January 21st, 2012
After a very peaceful stay at West Bay Creek we were eager to move on to Panama City. In exchange for the serenity of the creek we had no internet service or cell service which has put us behind on work and articles.
As we entered West Bay for the crossing to Panama City I spotted a couple of dolphins in the distance heading in our direction. This is usually when I make my way quickly to the bow of the boat for an up close show of them swimming alongside and in front of the boat. I’ve watched this dozens of times and each time I see it is like the first.
Conrad doesn’t get to see the show up close as often as I do because he’s usually at the helm. This time instead of rushing to the bow I signaled for him to go up front and take watch (Logan was still sleeping).
Conrad made his way up to the bow looking all around for a dolphin with none in sight. He began to look discouraged and with one last attempt to find them he took hold of the railing and leaned over as far as he could to see if they were in between the pontoons of the boat. As he leaned over two large dolphins leapt out of the water right in front of him. He was so startled that he jumped back nearly knocking him off his feet. I laughed hysterically as he stood there in shock.
The rest of the way to Panama City was pretty uneventful. We had great weather all day. We arrived at Panama City Marina around 3:00pm. The staff here is extremely nice.
There is a small convenience store, which has a unique shop front design, next to the fuel dock so before we were completely tied off Logan hopped off in search for an ice cream bar. Needless to say she made several trips for ice cream and chips during our two day stay. One time I went to check on her when she was supposed to be studying and I found her knapping on the table.
The first night, we walked downtown in quest of a restaurant. While wandering, I noticed various shops with commercial shutter doors that were closed, so we opted on Ferrucci Ristorante, an Italian eatery. The food was okay and excessively pricey, but it was wonderful to get out of the house. On the second night, we played it safe and ordered Pizza Hut.
Day two in Panama City was spent catching up on work and writing. Conrad took care of some small boat projects and Logan caught up on some school work (after her nap). We were near the Tyndall Air Force Base and had jets fly over several times during the day.
The marina also has a beautiful 911 memorial that we enjoyed viewing.
