About Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach is situated on 27 miles of sugar-white sand beaches bordering clear, emerald-green waters where the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrew Bay converge. With 320 days of sunshine annually and attractions such as St. Andrews State Park and Pier Park, the region has long been favored by travelers seeking an affordable beach vacation with year-round offerings for families, couples, groups and adventure-seekers. These include championship golf courses, spas, sporting events, award-winning dining and diverse recreational activities. In addition, Panama City Beach’s Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport offers non-stop flights on Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. For more information, call 850-233-5070 or visit the official website of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.visitpanamacitybeach.com. Stay connected with Panama City Beach on Twitter (@Visit_PCB), Instagram (@Visit_PCB) and Facebook (@VisitPanamaCityBeach).
Travel – Top 5 Reasons to Take a Vacation NOW
40% of Americans don’t use all of their paid time off in a year. Don’t be one of those people.
#5.Fresh Ideas
Vacation allows you to experience a new culture and lifestyle. These inspirations can bring you better ideas for your job.
#4.Relaxed Mind
Daydreaming is good for your brain. Similar to sleep, your brain on vacation gets to take a break and revitalize basic health functions in the body. With a balanced, clean bill of health, you can return to work after a vacation feeling better than ever.
#3.Stress Relief
It’s no secret that vacations relieve stress. This great escape from the mundane routine of a daily desk job can make you less apt to develop health issues such as heart problems and hypertension.
#2.Change of scenery
Having a change in scenery opens the mind to new perspectives. Stepping away from the daily grind of your work can bring you back feeling refreshed, happier, and more productive.
#1.Getting back to the basics
At the end of the day life is too short. Your happiness matters, and that’s the #1 reason to take a vacation now. You slave away every day at your job deadlines, school work, or just life’s obstacles. You need a vacation now, but better yet you’ve earned it!
“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.”
– Gerard Way
Travel – How to Experience a Destination Like a Local
Live in the area
→ Instead of a hotel room, book a short term rental in a house or apartment in your dream city. This will make you feel more at home, and will immerse you in the lifestyle of the locals.
Chat with the people around you
→ The most obvious and effective way to go about it. It could be daunting, but start with someone who works at a restaurant. Or maybe someone who runs a local shop, or art museum. Ask them about their experiences in the town, or simply ask what their favorite local restaurant is. You’d be surprised at how much you can learn from breaking the ice with one person.
Don’t bring everything from home
→ Don’t go on vacation and never leave your house. Go shopping for clothing or food, and observe the different ways of life. Not bringing every single necessity from home forces you go get out of your comfort zone and learn more about the area in which you’re visiting.
Turn off Google Maps
→ If you want to learn and experience more, you’ve got to try something new. Take an afternoon and just go. Drive, walk, or hike somewhere without the use of any guide map. You never know what you’ll find!
Don’t think so much
→ Sure, logistics are essential for anything in life. But, when traveling, don’t be so hard on yourself. Go with the flow and let go of your “to-do” list for at least a day. You might find that you prefer living spontaneously rather than ticking items off a list.
Visit the visitor’s center or local nature park
→ The people who work at these locations are getting paid to help you find cool things to do in their city. If they only tell you the top tourist-traps, dig a little deeper. If that is their place of employment, they live in the area and will have an opinion on their favorite spots around the area. Also, these folks are probably pretty adventurous to work this job. It is more than likely that they’ll be able to recommend some great local spots.
Do a little research beforehand
→ Try to not get too consumed in this, because living in the moment is the best way to go. However, ignorance is not bliss when it comes to being informed about the place you’re traveling to. Use apps like Yelp, Twitter, or Facebook to look at reviews for locations.
“Traveling. It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”
– Ibn Battuta