At The Beach 2022 - Emerald Coast Magazine's Essential Beach Guide

TacosRunaway Grouper

Swordfish

Legs

IN EVERY ISSUE

FARE

on Bayview

Historic Downtown

to catch migrating mullet. Says McNeil, “The only

better than a fried mullet is another

MAKING WAVES

44 Dolphin Tours

Capt. Lorraine of Dolphin and Snorkel

leads people to

encounters

50 Capt. Black’s Shark Fishing Charters

Shark fishing specialist Capt. John Black operates two charter boats out of Lighthouse Marine, carrying anglers into the Gulf of Mexico on trips from four to 24 hours.

52 Coldwater Excursions

Tour Cypress Springs and Merritt’s Mill Pond aboard a kayak, and enjoy hours of refreshing adventure in waters as clear as gin.

56 Access Points

Move from east to west along Panama City Beach, from St. Andrews State Park to Pinnacle Port, and you’ll find that its access points have distinct personalities.

BEYOND THE BEACH

62 Nightlife

Belly up with the locals at these well-known beach bars and lounges. You can order an umbrella drink if you wish, but it isn’t necessary.

66 Hy’s Toggery

The clothing store, which once offered business attire, has let its hair down and traded Florsheims for flip-flops at its Pier Park location.

70 Shipwreck Island

Panama City Beach’s newly renovated waterpark is attracting record numbers of visitors whose likes range from speed slides to the lazy river.

Dan Rowe

The

Duplin Winery

Nets

ON THE COVER Crew members catch a few rays aboard a boat operated by Dolphin and Snorkel Tours Inc., in Panama City Beach. The business offers waterborne excursions to Shell Island and other locations. Frequently, tour-goers witness and have the opportunity to listen to dolphins during their trip. Photo by Michael Booini

A PLACE INSPIRING PASSION

BY MICHAEL

CAPT. JOHN BLACK, a seasoned shark angler and charter boat captain, has built a life for himself sharing with others his greatest love: the Gulf of Mexico.

For 47 years, Black has guided anglers to big catches and enduring memories aboard his “proven fish catcher,” the Lady Black Black, while a winner of shark tournaments, is not given to boasting, and he measures success not by the pound, but based on smiles. Ask him about the catch that first comes to his mind, and he will launch into a story about a 7-foot bull shark that he helped a boy and his terminally ill father reel in just three days before the man’s passing.

Empathy and passion are qualities that Black shares with other subjects of stories in this edition of At the Beach: a third-generation outdoors outfitter who, every day, carries on his grandfather’s legacy; the operators of a waterpark

who have ushered in more than four decades of family fun; and a woman who, following a devastating hurricane, helped spearhead efforts to rebuild her community and make it a place adored by locals and visitors alike.

Ask any one of them to name their work’s greatest reward, and they’ll tell you that it is relationships they form with co-workers and with people they meet, get to know and indelibly touch.

Visitors are lured here by some of the most beautiful coastline our country has to offer, but shoring up those postcard-worthy vistas are the folks who call Panama City Beach and Panama City home and are more than willing to share with you treasures that are best known by locals.

We invite you to get to know the people who inhabit paradise.

— HANNAH BURKE

Restaurant owner Alice Masker exits the kitchen with a ribeye steak prepared to order and fried oysters with remoulade sauce. Some purists, of course, prefer their oysters raw. Alice’s on Bayview frequently hosts parties (right) and often offers live music. Located in St. Andrews, Masker entertains mostly locals, but if you are, say, from across the bridge, she’ll let you in.

ALICE’S

STORY BY STEVE BORNHOFT

VERYTHING CHANGED once I learned she was from Wisconsin, the state where I started my decades-long newspapering career.

I was trying to place her accent and guessed that she might be from Eastern Europe. Ashley’s manner was pleasant but efficient, meaning that I had but limited speech to assess.

Alice’s on Bayview, located across from the St. Andrews Marina in Panama City, was busy this drizzly Friday night, leaving the two waitresses on duty with little time for small talk. The hostess led our party of four past an overdressed dude at the corner of the bar to a table within a few feet of bass player Jimmy Ward and guitarist Lowell Hopper, who were combining to provide chill music with a George Benson vibe.

BAYVIEW

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FENDER

We had stopped by, in part, to enjoy the music but not to ingest it. We opted for a table on the porch. Separated from the players by a window, the music was perfectly diluted.

Ashley greeted us promptly, introduced herself and asked us for our names. We would learn that she has been waitressing for 12 years and has long made taking names part of her way to establish rapport with customers, you know, as time permits. She mentioned that she has a boy named Maverick. Lot to live up to.

The vino drinkers in our group were slow to pore over Alice’s impressive wine list, and Ashley, with other tables to tend, said she would be back with waters to give them some time. We’re deliberate. We’re senior.

Alice’s attracts lots of longestablished Panama City residents who are likely to know one another. Many are old enough to recall well the Harbor House restaurant where Alice’s owner Alice Masker and several of her siblings once worked. While it adjoined a Ramada Inn, that restaurant, too, catered to locals. It hosted service clubs, company luncheons and chamber events. The bar on the property, the C-Shell Lounge, was notorious for its lingerie fashion shows. Long time ago.

On her next pass, Ashley succeed ed in extracting from us drink and appetizer orders. A cabernet, a sauvi gnon blanc, a whiskey. A wedge salad, she-crab soup and a dozen raw oys ters. All would prove excellent. Never

had I heard my wife praise a salad like she did her wedge. When the romaine was gone, she took after the remaining blue cheese dressing with a spoon.

Between courses, Ashley stopped by, looking to freshen our drinks and to take our entrée orders. It was then that I popped the question: Where did you grow up?

“Wis-cahn-sin.”

A conversation developed. Ashley, a Packers fan and a Favre girl versus a Rodgers fan, lived in the southern part of the state before heading south. I lived in Ashland in northernmost Wisconsin on the south shore of Lake Superior. The fact that Ashley has never heard of it speaks to its remoteness.

“I spent many hours up there staring at a hole in the ice and waiting for a bite,” I said.

Ashley and I compared notes on our favorite freshwater fish — muskies, pike, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch — as my dinner mates drifted off into their own separate conversation.

The main courses, like the apps, were marvelous. Grouper piccata; a beef tenderloin fillet; crab claws — one of us ate light; and, for me, wild-

caught salmon. Who doesn’t prefer anadromous to farmed, lean to fat?

The fish was like the best of cakes — moist, flavorful and scrumptious. I had polished it off when Ashley, standing behind me, tapped me on the shoulder, startling me. I had been staring at the thigh of a youngish woman with a tattoo peeking out of her red shorts. Such an invitation to speculation.

“What about tag fishin’?” Ashley asked without waiting for an answer.

She was back presently, and we ordered two slices of key lime pie to go.

“Tag fishing, is that when you catch a fish that has been tagged by the state and you turn the tag in for a reward?” I asked when we went to settle up. I had guessed right.

We wished Ashley and Maverick well. On my way out, I had a word with the dude at the corner of the bar who was unpacking a sax and preparing to join the duo. I thought I might know him, and it turned out that I knew his father.

Scanning the interior of Alice’s, I spied several other familiar folks, all relaxed and enjoying fine meals. All feeling at home.

ALICE’S ON BAYVIEW

Dinner entrées (Menu subject to change)

BURGER: Ground chuck, egg bun, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, french fries.

FRESH MAHI

SANDWICH: Egg bun, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, french fries.

WILD-CAUGHT

SALMON: Crushed red potato, spinach, mushroom, tomato, onion sauté.

SEAFOOD PLATTER: Fish, crab claws, shrimp, scallops, oysters, parmesan grits, cilantro coleslaw.

FRIED OR GRILLED

SHRIMP: Remoulade sauce, parmesan grits, cilantro coleslaw.

SHRIMP CREOLE: Large shrimp sautéed with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, celery with rice.

FRESH GROUPER: Grilled or lightly fried, parmesan grits, cilantro coleslaw.

RIBEYE: 12 ounce. Rosemary butter, haricots verts, roasted sweet potato slices.

BEEF TENDERLOIN

FILLET: 6 ounce. Rosemary butter, haricots verts, roasted sweet potato slices.

SMOKED CHICKEN: Hickory smoked and lightly fried, collards, parmesan grits, cornbread.

HOURS OF OPERATION

Alice’s on Bayview is open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday, and open for brunch on Sunday. For more information, consult AlicesOnBayview.com

THRICE AS SWEET

Duplin Winery develops new location in Panama City Beach

BY LIESEL SCHMIDT

THE ORIGIN STORY of Duplin Winery reads like a quaint tale of two brothers with a dream, living in rural North Carolina in the early ’70s, discussing those hopes and dreams as they sat in rocking chairs on their porch. Fortunately for them, serendipity brought them an opportunity to create something remarkable: a legacy they could leave for future generations.

