Ginger at the Dunes—Dunes of Panama C302—Great Beach Views Including Sunset

Our unit is on the third floor, has easy parking (close to the elevator)—and is only 150 steps to the sugar white beach sand.

Ginger at the Dunes is a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo with an ocean view -- located on the 3rd floor of the C Building. It sleeps 8, with a king size bed in the master, 2 double beds in the guest room, and a queen size sleeper sofa. It’s a NON SMOKING unit, and comes with a washer/dryer, fully stocked kitchen, towels, coffee makers (regular and Keurig), and free wireless internet. Unit has beach chairs, umbrella, boogie boards, and sand toys for your use.

The Dunes of Panama has over 1500 feet of beachfront so you’ll have lots of room to spread out and enjoy the beach. Beach chair rentals, jet ski rentals, para-sailing, banana boat rides and beach volleyball are all available. The property has an exercise room, basketball goal, tennis courts, and a shuffleboard with equipment available for check-out at the office.

* The Dunes of Panama is a family-friendly gated community, with onsite security. The primary renter must be 25 years of age or older and must occupy the unit for the full stay.

Even though we use VRBO, we’ve contracted with the Dunes to handle check-in and check-out, maid service, and maintenance. The rental office is in the same building, so checking in and out is a breeze! And onsite maintenance is awesome. If you have a problem, they usually respond within minutes. Many units don’t have this arrangement, and check-in and check-out can be cumbersome. Make sure to ask about this before selecting a unit.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

>> Why choose Panama City Beach (PCB)? <<
If you haven’t been to PCB in the last 5 years, you won’t believe how it’s changed. PCB is the new Destin and Orange Beach! New shops and restaurants have popped up everywhere. And finally a shopping development done the right way… Pier Park is one of the best shopping areas I’ve every seen. Sugar white beaches, family friendly atmosphere, local authentic seafood restaurants, all the chain restaurants you can imagine, parasailing, deep sea fishing, boat tours, miniature golf, jet ski rentals… and more. PCB has everything you need to relax and unwind.

>> Why choose the Dunes of Panama (Dunes)? <<
The Dunes is located at 7205 Thomas Drive in Panama City Beach, Florida… several miles from the most congested part of PCB, called the “Strip.” The Dunes has been a gated complex (with on-site security) from day-one. We like it this way and think it keeps things quieter and safer. It also keeps people from driving in and using our desirable beachfront.

If you’re looking for 10 foot ceilings, Jacuzzi tubs and lazy rivers, the Dunes isn’t for you. If you want to be able to walk to Pier Park, the Dunes isn’t for you. If, however, you’re looking for a well-maintained facility (away from the bumper-to-bumper traffic), with awesome pools and grills for cooking-out by the pool, a crazy amount of beach front (loaded with acres of sand to build castles, throw frisbee or play volleyball on), then the Dunes is where you want to be.

The A, B and C buildings at the Dunes are only about 6 stories high. This means lots of beach front area. Even during the busiest times of the year, you’ll have plenty of beach to claim as your own. Some condos on the Strip have tents and chairs stacked three rows deep on the beach. You won’t see that at the Dunes in the A, B, and C areas. The D building at the Dunes is 12 stories high and the E building is about 20 stories. They share a pool located between them. If you want to grab a drink or burger/sandwich, “Suds” sandwich shop is located in the ground floor of the E building.

>> Why choose Ginger at the Dunes? <<
We can’t tell you that Ginger at the Dunes is the best unit at the Dunes, because no owner can make that claim. We CAN tell you, however, that we’ve tried our best to decorate and equip the unit with our guests in mind. We’ve stocked the kitchen with professional cookware and utensils, and added trim to give it a cottage feel… along with new tile, new carpet and new paint. But we didn’t stop there. We’ve done our best to make the unit usable for our guests. We mounted the flat screen TV in the guest bedroom on the wall in the corner (see photo), so we could hang a mirror over the dresser where most owners put the TV. This gives guests another place to dry hair or put on makeup. We added a custom-made desk (that also functions as a night stand) in the master bedroom so you have space for a laptop or work area.

The unit has 3 flat panel TVs, a 42” in the living area, and a 32” in both bedrooms. The TV in the guest bedroom has HDMI ports so kids can hook up their video game consoles. We also had a kitchen table custom-made from reclaimed barn wood from Tennessee. Some of our best family memories have been around the dining table playing games and laughing.

>> What’s nearby? <<
Pier Park (shopping and restaurants) is an easy 15 minute drive from the Dunes. Walmart is 7 minutes. Publix (our favorite) and Winn Dixie are 5 minutes away and simple to get to in virtually no traffic. Capt. Anderson’s Marina (deep sea fishing, boat trip to Shell Island and more) is 4 minutes away. I admit we’re biased, but the Dunes is in a great location, away from the notorious PCB traffic. Several convenient stores are within a mile, and a large souvenir shop is across from the Dunes entrance.

Our daughter put together a Guest Guide Book (in the unit) that describes our favorite restaurants, lists menus, and gives directions to attractions in PCB… from popular chains like Chili’s, Carrabba’s, Olive Garden, Mellow Mushroom, and more, to local seafood restaurants where the locals eat.

>> How’s the view? <<
Every unit at the Dunes has a unique perspective and looks out onto the ocean. It’s impossible to say that one unit has a better view than another. However, if watching a sunset from the unit is important, Ginger at the Dunes is one of your best options. You can see the sunset from inside the unit during all four seasons. On a couple of the longest days of the year (in late summer) the sun sets under the A building. But the gorgeous oranges in the sky are still visible. You can see the sun dropping below the horizon during all of winter, spring, fall and all but a few days in summer. Okay, now you know I’m an engineer, because I’ve actually studied this.

Ginger at the Dunes also overlooks the largest pool at the Dunes. And the only heated pool and clubhouse onsite are down below… especially convenient during the winter months. Several guests have commented that it’s possible to enjoy the beach from inside the unit, without actually stepping foot onto the sand. Please read what our guests have said about the view on VRBO. It offers a balanced view of the pool area (and of the ocean ) with a near-perfect view of sunset.

>> How far is parking? <<
Parking is easy at the C building, even during peak season. I can’t say for sure how crowded parking is around the taller buildings, because I’ve never parked there. I do know the E building has a parking deck.

Several guests have asked how many steps it is to the elevator. I can usually park about 20 to 35 steps away from the door going into the lobby of the C building. The elevator is two steps from this door. Also, we have several handicap parking slots close by. If you prefer, it’s easy to drop-off someone right by the lobby door… about 10 steps to the elevator.

>> Weekly rentals? <<
During the busiest times of the year we prefer weekly rentals, from Saturday to Saturday, because it’s easier to manage and most of the wear and tear on the unit comes during the moving in and out phases. We occasionally rent for less than a week (especially if it’s a week or so out and not rented)… just ask!

>> Our family story… <<
My parents loved spending time at Ginger at the Dunes. I don’t recall seeing them ever step-foot on the sand or stick their feet in the ocean. They weren’t beach kind of people. Instead, they enjoyed sitting in the unit and watching the ocean waves break white, and the palm trees blow in the wind. But more than anything, they loved watching their grandchildren play in the pool down below. We almost sold this place when my father passed away in 2014. But Sue and I thought about it, and prayed about. When I told my brother and sister that Sue and I wanted to buy it, they were thrilled. Our parents would have wanted it this way.

Ginger at the Dunes has been (and continues to be) a special place for my family.

We want this to be a special place for you and your family.

Rest, relax, rejuvenate… that’s what we do when we’re here. We hope you’ll do the same.

Sue and David Mixson - Huntsville, Alabama
Maddie and Drew
... along with Ginger and Mocha (our two Shih Tzus), and Sadie (our Great Dane)