The Windsurfing design, recently revived from Sun Wave Fashions’ archives, has been seen in global resale in vintage markets, with sellers spanning from Malaysia to Texas. Its enduring appeal speaks to beach lovers worldwide, evoking nostalgic memories of beach adventures.
Tracing Panama City Beach’s evolution from quaint motels to towering high-rises, embodying enduring charm and innovation, capturing the essence of its coastal hospitality landscape through decades of transformative development and mom-and-pop ownership.
From its inception as Snake-A-Torium in 1946 to its transformation into ZooWorld under Dennie Sebolt, this Panama City Beach attraction has left a lasting impact. Sebolt’s legacy lives on through a memorial at ZooWorld, honoring his dedication to conservation and the history of Snake-A-Torium.
Vincent Valentine Jr. envisioned the iconic Miracle Strip Tower, boasting an observation deck and restaurant. Its grandeur graced Panama City Beach until its 1995 demolition, marking the end of an era. It offered panoramic views that became cherished memories for locals and visitors alike.
In the late 1940s, ‘Gorgeous George’ revolutionized professional wrestling. His journey from orphanhood involved dropping out of high school and adopting a flamboyant persona. The pivotal moment came when he proposed marriage in a wrestling ring, marking the birth of “Gorgeous George.” Notably, his matches often culminated in a dramatic turn, where his valet would revive him with a unique touch – a few whiffs of the mystical “Florida Air,” adding an intriguing and theatrical element to his iconic career.
There once was an iconic Sky Ride that ascended 100 feet above ground, carrying gondolas past a panoramic view of the gulf. Today, the remnants of this marvel are concealed in the woods. As taller structures and newer attractions emerged, the Sky Ride faced a changing skyline. The allure that once captivated hearts began to wane. Then came the turning point – Hurricane Eloise. The Sky Ride met its match and succumbed to the forces of nature. Uncover the fascinating story that time has woven into the woods.
Spinnaker Nightclub was an instantaneous success. OPCB’s best recollection is that it opened in the summer of 1970. This photo appears to be from their opening season. At the time, Spinnaker was the first building on what was a very long stretch of Thomas Drive with vast open dunes. OPCB visited Spinnaker as soon as…
Lee Koplin was born in the mid-west. In 1932 he worked in the concrete and steel of Hoover Dam. In 1942, he was managing a failing mini-golf course in Guerneville, CA. His wife suggested he create some fanciful sculpture on their course. After sculpting steel snakes and dinosaurs, Koplin encased his works of art in…
Before the Atlanta and Saint Andrew Bay Railroad came to Panama City in 1908 there was very little tourism. In the 1800’s, only well-to-do planters in north Florida and south Alabama could afford to send there wives and children to Saint Andrew Bay to seek refuge from the heat of summer. The cool bay breezes were…
The Old Dutch Roadhouse and Tavern on old Panama City Beach is renown as a wellspring of popular entertainers that flourished throughout the south-land. The comedian affectionately known as ‘Brother Dave’ Gardner was a favorite performer that honed his early career at the Old Dutch. David Gardner was born in 1926 in Jackson, Tennesee. He…
The twin screwed steamship the SS Tarpon was built in 1886, at Wilmington Delaware. She was originally christened the Naugatuck. She measured 130 feet overall with a beam of 26 feet and was powered by twin steam engines driving iron propellers. Naugatuck’s owners sold her to Henry Plant, whose shipping empire at Tampa, Florida, was…
Part of the difficulty keeping the railroad workers alive was the lack of nutritious food. As a food source, Minor Keith became interested in a fruit that he had seen for sale in New Orleans…the banana. He buys several hundred banana plants and has them planted along the railway. They become a welcomed source of…
Today the lowly banana is the commonest of fruits. However, it wasn’t always that way. A century ago, bananas were very rare and highly prized by those that could afford them. The Chiquita bananas on your kitchen counter today are part of a story with all the drama and suspense of a Hollywood movie. It…
There have been some very creative people that have called Panama City Beach their home. Probably the most creative in terms of mass appeal has to Vincent ‘Val’ Valentine. Since the early 60s, Val’s art lives on, in the photos and memories of millions of tourists that have visited Panama City Beach. He was the…
During the Second World War the northern Gulf Coast of Florida was patrolled by the Civilian Air Patrol #14 stationed at an airfield near today’s 11th St. and Balboa Ave. Among the members of CAP 14 was long-time Panama City resident, Johnny Reaver. Mr. Reaver’s recollections have been published in the ‘Rich Heritage of Panama…
Today, Miracle Strip Amusement Park is only a fond memory for many people that visited Panama City Beach in the 20th century. Although, it only lasted four years into the 21st century, Miracle Strip Amusement Park was the most successful attraction on the Gulf Coast of Florida for 40 years. For many years it ranked…
The Starliner roller coaster was one of the first attractions at Miracle Strip Amusement Park. The Starliner was a wooden coaster designed by nationally renown John Allen of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1963. The Starliner was the focal point of MSAP. The track of the Starliner ran for the entire length of the eastern side of the park. The Starliner…
There’s a thread that weaves its way from Marianna, Florida to Dothan, Alabama, to Panama City Beach and eventually lands on stage with the Beatles in Great Britain. The men weaving this thread were Bobby Goldsboro and Buddy Buie. Both, Buddy and Bobby, were born in Marianna, Florida and both moved with their families to…
The story of the Old Dutch doesn’t end with hard times during WWII. Instead, it goes big-time. A hotel chain owner, Cliff Stiles, purchased the Old Dutch, a year before the end of the war. At the time, Mr. Cliff Stiles owned many hotels through the southeast. Much like the originator of the Old Dutch,…
In 1937 Frank Burghduff came to visit the Gulf shores of Panama City Beach. He was so captivated by the beauty of the area that he decided to leave his home state of New York and move to Panama City Beach. He came with the dream to build a beach-front roadhouse that would earn nationwide…
Joseph Harrison was a well known mail-carrier in Panama City. Harrison, and his wife, also operated a small store in town. Walter Sharpless was more fortunate. He had the incredible foresight to homestead Gulf front property in an era when all other residents thought it was worthless. Furthermore, Sharpless’ vision was affirmed when the Hathaway Bridge…
The story of how Panama City Beach got started. The beaches in Bay County have a relatively short history as a tourist resort. There were visitors to the Gulf as early as 1909, but not on the same beaches where Panama City Beach is today. Tourists in those days took a motor launch to “Land’s…
Old Panama City Beach welcomes you to our OPCB blog site. Here you will find interesting posts about the heyday of Panama City Beach, Florida. All of our friends who are familiar with our long standing Facebook page “Old Panama City Beach”, will be happy to know that more in-depth and descriptive posts will appear…