After learning that a winery in New York City would pay $350 for a ton of grapes, brothers Dan and David Fussell Sr., planned to grow sweet muscadine grapes. In partnership with their father, “Big D,” as they called him, they invested everything they had

into starting vineyards. It took four years for their first harvest, and by that time, the grape prices had fallen to less than half the original price.

Faced with a dire situation, the brothers taught themselves how to make wine from their muscadine grapes that would highlight its natural sweetness. Even with one problem solved, however, they found themselves up against another challenge: The price of bottling was too high. Still, they rose to the challenge. After buying sugar and mason jars from their local hardware store in Rose Hill, they bottled and sold their first batch of wine, officially launching Duplin Winery in 1976.

More than four decades later, the Duplin name has become known for producing “America’s Favorite Sweet Wine,” boasting the world’s largest muscadine winery. The company is now run by Dan and David’s sons, Dave Fussell Jr., and Jonathan Fussell, who have taken over the reins of the family business and expanded it to include a second location in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, during the summer of 2015. The location was one inspired by their grandfather, who had always loved Myrtle Beach and dreamed of opening a winery there.

Nearly 10 years have passed since the opening of that second winery, and the Fussell boys have once again expanded

In response to growing demand for its sweet muscadine wines along Florida’s Gulf Coast, Duplin Winery (left) has undertaken the development of a third location on Back Beach Road in Panama City Beach. Construction is taking place at the site of the former Hombre Golf Club. Duplin products (right and below) include a Hatteras Red and original Cotton Candy wines in blueberry, lime and peach.

their legacy to establish a winery in Panama City Beach, Florida.

“Although originally from the East Coast, Duplin began to grow in distribution along the Gulf Coast,” explains Morgan Jackson, general manager of Duplin Wine Family, Inc. “When they were visiting the Panhandle of Florida, the brothers fell in love with the laid-back, calm beach lifestyle of Panama City Beach, Florida.”

The beach lifestyle seemed to be the perfect place to welcome a new winery, and so Duplin Winery is slated to open its doors at the beginning of 2023. “With over 70 acres of land, the possibilities are endless for our new location,” Jackson says. “Our vision is to create a destination that visitors, residents and the entire community can enjoy.”

The main attractions, Jackson says, will be participating in hand bottling, live music events and hosting wine tastings. Duplin Winery tastings

are designed to be a little different, with “no pinky raisin’ allowed” and entertainment of funny stories, anecdotes and interesting facts about the family’s history.

The beautiful building will be perfect for taking a stroll and finding unique gifts and accessories, and the porch is perfect for relaxing and enjoying live music during the spring, summer and fall. You may even get a hug from Dave or Jonathan if they are sitting out there on the porch.

“Future plans may include estab lishing gorgeous vineyards, creating a wedding venue, a live entertainment calendar, shopping, gourmet foods and more,” Jackson said. “The possi bilities are endless.”

The delicious draw, of course, will be Duplin Winery’s varietals, which include sweet wines, sparkling wines, fruit-forward wines and frozen wine drinks — all of which have that signature Duplin quality and fun, carefree way of making wine anything but snobbish or prim and proper. The label’s top seller is Hatteras Red, a traditional Southern muscadine red that is consistently one of the South’s best-selling wines, boasting a pleasant sweetness and fruitiness that makes it incredibly refreshing.

“We also have a new line of wines in our Duplin Cotton Candy brands,” says Jackson, who goes on to describe the “fluffy, cloudlike” sweetness of the Cotton Candy series wines. Originally intended as a limited run, the Original Cotton Candy rosé was kept in production and expanded to include Original Cotton Candy, Blueberry Cotton Candy, Lime Cotton Candy and Peach Cotton Candy. The popular series is known for its hints of vanilla and notes of summer berries and fruit.

With its third location opening at Panama City Beach, Duplin Winery is expanding the legacy and carrying on the dream — and bringing it to paradise.

For more information on Duplin Winery, visit DuplinWinery.com

PHOTO BY STEVE BORNHOFT (CONSTRUCTION)

OF DUPLIN WINERY

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a r e

For all the damage it wrought as a Category 5 storm in 2018, Hurricane Michael has spurred the redevelopment of Downtown Panama City, work that had been talked about for decades. Contemplated is the remaking of the City Marina, foreground, and the replacing of the Marina Civic Center with a new convention or performing arts venue.

STORY BY HANNAH BURKE // PHOTO BY MICHAEL BOOINI

Parking spaces are full. Groups file into the brewpub next door to grab a bite on their lunch breaks, and a block over, construction workers wipe sweat from their brows as they install a new cobblestone street and sidewalks.

It’s a level of activity not seen by Shores since the arrival of the Panama City Mall in 1972, when merchants bolted from the historic center of town.

Then came Hurricane Michael, a tragedy that could have been a death sentence for Downtown and its hangerson, but was instead a call to action.

“The storm was the catalyst for change,” said Shores, who became chairwoman of the Downtown Panama City Improvement Board (DIB) shortly before the devastation. “Real estate changed hands, and properties got into the grasp of more aggressive investors and people who want to see Downtown thrive.”

Most of that investment, she said, has been local. Shores believes Michael spawned a new sense of community among both residents and city officials who, post-hurricane, rallied to preserve and rebuild a significant piece of their hometown’s history.

Shores said the DIB, an economic development organization devoted to recruiting investment and marketing Downtown’s potential by hosting events,

FOUR YEARS AFTER A CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE RIPPED THROUGH THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN PANAMA CITY, CATHERINE F. SHORES, AN OWNER OF SEVERAL BUILDINGS ALONG HARRISON AVENUE, PEERS OUTSIDE HER OFFICE WINDOW AT A SCENE THAT FEELS SURREAL.

The Panama City Center for the Arts, wrapped in butterflies, is home to art classes and exhibits. It operates under the auspices of the Bay Arts Alliance.

Above: Harrison’s Kitchen & Bar, a new eatery on Panama City’s waterfront. Below: Jayson Kretzer, the executive director of the Bay Arts Alliance and a member of the Downtown Improvement Board, is spearheading a public art campaign that is turning blank walls and unadorned street corners into spots devoted to big, whimsical art.

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BOOINI

promoting small businesses and engaging in infrastructure enhancement projects, is “excited about the progress, the future and the ability to do even more.”

While that progress has been slow and many projects remain incomplete, Shores believes Downtown is recovering. The area now boasts almost 50 points of interest, ranging from fitness studios and sporting goods suppliers to ethnic food markets and locally owned boutiques.

Shores said it is the goal of the DIB to create for Downtown a new identity centered around art.

At the heart of Downtown is the Panama City Center for the Arts, a gallery and venue for mixed-media art classes, workshops and special events. Operated by DIB board member and Bay Arts Alliance executive director Jayson Kretzer, the center has launched the Panama City Mural Trail, which is turning blank walls and unadorned street corners into places devoted to big, whimsical art.

Look around, and you’ll find there’s no shortage of art galleries featuring the work of local artists.

“I remember when I was little, I used to love going down to the gallery owned by Mary Ola Miller, where she worked all day, every day,” Shores said. “Now, it’s her granddaughter who owns that building, and she’s renovating the space and turning it into this incubator for artists in our community. I just think that’s so cool.”

Too, plans for a new event center are underway, which will allow for even more creative happenings such as the annual Flluxe Arts Festival. Organized by the Bay Arts Alliance, Flluxe invites visitors to take in the work of muralists, projection artists, street painters and musicians, and the DIB is already planning new events in the same vein for 2023.

Interviewed in June, Shores said renovations to Downtown’s historic Martin Theatre were expected to kick off within the next six months. The theater, which was flooded when Michael peeled back its roof, has been gutted and will undergo a “deep repair” before it begins hosting plays in 2023.

Meanwhile, Downtown Panama City is already a magnet for music lovers. Another economic development agency,

PHOTOS

BY MIKE FENDER (MARTIN THEATRE), MICHAEL BOOINI (WILL THOMPSON AND HISTORY CLASS) AND DOUG DOBOS COURTESY OF CITY OF PANAMA CITY (FARMERS MARKET)

Destination Panama City, has launched “Downtown After Dark,” a series of outdoor concerts that have featured famed country music singer Drake White and the soulrock band JJ Grey & Mofro.

“Those concerts have been a huge boon for our restaurants and shops, and we’re happy to see people bringing in some larger scale events,” Shores said.

Local talent regularly lays down some licks at House of Henry, an authentic Irish pub and eatery, or Millie’s, a Southern restaurant beloved for its laid-back atmosphere, courtyard seating and outdoor concerts.

Shores is excited to see more space for al fresco entertainment open up when Harrison Avenue’s streetscape project is completed. She said that work, which was underway before the hurricane, was “put on pause while we were getting our feet back under ourselves,” but is now progressing. It entails new cobblestone streets, wide sidewalks shaded by oak trees and added outdoor seating.

