Tourist Services

Your radio needs more batteries, and you’ve decided it would be fun to sit in a lounge chair beneath a colorful beach umbrella while reading the latest novel. Maybe you thought you packed that prescription medication, but you can’t find it. Or you need to be available to your business office via a fax machine, or e-mail. How about treating yourself to a massage to help you relax? Then again maybe you flew in or were brought in by bus, and you need a trolley to carry you to all the wonderful locations you want to visit.

No matter what you need, you can find it within a few short minutes
from wherever you are staying. So relax, you will meet plenty of
friendly people who know what it takes to make a vacation worry-free.

Florida State Park Camping
Reservations:
800-326-3521 or online
at reserveamerica.com.

St. Andrews State Park
Located at the far-east end of Panama City Beach off Thomas Drive. Ph: 233-5140. Open 8 a.m. to sunset. Fees for park entrance and camping. The park covers 1,260 acres and offers nature trails, 1.5 miles of beaches, sand dunes, alligator lakes, boating, fishing, jetty snorkeling, bicycling, and a shuttle service to Shell Island in the Spring and Summer months. Amenities include bathrooms, picnic tables, boat ramps, fishing piers, snorkel and mask rental, canoe and kayak rental, concessions and camping facilities. Map location: H-47 to H-49.

Camp Helen State Park
Located at the far-west end of Panama City Beach. Ph: 850-231-4210. Open 8 a.m. - sunset. Fee for park admission. Camp Helen is surrounded by Phillips Inlet, Lake Powell and the Gulf of Mexico. The park is made up of large sand dunes, wetlands and fresh-water lakes. Swimming, boating, fishing and hiking are popular activities. Nice views of Phillips Inlet and Gulf of Mexico. Amenities include picnic tables, bathrooms.
Map location: Just east of J-1.

Eden State Gardens and Mansion
Located in Walton County on County Road 395 in Point Washington. Ph: 850-231-4214. 10.5 acre grounds, gardens and picnic area open daily 8 a.m. to sunset. House open for hourly guided tours Thursday through Monday 9 – 4. Fee for park entrance and guided tours. Amenities include picnic tables, grills and restrooms. Civil War re-enactments held several times a year.

Frank Brown Park
Department of Parks and Recreation of Panama City Beach. Ph: 233-5045. Park hours 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Community Center hours 8-8. Park offers lighted tennis courts, lighted basketball court, lighted 1.1 mile walking track, playground, dog-walking trail and athletic fields. Map location: D-19.

Buying Tips
Look for these signs of quality
Appearance is bright and shiny.
Scales are bright , most of them intact and adhering closely to the skin.
Eyes are bright, clear and full, and often protrude.
Gills are red (gill color fades with time to light pink, then gray, then
greenish or dull brown).
Fish odor is fresh and mild, not fishy.
The flesh is firm and elastic, not separating from the bones

Traveling Tips
Did you know you can buy fresh seafood and have it packed to travel? Area seafood companies are happy to help you take a little of your
vacation home with you so you can enjoy delicious fresh gulf seafood when you get home!

Keep it cold! Seafood will stay fresh only if it is kept cold.
Never leave seafood in a hot car, since this speeds spoilage and may make seafood unsafe to eat.

Storage Tips
Unwrap fish, rinse under cold water, pat dry with paper towel and place in an air-tight container. Store in the coldest part of refrigerator.

For optimum flavor, texture and nutritional value, store fresh seafood no longer than two days before use.

For optimum quality, it is best to use fresh seafood in its fresh state. If it is necessary to freeze fish, freeze it quickly and cook a soon as possible.

Handling Tips
Do not thaw frozen seafood at room temperature or under warm running water. Outer parts will thaw faster than inner areas and may begin to spoil before the center has thawed.

Don’t cross-contaminate! Food poisoning and spoilage bacteria can spread from raw and live seafood to cooked seafood. Handle raw and cooked seafood products separate to avoid cross-contamination.

Thoroughly wash and rinse knives, containers and cutting boards after handling raw seafood.