The Riviera – St. Andrew’s State Park in Panama City Beach Florida

Today I found everything I was looking for at St. Andrews State Park. I realized two of the three things I dislike about Panama City Beach can be overcome in this park, a few minutes from ‘Miracle Mile.’

First of all, there are dunes. I am OBSESSED with sand dunes. Particularly those with lots of sea oats covering the top.

Secondly, the seaweed is not as prevalent near the jetty at the park. The seaweed makes the water the color of, well…seaweed. When the water is clear, it is the exact color of magic. I’m sure much better people than I have tried to describe the ocean here and failed miserably. The best I can say is that ‘sea foam green’ is an insult to the water here.

I really believe you have to see it for yourself to appreciate the meaning.

I grew up coming to Destin, Florida (near here). The slogans of the day, which are probably still used, were that the ‘Emerald Coast’ beaches were THE most beautiful in the world. When I was small, I believed that statement to be true. When I got a little older, I thought it was a marketing tool to attract tourists to the beaches here. Now that I’ve seen beaches in 8 countries and all over the U.S., I know that while it may be a marketing ploy, it is absolutely true. This is evident in the growth to the Gulf Coast beach towns over the last 20 years.