Clay Underwood, Anthony Orio, Tootsies Orchid Lounge: Pier Park, Panama City Beach, Florida

February 10th through 14th, 2009

This travellog covers five days on Panama City Beach. We enjoyed the live music at Tootsies Orchid Lounge a Buffetesque honky tonk in Pier Park on Panama City Beach, Florida. Clay Underwood & Anthony Orio were headlining, it doesn't get any better.

We were staying in Saint Andrews State Park. $27 a night for paved interior roads, 30-amps, water and central dump stations. Camp sites are on compacted sand. Location & price are the attraction in this park. Campsites outside St Andrews State Park start at $50 a night and quickly escalate from there.

Kiteboarding or kitesurfing at St Andrews State Park: Panama City Beach, Florida

 

 

 

 

A strong front moved through the Gulf Coast yesterday leaving rough surf, high winds and overcast skies. Kitesurfers were out in force at St Andrews State Park today enjoying the incredible surf and strong wind. This kite surfer is still on land though heading to the waters edge where his board is.

Note the orange & white "kite" on the beach. Even when conditions are great they have to come in to eat and rest.

 

Kiteboarding in St Andrews State Park: Panama City Beach, Florida

 

 

This one is heading out while jumping waves at St Andrews State Park.

 

 

 

Kiteboarding in St Andrews State Park: Panama City Beach, Florida

 

 

 

Kites propel kite surfers at incredible speeds. We watched as they got up enough speed to propel themselves 20' or more into the air. Try as we might we did not get a good "airborne" picture.

 

 

Kitesurfers at St Andrews State Park: Panama City Beach, Florida

 

Three of the brightly colored kites in action with an equal number on the beach at St Andrews State Park.

 

 

Joyce with Aaron Tippin at Tootsies Orchid Lounge: Pier Park, Panama City Beach, Florida

 

While the snow white beaches are a definite attraction for us when visiting Panama City Beach we also enjoy Tootsies famous honky tonk located in Pier Park on Panama City Beach. The place always has an interesting variety of folks in it. Tonight Joyce got her picture taken with Aaron Tippin the Country Music super star. He was vacationing in the area and stopped by to visit with the band. Thankfully, we know the band real well.

For those of you who need help recalling who Aaron Tippin is this might help: He was born in Pensacola, Fl way back in 1958 ---- ooooh that makes him a codger. VBG some of his hit records that you may recall are:

You have to Stand for Something, There Ain't nothin Wrong with the Radio, Kiss This, Where the Stars & Stripes and Eagle Fly, and Working mans PHD. There are more, many more I just can't remember them.

This was a good night. VBG

Large buck with good rack in St Andrews State Park: Panama City Beach, Florida

 

 

 

 

How about this handsome buck roaming in St Andrews state park near our camp site. When staying in the campground at St Andrews State Park you see deer frequently, some of them even have impressive racks although none of them have much size. They are larger than the famous Key Deer but small compared to what hunters are after.

 

 

 

Pine Tree and pollen generators at work in St Andrews State Park on Panama City Beach, Florida

 

 

Spring is upon us. Pine trees and pollen are rites of passage in the deep south. Allergies will be reacting to the pollen these things will produce. Meanwhile, everything in the vicinity is being dusted with a fine yellow coat of pollen. This caused major sinus problems for me.

 

 

 

Brown Pelicans in breeding plumage: St Andrews State Park on Panama City Beach, Florida

 

 

 

Pelicans at the fish cleaning table near the campground in St. Andrews State Park make good subjects for those with a camera. These are in breeding plumage. They are not normally this colorful.

 

 

 

Brown Pelican in breeding plumage: St Andrews State Park on Panama City Beach, Florida

 

 

While this one looks cute they do not normally have this much color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evening glow on Sand Dunes in St Andrews State Park on Panama City Beach, Florida

 

 

Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. On this trek to the beach for yet another sunset Joyce turned and started shooting this sand dune. The rapidly sinking sun was in the opposite direction, what gives? We are here for Joyce to take sunset pictures and she is snapping pictures with the setting sun to her back. I admit that the setting sun is casting some nice color and shadows on this dune.

 

 

Evening glow on Sand Dunes in St Andrews State Park on Panama City Beach, Florida

 

 

Here she goes again totally ignoring the brilliantly colored sinking sun in the opposite direction.

