The Union Monument in the Panama City suburb of Lynn Haven (8th St. and Georgia Ave.) is one of the few memorials to the Grand Army of the Republic raised in the former Confederacy. The statue of a soldier nearly 27 feet tall reflects the geographic roots of the town's founders - a Minnesota senator and the editor of the GAR's official publication. It was rededicated in 1956 as a monument to all American war veterans.

Panama City is also home to the Junior Museum of Bay County (1731 Jenks Ave.; 850-769-6128), where interactive programs and exhibits focus on science, history and the environment. The Bay County Historical Society meets for lectures on the third Tuesday of each month in Panama City at the Oakland Terrace School (850-747-1239).

St. Andrews State Recreation Area (4607 State Park Lane; 850-233-5140) leads to more than 50 local shipwrecks for scuba divers off the Bay County coast, including the SS Tarpon, a 159-foot, iron-hulled steamer that sank in 1937. Today, eight miles out, it remains a popular dive and fishing site and an official state underwater archaeological preserve. The 93-foot tugboat E. E. Simpson, built in the 1870s and sunk in 1929, is another popular dive site at the east end of nearby Shell Island (850-233-5140).

Stop for the world-famous Seafood Platter (stuffed deviled crab, golden fired shrimp, scallops and fried fresh fish) at the Patronis family's Captain Anderson's Restaurant (5551 N. Lagoon Dr.; 850-234-2225).

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