Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Coconut Creek Mini Golf, Panama City Beach, Florida

After we worked our way through the Gran Maze at the Coconut Creek Family Fun Park, we made our way over to the first miniature golf course. This has to be one of the top-rated miniature golf courses in Panama City Beach Florida. The course is very well maintained, vibrantly lit, and it is nicely decorated with a wildlife theme throughout. As you explore this unique putt-putt course you will be surrounded by a wide variety of interesting jungle scenery. You will see large sculptures of elephants, giraffes, alligators, and zebras to name a few. If that is not enough, there is a huge waterfall, a pond, and a couple of rope bridges. When you visit Coconut Creek be sure to have your cell phone or camera fully charged. There are plenty of photo opportunities for the family and one-of-a-kind backgrounds for Facebook selfies.

Many of the holes on the course are really short. It seemed that the shorter holes were designed to be slightly more difficult and featured various inclines which I always struggle with. That said, this course is not what I would consider hard and should be manageable for most kids. My son, who was 7 at the time, did not have any problems playing the course and I feel that he had a lot of fun.

The staff seemed to be very nice and helpful as well, we are the family that can never seem to find the first hole. As far as the prices at Coconut Creek, thy seem to be in line with most other touristy miniature golf courses. If you plan to enjoy the Gran Maze as well as one or both putt-putt courses, be sure to ask about the unlimited play pass. When we visited, the unlimited-play pass was just $24 per person, and I believe kids five and under played free. This is a great deal for a night of family fun and the pass also allowed for free play the following day before 5pm.


Overall, this was a very family oriented Panama City Beach mini-golf course. The course provided some challenges for the adults and still remained fun for the kids. Between courses, you may even want to try weaving your way through the Gran Maze at Coconut Creek.

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Gran Maze of Coconut Creek, Panama City Beach, Florida

Before getting into the details, I'd like to say that I have mixed feelings about the Gran Maze of Coconut Creek. This was the first maze adventure for me and my family, and I must say that my expectations were exceptionally low. Walking through a maze did not seem like a fun way to spend the evening. Especially when nature's very own waterpark (the beach) is so close.

As it turns out, I was wrong. My family and I had a lot of fun winding through the maze. That said, the entertainment value was on par with my original expectations. I know that it may sound like an oxymoron to say that something is fun but not entertaining, but this is the case with the Gran Maze. I think this could be improved a little by adding some themed décor throughout the maze. If nothing else, it would be an opportunity to stop for a selfie or a family photo.
 

The object of the maze is to find your way to four points located in the center. You can see the raised areas in the photo above. All four points are connected to form one football-field-sized maze. Once at each point, you punch your card to show that you have completed the maze. My family of three, who depend deeply on Google maps for navigation, finished in around 30 minutes. The leader board that is located just outside the maze, displayed times as low as 15 minutes. Honestly, it is hard to believe that the course could be completed in 15 minutes without being extremely lucky or by cheating.

The maze at coconut creek provided a fun way to stretch our legs and to log a few steps in our Fitbits. A maze may not be our first choice for entertainment, but going forward, I am sure we will seek out this type of adventure more often. With a little practice, we may even shave a few minutes off our time.

Continue Reading:
Bizarre, Bike Hanging on a Tree, Andalusia, AL



Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Bike on a Tree, Andalusia, AL

My family loves to stop at antique stores, consignment shops, and flea markets. Many times, we stumble onto things that are specific to the area that we are visiting. For example, a coastal town may have a large supply of vintage fishing gear and antique bobbers. While towns near a railroad may have a large selection of antique railroad signs. Each town is very different, so each stop provides something new, or maybe I should say “old”, and interesting. We have come across some cool stuff over the years, some we purchased, and some we left for the next traveler to enjoy. 

On our way back from Panama City Beach, we stopped in the small town of Andalusia, AL. Andalusia is the home of the Picket Fence, Antiques and Flea as well as the Blue Goose garden center. The garden center is located on the same property and just in front of the antique store. On our way back to the car, we walked up on this old bike hanging on a tree. In that moment, the bizarre page was inspired. If you are ever in Andalusia, stop and take a photo with the bike hanging on a tree.