Shores touts the Panama City Farmers Market, held Saturdays at McKenzie Park where crowds gather to

Top photo at left: The Martin Theatre took on massive amounts of water when Hurricane Michael peeled back its roof. Repairs expected to restore the building to operating condition are to be complete in 2023. Bottom photo at left: Local musician Will Thompson frequently appears as a performer in concerts downtown. Middle: History Class, a brewpub, both represents new investment in Downtown Panama City and a business that embraces and showcases the city’s past. The Market at St. Andrews, above, attracts gardeners, farmers and crafters every Saturday throughout the year.

purchase fresh produce, locally produced meats, handmade art and home goods.

She also recommends stopping by History Class Brewing Company, a brewpub specializing in local craft beers, small plates and storytelling.

“History Class has been by far the biggest restaurant/ bar success to come out of downtown,” Shores said. “People love it, and one of its owners, Allan Branch, has been instrumental in bringing about the positive changes we’ve seen down here.”

For Shores, it’s compassionate people like Branch and Kretzer — and passionate patrons and customers — who will restore Harrison Avenue as the town center.

“We really do feel like a family,” Shores said. “I’ve learned I’m not the only one with a heart for Downtown.

“I’ve had dealings in real estate and property management. I know I could get more money for barebones warehouses in other places than I do for these storefronts. But, this is where I want to be. This is what I believe in.”

STORY BY STEVE BORNHOFT // PHOTO BY MIKE FENDER

Visit Panama City Beach president and CEO Dan Rowe at the Panama City Beach Sports Complex. Sports tourism has become an important part of the visitation mix at the “Home of the World’s Most Beautiful Beaches.” VPCB is working on plans for an indoor sports facility that will adjoin the sports complex’s existing fields of play and host gymnastics, volleyball and other events.

FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, VISIT PANAMA CITY BEACH, A TOURISM PROMOTION ORGANIZATION, HAS MAINTAINED A THREE-WORD BRAND POSITION: REAL. FUN. BEACH.

It’s ambiguous. Is “Real” meant to qualify “Fun” or is it meant to signify authentic or genuine?

“It works both ways,” said Dan Rowe, Visit Panama City Beach’s president and CEO. “Real fun is not necessarily the most grammatically correct, but it is true. Real stands alone, but it also amplifies fun. Those three little words are incredibly important as we look out into the world and the world looks into us.”

Rowe isn’t inclined to tinker with the VPCB motto — even if the practice of separating words in a stance line with periods so as to add emphasis to each word passes from view — but his outlook on the World’s Most Beautiful Beaches suggests that he wouldn’t object strenuously to the addition of Reliable.

“Panama City Beach for generations has been one of the truly all-American beach towns,” he said during an interview. “It goes all the way back to the 1930s. This has been a place that people have come to, year in and year out, because the quality of the experience is always so high. There are a lot of beaches in the na tion that you go to for a very specific purpose, but this is a beach where you come to relax, chill out and have fun.”

Rowe holds in special regard the early developers of Panama City Beach, including Gideon “Gil” Thomas.

Thomas recalls Harvey Jackson III in his fine history, The Rise and Fall of the Redneck Riviera, “bought a little over 100 acres adjacent to J.E. Churchwell’s Long Beach Resort and named it Panama City Beach. Selling the project wasn’t easy, but Thomas’ enthusiasm was contagious. He raised the money,

Panama City Beach, in the estimation of its promoter-inchief Dan Rowe, has been a quintessential beach vacation destination going on 100 years.

“There are beaches in the nation that you go to for a very specific purpose,” he said, “but this is a beach where you come to relax, chill out and have fun.”

laid out the streets and made them passable with oyster shells brought in from Apalachicola. Then he built a two-story, 12room hotel along with a few tourist cottages. Gated with an arch, the development was so brightly lit at night that it could be seen from the downtown Dixie-Sherman Hotel, located across St. Andrew Bay.”

Said Rowe about Thomas, “When he opened the first hotel on the sand at Panama City Beach, people ridiculed him. His response was, ‘I’m not here to grow vegetables, I’m here to grow people.’ He had an insight that really helped define our destination.”

ON, IN, UNDER Rowe spoke to the natural assets that account for Panama City Beach’s enduring appeal.

“The old adage is that when you get our sand between your toes, you’ll be back,” he said. “That has to do with the quality

of the beach and the sand and the whole experience of being out on the Gulf. J.E. Churchwell came up with the tagline ‘World’s Most Beautiful Beaches,’ and it stuck because it ain’t braggin’ if it’s true. Our water is spectacular. When there is no weather system in the Gulf, it is just stunning. We don’t have the big river systems flowing into our bays, so our water clarity is phenomenal.”

That clarity makes Panama City Beach a Florida diving destination second only to the Keys in popularity.

“The beach is our No. 1 attribute, and we show up on best beach lists all the time, but we encourage everyone to get on, get in and get under the water while they are here,” Rowe said.

Amid the sun, the sand, the water and the salt air is fun, and that, Rowe said, “is the glue that holds it all together.”

“You come here, and you have a smile on your face. The definition of fun will change at different times of the year,

but fun is always the centerpiece, whether it’s a family in the summertime, a jazz aficionado during the Seabreeze Jazz Festival, winter residents coming down here to beat the bitter Midwestern cold or a country music fan. Everybody is coming here to have fun. It is really cool to be able to market that because as the world gets crazier, people need to be able to reconnect and be able to put it all aside for a while.”

In Bay County, first Hurricane Michael and then a global pandemic reminded people of the preciousness of connections with others and the importance of good times “because there are some things that are out of our control,” Rowe said. “We’ve done quite well in the aftermath of the pandemic because our fundamentals are very strong: You can come down here, go outside, hang out on the beach, be socially distanced and make sense of the world.”

Even as the Panama City Beach area has begun to be come home to large-scale residential developments and

is seeing a proliferation of branded hotels, Rowe said, its homegrown small busi nesses remain foundational to the PCB experience and the renewal of traditions each year among regular visitors. Dusty’s Oyster Bar, Goofy Golf, Half Hitch Tackle, the Shell Port and countless other owner-operated businesses are permanent fixtures of the landscape.

EXPANDING ON A TRADITIONAL MARKET

The summer months when children are out of school will always be peak season in Panama City Beach and an area defined by Atlanta, Birmingham and Nashville figures always to be its primary market.

“But we are now seeing a lot of visita tion from up the I-65 and I-75 corridors — Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, St. Louis,” Rowe said. “And Texas is a very important market for us. One market that is interesting to me is Orlando. We get a lot of people who come up here from there. That’s a testament to the experience we provide. Because living in Orlando, you’re just a few hours from ev erywhere in Florida.”

Visit Panama City Beach’s marketing efforts have evolved and expanded over time in response to the ways in which people obtain and consume information.

“We are a digital-first marketing agency and as such, we’re able to introduce Panama City Beach to audiences that we couldn’t reach back in the days of TV and print me dia,” Rowe said. “Now, we can talk to a much larger audience much more efficiently.”

Given the resumption of international travel, Visit Panama City Beach is relaunching its marketing efforts in the United Kingdom.

THE PANDEMIC’S EFFECTS

The COVID-19 pandemic both disrupted and benefitted Panama City Beach.

On one hand, it forced the postponement of events owned and sponsored by VPCB. At the same time, people altered travel plans and extended their stays.

“If you are able to work remotely and your kids are going to school virtually, well, a lot of people chose to do that here,” Rowe said. “We have a safer environment than those in a lot of large metro areas. As an

economic downturn, the pandemic for us lasted just about 60 days beginning in the middle of March 2020. When the governor reopened the state to short-term rentals, we were able to get back to business in the middle of May, and we have been growing strong ever since.”

The pandemic meanwhile spurred the popularity of vacation rentals that enable visitors to “control their environment,” Rowe said.

“You can decide when you are going to engage, you don’t have to eat every single meal at a restaurant and you have more space. That sense of space and being able to get away from the crowd is incredibly important. Even though in the summer there are a lot of people on the beach, you still have the ability to enjoy your own little slice of heaven.”

For Rowe, Panama City Beach is an unpretentious place.

“Our visitors look like the average American,” he said. “People of different socio-economic levels come here — we have people who save up to come on vacation to the beach once a year, and we have other people who come here all the time and for whom money in no object. You’ll see Ford F-150 pickup trucks, and you’ll see Range Rovers. But this is one of those great places where everyone is welcome.”

Visit Panama City Beach owns the new Panama City Beach Sports Complex at the eastern end of an area that has come to be known as Breakfast Point, and it is working on plans to develop an indoor sports center that will adjoin the complex’s baseball diamonds and rectangular fields of play. That indoor facility — it will host volleyball matches and gymnastics meets, and VPCB is looking at wiring it for e-sports — will contribute to making visitation in Panama City Beach less seasonal.

Panama City Beach doesn’t drive off a cliff when school resumes anymore, and that, Rowe said, is a change that has occurred gradually over time.

“It used to be that the 100 days of summer were it,” he said. “There was a reason why Panama City Beach got into Spring Break when it did. It was an economic development strategy so businesses could start to bridge the gap

With events and new facilities, Visit Panama City Beach, under the leadership of Dan Rowe, has succeeded in expanding the community’s tourist season. “It used to be that the 100 days of summer were it,” he said. Panama City Beach first sought to enlarge the Memorial Day to Labor Day window by positioning itself as a Spring Break destination. Of late, it has chosen to instead target families as preferred spring visitors.

PHOTO BY MIKE FENDER

between Labor Day and Memorial Day. Now, we have more year-round businesses. Many shopping malls are having a hard time given the advent of online shopping, but Pier Park is an exception. It’s an attraction. Retailers there are doing well, and there is very low turnover from year to year.”

Where does Rowe, promoter-in-chief of Real. Fun. Beach. go to find his little slice of heaven? He fly fishes but not for pompano or bream.

“I prefer being in a cold mountain stream,” said Rowe, who grew up in the West as the son of a National Park Service employee.

“I lived off and on for a decade in Colorado and fished many of the trout streams there,” Rowe said. “I went to Colorado State, and the Roaring Fork was my home water. I have not fished any of the streams up in the

Yellowstone area, and the Madison and the Jefferson are definitely on my bucket list.”

Rowe recalled a time spent fishing a pool beneath the Navajo Dam in the desert in southeastern Colorado.

“The trout — big ones — were eating little flies. It was hard to see the flies we were using, much less tie them on. You would see the fish and float a fly by them and all of a sudden, one of them would hit it, and those fish would just take off and you would pop more of them off than you could turn. But it was so much fun.”

At his mention of fun, Rowe’s thoughts come back home.

“Panama City Beach has been tested, and we have weathered the storm and withstood the test of time,” he said. “The staff here are dedicated to this place because they love what they do, and they love where they are.”

So does Rowe.

STORY BY STEVE BORNHOFT PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FENDER

BILL MCNEIL AIN’T MUCH FOR FISHIN’ WITH A ROD ’N’ REEL.

“I’ll tell you why,” he said. “You go out there and you work yourself to death, and you may catch a mess of fish and you may not. You take a cast net down to the bay, and you can for sure catch a mess.”

McNeil, born during the Great Depression, grew up among people “who, if they hadn’t had a cast net, wouldn’t have had nothing to eat. They didn’t have no chart telling them what was best to eat. They weren’t counting calories. What they was looking for was anything that would stretch the wrinkles out of their bellies.”

Crab, mullet, oysters, blue jay, it didn’t matter.

McNeil recalls sitting on his grandfather’s lap and snacking on chicken feet and pig’s tails. His great grandfather died of pneumonia in a Pensacola jail after being charged with murdering U.S. marshals who destroyed his moonshine stills. As pre-teens, McNeil and his older brother Walter bought their school clothes with money made from selling minnows at the St. Andrews Marina for 35 cents a dozen. Tough times.

“Today is the good old days,” he said.

Willie McNeil Jr. learned how to throw a cast net by his father’s side. As Daddy’s namesake, he was the favorite son. In decades since, cast netting has been for McNeil a recreation, an avocation and the means to a delicious end.

For decades, Bill McNeil has assembled nets by stitching together panels of monofilament mesh, but there was a time when he knitted them from nylon, one knot at a time. McNeil’s longtime customers include Andy Poole (far right) of Panama City.

“Ain’t but one fish that is better eating than a mullet,” McNeil said. “Ain’t but one.”

He paused for effect and said, “And that’s another mullet. Right time of year, your tongue will come out of your face trying to eat ’em. They’re goooood.”

In that assessment, McNeil has good company. Bob Jones of Tallahassee, the retired long-term director of the Southeastern Fisheries Association, would rather dine on mullet than grouper. Offered Isaac Holmes of Callaway, “I’ll make you some mullet, and you’ll be throwing rocks at red snapper.”

McNeil, of Panama City, prefers his mullet fried.

“Some people like ’em smoked or they put ’em on the grill, but that doesn’t do it for me,” he said. “Smoked fish can be good, but a mullet don’t make the best smoked fish. Most people don’t know it, but the best smoked fish is bluefish.”

No fish is more closely tied to a cast net than the mullet, seen by a New York Times correspondent in 1876 to be the “staple article of the diet of the crackers.”

In late September, great anticipation among cast netters about the annual mullet migration to the Gulf begins to build. Each year, Andy Poole of Panama City is among the afflicted. Poole, known to close friends as “The Cobra,” joined in a cracker-barrel style conversation with McNeil and a writer in McNeil’s net-building workshop.

“I have a friend who is a charter boat captain, and he says they are starting to bunch up in Grand Lagoon,” Poole said with excitement in his voice days before this year’s run started. Too, Poole had heard from another friend, a game warden, that massive numbers

of freshwater-tolerant mullet were concentrated near the headwaters of the Choctawhatchee River in Alabama. He theorized that they were pushed up there by storms Sally and Laura.

To breed, mullet must exit bays or sweet water and enter the Gulf of Mexico. At sufficient depth, water pressure makes it possible for them to expel roe, something they could not do in the shallows.

“A mullet can’t just lay an egg,” McNeil said.

Strictly vegetarian mullet fatten themselves before they head offshore and then suspend eating about two weeks before departing the shallows; they do not resume eating until they return.

“When they get back, they’ll be as skinny as a tent peg,” McNeil said. “A head and not much else.”

“In late summer and early fall, a mullet will be as best as he’ll be to eat because he has fat and oil in him,” Poole said. “By the time they get back, the oil goes out of the meat.”

About the desirability of mullet roe, opinions vary. McNeil finds that red roe tastes like a “mouthful of sawdust,” and he has never sampled white roe.

“But there are some who dearly love roe,” he said. “My son who works with me in the shop loves red roe. And my mama did. When you fry it, a roe sack will pop and you need to be careful that the oil doesn’t burn you. I’ve seen sacks fly right out onto the stove.”

As a young man, McNeil found that he was highly particular about his cast nets, so he began to make his own. Fine tutors were at his disposal. He grew up around nets. Uncle Asa was a seine boat captain. His father Willie

Poole, joined by a freeloading great blue heron, makes a nice catch of mullet in Grand Lagoon near St. Andrews State Park. Preparing to throw a cast net, Poole (above) uses both hands, and more.

was a weekend netfisherman who worked at Arizona Chemical, where Willie Jr. also would work for 42 years.

“Difference was, Daddy would catch little dabbles of fish,” McNeil said. “Asa wouldn’t do that.”

McNeil began making nets in the days before monofilament. Working with a mesh gauge and netting needles and proceeding one knot at a time, he knitted them from nylon. Building nets today involves cutting panels from bolts of monofilament material and stitching sections together.

“That way, you can make a pile of them in the time it takes you to knit one,” McNeil said. He has made more than 3,000 nets in his lifetime, “and I build every net like I was building it for myself.”

Nets purchased from large sporting goods outlets are machine-made overseas. They don’t pass muster with McNeil or his customers.

“YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND WHAT THEY LIKE. THEY LIKE SOME BEACHES BETTER THAN OTHERS. IT’S GOT TO BE CALM ENOUGH SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE FISH.” — ANDY POOLE

At 83, McNeil (above) finds molding lead weights to be the most difficult aspect of building a net. Poole (left) removes a mullet from his cast net; the fish fatten themselves in preparation for their annual offshore spawning run and come back “looking like tent pegs.”

“They don’t throw as good,” he said. “They don’t spread as good. And they are bulkier than what I make. When you wade fish, you don’t want a heavy net because you have to throw it a long ways. Standing on a seawall or a bridge, you use a heavy net because you want it to sink real fast.”

McNeil and Poole divide cast netters into two categories: chunkers and throwers. A chunker, like a deer hunter in a tree stand, chooses a spot such as the Hathaway Bridge in Panama City, waits for mullet to pass by and then tosses a net on them. A thrower wades in after them.

McNeil is a thrower, as was Poole in his day.

“You don’t have to have a boat to mullet fish,” Poole said. “And you don’t have to wander out into waist-deep water. Right along the shore is fine. I went to a spot in St. Andrew Bay called ‘21’ after work the other day and caught enough for supper and some that I gave to Bill.

“You have to know what to look for and what they like. They like some beaches better than others. It’s got to be calm enough so that you can see the

fish. Sometimes, you’ll see their tails like redfish, and sometimes all you see is their little white lips. You’ve got to have a good pair of polarized sunglasses.”

And, Poole advises, be prepared to put your catch on ice immediately. The ice, he said, “pulls the oil into the meat.”

There was a time when McNeil promoted his handmade nets on a fishing show hosted by Red Holland. He did not renew his advertising contract.

“Brought me too much business,” McNeil said. “When I retired at 60, I was 40 nets backed up.”

