At the end of last week, I went with Alexandra Young to see a few key clients in the South Florida and Miami area.  It was nice to get a little sunshine and a break from the snow we have been having on the East Coast.  On Friday night, I took a side trip to an area of Florida I had not been to in over 27 years, the Florida Panhandle. Amanda Smith recently took a trip to Rosemary Beach, but I was much further east and stayed in Panama City. I took a drive to Port St. Joe to check out the sights and play a little golf (check out next month’s GTee of the Jack Nicholas Bay Point Resort). I stayed at the Wyndham Panama City (which I secured on Orbitz) and was shocked that this was a timeshare.  Although the rooms were very nice and I had a great view of the Gulf, there were few services (including restaurants, room service and daily room cleaning); I felt scammed by Orbitz who panned this off as a hotel.  My room looked like a set of the Odd Couple after my departure! I survived and had a great time checking out the area and really enjoyed the Port St. Joe area over the overcrowded Panama City Beach scene.  Note the picture of the pristine beach at Cape San Blas.  The oil was never here and has had no effect — locals like my pal Glenda McLemore (local real estate broker and avid outdoorswoman) said there has never been more fish. The diving and fishing has been spectacular, with lots of bull sharks near wrecks and more red snapper than you can shake a stick at!  Don’t forget, you can go scalloping in the Port St. Joe Bay! If I can offer one recommendation, and if you have the cash: this is a great time to buy.  Glenda would be pleased to help you; here is the website.  For me, I just rent the shoddy time shares and play golf on the GULF! — Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO