77. On Tuesday night we decided to have dinner at Scooner's on the Beach.

78. This is true, not many bars or eating places right on the beach. Most of the beach front proptery has been converted into high rise condomeniums but there is a lot of empty lots on the beach but probsbly priced beyong my pay grade.

79. The bar is colorful and uniquely decorated.

80. The next day I decided to take a tour down the road paralleling the Gulf. I started on the eastern end at Schooners and headed west. This is basically the business/tourist shop road. I can not imagine the thousands of people who must be driving on this road during the "high season". There must be condos and hotel rooms for half a million people.

81. At night the beach and Gulf are pitch black and there is no view. The next morning this is the scene from our table the night before.

82. The bartender told me this was "a million dollar view". I believe it.

83. The "Dollar Stores" are all over the place. If you forgot to bring it with you for the beach you can most certainly find it here or at one of the many other similar shops.

84. High rise condos all along the beach, yet there are lots empty beach front properties available. Just show me the money.

85. If you are going to entice a buyer to shop at your store you have to have a theme -- most likely something nautical. Here is Jaws.

86. Here is the front door to Jaws. It advertises nothing over $9.99. Obviously higher class merchandise than "The Dollar Store."

87. Out of no where Jaws jumped out and grabbed Flat Stanley.

88. One gulp and Flat Stanley is gone.

89. Theme statuary draws in the buyers -- hopefully.

90. An amusment park with a purple octopus.

91. If Jaws didn't draw you in maybe this will.

92. Your choice, do you want to shop at the white whale or the terribe shark store?

93. Maybe fighting alligators will interest your kids.

94. Here's Dat Cajan Place.

95. Ripley's Believe it or not looks like the sinking Titanic.

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97. Outlaw Rentals - motorcycles, motorscooters, gulf carts, anything you might need for a thrill ride. I wonder how safe the streets are when they are crowded with inexperienced riders riders.

98. Alvin's Island is all over the place. All your beach needs are met.

99	100. Pineapple Willy's is closed but promises to be open in February. Its still closed on Feb 23rd.

101. New Orleans Bakery features fresh hot Beignets covered with powdered sugar.

102. Buy Beignets full size or small ones by the dozen. A real treat.

107. Alvin's Island as seen from the 11th floor of our condo.

108. If Panama City Beach had a main street this would be it, "Pier Park"

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111. The Snappy Turtle, I wonder if their treasures are all under $9.99? It must be better than Moby Dicks or Jaws because this is an outlet store.

112. Shuckums Oyster Bar, I wonder how good this is? I will have to come back.

115. Waffle Houses are very popular but limited menu. I recognize the turn to our condo by looking for this Waffle house next to the Shell Station.

116. There is no construction season down here.

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121. This spot reserved for a photo of the local Walmart Store which is only a block from our condo. Come back to see the photo.

122. On Saturday night we went to Sharkey's for dinner. A soldier from Fort Benning at the bar noticed my Legion of Merit pin and bought me and Fran a Hot Shot. Fran didn't like her's so out of courtesy I drank them both. Go Army.

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127. Back home for the day. Our Condo has restrictd parking and our pass is checked at the gate whenever we arrive or depart.

128. Someone is feeding the seagulls on the beach.

Another Walk on the Beach - Tuesday, February 13th

63. Today I decided to take my camera as we took another walk along the beach. Sandpipers dart along the surf's edge looking for food.

64. Seagulls generally fly overhead but this morning they are resting on the beach -- maybe looking for a handout.

65. From our Condo to Pineapple Willy's pier is .5 miles and our walking goal for the morning. This is one of the very few places on the beach where you see a pier jeting out into the Gulf. Most places have to stop their building and edge of their property behind the dunes. Pineapple Willy's, like a lot of places on the coast are closed for the winter and the sign out front, on the road, says "Closed, See you in Feb." Well, its February 21st and it is still closed.

66 Sometimes Fran sits on the sand to catch her breath. I walk so much faster than she does I wear her out.

67. Here you can see the old and the new. The older homes are right on the beach while the new large condo developments are across the Gulf road but they are high so many have "ocean views."

68. Homes that are on the Gulf are small and narrow and don't have to be more than one or two stories high.

69.	70. Some of the earlier condo developments on the beach were small and very colorful.

71. The beach patrol puts up flags all along the coast warning of the swimming conditions. When we arrived the flag was yellow but changed to red today.

72. For those of us who don't live near the Gulf we have to be warned about Rip Tides.

73. Property lines are important. There is a sandy beach that is open to the public and then the "dunes" which protect the private property from wind and waves. Generally the dunes are on the private property. Here the home is situated back from the dunes and the owners have established a privacy fence to prevent the public from using their chairs.

74. Seagulls are everywhere looking for a handout.

75. Red flag on the beach means the surf is hazardous.

76. After walking the beach our feet are covered with sand and the condos provide a place to wash off so you don't track sand into the building.

