[luluka]

Hello to all the good people . We are now living in Port Richey ( North of Tampa ) We are thinking of , moving up to the Panhandle beach area , We would like to know ? What is the best area Up there ?? Like Destin Ft walton etcccc? My wife she dont drive. Also Is it colder than here in The Tampa bay area ?? Also the People Thank you and all the best for every one

[GloryB]

I thought you were asking help on how to panhandle.

It gets a little cooler as you begin to move more north within Florida. From the Tampa area, the Panhandle would only be a few more degrees one way or the other, but you would be able to feel it.

I think the whole Panhandle area is lovely. It is just hard to direct you because it all depends on if you are planning to find work in the area or what kind of work, if you are looking to live in a town/city or live more rural. What other kinds of things do you like to do as a hobby (fish, rodeo, beach activities,etc.)

[beachmouse]

We're just north of Destin, and glad that employment took us here instead of Pensacola or Panama City Beach.

Outside of Pensacola proper, public transportation is for decorative purposes only- in theory, you can get to some popular places with it, but it's hard to actually accomplish that.

Definitely colder winters than the Tampa area- figure ten degrees colder on both highs and lows here, and we also tend to get a couple of actual freezes every year.

[TD*]

There is no best... best for you, maybe...

Anyways. If you have to be on the beach check out Panama City, Apalachicola, Destin, Fort Walton, Pensacola.

If you prefer to be inland try Tallahassee (only 18 miles from the coast.)

[RVlover]

What part of the Panhandle you live in really depends alot on your budget ; the closer you live to the Coast, the more housing and property taxes are. If youre on a tight budget , you may wish to consider going inland from Destin to perhaps Crestview, Baker, Milton, or Pace --- these are still within 40 min. of the beaches.

[Strel]

Originally Posted by luluka

Hello to all the good people . We are now living in Port Richey ( North of Tampa ) We are thinking of , moving up to the Panhandle beach area , We would like to know ? What is the best area Up there ?? Like Destin Ft walton etcccc? My wife she dont drive. Also Is it colder than here in The Tampa bay area ?? Also the People Thank you and all the best for every one

Not driving may be an issue, since public transportation in this part of Florida is sketchy at best.

ANY of the little towns along the Panhandle coast would be nice. I'd tour them all if I were you - just take a trip along Highway 98.

YES it is colder. Noticeably so. The Panhandle, unlike peninsular Florida sits on the continent proper. During the summer our weather isn't all that different from the rest of Florida, if perhaps a little hotter inland. Think South Alabama hot. Cool Hand Luke hot.

In the winter there is much more of a difference. In the 20+ years I have lived in Tallahassee it has SNOWED twice. It gets cold here. Temps in the teens and twenties are not unusual in midwinter. Many Tallahassee homes have fireplaces and they aren't just for show...