Sometimes the cheesy route is the best route…
There is just something about a really tacky souvenir shop that never fails to draw me in. I don’t need an excuse; cheap, trashy trinkets have an irresistible allure. It might be the day-glo colors, cedar ashtrays, weird t-shirt slogans, logo shot glasses, floating foam cup holders, and trucker key chains. Or maybe it’s just the pathologic sociology of how a location creates a caricature of itself. Or maybe it just says ‘vacation’.
In any case, Alvin’s Island is one of the best.
Alligator heads, everywhere. A shark tank. Acres of t-shirts that nobody could never wear beyond vacation (A fishing shop tee shirt with the logo “Master Baiter”. Yes, I was tempted). Sculptures made of sea shells; sand dollars and coral that probably (hopefully) were never part of the living seascape. Henna tattoos; bathroom signs for Pirates and Wenches; float glass. Short-shorts with PANAMA CITY BEACH across the back; night shirts with Panama City FL across the front; hats with Beer Pong logos; Reel Sandals; sharks teeth necklaces; hideous sunglasses.
Okay, so I bought my share for the folks back home…
and, no, i have no shame…