Hotel at a Glance: MainStay Suites Port St. Joe

Families have a little extra room to move at MainStay Suites Port St. Joe. Each of the suites boasts a full-size pullout couch and a kitchen stocked with a refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, and cook top. You can also prepare meals al fresco on the outdoor grill and picnic pavilion. Stock up on groceries at the Piggly Wiggly just down the street.

• Driving time to the beach: about 10 minutes
• Continental breakfast spread: cereal, pastries, fresh fruit, yogurt, and steaming mugs of Community coffee
• Fit a workout in at a fitness room, which has treadmills, stationary bikes, and a stair stepper.
• Tuesday night manager’s reception featuring complimentary beer, wine, and light hors d’oeuvres
• Best place to get a cocktail: The Thirsty Goat, located in downtown Port St. Pete

Port St. Joe, Florida: Beachfront Parks and Coastal Towns

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park is one of the prettiest beaches in the area. The thin peninsula along the Florida Panhandle boasts sugary, white sands that overlook both the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It’s also home to some of the tallest sand dunes in the country. The state park lies about 90 minutes outside of the more popular Panama City Beach, which means fewer crowds.

Head inland to the town of Port St. Joe to dine at bayfront seafood restaurants and to charter Gulf fishing trips that troll for massive grouper and red snapper. A few miles east you’ll find Apalachicola, a city filled with 19th-century architecture that includes two Greek Revivalist mansions, the Orman and Raney Houses, built by cotton magnates. You can tour both to get a feel for antebellum living.

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