Greetings
FROM
FLORIDA!
Panama City Beach
Start in Northwest Florida, in Panama City Beach. Panama City
Beach has over 20 miles of clear, beautiful beaches to roam. If
you are looking for the perfect beach experience, try a day out
at Shell Island. “Shell Island is a barrier island, a 7-mile stretch
of undeveloped land nestled between the Gulf of Mexico and
St. Andrews Bay.” It is uninhabited and stays true to its name,
as sand dollars, conch shells, and moon snails all line its shores.
You can take as many shells with you as you would like (as
long as there are no critters living inside them!).
Shell Island is full of wildlife, including deer, beach mice, and
ghost crabs. However, Shell Island’s most favored residents are
definitely the sea turtles. There are two types: the endangered
loggerhead and the endangered green turtle. The green turtle
is actually named for its green skin, rather than shell, which
is more of a brownish color. These turtles have just finished
nesting, as their season ended in October, but they will pick
back up in May, so if you are a fan of these majestic creatures,
you may want to wait until the early summer season to come
out and enjoy Shell Island.
56
FoodTraveler l Winter 2016