"Then drop on the deck, and flop like a fish"

While every episode of SpongeBob SquarePants begins with this directive, there are certainly other fun ways to spend your days at the beach. A typical day for the Pigage family involves heading straight to the surf. It's just a few steps down the road and across the walkway. The proximity of the water to the Carillon Beach community, which is about 5 miles west of Panama City, was a huge selling point for Michael and Debra. "Our 18-year-old son, Joe, loves to go out to the walkway and play his guitar, or you can find him skimboarding. Ellen is digging in the sand, bike riding, or sunning," Debra says.

Debra's personal favorite spot is the screened porch. "I love reading a book in the sofa swing and watching people stroll by," she says. And if some of those strollers can't help but stop and comment on this fun and fantastic beach house, can you really blame them?

photo: Michael cut out the fish-shaped table, and Debra painted it. The DIY furniture is one more reason Bikini Bottoms has "a smile around every corner," Debra says.

NextSources