Mardi Gras on the Emerald Coast

Laissez les bon temps roulez!  Mardi Gras is coming up, and although Fat Tuesday isn’t happening until March 8th, there are plenty of upcoming celebrations happening all along the Gulf Coast.  Bring out your masks, boas and beads and join us for these unforgettable festivities!

Panama City will play host to the St. Andrew’s Mardi Gras Festival on February 25th & 26th.  There will be a Kids Parade on the 25th down Beck Avenue, and the 26th will feature the Annual Grand Parade along the same route.  In addition to the parades, there will be a two-day festival in the Oaks by the Bay Park (1000 Beck Ave., Panama City, FL, 32401) with entertainment for the entire family.

HarborWalk Village on the Destin Harbor (10 Harbor Blvd., Destin, FL, 32541) is bringing us two celebrations: Enjoy the parade on February 26th with beads, live music, and traditional New Orleans revelry, or join them March 8th for the Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Bash featuring free red beans and rice, performers and live music that’s sure to be a good time!

The islanders of Pensacola Beach definitely know how to have a good time, as they are also featuring two parades.  February 26th will host the Kids & Kritters Parade ($5 fee for your furry friend to participate) from the Beach Fire Station (901 Via de Luna Dr., Pensacola Beach, 32561) to the Pensacola Beach Community Church.  Check out the costumed kids and pets in this fun and furry parade.  March 6th will feature the big celebration, the Krewe of Wrecks, down Via de Luna Drive at 12pm.

The Gulf Shores area is the closest to Mobile (the true birthplace of Mardi Gras), and they are having five separate parades!  March 4th is the Mystical Order of Mirams Mardi Gras Parade in Orange Beach at 6:30pm from Wintzell’s Oyster House (24131 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach, AL, 36561) ending at Rite Aid.  The Mystics of Pleasure Mardi Gras Parade is March 5th in Orange Beach at 6:30pm from Live Bait (24281 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach, AL, 36561) ending at the Perdido Beach Resort.  March 8th is Fat Tuesday, so there are three parades to choose from: the Gulf Shores Mardi Gras Parade at 10am along Highway 59, the Orange Beach Mardi Gras Parade at 1:30pm beginning at Wintzell’s, and LuLu’s 7th Anniversary Celebration and Boat Parade, an all-day event at LuLu’s at Homeport (200 E 25th Ave., Gulf Shores, AL, 36542)

The Emerald Coast is proof that you don’t need to be in New Orleans or Mobile to celebrate Mardi Gras in style.  Come join us in one of many properties all along the sandy white beaches, and be ready for lots of beads (and maybe a Moon Pie, too).

Panama City Beach Seafood, Wine & Music Festival, October 8-10, 2010

By Kristin Destin, ResortQuest Northwest Florida

The Seafood, Wine, and Music Festival is once again returning to Panama City Beach October 8-10 at Frank Brown Park.  This year’s festival will feature FREE wine tastings, celebrity chef exhibitions from local chefs, amazing food from local restaurants, and over 75 retail, antique and art vendors.  Don’t miss a sneak peek at the Emerald Coast Cruizin’ car show!
   
New this year, all of the kids activities are going green!  Diesel powered midway rides have been replace with all environmentally friendly amusements.  Children will love meeting Spongebob Squarepants, who will be available during lunch on Saturday and Sunday. 
   
The music line-up this year is phenomenal: Lorrie Morgan and the Bellamy Brothers on Friday, REO Speedwagon on Saturday, and Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Little River Band on Sunday.  Ticket prices vary by day.  Children are free all days until 4pm, afterwards they will require a $7 kids ticket.  General admission for Friday is $20 and $15 on Saturday.  Sunday has two ticket options - $15 from 12-5pm and $25 for all-day general admission.  One-day VIP passes are available each day for $150, and a one-day VIP pass with a guaranteed meet-and-greet with the band is $250 each day.

Come on down and enjoy everything this exciting festival has to offer!  ResortQuest offers spacious condos and vacation homes in Panama City Beach to suit anyone’s needs.

Kid-Friendly Activities for the Younger Set, Part III - Panama City Beach, Florida

By Kristin Destin, ResortQuest Northwest Florida

In previous weeks, I’ve written about various kid-friendly activities that I have found in the Gulf Shores and Destin areas.  This week will be my final installment, and I will be taking you east to Panama City Beach.  Although with any of our beautiful destinations, the beach is one of the best places to entertain your kids, here are a few final land-locked activities the small ones will enjoy!

• Gulf World Marine Park, 15412 Front Beach Rd., Panama City Beach, FL – This is a great place for the kids to see a wide variety of marine life.  It has tons of live shows featuring dolphins, sea lions, reptiles and tropical birds.  There are also exhibits with penguins, flamingos, sharks, alligators, sea turtles, iguana and much more.  The best part is that children 4 and under are FREE! For more information call (850) 234-5271 or visit www.gulfworldmarinepark.com.

