It is a rarity to see a monument to Union soldiers in the heart of the old Confederate States of…read moreAmerica. Hopefully a good sign that old wounds and grudges between the 2 sides are finally gone and resolved. The monument is located in the middle of residential Lynn Haven. Not something I'd go out of my way to see unless you were a Civil War historian, but worth stopping by if you are in the area.

This marker is in excellent condition and denotes an important piece of history. Did you know that…read morethere was a time that you might not always have had the right to have the court appoint an attorney for all cases if you could not afford one? It's true, and it started here in Panama City. The marker reads: This is the site of the landmark Gideon case, after which the Public Defender system was established in Florida and throughout the nation. In 1961, Clarence Earl Gideon (1910-1972) stood trial in this courthouse for the felony of burglary. Lacking funds to hire a lawyer, Gideon requested that a lawyer be appointed to represent him at trial. Gideon's request was denied, because at that time, a person accused of a non-capital felony did not have a constitutional right to a free lawyer. Gideon represented himself at his trial and was convicted. While serving his five-year prison sentence, Gideon petitioned the United States Supreme Court to review his case. The Supreme Court issued its decision in 1963 in Gideon v. Wainwright, ruling that every poor person charged with a serious crime in this country must be provided a lawyer for his defense at public expense. Panama City attorney, W. Fred Turner (b. 1922) represented Gideon at his retrial and won an acquittal. Built in 1914, this building is one of only a few original courthouses in Florida still being used for its original purpose. A fire in 1920 gutted the building, but it was immediately rebuilt in its Classic Revival architectural style.

For such an old structure, this marker is in excellent shape. It marks the history of the first…read moreschool in this community being built in 1850. And in Florida, 1850 is a VERY long time ago. The marker reads: The first school in St. Andrews, a community established ca.1827, was built in 1850. That building burned down. The second school was a two-story wooden structure with two large rooms on each floor. The school had four teachers and 100 students. In 1925, that school burned, six weeks before the summer recess. On July 7, 1926, voters overwhelmingly approved the issuance of bonds totaling $60,000 to build the present school. E.D. Fitchner, a Tallahassee architect, drew the plans for the 12 classrooms and an auditorium. J.R. Asbell of Panama City was the contractor. St. Andrew(s) School has a Mediterranean Revival Style with classical motifs, and is most noted for its arched windows, red tile roof, and impressive auditorium. During World War II (1941-1945), due to the Wainwright Shipyard and Tyndall Air Force Base, the area grew so rapidly that the school had to go to double sessions. Through the years the building has been used for community events, such as plays, public service forums and educational films. St. Andrew(s) School was completely renovated in 1999-2002, and is the oldest continuously functioning school in Bay County.

This is/was a wonderful school, I have many wonderful memories here. I went to school here in the…read more70's kindergarten through the 5th grade, would love to go back sometime and take a tour !

Nice little walking park with a couple open fields to play sports or do some yoga!read more

Closed when we went there. Blountstown really should have a grassroots effort to rally around this…read moretreasure and biking trail, railroad museum, and polishing up the downtown area to make it a full day invitation to those traveling an hour or more to visit. The police department is chained up, bike trail bridge blocked off and garbage everywhere. But there is a brand new sidewalk from the main road going nowhere. With pride and proper priorities this place could be exceptional! Wishing you all the best.

This is a first class historical attraction. It matches the big city pioneer exhibits down in…read moreLargo, Bradenton, Christmas and elsewhere. I was shocked by the size of many of the buildings and the attention to detail not just in the preservation of the buildings exterior but in the interior fixings. If you are traveling in the Florida Panhandle, this is a place to look up. Call ahead since hours are limited.

Historic Russ House built in the 1890s is a beautiful and historic building to house a tourist…read moreinformation center as well as a Veterans' Center. Julie greeted us as we arrived. She welcomed us to peruse the house on our own as well as offered us a tour. A few minutes later, Chastity guided us through the mansion. The many stories of the house and its former occupants are fascinating. We also learned about the Battle of Marianna which took place during the Civil War. Soldiers gathered at a nearby corner in preparation for battle. Plaques throughout Marianna commemorate the battle. The surrounding neighborhood features several pre-Civil War homes including one home called the 1840 House. It's like a step back in time. I'm glad we stopped in! The tour was worth our time plus we were able to pick up some brochures for other places of interest in the area. Thank you to Julie and Chastity for welcoming us at Russ House.

