From Jacksonville, we decided to take the scenic route along the Florida Panhandle to Panama City, our overnight stay. On the way we stopped in Apalachicola ( "appa latch a cola" ). This was a place that was recommended by one of our fellow boaters at the marina. It didn't disappoint. After strolling through a very cute little downtown area, we had lunch at "Up the Creek Raw bar". This was a wonderful seafood restaurant which had a very unusual method of ordering. First you had to order your food and drink and then tell them where you were sitting so they could deliver the food to you. That is fine where someone has another person to sit down and hold your seats. If you were by yourself, you could end up ordering and picking an empty seat then hope that no one takes your seat before you get there. Payment is made when you were done eating. Lynn saved our seats while I ordered, so it worked out fine. The raw oysters which are caught locally ( boats were sailing by with fresh catch as we ate ) were wonderful as well as the crab cakes.

From here the route took us along the ocean with fantastic views of the gulf of Mexico. Along the way we also saw the devastation that Hurricane Michael caused in 2018. They are still recovering and rebuilding. We saw buildings that were completely flattened and many others with roofs still under repair. Tyndell Air Force base still had aircraft hangers that had the whole side of the hanger wall ripped right off. Even with all the money that goes into the military, they still haven't fixed the base yet.

Panama City also had devastation. The hotel we stayed had a completely renovated interior but the outside grounds were still dirt as all they had been washed out by the hurricane. Actually the hotel we stayed was in the area where the eye of the hurricane passed through.