pristine beaches, and the perfect cottage to rent.

“Stunning beaches, nature trails … great restaurants, and a cozy, yet quirky, sense of community.” — Lesley Abravanel, author Frommer’s Florida.

Come and discover Panama City Beach for yourself!

Panama City Beach – Guest Comments from Best Panama City Beach Condo

Panama City Beach – Looking for a nice Panama City Beach Condo for your next beach vacation? Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation Here are a couple of comments from our guests at Celadon Beach Resort…

October 16, 2009
Celadon Beach Resort 1105

Jerry & Pam

We enjoyed our stay at Celadon. The condo was very comfortable and clean. We attended the Seafood, Wine & Music Fest on Sunday evening. Grand Funk Railroad was awesome! The balance of the week was spent at the beach soaking up the rays … and eating. Our favorite restaurant is Boars Head. All the food is delicious – the Key Lime Pie is the best we’ve found.

Linda & Jerry
Evansville, IN

Celadon Beach Resort November 20-28, 2009
1405

Thank you for sharing your beautiful condo with our family. There are four in our family and we had plenty of room. We normally go to Destin for the week of Thanksgiving but we decided to try Panama City. We have really enjoyed our stay here. The weather was wonderful. We saw tons of sting rays, three dolphins and one large jelly fish. Our kids had a wonderful time playing on the beach. The temperature was an average of 70-75 degrees all week. We ate at Margaritaville – good atmosphere but don’t go there expecting seafood. Sharky’s was my favorite and the kids loved the playground on the beach. My husband liked the “all u can eat crab legs” at Dirty Dick’s but the regular menu items were a little pricy. We will be back hopefully in July, 2010. We look forward to it and trying Angelo’s Steakhouse and Captain Andersons.

Thank you for sharing your little piece of Heaven with us. Your condo was great, neatly kept and well equipped and just what we needed. See you again soon!

James and Samantha
Rogersville, Al

Panama City Beach – Best of Yesterday and Today

Panama City Beach - I got this idea from PCB Daily. We have been going to Panama City Beach for about 5 years so I am using their list for the best of PCB yesterday. I have tweaked the today list for our favorites.

Panama City Beach Yesterday

Best Place to Stay – Regency Towers
Best Place to Eat – Captain Anderson’s
Best Place to Party – Club La Vela
Best Place to Shop – Alvin’s Island Magic Mountain Store
Best Family-Friendly Attraction – Miracle Strip Amusement Park

Panama City Beach Today

Best Place to Stay – Celadon Beach Resort Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation
Best Place to Eat – The Boatyard for dinner and Schooners for lunch
Best Place to Party – Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge at Pier Park
Best Place to Shop – Pier Park
Best Family-Friendly Attraction – Shipwreck Island Water Park

These are just a few of the fantastic ways to have fun and enjoy Panama City Beach and that there are far too many to mention on one small list! Some of the old favorites are sadly no longer around, but the possibilities for the future are endless. What’s your pick? Do you have a favorite Panama City Beach restaurant or a place to shop on your Panama City Beach vacation? Do you remember somewhere from long ago that you wished was still here? Share your opinion – I’d love to know what you consider the best of Panama City Beach!

Panama City Beach – Airport Czar will Pitch to new businesses

PANAMA CITY BEACH — The efforts to jump start business around the new airport are underway in earnest. Kevin Johnson the new economic development czar (this use of the word czar id good not like some of the other czars in the news) for The St. Joe Co. told the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce on Friday that Northwest Florida had the potential to duplicate or even surpass the high-tech growth of North Carolina’s research triangle.

With the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport set to open in May, the region’s “branding” is poised to go from bathing suits to business suits, said Kevin Johnson, new vice president of economic development for St. Joe.
“You can not only have a great tan, but make a million bucks,” said Johnson, who previously served as business development vice president for the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina.

As owners of condos in Panama City Beach Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation and a part time resident we are excited about the prospects of new business development in the area.

All that was needed to make it happen was “regional leadership,” he said. “The enemy of high-impact economic development progress is political jurisdictions,” said Johnson, who will encourage companies such as aerospace, aviation and defense to expand or relocate near the new $318 million airport under construction near West Bay.

When the research triangle was first formed by state and local governments in the late 1950s, North Carolina was the second-poorest state in the country, Johnson said. Today, North Carolina ranks 25th in the country and the area around the research triangle has the second-highest per-capita income in the state. “I think we can do that here,” Johnson said.

Both Johnson and airport executive director Randy Curtis were speaking to the chamber Friday about the economic influence of the new airport, the center of a 71,000-acre state-sanctioned West Bay Area Sector Plan of long-term industrial and residential development.

Johnson said the 7,000-acre research triangle in North Carolina is one of the most prominent research-and-development centers in the United States. It is sometimes compared to Silicon Valley, Calif., another high-tech corridor now dominated by computer companies.

Johnson said the West Bay Sector, with 10 times as many acres, roughly the size of Washington, D.C., had the capacity to outstrip the North Carolina effort by creating a “new urban land form.”

The resulting development could revolutionize the economic landscape of Northwest Florida “to put a stamp on it for a new generation,” Johnson told the large chamber crowd. “We still don’t have the numbers,” he said, noting that he has asked for labor data for 100 miles in every direction from the new airport. His research will be shared with prospective industries.

Corps letter

Curtis told the crowd the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sent a letter Thursday to the Federal Aviation Administration, giving its approval for the 1,600-foot extension on the new airport’s runway, which will lengthen the runway to 10,000 feet.
“We are ready to go” on the extension’s construction as soon as the FAA signs off on the Corps’ recommendation, Curtis said after the meeting.
Not only are airport officials hopeful the new facility will make its projected May 18 grand opening, “it’s more than a goal; it will happen,” Curtis told the chamber crowd.

Curtis briefed the crowd on the construction progress of the new airport’s 120,000 square feet of terminal space, 2.5 miles of main access road and the facility’s 16,000-square-foot baggage handling area, which he called “truly state-of-the-art technology.”

This will be a fun development to watch over the years.

Panama City Beach – New Airport receives another new name

PANAMA CITY BEACH -- The Airport Authority voted Tuesday to change the name of the new airport under construction near West Bay to the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.

Regardless of what they end up naming the airport you are only 12 miles from the Panama City Beach Condos at Celadon Beach Resort Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation

Southwest Airlines plans to fly to the airport starting in May 2010. Southwest will publish their flight schedule and start selling tickets in December 2009.

The change, in a close 3-2 vote, came just a month after the board named the new airport the Northwest Florida-Panama City International Airport, a label that drew critical comments from some quarters because of the Panama City tag, officials said.
“We did receive quite a few comments from the public and other government agencies,” airport Executive Director Randy Curtis said.

Curtis said that over the course of two years in discussions with possible airlines for the new facility, carriers had made clear they hoped a name would be chosen with a more regional perspective to help marketing efforts.

Board Vice Chairman Bill Cramer protested that he thought the new name, with its Beaches moniker, made the Panhandle seem too “one dimensional.” He said the previous name, with its use of both “Northwest Florida” and “Panama City,” accomplished the twin objectives of branding the region and letting visitors know the city they were flying into. Most large airports in Florida use the home city in their official names, Cramer said, and Panama City had a lot of "brand equity.”
Both Cramer and board member Gerry Clemons, a former Panama City mayor, voted against changing the name.

Clemons said Panama City had spent millions of dollars over past years in efforts to keep the current airport afloat and deserved the recognition.
In the end, though, he was philosophical about changing the name. “We made a lot of people mad, and that was kind of fun,” he said.