Had an employee stop whatever they were doing to give my family and some local visitors and her 2…read morechildren a brief tour. Appreciated her taking the time to show us around and give us a brief history of the property and mansion. Glad the building was repurposed and is being used.

The Dupont Bridge carries US-98 over the East Bay, linking the area of Tyndall Air Force Base with…read morePanama City. The original bridge was completed in 1929 and then it was replaced in 1967. The current bridge had a 50 year life span and that's obviously coming up now, so FDOT is working on a replacement to be started in 2024. As bridges go, it does its job. It certainly saves a heck of a long detour along this part of Florida's Coast. [Review 14687 overall, 187 of 2021, number 1251 in Florida.]

This bridge connecting the Panama City and Tyndall Air Force Base. The base always has plane fly…read moreover this bridge. At the bridge, there is a sign said low fly plane. It not the plane will hit you, but just to warn you keep yourself in the lane when you see the sonic plane fly over. This area is good location to see the fighter jet fly over then take off in very quick sonic speed. Under the bridge is diver heaven. There were plenty of fish in this area. So bring the diving gear and enjoy it. There are several swimming hole in this area. Many was spot close to the bridge. There are people has it own boat and fish under the bridge. Use the bridge as the shade from the sun, they can fish happily. There was a boat ramp at the northeast of the bridge. It has the ramp to lower your boat into the water.

We own several of Andy's pieces and they are treasures in our home, adding creativity, color and…read morejoy! Not only is Andy ridiculously talented, but he's an all around good guy. His studio is a great stop on 30A.

Andy's art blows me away. The photos are incredible, yet hardly do justice to his incredible work…read more You have to see, touch, and feel the vibes from these beautiful, funky, lively pieces of art. Do yourself a favor, and check out this gallery. You'll be hooked! Hopefully you'll get to meet Andy in person. He's one of the kindest and calmest people you could ever meet.

Very cool historical landmark! Unfortunately we weren't able to see the inside because it was…read moredamaged due to Hurricane Michael, and they're in the process of repairing the house. The information plaque in front of the house was helpful. Would recommend if you're in the area!

This is a very nice marker with way too much text in it to copy here. The marker stands in front a…read morebeautiful two story structure in front of the eponymous park here in Panama City. The complete content of both sides of the small print marker is at at the link. Here's a piece: The McKenzie House is a large two-story clapboard frame dwelling built in the Dutch Colonial style typical of the turn of the century houses still standing in Northern Michigan. It was built in 1909 by Belle Booth who married R.L. McKenzie in 1912; after which time the house came to be known as the McKenzie House. It stands today as it was enlarged in 1925. This house is significant because it was one of the first houses in a virtually unsettled area of Northwest Florida and because it was the home and office of Robert Lee McKenzie. McKenzie was born in Macon County, Georgia in 1870. He moved to the Florida Panhandle in 1902 where he became joint owner of a large naval stores business. After acquiring some waterfront property here he organized the Gulf Coast Development Company.

City employee Dawn Hollis in the underground utilities department is definitely an asset to the…read moreCity of Panama City. She fields all the complaints from angry, upset citizens with their water problems, yet when she answers the next caller, she is calm and respectful. She collects the needed information then dispatches the correct team to fix the problem. If I still had my business I would steal her from the city. she rates a 10. Fred W.

Thank to all the city employees for the service they did Wednesday the 10th in preparation of the…read moreVeterans Parade on Thursday. I saw them all day cleaning the streets from litter and edging the walkways. Thanks for the employees for placing flags around on every corner. 11th st. looked Beautiful. They all did a great job if I didn't mention others. Today it showed and had another great Veterans Parade. Thanks for all the Police Department for their service at the parade. THANK YOU ALL. GOD BLESS AND HAPPY VETERANS DAY