77. After our walk we sit on the balcony and enjoy the sights. Twice a day the pelicans fly by. If I'm lucky I get a picture but its not easy.

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Saint Andrews State Park
Sunday, 18 February 2018

41. We went for a Sunday stroll through Saint Andrews State Park at Gator Lake. This is the boardwalk taking us to Gator Lake.

42. Blue Herons stand about 5 feet tall.

43. Signs warned us of the dangers posed by 'gators. At the end of the boardwalk we arrived at Gator Lake. And lying in wait . . . .

44. At the end of the Boardwalk is Gator Lake. Allegators rest at water's edge, often submerged with just their eyes above water, waiting for dinner to get close. They can suddenly leap out of the water and grab anything that ventures too close.

45. Bird Island where the Blue Heron build their nests and lay their eggs and care for their chicks.

46. Great Egrets roost beyond the island.

47. We saw several deer. When they venture too close to the water for a drink a waiting alligator may jump out and grab his dinner.

48. Dunes were formed long ago when the sea level was higher. As the sea level dropped grasses and plants stabilized the dunes. Spanish moss covers the trees.

49. Blue Heron search for food along with Egrets and alligators. This scene reminds me of the logo on the Bird Island Union, our home town newspaper when I was growing up. Even the checks from the Bird Island State Bank featured them.

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53. Flat Stanley joined us on this trek around Gator Lake. A lot of people recognized him and knew what we were doing. We met lots of school teachers who remember him from their teaching days. He opened up a lot of conversations between strangers.

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55. Blue Heron sit on their nests on Bird Island and feed their chicks.

56. It turned out to be a beautiful day but every night we get a heavy fog because the humidity is so high. This is what it looked like this morning when I got up.

57. As we sat on the balcony waiting for the sunset we saw these air foils floating over the ocean below us.

58. They have no propellers, they just glide in the air currents above the Gulf.

59. These guys have a lot of talent flying around each other. Maybe when I get too old to drive Rocinante I will take up this sport. What can possibly go wrong; just ask John Denver.

60. Sundown is always worth waiting for.

61. After the sun went down I watched these pelicans diving for fish.

62. Just like I see them on televison but this is much more exciting.

On the Beach -17 February 2018

23. Looking west down the beach in the early morning. The long pier in the background is the county pier.

24. This is the short pier called Pineapple Willy's. The sign in the street says "Closed, see you in Feb". A lot of places here are closed for the winter and are just starting to open up for the spring crowd which starts in March for spring break.

25. Big red chair.

26. Directional sign on Boardwalk next door.

27. There is a U.S. Navy base to the north of us. I don't want to say our room is high but this plane flew by.

28. Typical early morning fog. Some days so thick we can't see the ocean below us.

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31. Pelicans fly by from time to time. You have to be fast with the camera to get this picture.

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33. Looking down at the Boardwalk to the Gulf.

34. My photography classes advise that photos with geometrical patterns are interesting. Here you see parallel lines, streight lines, zigzag lines, and a circle (hot tub). Fancy isn't it?

35	36. The Sea Screamer, a dolphin sighting boat.

37. Beach as the sun is going down.

38. Cocktail time as we watch the sun go down. Nuts with Nelson's Blood (spiced Rum, ginger ale and a squirt of lime).

39	40. Sunset with Al and Nadine Rohe.

Our First Pictures - February 05, 2018

Lunch at the Wicked Wheel with
Al and Nadine Rohe and
Elaine and Dave Harder
from MN Chapter Q, GWRRA.

The Wicked Wheel, a favorite lunch spot

5 February 2018

3. Our first lunch was at "The Wicked Wheel" a favorate place because they have cheap lunch specials. We ran across Mike and Judy Squires from Minneapolis. There ae a lot of people here from Minnesota and Wisconsin.

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Dat Cajun Place for dinner

1. We had dinner at "Dat Cajun Place" and ran into some people celebrating Mardi Gras.

2. We had Gator Bites for an appetizer. For our main meal I had crawfish Etouffe and Fran had Shrimp Pontchartrain. Key lime pie finished it off for dessert. I had waited a long time to have Etouffe and it was really bad -- I will have to cross that one off my list -- or at least as made by the Chef at Dat Cajun Place.

Saturday, Feb 10th, we went to the Farmer's Market

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15. What do you suppose she is selling.

16. An interesting way of putting it.

17. A little bit of everything but not much of interest.

18. We went to dinner at "Dockside". Apalachacola oysters were on the early bird menu.

19. Fran tried an oyster. She even had a second one.

20. I had red snapper with a soft shell crab and New Oreleans Hollendaise scauce. It was very good.

21. On Sunday it rained all day.

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Check out my other pages on Florida

Madi Gras

The Pool Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico

Our Condo - The Boardwalk