Use Web to plan trip to Fla. Panhandle

Try this for a relaxing week or two: Mile after mile after mile of beaches, and a long way from the crowds and traffic around South Florida and Orlando.

Head for the Florida Panhandle city of Pensacola — http://www.visitpensacola.com/ — which advertises no less than 52 miles of beach, along with its collection of restaurants, museums and places to stay. Glance at the Web cam, and then click on "Visitors" to start collecting information. Look under "Attractions and Sports" for the links to Pensacola Beach, which covers the strands on Santa Rosa Island — http://www.sria-fla.com/ — and Perdido Key — http://www.perdidochamber.com/ — which has preserves and parks for hiking in addition to its beaches. There are other attractions in the Pensacola Bay area, including state and federal parks, museums and shopping. Take a look at "Historic Pensacola" to see what went into making the modern city. And for those of us who can't leave our laptops at home, click on "Maps" and look for the one that shows Wifi hot spots in the Pensacola area.

You might notice that some of the beaches are part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore — http://www.nps.gov/guis/ - including barrier islands along the Florida and Mississippi coasts. The National Park Service has its own beach Web cam, and the "Seashore Activities" section has what you need to know about fishing, swimming, hiking and campgrounds. The outdoors folks at GORP — http://tinyurl.com/2evoyv — can help you find more things to see and do.

A little farther east along the coast, the communities of Fort Walton Beach, Destin and Okaloosa Island on Florida's Emerald Coast — http://www.destin-fwb.com/ — argue that their stretch of the coast has some of the world's best beaches. Look under "Activities" to find out about their 24 miles of sandy shore; you won't get as much information as Pensacola provides, but on the left side of the page is a link to an interactive map that locates beaches, attractions and facilities. Look under "Activities" for other resources, including boat charters, dolphin-watching, diving, fishing and — if you insisted on dragging your clubs along — golf courses. And browse the calendar for concerts, festivals and the April 6 Annual Kite Fest & Beach Fun Fly.

Not what you're looking for? Keep going east on U.S. 98 to Panama City — http://www.thebeachloversbeach.com/ — which claims 27 miles of white sand beach. Go right to "Things To Do" for brief descriptions of the beaches, water sports including a directory of marinas, and a list of family attractions. They provide extensive directories of places to stay, from campgrounds to condos and hotels. For more details, you'll need to look for their interactive map, and you might want to order their paper vacation planner, listed under "Tools."

Keep going just a little farther and you'll run into Port St. Joe and Gulf County — http://www.visitgulf.com/ — and the beaches and dunes of St. Joseph Peninsula State Park. Check out their photo gallery, try the interactive map to see where the parks and beaches sit, and look at "Things To Do" for directories of shops, bait shops, marinas, charters and kayak rentals.

If you ever need to get away from the shore for a while, the state's Greenways & Trails Web site has a Panhandle chapter — http://tinyurl.com/ytrncb — showing you places where you can hike and bike.

Head to the state's official Visit Florida — http://www.visitflorida.com/ — and type "Panhandle" into the search box to turn up more ideas on everything from birdwatching spots to state parks and saltwater fishing information.