Panama City Beach is a popular and accessible beach destination and, compared to some other places, it has a family-friendly reputation and is pretty laid back. Countless thousands of kids have been introduced to the ocean here, including my daughter, Jill, and it has been fun watching the parents and the different methods they use. Some just take the kids out and stroll along the beach and let them see it without any pressure to get in or even get wet. Others take the toddler-age kids in their arms and walk into the surf out to knee depth and jump in the waves. Some parents encase their kids in various inflated devices and encourage them to play in the waves. The kids may, or may not, take to the ocean and if they do, the taste of sea water is the second shock to their system.
I enjoyed watching the families and the young dads trying to get the kids in the water. The moms are usually in charge of the camera and sometimes the grandparents are nearby offering encouragement. Today we got to see a puppy go through the process. A couple guys were on the beach with a puppy trying to get him to fetch a stick. Nope...he didn't want to. He wanted to run and check out the beach. An older dog was there with them and it was concerned with keeping track of the puppy. There were so many distractions...sea gulls, waves, people, odd smells. The guys finally just sat on the beach and let the puppy investigate it on his own.
Not too far down the beach road is a fairly large mall so we went there for lunch. We had lots of options but settled on the Hof Brau Beer Garden, a Munich-style beer hall with tables inside and out and German music. The menu was strictly German but with a little American, Turkish, Indian fusion going on. The waitress was dressed like she had come straight out of Bavaria. It was a good place to sit and watch people. This place, and others, must be crammed full of peope during spring break or the summer season.
We had the dunkel (dark) beer with big, soft pretzels and some brats with sauerkraut. The food was good but the music was predictable...think Beer Barrel Polka. The men's bathroom showed a little bit beer garden humor.
We walked around the mall a little and over to the fishing pier. The mall at least had some activity going on...much of Panama City Beach seems to be hibernating.
One place that wasn't hibernating was the Sea Breeze Winery. They have 100 acres of muscadine grapes, which makes them the largest vineyard in Florida. Muscadine grapes are much different from the standard variety grapes we are used to in Missouri. The wine is quite different as well. We tasted about eight wines and some special fruit wines plus a port and a sherry. I have to say that the wines were drinkable and might have been great muscadine wines but I wasn't familiar with the type to say it it was good or bad. Paul is more familiar with it and was happier with it. We had a good visit with the attendant and talked wine and wineries for about a half hour. We left with a few bottles of wine.
We ended the day back at the condo watching a soccer game and having sandwiches.
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