We ran from the RV to the beach just in time to participate in this sunset. Twenty minutes later we were back in the RV preparing to head to Tootsies. Ahhhh, life is good. Who do you think Joyce might get to rub elbows with at Tootsies tonight? Aaron Tippin, Jamie Johnson, Billy Pierson, Clay Underwood or Anthony Orio are all possibilities. Who knows Allen Jackson has a place about a mile down the beach.

 

Fishing pier in St. Andrews State Park: Panama City Beach, Florida

 

Finally, Joyce turns her attention to the setting sun. This is the St. Andrews State Park fishing pier.

Sunset at St Andrews State Park fishing pier: Panama City Beach, Florida

 

Within a few short minutes it is all over. If you are staying in the campground in St Andrews State Park this is available to you every evening. Of course a beautiful sunrise is also available if you get up early enough.

 

 

 

Nice buck in St Andrews State Park: Panama City Beach, Florida

 

 

 

How many points does this buck have? Several of these nice bucks roam through the park. Doe are a dime a dozen. Bucks like this are not nearly as common.

 

 

Randy Houser in Tootsies Panama City Beach

 

This is Joyce with recording artist Randy Houser and his band. Randy currently has a hit in the top 20 (Anything goes) and several others climbing the charts.

You can hear "Anything Goes" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBY2u-evaHc

Or you might Google Randy Houser. If you listen to Country Music you will recognize his music.

Greg Allen was also in town and had told Tootsies he was going to stop by after his concert in Panama City. Greg never showed up. Oh well, we had to settle for Randy Houser.

Houser playing at Tootsies Panama City Beach

 

This is another picture of Randy Houser and his band performing at Tootsies on Panama City Beach. The talent appearing daily/nightly in Tootsies is the same level of talent you get in the top Nashville night clubs. In other words it doesn't get any better. Randy Houser was the opening act for Gary Allen's concert at the Civic Auditorium on the marina in down town Panama City.

Gary & Randy were playing a concert tomorrow night in Columbus, Georgia. I suspect that Gary was exhausted after their concert downtown and just pointed their bus toward Columbus instead of partying with us at Tootsies.

 

 

Billy Pierson & Beth at Tootsies Panama City Beach

 

 

These are two of the regular artist that perform at Tootsies posing together. Billy is a Nashville Recording artist that currently resides in Panama City where he is part of the "House Band" performing nightly/daily at Tootsies.

Billy currently has a hit song climbing the charts. It reminds me of the laid back beach music of "It's 5-oclock somewhere" by Allen Jackson & Jimmy Buffet but it is called "Don't get no sand in it". Click on this link to hear the song and watch the video --- you will like it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F6BU03Gwhc

Beth is a bar tender at Tootsies and local college student. She just happens to have a set of pipes second to none. Besides a set of pipes, she has pizzazz ---- that special quality that performers have that make you get into the music. Billy will call her to the stage on occasion to do a few songs with him. The two team up to knock the Kid Rock - Cheryl Crow song "The Picture" out of the park. In my opinion it may be better than Kid Rock and Cheryl Crow. In any event make sure you ask Billy to call Beth to the stage to do "The Picture". That is as good as it gets.

Anthony Orio at Tootsies Panama City Beach

 

Anthony Orio is another one of the artist that we enjoy at Tootsies Panama City Beach as well as Nashville. Here Anthony is getting the audience into one of his songs. The beautiful lady with Anthony is his lovely wife Natallie so don't think he is going to be getting in trouble when he gets home. VBG

Check his music out here: http://www.anthonyorio.com/ and here:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=70821729

Anthony has a new CD with original music about to be released. I think you will like Anthony like we do.

Clay Underwood posing with us in Tootsies on Panama City Beach, Florida

 

While this might be the last picture in this travel log it is just by coincidence. Clay Underwood is one of our favorite artist. I am here to tell you that Clay is going places. He has an excellent CD set for release with several hit songs on it.

You can listen to Clay's new hit that is climbing the charts right now (Behind these Walls):

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=106299302

I think Clay told us his new CD would be available in WalMart sometime next month. Something tells me this is going to be a very special picture one day soon. Thanks for the memories Clay.

We have been gone from our home in Pensacola since the day after Christmas --- almost two months. After an awesome week on Panama City Beach enjoying our favorite artist we arrived at our "stick & brick" home in Pensacola in time for the arrival of our fourth grand child a baby girl that will arrive Friday morning at 7:30. It still boggles my mind how they schedule these things.