At 83, McNeil has begun to think about giving up netmaking. Pouring lead for the weights that pin the net to a bay bottom has become difficult. His son helps out with that.

Demand for nets, however, remains strong, McNeil said. There is an opportunity for someone with the patience for painstaking work, someone who will take care to make sure that weights are uniformly spaced along the lead line and that the net is balanced just so.

I asked McNeil if he thinks eating a lot of mullet is a key to longevity.

“Well, I don’t know,” he said, and added, laughing, “My brothers ate a lot of mullet and they’re all dead.”

McNeil’s movements are limited these days. In the morning, he may let his wife know that he is headed to the “Far East” — by that he means the eastern wall of his shop. He fell a few years back, breaking ribs and damaging internal organs.

“They went to failing,” McNeil said. “One night, they didn’t think I was going to make it through ’til morning, but of course they didn’t tell me that. I remember that night well. I was hallucinating. Every time I would start to go to sleep, I would be looking at a blank wall and my daddy would walk out of that wall and reach his hand out, and just as I would almost touch his hand, I would pop awake.”

He knows that one day, Willie and Willie will join hands.

Until then, he is sure to keep messing with nets and offer the best of fishing stories to anyone visiting his place.

EXPERIENCE

Upscale shopping, sophisticated dining options and South Walton’s premier events and entertainment await you Along the Boulevard.

DINE

Another Broken Egg Café

The Bistro (Located in Courtyard by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard)

Black Bear Bread Co. (Now Open) Cantina Laredo Modern Mexican

The Craft Bar Emeril’s Coastal everkrisp

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

Grimaldi’s Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria

Kilwins

PF Chang’s China Bistro Starbucks

Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar

Vin’tij Food & Wine The Wine Bar

SHOP

Altar’d State Anthropologie Arhaus (Now Open) Arula

The Beaufort Bonnet Company Billabong Bluemercury Hemline

J.Ji l l J.McLaughlin johnnie-O (Now Open) The Jewel Kendra Scott (Now Open) La Luna Lilly Pulitzer lululemon (Now Open) Ophelia Swimwear Orvis

Peter Millar Pottery Barn Pure Collective Salon (Now Open) Rose & Co (Now Open ) Seabags (Now Open) Southern Tide Sunset Shoes & Lifestyles Vineyard Vines Williams Sonoma

Courtyard by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard

Hyatt Place Sandestin at Grand Boulevard

AMC CLASSIC Boulevard 10

Residence Inn by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard

Grand Fitness

Emerald Coast Theatre Company

lululemon & Pure Collective Salon NOW OPEN

Shell Island is Panama City Beach’s answer to Destin’s Crab Island. The relaxed waters on the island’s bay side invite shallowdraft boats, swimmers and island explorers. Nearby jetties hold a tremendous variety of marine life spied on by snorkelers.

LIVING WITH PORPOISE

Dolphin enthusiast Lorraine Frasier has her dream job

STORY BY HANNAH BURKE // PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL BOOINI

CAPT. LORRAINE FRASIER is certain that if her younger self could see her now, she’d be over the moon.

A tour guide and owner of Dolphin and Snorkel Tours in Panama City Beach, Frasier said she has loved dolphins from the moment she learned of their existence. Though the creatures rarely graced the Baltic Sea outside of her childhood home in Germany, Frasier could often be found glued to a television watching Flipper.

“In my child mind, I really thought dolphins were the humans of the sea who saved people, like Flipper,” laughed Frasier. “But even as I got older, I never stopped being fascinated. To me, they are beautiful, deeply intelligent creatures.”

The fascination was such that, as soon as Frasier turned 18, she moved to Panama City Beach from Colorado so she could work with dolphins.

“With this business, I can be around dolphins as well as show people a good time and make their day,” said Frasier, whose business has

Making Waves

The federal Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits the feeding of wild dolphins, but they may frequently be observed in and around the pass to St. Andrew Bay. Capt. Lorraine Frasier is equipped with hydrophones that enable her customers to listen to dolphin vocalizations.

now been in operation for 10 years. “I’m lucky, too, to have a staff who go above and beyond in what they do and custom cater each tour to ensure everybody’s happy.”

Given their specialty of intimate, private tours, Frasier and her three fellow captains make personalization a priority. Parties don’t exceed more than six people and often consist of families, friend groups and single riders who can choose from either a sightseeing or snorkeling Shell Island dolphin tour, a dolphin sunset cruise or a private charter with a customized itinerary.

Don’t hesitate to make any special requests. “We’ll do our best to make it happen,” Frasier said.

Most popular among visitors to Panama City Beach is the Shell Island dolphin and snorkel tour, a three-hour exploration of the pristine, seven-mile barrier island and the surrounding waters of St. Andrew Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

The tour departs Pirates Cove Marina and immediately thereafter, the search for dolphins begins. Frasier’s team members use VHF radios to keep in touch and frequently report where they’ve spotted pods and where water conditions seem best.

“No two tours are the same,” said Frasier, “and you never know what you’re going to see. But we typically head out through Grand Lagoon to spot some native birds and wildlife and share a little history about the area. Then, we head through the pass to see dolphins, sharks, rays and anything else we may find. We’ll make a stop on Shell Island to let people explore, and then we’ll find a good place to snorkel.”

Snorkeling gear and most everything is provided aboard Dolphin and Snorkel Tour’s fleet of four-stroke

engine boats. These engines are among the most quiet on the market, said Frasier, so underwater creatures don’t scurry when it’s time to drop anchor.

Locations such as the grass flats behind Shell Island are often hot spots for fish, mollusks and starfish, but Frasier said her favorite snorkel site is the Percy Payne shipwreck. It hosts sea urchins, pufferfish, damselfish, angelfish and many more species. On one occasion, Frasier even spotted a small nurse shark.

“I always like sharing the story of the Percy Payne, which was this old wooden schooner that ran aground in the early 1900s,” said Frasier. “It was

a rum runner, so weeks after it sunk, all these barrels of rum began washing ashore. That, they say, is the legend of how Spring Break started in Panama City Beach.”

Frasier said the opportunity to swim with dolphins isn’t guaranteed, but “happens most all the time.” These encounters are typically brief, but watching dolphins play underwater and surface and splash beside you is certainly a sight to behold.

“Ninety-nine percent of the dolphins we see are Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, but, maybe once a year, we’ll see some spotted dolphins,” Frasier said. “That’s always a big treat.”

Making Waves

A pair of young snorkelers check out a school of pinfish during a trip with Capt. Lorraine Frasier and Dolphin and Snorkel Tours. Frasier is a wildlife expert who is able to identify any marine life that her customers discover.

For Frasier, it’s the welcome unpredictability, spontaneity and happy accidents that make going to work every day so rewarding.

“One time, I drove a tour in a direction I would never normally go,” she recalled. “There was a pop-up storm I didn’t want to get into, so we decided to cruise the coast of Panama City Beach. Just offshore, we end up finding this huge pod of spotted and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. There must have been over a hundred, and we spent hours just watching them with no one else around for as far as we could see.

“What started as a dreary day that wasn’t looking good ended up being one of the coolest tours I’ve ever been on. You just never know.”

 BOOK YOUR TRIP Dolphin and Snorkel Tours Inc. offers three-hour Shell Island tours starting at $79 per person. Full snorkeling gear is included. Snorkeling sites are changed from day to day to ensure that customers enjoy clear, calm waters. Sites include seagrass beds, sandbars and artificial reefs. Check calendar of availability at DolphinAndSnorkelTours.com or call (850) 866-8815

A MOST DANGEROUS GAME

Hunt the Gulf’s apex predator with Captain Black’s Fishing

BY HANNAH BURKE

CAPT. JOHN BLACK has logged about 34 years in the charter fishing business, but, if he’s being honest, he will tell you his angling experience goes back further than that.

Born and raised in Panama City Beach, Black was fishing before he could read. He was just 5 years old when he landed his first shark near the Panama City Marina and 7 when he got his first paid gig.

“These two old men — who looked like they were from ZZ Top — came riding over in their little johnboat with one of those old Sears outboard motors and wanted to know where I caught all my fish, and could I show them,” Black recalled. “I met them the next day, we caught us a bunch of fish and, when we got back, they handed me a $20 bill. Now, back in the early ’70s, that was a big payday! I was kind of hooked from there.”

Black grew up honing his craft, put himself through college and while working as a nurse and EMT, saved money to build his business, Captain Black’s Fishing. Today, he operates full time out of the Lighthouse Marina, which his vessel, Lady Black, and Black Magic, captained by Chuck Culpepper, routinely depart for bay and offshore fishing adventures.

Guests book trips ranging from four to 24 hours in length, said Black, but most popular are the four-hour trolling trips in St. Andrew Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

“You may catch anything from a foot-long fish to a 6-foot-long one on these trips,” he said. “You never know what’s going to swim up and bite your line.”

