Food Traveler Magazine Winter 2016 | Page 58

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