• Zoo World, 9008 Front Beach Rd., Panama City Beach, FL – What child doesn’t love the zoo?  Zoo World has lots of shows that include “Parrots in Paradise,” “Going Wild” (featuring reptiles and small mammals), an alligator show, and a wolf show.  Also, children 3 and under are FREE!  For more information call (850) 230-1243 or visit www.zooworldpcb.net.

• Shipwreck Island Waterpark, 12201 Middle Beach Rd., Panama City Beach, FL – If sand isn’t your thing, this water park is perfect for you!  Small children will love the special kids’ area called the Tadpole Hole featuring slides like the Silly Sub, Pelican, and Frog.  There’s also much, much more for the bigger kids – and also for kids at heart.  Children under 35” tall are FREE!  For more information call (850) 234-3333 or visit www.shipwreckisland.com.

Now that you’ve learned about all the amazing things there are to do all along the Gulf Coast from Gulf Shores, Alabama to Panama City Beach, Florida, I really do hope that you come on down to spend your family vacation with ResortQuest.  Just give us a call – we’ll be expecting you!

TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort hosted One of the Largest Tennis Tournaments in the Nation

TOPS’L Beach &  Racquet Resort wrapped up one of the nations largest sanctioned USTA (United States Tennis Association) tournaments on April 18, 2010. Nearly 300 Players were competing in their age division for points toward state and national rankings. Known as The Helen Drake Tournament, the five-day event has been voted ‘Florida’s Tournament of the Year’ three times. “This tournament has grown exponentially since inception in 1987. In fact, participation has doubled in the past 15 years. Players come from all over the south. A few of our participants started playing the tournament when they were in their 40’s and are now playing in the 70’s division. It is a great testament to the tournament experience,” said Tennis Director Joe D’Aleo.

The tournament consists of singles and doubles events for both men and women. Tournament matches are paired by age - starting from 30’s up to 80’s. Additionally, players can choose the ‘Open Division’ as an option for those who want to compete with the best, at any age. Plans for the 2011 Helen Drake Tournament are already underway. “We expect the tournament to keep growing. Our plan has always been to make tennis at TOPS’L a world-class experience,” remarked D’Aleo, “And with the quality of players attending The Helen Drake year after year, we are on our way to the top.”

Evidence TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort is making strides in the tennis sector, USPTA (United States Professional Tennis Association) has chosen TOPS’L as the destination for their annual regional conference; making this the first Southern Division Conference in the history of the USPTA to be held in Northwest Florida. The conference is a four-day event and is expected over one hundred of the South’s finest Tennis Professionals.

Managed by ResortQuest, TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort is a renowned destination for tennis lovers. In 2009, consumers voted TOPS’L as the 9^th best tennis resort in the world by tennis resorts online. For over a decade TOPS’L has been recognized as being one of the U.S. Top 50 Tennis Resort destinations by Tennis Magazine. 

South West Airlines annouces first flight in/out of Panama City Beach

NEWS FLASH!!!

South West Airlines first flight in/out of Panama City is scheduled for May 23rd 2010.

As of “TODAY” you can book fares as low as $49.00. The four non-stop destinations to and from Panama City are:

Baltimore

Orlando

Nashville

Houston

Southwest is offering these new flights with fares as low as $49 each way to Orlando and $69 each way to Baltimore/Washington, Houston, and Nashville with a 14-day advance purchase

* Panama City Beach (ECP) to/from Houston Hobby (HOU) – two daily flights

* Panama City Beach (ECP) to/from Baltimore/Washington (BWI) – two daily flights

* Panama City Beach (ECP) to/from Orlando (MCO) – two daily flights

For more details please go to http://www.southwest.com

Ocean Reef Condos

Ocean Reef Condominiums

ResortQuest Real Estate Offers Post Auction Limited Time Reductions

The highly anticipated Ocean Reef Absolute Auction in Panama City Beach proved that now is the time to buy. The luxury two bedroom condominiums originally priced at $449,000 sold for only $225,000 - That's half price for 1,149 sq foot vacation condo!
Though 35 condos sold at the auction, there are still more that need to go. For a limited time ResortQuest Real Estate is offering the following units below market prices.

2 Bedroom 2 Bath $259,900
4 Bedroom 4 Bath $359,900
Call 1-800-267-4853 for more information.

Condos For Kids: An Opportunity For Sharing Paradise

ResortQuest Northwest Florida has partnered with Condos for Kids to offer vacation home owners the chance to make a big difference for a child struggling with a life threatening illness.

Learn more about Condos for Kids and ResortQuest Homeowner participation. | digg story

This is a great story. The ResortQuest homeowners here in Northwest Florida have been very generous with their vacation rentals. ResortQuest of Northwest Florida offers vacation rentals along the Alabama Gulf Coast, Perdido Key, Navarre Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Beaches of South Walton and Panama City Beach.

Franklin County Making Splash Along THE Beach

A new marketing organization intent on selling coastal Northwest Florida as a single tourist attraction with unique communities, all tied together by the world's best beaches, has added Franklin County to the list of communities it represents. ResortQuest of Northwest Florida is proud to be a part of THE Beach with properties in Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton and Bay counties.

read more | digg story