If you’re not getting a bite, you may hear Capt. Black pipe up with, “If you gotta wait, it ain’t got bait!” before he checks your hook. Black uses circle hooks and tells clients that they will set themselves. Remember, he says, “If you jerk, it will not work!”

“If you jerk your rod too much, you’ll get the Bill Dance reputation,” Black said. “He was this old TV bass fisherman who liked to throw that rod back as hard as he could, so you don’t want to be like him.

“More than anything,” Black said, “we just like to have fun out there. We are very familyfriendly, and it’s often women and children who hook the biggest fish. I think that’s because they have a little more patience.”

When opting for a “Shark Challenge” trip with Black, patience is a virtue. A shark fishing tournament champion, Black once spent approximately nine hours reeling in a 17foot, 1,187-pound tiger shark with some guests about 17 miles off Panama City Beach.

You may catch anything from a foot-long fish to a 6-foot-long one on these trips. You never know what’s going to swim up and bite your line.”

— CAPT. JOHN BLACK

Capt. John Black, operating as Captain Black’s Fishing, operates the Lady Black and Black Magic out of Lighthouse Marina. Black has a special fondness for fishing for sharks, which he finds to be a source of intrigue.

For Black, sharks under 6 feet are small fry. Using bait that emits a flavor trail, Black attracts sandbar sharks, bull sharks and blacktips from miles away.

“For me, it’s about the intrigue,” said Black. “Sharks have been around since the age of dinosaurs. They’re the alpha predator in our area and fun to catch because they put up a great fight. And, blacktips are good eating — most sharks are if you take care of them.”

Just be sure to ice them to guarantee freshness, he said. Black likes to brine his shark steaks in salt water for about 20 minutes before he slaps them on the grill but said soaking them in buttermilk is good, too.

Regulations forbid the keeping of some shark species. But by utilizing National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) formulae and by measuring the length of your shark when it is brought alongside the boat, Black can give you a fairly precise estimated weight.

At the end of the calendar year, whoever winds in the biggest shark is Capt. Black’s Shark Challenge Champion. That angler earns an official plaque and a coveted spot in Black’s digital Hall of Fame at captainblacksfishing.com.

When asked about a particularly memorable catch, Black cited not his own achievement, but one of a 7-yearold boy and his father who visited some years back. The kid’s father had a terminal illness and wanted to surprise his shark-obsessed son with a final fishing trip.

 BOOK YOUR TRIP

Captain Black’s Fishing loves having kids on board and finds that beginning anglers often have better luck than old salts. The operation strives to create lifetime memories for families while targeting species ranging from Spanish mackerel to American red snapper and toothy sharks. Trips run from four to 24 hours in length. For details, visit CaptainBlacksFishing.com or call (850) 238-7048

“The kid had on shark shoes, a shark hat, a shark shirt and he knew all about them,” Black said. “I was really impressed that he already knew how to rig his line, and he kept telling us all these facts. Wouldn’t you know, we ended up catching a 7-foot bull shark, and they were both so excited.”

Several weeks later, Black received a letter from the boy’s mother. Not three days after their trip, her husband passed away.

“She said that all they talked about for the last three days of his life wasn’t him being sick, but all about that shark fishing trip,” Black said. “I’ve won fishing tournaments, I’ve caught huge sharks, but that was just the best. It’s people that make this job great, and I’m blessed to do what I do.”

COLDWATER EXCURSIONS

Ecotours offered at Cypress Springs and Merritt’s Mill Pond

STORY BY HANNAH BURKE PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FENDER

FOR TAYLOR ELLIOTT, the best part about living in Panama City Beach isn’t unrestricted access to beaches that many consider to be among the world’s most beautiful. It’s the pristine splendor of a natural spring located about a 45-minute drive north to Washington County.

Elliott said he discovered Cypress Springs in 2015 and has been sharing the hidden gem with folks through his ecotourism business almost every day since.

“Previously, I worked restaurants in the fine-dining sector and became accustomed to a clientele who expected four-star service,” said Elliott, owner of Coldwater Excursions. “I knew I wanted to create this all-inclusive experience where guests only need to show up in a bathing suit and sunglasses while we provided the rest.”

Offering ecotours of both Cypress Springs and nearby Merritt’s Mill Pond, the Coldwater crew offers guests five- to six-hour guided kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) adventures that allow time for a complimentary

Taylor Elliott, above, owns Coldwater Excursions, previously known as Shaggy Bend Outfitters. Right: Nick Graham, on stand-up paddleboard, serves a group of kayakers as their guide.

Making

45-minute ride from Panama City Beach to Cypress, an invigorating paddle to the springs, lunch, and several hours of play and exploration.

“Depending on which tours you sign up for, you’re looking at about three to four wellspent hours paddling through the spring runs, diving with underwater scooters or relaxing on the shore,” said Elliott. “We provide Pub subs

(Publix Supermarket’s famous handhelds), water and Gatorade, snorkel gear, beach towels and chairs, dry bags for your phone and just about anything you’d need for a day on the water.”

Of course, the journey is just as rewarding as the destination. Surrounded by privately owned land, ingress to Cypress Springs follows a halfhour ride up Holmes Creek. There, guests opt for either kayaks, canoes or SUPs to transport them along an immersive, scenic journey through the area’s natural history.

The brief but educational paddle makes this tour ideal for families, Elliott said. When acting as a guide, he likes to touch on the role of Florida’s limestone beds in forming natural springs, caves and caverns, as well as point out the occasional bream, turtles, eagles and wading birds that call Cypress Springs home.

Perhaps owing to Elliott’s storytelling, children seem especially fascinated with the towering, exotic cypresses dotting the way to the spring basin.

“I like to share a story about how, maybe some 100 to 120 years ago, people decided to lop off all the old, gross cypress trees,” Elliott said. “Because they grow in swampland or on shorelines, they’d have to float the trunks downstream to get rid of them, and they’d actually stick their kids on top of these 40- or 50-foot trees and put them in charge of steering them down the river.”

With appetites for adventure sufficiently whetted, children may wish to brave the spring’s rope swing and take the first plunge into the chilly, fresh water. Likewise, people of all ages are invited to try something new and take guided SUP lessons, strap on some GoPros and snorkel with underwater scooters or survey Holmes Creek’s winding kayak trails.

“I’m proud to have a very knowledgeable, professional staff who are great with customers,” Elliott said. “We’re here to make sure you have a safe and fun experience with us, no matter what you do.”

Coldwater Excursions has expanded to offer a second kayaking and SUP tour at Merritt’s Mill Pond near Marianna, but Elliott recommends this 7½-hour venture only for active families and adults. There’s a bit more paddling involved, he said, as you’ll travel to sites such as Jackson Blue

 GEAR RENTAL Ready for a self-guided adventure? Coldwater Excursions offers full-week, multi-day and all-day rentals of the latest kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, complete with free delivery and pickup, along all of Panama City Beach and select South Walton Beaches. To learn more, visit ColdwaterExcursions.com/beach-gear-rentals

So clear is the water at Cypress Springs that kayakers may appear to be floating in mid-air. Coldwater Excur sions offers rentals and also is happy to accommodate people who want to bring their own paddle-craft. Below: outfitter owner Taylor Elliott.

Adventure at the springs with a more calming kayak rental, or try out the well-known rope swing (left) for a thrilling entrance into the aqua-colored current.

Springs, Shangri La Springs, Twin Caves, Hole in the Wall and Gator Hole Cave.

“Also, we recently tested out a night tour of Cypress Springs and put glow lights on the bottom of our paddleboards,” Elliott said. “We saw catfish, eels and all sorts of wildlife you don’t see during the day, so we’ll be adding that option soon.”

With a hidden gem as cool as Cypress Springs, Elliott says some visitors rate it as the best part of their vacation. Of course, tourists come to Panama City Beach for the beach, but when the sizzling sun gets too hot, 70-degree water is a refreshing way to spend a summer day.

THIS WAY TO THE BEACH

With over 100 access points, Panama City Beach has the right spot for you

BY HANNAH BURKE

WHO ARE YOU? Many attempt to answer this question by providing their government name or job title. Let’s move beyond the obvious and wade into a pool of introspection. A single label can’t summarize your complexities; rather, a series of them add up to the concept of self. Think really hard about your innermost values and spiritual leanings. Reflect on your experiences, and, most importantly, what your behavior at the beach says about you. It’s the latter consideration that can be the most daunting. Please consult the following stereotypes to not only avert an identity crisis, but to find among the dozens of public beach access points scattered across Panama City Beach the right fit for you

THE SUN WORSHIPPER

You’re cold and dead inside, but a steady dose of Vitamin D recharges your batteries. You find a cozy, sandy spot and are content to bask in sunshine and solitude for hours on end. If you can’t tell whether I’m describing a bearded dragon or you, then look no further than the beach access points along Spyglass Drive. Away from the hustle and bustle of central Panama City Beach, the community’s easternmost beach access points (1, 2 and 3) provide all the quiet, convenience and solar power you require.

