Panama City Beach - Florida

Panama City Beach, or PCB, as it's known is the new Spring Break Capital. And they know how to pick 'em. We found over 26 miles of unbroken great white sand that extends from St. Andrews State Park to Phillips Inlet.

You'll find that on a sunny day, the vision on polar-white sand and emerald-green sea is irresistible to anyone above ground.

Panama City Beach is among the more beautiful along the Panhandle shoreline, where blinding white sheets of quartz sand meet the clear emerald water of the Gulf of Mexico. The beach is a healthy width in most places - we found thanks to the renourishment projects (necessary because of hurricanes, which did their share of stripping away in the 1990's).

Panama City Beach is not to be confused with Panama City - the larger military/industrial port that lies near Tyndall Air Force Base. From March through Easter, PCB mutates to Spring Break Haven with a half-million or so college-aged revelers calling this Party HQ.

From Easter through Labor Day, PCB is a family-friendly vacation town full of those small tourist shops and attractions. And then, from Labor Day to February, PCB goes into hibernation - becoming almost a ghost town.

Remember that Panama City Beach lies on the Panhandle, at a latitude much north of the year-round Florida subtropic meccas. Translation: it gets Cold in the winter here.

The water changes colors throughout the day - emerald to azure to coral. And we found the sand nearly 99% quartz sand - a striking contrast to the sea. But in a strange twist, the city has not done well to provide great beach access. Here are your best bets:

St. Andrews State Park is at the east end of Thomas Drive and is $4 per vehicle. You can camp there, as well - for around $15. There are concessions and restrooms, picnic tables, showers, and a nice visitor center.

Thomas Drive Park is at the 7000 block of Thomas Drive and is free. The park is open sunrise to sunset and has restrooms and showers.

Key Largo Beach Camping Park

Beaches are in short supply on Key Largo, the largest of the Florida Keys - 30 miles long. But this is a vacation hotspot for diving, snorkeling, fishing, boating, and cruising. And if you're into the underwater - you'll want to make Key Largo your headquarters as you explore all John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park has to offer.

Humphrey Bogart put Key Largo on the map with the 1948 movie of the same name. But there is little else to connect Bogart with Key Largo. Bogie never set foot in the Keys. The main town, Rock Harbor, changed its name to Key Largo to cash in on some of the Hollywood dollars - however we found they should have used some of the dough to create some sort of zoning.

As you head down U.S. 1, you'll see a restaurant next to a tire shop next to a home. Strange. And a tip: leave the coral - even the stuff you find in shell shops. It's probably not from Florida, but nonetheless, promoting reef destruction somewhere rules are lax.

On to the beaches: The main attraction on Key Largo is the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Reefs off the shore from the park have taken a beating - and speaking of the shoreline, we noticed more trash than anywhere we've been. Divers state the visibility has decreased in recent years in spite the management plan in place by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary since 1997.

Pennekamp (an actual beach campground), was established in 1960 as the nation's first underwater preserve. Like many islands we review, Key Largo has an offshore reef which intercept the waves. There is no physical mechanism for the sand to move toward the shore and build up a beach. But you'll find three beaches - all man made.

Cannon Beach - we found had a small, narrow band of sand with cannon placed in the entrances. There's a replica of a seventeenth-century shipwreck just 130 from the beach - you can snorkel there. Plenty of cool fish and it's awesome looking down at the "wreck". But don't just bring the beach towel. Bring your snorkel gear so you won't miss the best part of Cannon Beach!

Far Beach - also at Pennekamp, is close by down Largo Sound. We found this beach to be the best of the pair. It has natural shade with transplanted coconut palms and looks nicer. You'll miss the beauty of snorkeling, though.

Finally, there's the Harry Harris County Park - another man made beach with a lot of sports equipment; basketball courts, baseball fields, boat ramps, a really cool tidal pool about the size of a football field. Did we mention the playground? And yes, there's a nearby reef - Wilkinson's Point. You can walk out into Florida Bay (wear shoes) - but be careful.

Tip: Bonefishing is awesome here!

All three beaches cost around $2.50 - $4.00 to park and enter (per person). And they are open from around 8 AM till sunset. All have full facilities complete with showers, concessions.