Over the winter break, my family and I traveled from DFW to Panama City Beach for a mini vacation.
We’ve never been on a vacation with just the three of us, and I wanted to make it happen before baby #2 gets here.
Originally, I had plans to do an all-inclusive stay in Mexico. However, my husband was very adamant on staying in the United States so I begrudgingly changed my plans.
I didn’t want to go anywhere colder than Texas, so I decided on Florida. Little did I know that it was off season in Panama City Beach, and it wasn’t going to be beach weather at all. Kids, this is why it’s important to learn geography.
Nevertheless, we had a blast!
Why did we decide to drive from DFW to Panama City Beach instead of flying?
My husband wanted to save a little bit of money, and we knew that when we were in Florida we would need a method of transportation.
Of course, we could have Uber-ed everywhere or rented a car, but our budget just didn’t allow for that.
And, given that he’s driven from New York to Texas by himself, he figured 12 hours wouldn’t be so bad! Especially because he knew I would drive for some of the trip so that he could rest.
How long is the drive from DFW to Panama City Beach?
The drive from DFW to Panama City Beach is about 12 hours.
With stopping for gas, bathroom breaks, and meals, we ended up taking about 15 hours.
What time should I leave to avoid traffic?
Because Austin is only 1 ½ , we knew that we needed to leave early so that he would be asleep for the majority of the car ride.
Once he’s up, there is no keeping him seated!
So, we left at about 3:30AM. My husband took the first shift because it was still dark out and I have a hard time seeing at night. At about 6:45AM when the sun started to shine, I took over for a bit.
We really didn’t hit much traffic during our entire drive, but it may be because of the time we decided to leave.
Where did we stop on the drive from DFW to Panama City Beach?
According to my Google Maps timeline, we made the following stops:
- McDonalds, 1601 Hwy 65 S, Tallulah, LA, 71282– we stopped for breakfast. My husband got a black coffee to keep himself awake and my son and I split a pancake breakfast. He loves any kind of breakfast sausage, and I love hash browns!
- Magee, Mississippi – this was probably just a quick gas refill/ bathroom break
- Landmark Cafe and Grill, 5173 Main Street, Lucedale, MS 39452 – lunch break in a cute little town that we stumbled upon on the way to PCB. My husband stayed in the car while my son and I ate lunch because he had to teach a class. I ordered the chicken poppyseed salad and my son got the grilled cheese sandwich with sweet potato fries. He ended up eating none of his sandwich and all of my salad.
- Buc-ee’s 20403 Co Rd 68, Robertsdale, AL 36567– Of course whenever you see a Buc-ee’s sign you have to make that part of the road trip! We stopped here to stretch our legs and get some brisket for the road.
Where did we stay in Panama City Beach?
We rented an Airbnb for our stay in PCB. The resort was called Emerald Beach Resort and was located on 14701 Front Beach Road. The link to the Airbnb we chose can be found here.
The room itself was really nice and I loved waking up to the view of the ocean everyday (even though it was way too cold to go in it).
The only criticisms I have are the position of the bunk bed and the firmness of the couch.
The bunk beds are located in the hallway right outside of the bathroom, which may be okay if you have small children but if you’re going with friends it might be a little odd. The couch was also very soft, so I am not sure the pull out would be comfortable to sleep on.
It says on the listing that it sleeps six, but I wouldn’t sleep anywhere other than the bedroom.
The Airbnb Property
To be honest, the building was a little bit difficult to navigate the first day. The parking garage is separated from the high rise condos.
Depending on where you park, you may need to take an elevator to the lobby, walk through a tunnel and then take a different set of elevators to your floor.
The elevators to the condos are also outside, which may not be a problem if you’re going during peak season but since we went when the weather was 30-50 degrees it was a little chilly!
Some perks about the property are that you are within a 3 minute walk to private beach access and there is a Starbucks located on the property.
We also went during Christmas time, so it was decorated beautifully! There was also a gingerbread house building activity that the resort was hosting one night, which was so great for my little one and I!
Knowing what I know, if I were to revisit PCB, I definitely would rebook this property if it was just my family and I going.
Restaurants In Panama City Beach
I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Food was (for the most part) a MAJOR disappointment on this trip. So much so that I don’t have any photos of the food from this trip.
To start, all of the restaurants I had on my list were closed for the season. Literally all of them. So that was a bummer.
I am also expecting, so it was very hard for me to have to turn down raw oysters, which I love!
My husband is also not the biggest fan of seafood. So while I still wanted to try some basic things, I also had to be considerate of things he likes as well.
Shrimp Basket
Shrimp Basket is located at 12390 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, FL 32407.