BEACH ACCESS 1 4723 Spyglass Drive

THE AQUAPHILE

You’re a shark in the water who can’t stop moving. For you, a day at the beach shouldn’t involve sand unless you’re launching a kayak or eating it on a skimboard. At St. Andrews State Park, over a mile of shoreline along both Grand Lagoon and the Gulf beckons snorkelers, surfers and swimmers. A popular camping ground, St. Andrews’ store is stocked with gear and offers seasonal water sports equipment rentals.

ST. ANDREWS STATE PARK, 4607 State Park Lane

THE NATURALIST

For you, going to the beach is an opportunity to study the local ecosystem, catalog how many critters you encounter and snap some landscapes with your Nikon D500. You likely already have Camp Helen State Park on your meticulously curated itinerary — after all, it’s surrounded by both the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Powell, the largest coastal dune lake in Florida! But, after a long morning spent hiking nature trails, the half-mile of beach beyond the scrub oak forest is the perfect place to picnic and enjoy your vegan hummus wrap and trail mix.

CAMP HELEN STATE PARK, 23937 Panama City Beach Parkway

Making

THE TREASURE HUNTER

Beachcombers can scavenge the sands at any number of access points, but the Indiana Joneses of Panama City Beach will point you toward Shell Island for the real spoils. Accessible only by boat or the official Shell Island Shuttle, the undeveloped, seven-mile barrier island transports its visitors to their own private Shangri-La. Go shelling for sand dollars, conchs, moon snails and whelk, or, go ahead and be “that guy” with a metal detector. It’s OK, there’s another fella with one over there. Go say hello.

SHELL ISLAND SHUTTLE, 5709 N. Lagoon Drive

THE ANGLER

You ain’t here to sunbathe or splash around; you’re here to hook that whopper. At the Russell-Fields Pier and M.B. Miller Pier — commonly referred to as the City Pier and County Pier, respectively — salty, weathered bait soakers who live and die by the rod and reel and fledgling fisherman alike seek cobia, mackerel, redfish and more. Both are prime fishing spots, but couples are encouraged to seek out the City Pier: When Mama says it’s time to pack up, slip her some cash, and send her on back across the street to the Pier Park shopping center.

CITY PIER, 16201 Front Beach Road; County Pier, 12213 Front Beach Road

PHOTOS

COURTESY OF VISIT PANAMA CITY BEACH / GARY BOGDON (THE TREASURE HUNTER)

Making

THE MILLENNIAL

In lieu of children, you and your partner have Billie. Billie is what you call a “fur baby,” and the first thing you tell people about Billie is that she’s a rescue. No, you didn’t name her after Billie Eilish — it’s a family name, thank you — and, yes, you did plan your entire vacation around dog-friendly restaurants and attractions.

For some adorable, sandynosed Instagram photos, you’re going to want to head just west of RussellFields Pier to Dog Beach, where a 400-foot section of shore is a place where dogs are welcome.

THE IMPOSTER DUDE, YOU DID YOUR RESEARCH.

I don’t even need to tell you that the west end of PCB is where the locals beach because as far as they know, you’re one of them. You refuse to put up one of those tacky canopies, and you keep the country music blaring from your boom box to a minimum. Heck, you even talked Bubba into exchanging his signature “Roll Tide” T-shirt for a less conspicuous, solid white one. When you run out of brewskis, you know that Carousel Supermarket is just across the road selling Grayton Beach Blonde Ale and, despite Brayden and Brandon’s protests, you will not be picking up any Pabst Blue Ribbon.

BEACH ACCESS 77, 19987

Front Beach Road

PAINT THE TOWN

Throw down like the locals at beach bars, music halls and more

BY HANNAH BURKE

WHETHER PLANNING A BOYS’ WEEKEND, bachelorette party or a romantic retreat with your S.O., pinpointing your destination’s chief nightlife and entertainment avenues is a must. The former “Spring Break Capital of the World,” Panama City Beach may no longer be the rowdy party powerhouse it once was. Still, its bevy of dance scenes, watering holes and adult-centric venues provide all the makings of a good time. Check out our top gathering spots to get your groove on, responsibly imbibe and make some memories.

SPLASH BAR FLORIDA

One of the first LGBTQ+ friendly nightclubs on the Gulf Coast, the Splash Bar has been a haven for lovers of dance, Las Vegas-style entertainment and late-night libations since 2001. With colorful cocktails such as the house-famous Lifesaver and shareable Jungle Juice buckets, a progressive crowd and a D.J. spinning the hottest tunes, this is a joint that’s hopping even on weekdays. Weekly entertainment includes professional dancers, dollar drink nights, live musical performances, karaoke and bingo. Swing by for one of Splash’s nationally acclaimed drag shows, which attract the likes of VH1 and MTV celebrity entertainers each year.

SPLASH BAR FLORIDA, 6520 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BOOINI (SCHOONERS) AND RJ JACKSON (MS. NEWBY’S)

ACEVEDO

OF SPLASH BAR FLORIDA

SCHOONERS

Ask a Panama City Beach native about Schooners, and they’ll likely regale you with stories of canons sounding off at sundown, first kisses in the sand and heated weekend volleyball tournaments. Opened in the late ’60s and renowned as “The Last Local Beach Club,” Schooners is one part seafood restaurant, one part classic hangout, with direct beach access, daily sunset celebrations, local musical performances and year-round special events. An extensive craft beer and signature cocktail menu will warm you up for the dance floor, as Schooners’ rotating lineup of live, local talent is always laying down the tracks to another perfect night by the sea.

SCHOONERS, 5121 Gulf Drive, Panama City

MS. NEWBY’S

Originally a drive-through liquor store turned bar, Ms. Newby’s struck gold upon brewing its first batch of Hunch Punch, a fruity, boozy and oh-so-addictive concoction that has for decades been the impetus of many impulsive decisions and fast friendships in Panama City Beach. Ownership has kept Hunch Punch’s recipe hush-hush, preferring you experience the magic itself by bellying up to the original lounge or Newby’s Too, featuring karaoke, dancing and pool; Newby’s End Zone Sports Bar, a game day favorite with over 20 televisions, darts and virtual sports games; and Newby’s Other Bar at the Back Door Lounge, where there’s a little something for everybody.

MS. NEWBY’S, 8711 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach

NO NAME LOUNGE

A self-proclaimed “local landmark” since 1980, the No Name Lounge is located just across the Hathaway Bridge in Panama City. Laid-back and boasting all the cool you’d expect in a popular gathering spot, No Name Lounge is beloved for its panoramic views of St. Andrew Bay, live band performances and an affable staff who keep the drinks flowin’ and the good times rollin’. The main draw is the expansive Party Deck, which serves as a venue for themed social nights, community-sponsored events and annual holiday bashes. When visiting during Independence Day, this is your go-to spot to celebrate, chat up the regulars and observe as fireworks light up the bay.

NO NAME LOUNGE, 5555 U.S. 98, Panama City

PATCHES PUB & GRILL

With live music seven days a week, costume parties, comedy shows, game day bucket and pitcher specials and annual frozen turkey bowling tournaments, you never know what a night at Patches Pub & Grill will bring, but you can bet on a weird, wild and outrageously fun time. Chow down on classic pub fare from spicy wings and burgers to loaded nachos and made-to-order pizzas, and enjoy daily happy hours from a full liquor bar with over 31 beers on tap. Then, get on your dancing shoes — at 6 o’clock every evening, members of Patches’ eclectic roster of musicians take the stage at the Party Patio and showcase the area’s best and brightest talent.

PATCHES PUB & GRILL, 4723 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach

MICHAEL

LIVING THE HY LIFE

Clothier unbuttons its collar and evolves

STORY BY HANNAH BURKE PHOTOGRAPHY BY EROICA WAKSTEIN

THE MOST SUCCESSFUL business owners know to embrace change.

So, when “business casual” attire began to unravel coat-andtie boardroom dress codes, Hy’s Toggery, originally established in 1969 as a high-end men’s clothier, followed suit.

It’s a pivot that established Hy’s Toggery as one of the top independent providers of casual wear and athleisure in the region.

Walk into their Pier Park shop today, and you’re greeted by a sea of high-performance dress shirts,

shorts and shoes that seamlessly transition from office to boat to bar.

But it’s not just an ample stock of the best and biggest brands on the market that keep customers coming back; it’s the combined contributions of three generations of men.

The clothier was established by World War II veteran Hy Wakstein who, until his passing in 2013, reported to his business every day and worked alongside his son, Gary. Today, it’s Gary’s son Josh who handles most of the store’s daily operations and carries on the family tradition.

“I like to joke that I came on board when I was born,” Josh Wakstein said. “I remember helping out back when we just sold suits, ties and hard-soled shoes and had an army of seamstresses in the back making alterations. As a kid, I wanted to wear ‘work clothes’ like Dad and used to hop on my bike in a coat and tie to go play with my friends. I always knew I would join the business.”

