One of the great pleasures of being on vacation is having a chance to sample food (that is cooked by somebody else) at local restaurants, but eating out for breakfast, lunch and dinner can be very expensive. Some of the many advantages of renting a house versus a hotel room include having access to a full kitchen, cooking implements and serving dishes, a real dining table and chairs and maybe a grill. In a house there is a full size refrigerator to store groceries and snacks, a microwave oven to heat up the left overs from that great restaurant meal last night, a cork screw to open up a nice bottle of wine and real wine glasses to drink it out of, preferably while sitting on a deck and watching the sunset.
When my family is at the beach we love to go to Publix Supermarket for groceries, wine and fresh seafood. The last time we were at the beach we found another great place to buy fresh seafood, Buddy's Seafood Market. The people at Buddy's were so helpful and friendly, and the seafood selection was excellent. Goatfeathers is another good place for fresh seafood.
On Saturdays there is a farmer's market at the amphitheater in Seaside from 8 AM until noon. The farmers market has local produce that is in season and prepared foods. There is nothing more inspiring to a cook than fresh, flavorful ingredients. The Coastal Living Cookbook, pictured above, has some yummy recipes for using seafood and southern produce. Pick it up at the library or bookstore and cook something that will rival the restaurant meals on your next trip.
The Coastal Living Cookbook, 2004, Oxmoor House Inc., ISBN: 0-8487-2828-9
Publix SuperMarket, Ocean Park Pavilion, 23026 Panama City Beach Parkway and Watercolor Crossings, 110 Watercolor Way
Buddy's Seafood Market, 111 S. Arnold Rd., Panama City Beach, 32413
Goatfeathers Seafood Market, 4042 E. Scenic Highway 30A
Seaside Farmers Market, Scenic Highway 30A, Seaside, FL
If your schedule allows you to make travel plans a week in advance of your arrival date, you can receive a significant discount over our regular weekly rental rates. For example, if you check the rental calendar for Emerald Views on April 26 and the next week of May 3 is not yet rented, you can book the week of May 3 for 50% off regular rental rates, plus tax. Stays of less than a week are negotiable. Please email me at my gmail address or send an inquiry via our VRBO or Homeaway sites if you have questions. 
