…That is what I think of when I think of Panama City Beach. The last time I was here was my sophomore year in college for spring break. We stayed at a cheap motel on the beach and piled six girls into one room. It was insane! And it rained the entire week. Returning, over ten years later Panama City has not changed at all, but my experience definitely did!
This time I was there for a wedding and to spend time with my husband’s family.
Hotel: Sugar Sands Inn & Suites
When: Summer, July 2012
Hotel: C+
I won’t write too much about this trip, it was a personal trip for a family wedding. The trip itself was great, but most of the time was spent with family and friends. The wedding was beautiful and turned out to be perfect, it rained a few hours before but cleared up just in time. The drive was probably the most grueling time. The way down there was not bad, we stopped half way in Auburn AL, but the way home was a full 5 1/2 hours and we were all exhausted! AND there is nothing to look at along the way…
The hotel we stayed at…it was just ok. Honestly, I probably would not stay here again. Next time I would go through VRBO or another outlet and rent a personally owned condo. The hotel though was what we needed and right on the beach, it was probably a four star place in the 80’s. There just hasn’t been any updates since then. The positive was that it was right on the beach and directly across the street from a convenience store…that I can’t complain about!
When we initially got there our hotel wasn’t ready so RG, myself and my mother-in-law (KG) went to grab a quick lunch. We found this dive/local spot, SunnySide Grill, a couple of miles away. I will admit it did not look like the best place to stop, there was an abandoned mini-golf course on the side and the outside was bright pink and dingy. KG was definitely slightly hesitant, but we decided to take the risk.
It was definitely a dive, but it the food and atmosphere didn’t disappoint. When you walk in it is what you think of with a spot like this, full of locals, simple atmosphere, and an affordable menu. Even though we were in Florida we were still in “Bama Country” just a short ways over the state border. The walls were covered in University of Alabama memorabilia and personalized dollars bills. As you saw in the picture above I took the opportunity to decorate a $1 and pledge my allegiance to the Tennessee Vols!
The food didn’t disappoint either, I ordered a $1.50 draft beer (hey, I was on vacation!) and a BLT, RG had a prime rib sandwich and KG a cheeseburger. When the food came no one talked for a good five minutes as we devoured it all. I completely forgot to take a picture until I was half way through my meal. I would definitely recommend checking this our for breakfast or lunch. It is on the outskirts of PCB, on the way to Inlet Beach/Rosemary Beach.
Overall the trip was great, and the wedding was beautiful…I probably won’t be making a trip to Panama City again soon but I would hit the other beaches down there – Destin, Rosemary, etc. Because the wedding was very intimate and personal I am going to refrain from writing about it, but the love was evident and the bride was beautiful!
Nicole Guess | Drink. Dine. Discover 