San Diego Reader

From a beachfront hotel balcony you can take in panoramic views of Panama City’s gulf coastline, a long stretch of sugar-white sand and emerald green waters. Located in the Florida Panhandle, Panama City Beach is bounded by West Bay, St. Andrew Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

I spent the first part of the summer morning walking along the beach, playing volleyball and mingling with other tourists. Almost everyone I met on the beach exuded a great amount of Southern friendliness. Being a Californian, I felt like an oddity among a group of visitors from nearby states like Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.

Just before noon, I boarded a charter boat for a five-hour deep-sea fishing trip. The trip netted some mackerel, mahi-mahi, grouper and red snapper. Afterwards, I managed to play a round of miniature golf at the Coconut Creek Fun Park and spent the evening partying at Club La Vela on Thomas Drive, which is known as the largest nightclub in the USA.

After some late-night swimming, I capped off a truly eventful day standing on a pier among friends and strangers enjoying the beach breeze and eagerly awaiting the sunrise. That was just the first day of a memorable weekend!