I went to Shrimp Basket for lunch by myself while my husband got Thai food to take back to the condo.
I ordered the blackened shrimp and grouper combo. The combo came with French fries, two hush puppies, a corn fritter and potatoes. The shrimp and fish were delicious and perfectly well seasoned. The sides were okay, but the potatoes were a bit too buttery for my liking.
For the portion, it was also kind of pricey!
Oishi Thai Restaurant and Sushi Bar
Oishi Thai Restaurant and Sushi Bar is located at 16920 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, FL 32413.
We ordered a couple of things from here because we wanted to have enough for dinner and the next day.
We ordered pad thai, pad see ew, red curry, green curry, and a pad woon sen.
The pad see ew was by far the worst we have ever had. There was a little bit too much black pepper and the noodles stuck together making it very difficult to eat.
Everything else was edible, but nothing to write home about. We would not recommend this restaurant.
Another Broken Egg Cafe
Another Broken Egg Cafe is located at 11535 Hutchinson Blvd Ste 100, Panama City Beach, FL 32407.
My husband had to teach in the morning during our trip, so I decided to go out to breakfast with my son.
Since my husband has an egg intolerance, I figured he wouldn’t be upset about missing breakfast from a place called “Another Broken Egg”.
I ordered a veggie omelet with breakfast potatoes and my son got a kids meal with eggs, french toast, breakfast sausage and fruit.
The food was not memorable, but the atmosphere was very nice and the staff were kind. I would go back, but probably order something else!
Bella Roma Tuscan Grill
Bella Roma Tuscan Grill is located at 11535 Hutchinson Blvd Ste 101, Panama City Beach, FL 32407.
If that address looks familiar, it is because it is in the same center as Another Broken Egg Cafe.
While at breakfast, I noticed that there was another restaurant right next door. My husband and I were trying to figure out where to go for dinner the night before, so I figured Italian was perfect!
We ordered a margherita pizza and penne bolognese. My son LOVED the penne, so much so that we ordered takeout from here the following night for him.
The margherita pizza was not the best, but it also wasn’t the worst.
For dessert, we tried the gluten free chocolate cake. We decided on the chocolate cake because it was egg free, and I wanted to share it with my husband. It was very decadent and I highly recommend it!
The following night, we also ordered the chicken francese, which was very good! It had just the right amount of tartness to it.
The only criticism I have of this restaurant is that it was a little expensive. For a pizza, pasta and dessert (no alcohol), it came out to around $80.
Diego’s Burrito Factory and Margarita Bar
Diego’s Burrito Factory and Margarita Bar is located at 15514 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, FL 32413.
My husband ate here. He ordered a chicken quesadilla. He was not impressed.
AutentiKa Mexican Grille
AutentiKa Mexican Grille is located at 14662 Front Beach Road #3517, Panama City Beach, FL 32413.
My husband was continuing his Mexican kick, and this restaurant was within walking distance from our condo.
My husband got a fajita platter and a chicken quesadilla. He would not recommend returning to this restaurant.
Local Steamer Seafood Market
Local Steamer Seafood Market is located at 14656 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, FL 32413.
This restaurant is located in the same center as AutentiKa Mexican Grille.
So, while my husband ate Mexican food, I dined on seafood!
I ordered the crab and shrimp combo and substituted the sausage with an extra piece of corn.
Since I was sharing with Austin, I asked for the spices and butter on the side so that I could control how much I was putting on. I was worried the old bay would be too overpowering for Austin.
The crab was fresh and sweet! If I do end up going back, I would probably skip the shrimp and do all crab legs.
Pho Express Vietnamese Bistro
Pho Express Vietnamese Bistro is located at 8776 Thomas Drive #5, Panama City Beach, FL 32408.
This was probably my favorite meal of the trip. After eating out all week, it was nice to have a bowl of soup.
I ordered a chicken pho with beef broth and no cilantro. The chicken itself was very dry, but the broth was flavorful and the amount of noodles they gave was generous!
My husband ordered a bowl of pho with rare steak. The beef in the pho was very tender!
We also ordered a shaking beef for the table. The flavor was much more mild than other shaking beef we’ve had but I really liked it! The meat was tender here as well.
I also ordered an avocado smoothie with boba. It was creamy and sweet and really hit the spot after a nice meal!
Conclusion
I had a great time with my family on our first trip by ourselves, and I hope that this guide can help you as you plan your trip from DFW to Panama City Beach!
If you want to read about our drive back where we make a pit stop in New Orleans, you can find that here!
NOW I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Do you have a favorite travel spot that you like to visit as a family?
Let me know in the comments below!
