Sundial Suites Journal

We get asked about timing all the time. Some weekends in PCB are quiet beach mornings; others are 50,000 motorcycles thundering down Front Beach Road. Both can be a great trip if you know what’s coming. Here’s the honest local calendar of the big annual events, with confirmed 2026 dates where available and practical notes…

A Shell Island day trip from Panama City Beach is one of those things you hear about from locals and end up putting at the top of your list. It earns the reputation. Shell Island is a 700-acre, undeveloped barrier island sitting just across St. Andrews Pass from the state park, no roads, no buildings, no…

Picking the right beach on any given day makes a real difference. The best beaches near Panama City Beach west end aren’t all the same, they vary by crowd level, water clarity, access, and what kind of day you’re after. This guide covers what’s actually within reach of Sundial Suites and when each one makes…

If you’re staying on the west end of Panama City Beach and wondering what’s actually worth your time, this guide is written for you. The area around things to do near west end Panama City Beach looks quiet on a map, and that’s the point. You’re close to everything that matters and far from the…

Panama City Beach is one of the most kid-friendly Gulf Coast destinations because the beach is shallow, the water is gentle (most days), and there’s enough non-beach activity to fill a week without driving far. Here’s the family activity guide we’d give friends bringing kids for the first time. Free vs paid framing You can…

If you’re coming to Panama City Beach and there’s any chance you’ll snorkel, you need to know about St. Andrews State Park. The jetty cove inside the park has the best water clarity in the entire Florida Panhandle, you can wade out from shore (no boat needed), and you’ll see more fish in 30 minutes there…

If you’ve never been to Pirates of the High Seas Festival in Panama City Beach, here’s the short version: it’s the closest thing PCB has to a true citywide family festival, it absolutely takes over Pier Park for a long weekend, and if you book your stay even a month out you’ll get better pricing…

Memorial Day weekend in Panama City Beach is the unofficial kickoff to the summer season here on the Emerald Coast. The first big wave of out-of-state visitors arrives, the beach bars all break out their summer menus, and the snowbirds who stuck around to enjoy May suddenly have a lot of company. We’ve lived in…

Camp Helen State Park is the most overlooked corner of Panama City Beach, and we love it that way. It sits at the far west end of PCB at the Walton County line, protects a rare coastal dune lake (Lake Powell), and gives you a half-mile of undeveloped Gulf shoreline plus hiking trails. We’re 7…