During our conversation, I told Josh Wakstein I once had the pleasure of interviewing his father for an article that appeared in Emerald Coast Magazine. Gary, who for most of his life had been accused of sleeping in a tie, corrected me at

Founded by Hy Wakstein, Hy’s Toggery has evolved dramatically over the course of three generations. Hy’s son, Gary, was synonymous with the store when it sold coats and ties from its Panama City Mall location. Gary’s son, Josh, manages today’s Pier Park store, whose shelves are stocked with fashions appropriate to boats and the beach.

the time when I mentioned Hy’s Toggery no longer sold three-piece suits. They do, he insisted — Bermuda shorts, a T-shirt and flip-flops.

“I would say we’re casual, relaxed and ideal for a warm environment,” Josh said. “We carry a lot of performance fabrics that are fantastic for our area’s heat and humidity. When you sweat, the fabrics help you dry faster. And, they’re antimicrobial, so you won’t smell. We carry a big selection from the most popular, high-quality brands so you can find what you’re looking for — and we carry things you didn’t know you were looking for.”

Wakstein said his business’s bestselling labels include Columbia, Huk, Vineyard Vines and Southern Tide. Catering to men and women of all ages, Hy’s Toggery offers dress shirts, T-shirts, maxi dresses, slacks and swimming shorts.

“I quit using my garment bag years ago because nothing needs to be ironed anymore,” Wakstein said. “You don’t even have to hang these things up, they’re so low-maintenance and comfortable.”

Hy’s Toggery also deals in footwear, such as the lightweight and stylish Hey

Dude Shoes, which slip on and promise a “sock-like comfort,” and durable, waterfriendly REEF sandals and slides.

While the outfitter enjoys a loyal local clientele, Wakstein said it’s rewarding to help visitors gear up for their vacation.

“Some of our best customers don’t live here,” he said. “We meet folks from all over the country who come in once or twice a year. We’ll catch up on what’s been going on in each other’s lives, and I’ll say, ‘Well, I guess I’ll see you this time next year!’”

Keeping customers satisfied by offering a little Southern hospitality and a premier selection has always been the mission of Hy’s Toggery. And, much like they’re always looking for the freshest styles and top brands, the Waksteins are always keeping an eye out for new ventures and opportunities.

Doing so with family, Wakstein said, “makes every day a joy.”

“People always ask me when my dad is going to retire, and I say, ‘Never,’” laughed Wakstein. “He’s never going to, and I don’t want him to. Retirement is not in the cards for the Wakstein men.”

SHOP

SMALL

These locally owned businesses will inspire your next shopping spree.

SALTY MERMAID MARKETPLACE

Over 40 local artists and vendors stock the store with unique accessories, apparel, home goods and gifts.

7829 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach

SHIMMERING SEAS JEWELRY & GIFTS

Dazzling, ocean-inspired jewelry and accessories from both designer brands and local talent.

820 Pier Park Drive, Panama City Beach

SHORE HOUSE FURNITURE

Take home a reminder of the beach with designer furnishings, accents and coastal decor.

14301 Panama City Beach Parkway, Panama City Beach

SHIPWRECK LTD. Boutique fashions, beach gear and bicycle and watersports equipment rentals, all in one place.

10570 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach

PHOTO BY MICHAEL

JEWELRY

Capt. Bob Zales Charters

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Go explore. Go visit monuments and mountains and make the mundane magical with adventure. Go forth to find new places and spaces. Go on to travel again. Because we’re still here—ready, willing and able to get you anywhere you want to go. iflybeaches.com/escape

TAKING THE PLUNGE

BY HANNAH BURKE

BUDDY WILKES, general manager of Shipwreck Island Waterpark in Panama City Beach, can recall a time when waterslides were a novelty.

Early American prototypes, he said, began popping up around KOA campgrounds and RV parks in the early ’70s, when some unsophisticated pioneers discovered if you dig a pond, embed some concrete troughs in a dirt mound, and get a hose going, you could have yourself a time.

One Panama City Beach resident, James Lark, was fascinated. Already, he had built a 2,000-foot rollercoaster amid the sand dunes along Front Beach Road, an attraction that established the Miracle Strip Amusement Park in 1963.

People thought he was crazy, recalled Wilkes, so it came as no surprise when Lark announced he was going to tear up his property to build his own hydro ride.

“He dug a pond, built up a mound, and made a mountain that would hold the Zoom Flume,” said Wilkes, who has been a part of the Miracle Strip-Shipwreck Island Corporation since the year the slide opened in 1976. “Back then, I think people paid a dollar or two for a 30-second ride where they’d grab their mats and take turns racing down.”

Today, the three towering, snaking lanes of the Zoom Flume still stand but are nowhere near the main attraction of the now 15-acre waterpark. Unlike the now-defunct Miracle Strip Amusement Park, Shipwreck, boasting around a dozen attractions, has only improved with age.

Shipwreck hit a record year in 2021. More people are buying season passes, and as of 2022, Shipwreck converted from a weekend operating schedule to opening every day from May 27 to August 7.

Aerial photo demonstrates the proximity of Shipwreck Island Waterpark to the Gulf of Mexico. Many were dubious when James Lark committed to building the attraction. Given its location, Lark, himself, doubted whether a wave pool was a good idea when it was suggested by Shipwreck general manager Buddy Wilkes.

For Wilkes, much of that success is attributed to the era of Will Lark, grandson of James Lark, and the park’s current owner.

“Today, Shipwreck looks better than it ever has,” Wilkes said. “Will is here every day. He has spent millions of dollars on park infrastructure alone. We have a very expensive chemical bill now because Will wants our water to be the clearest and bluest of any waterpark in the country. His past 10 years here have been all about improvement.”

The latest project is the addition of Lighthouse Cove, an aquatic playground that will extend from the existing Tadpole Hole kiddie pool and accommodate elementary-aged guests with multiple slides, tipping buckets and climbable nets.

Parents, added Wilkes, will also enjoy the play zone’s expanded seating area, a move he believes will “make people more comfortable.”

Construction of Lighthouse Cove was delayed in 2022 due to nationwide shipping delays, but will likely see its debut in the spring of 2023.

“My goal has been to make this park a place I’d like to take my own wife and kids if we were vacationing here,” said Will Lark. “From the food we serve to the cleanliness to especially employee hospitality. We love being able to employ local kids here and teaching them lifesaving techniques, work ethic and responsibility and watching them move on to bigger things. Some of them are now season pass holders bringing their own kids.”

A true family destination, Shipwreck caters to all members of the household. Thrill-seekers especially favor the Tree Top Drop, a 65-foot free fall down either an open drop slide or a spiraling tube flume. The tamer Lickity Split and Pirate’s Race slides, found within the Skull Island family activity pool, suit smaller

Beyond the

visitors. Meanwhile, the whole family can fit inside the tubes that twirl down the 660-footlong White Knuckle River.

But Lark, who was just 10 years old when the park opened, is biased toward the classics. “I was a customer back then, for sure,” he said. “I’d have my birthday parties here and loved the Raging Rapids, the lazy river — oh, and the wave pool.”

On that note, Wilkes laughs. There’s a story he likes to tell about Shipwreck’s 500,000-gallon Ocean Motion

Wave Pool, an attraction we now know to be a staple of any bona fide waterpark.

When Wet n’ Wild, the country’s first official waterpark, opened in Orlando in 1977, Wilkes decided to pay it a visit and gain intel. He was most excited to report back about the massive pool, which generated a steady stream of artificial waves.

Selling it, he said, took some convincing.

“Let me get this straight,” inquired a befuddled James Lark. “For a million dollars,

Skull Island is a family activity pool with a kiddy slide called Lickity Split and a family racing slide called the Pirate’s Plunge. Skull Island also features a fort with a gigantic tipping bucket that unloads 700 gallons of water on awaiting guests every three or four minutes. Right: The Lazy River meanders for over 2,000 feet while providing Shipwreck Waterpark’s most relaxing aquatic encounter.

Beyond the Beach

The Ocean Motion Wave Pool contains 500,000 gallons of clear, clean, cool, water and generates perfect, three-foot waves every 10 minutes. Right: Raging Rapids was built on the open space along the backside of the Zoom Flume hill. The “Rapids,” as it is affectionately referred to by park-goers, is a whitewater inner tube ride with a breathtaking start and finish and is unique to Shipwreck.

you want to build a pool that makes a three-foot-wave?”

“Yes, sir,” nodded Wilkes.

“By the Gulf of Mexico, where people can play in the waves for free?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’ve got to be out of your mind.”

Undeterred, Wilkes raised a brow. “Mr. Lark, what did they say to you when you wanted to build a rollercoaster on the beach?”

For a beat, Lark was silent. Then, “Fair enough,” he said. “We’ll talk about it.”