Beach in the Forest…And Just One More Gator Story

Beach in the Forest. What a combo!

So, we’re almost at the end of our time in Florida. We decided to spend our last few days here in a little State Forest in the “inner Panhandle”. It was a bit of a ”just point at the map” kind of choice and we really had no idea what it would be like, but it seems the winds of luck are with us and it’s turned out to be a really neat stop.

Blackwater River is one of the purest white-sand bottomed rivers in the world. The snow-white quartz sand here is the same stuff that’s on the coast and Blackwater River meanders through the tall pine-trees leaving banks of the stuff draped in sandbars along the curves. What it becomes is beach in the forest and it’s home to one of Florida’s most iconic and beautiful Canoe trails. It’s truly gorgeous and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

Gators...this is how they do it in the Panhandle

And then, of course, there’s still the gators. Now, it must be at least 4 or 5 posts since I’ve last mentioned them, but darn it, I just can’t help it. Up here it seems there’s a whole new approach to the beasts which has probably got something to do with the history of the area. The Panhandle was always considered a bit of a Wild West kind of place. Tallahassee is an Apalachee Indian word meaning “old town” or “abandoned fields”. By the 1830′s it had the reputation of being an outlaw frontier which Ralph Waldo Emerson called “a grotesque place…rapidly settled by public officers, land speculators, and desperadoes.”

So, I guess I can’t blame that some of the ‘ol Cowboy attitude still lingers. Up here, you see they don’t tell you not to go in the lakes, but rather give you the more independent advice to “Swim with Caution”. Having read the rules, I can just picture the exchange:

“Honey, do you perchance see any gators” I ask
“Nope” says the Frontier man scanning the horizon
“Okie dokie, then I think I will just go for a quick dip” says the juicy Scandinavian

A few moments elapse while said piece of meat splashes in the water

“Sweetie, would you mind terribly nipping off to the Ranger Station to let them know an Alligator is approaching”

Yes, this is Florida, and yes, I am rather Gator obsessed, but you gotta admit it’s funny stuff. So, with a chuckle and our toes in the sand, we’ll say adieu to our time here and hello to Alabama. It’s been a wonderful ride, gators and all!

Butt in the sand...it's a wonderful feeling

Late afternoon at Blackwater River

A Parting Sunset From The Coast

Sublime sunset on St Joseph Peninsula

Well, we’re off on the road again today and it’s with a tug of regret that we leave this wonderful place. It’s been so extraordinary here that it’s made our list of possible places to eventually settle down. Property prices are inexpensive as it’s been hard hit by the economy and the oil-spill (which never really affected the place, but nonetheless). The beach is sublime and pristine, dog-friendly and within a short drive of a major town (Panama City), and whether it’s the time of year or just the place it really seems a forgotten treasure.

So, we hit the road with a sunset and just a few extra snaps of our fabulous time here. I can definitely see us coming back.

Bayside on the Peninsula

Moonrise over the pines

White-tailed deer

A lone customer fishes at the beach

Take a load off…

Paw Friendly on the Panhandle Coast?

Beach, blue, the pooch and us on St. Joseph beach -> exactly the way we like it!

I’d been duly warned by those in the know that the Panhandle Coast is one of the least dog-friendly spots in the country. For a couple like us, where camping is ALL about the paws, this was a rather depressing piece of info, and unfortunately my preliminary investigations showed it to be true. There are 5 or 6 fairly “well-known” Florida State Parks nestled along the Pandhandle coast (Top Sail, Henderson Beach, Grayton Beach etc.) each of which promise pristine white-sand beach, play in the sand and absolutely no dogs. Don’t get me wrong now…you can take pooch in the campground and around the trails (if there are any), but absolutely not and under no circumstances on the beach, and that goes for most of the surrounding area too.

Where paw prints and footsteps align

 Now, this just doesn’t do it for us. No matter how nice the place is, if we can’t take doggie for a romp in the sand, then it just ain’t the spot for us. Walking with pooch is a core part of our daily enjoyment and feeling the sand between our toes is something we all relish. At this point I almost gave up and decided to re-route us through the “inner” Panhandle and leave the popular spots to the crowds. After all, even without the dog restriction, we didn’t want to squeeze in with all those people herding to the same busy spots.

 But then we discovered the Forgotten Coast, and we uncovered an extra little secret that made it just right for both us and the paws.

A play and a run on the Bayside of St. Joseph Peninsula

You see, the State Parks here are not really any different. The 2 “big” ones, St. George and St. Joseph are lovely, isolated spots but still have the annoying “no dogs on the beach” restriction. However, what makes these places unique are the beautiful and accessible public beaches just a short drive away. It’s the same coastline and the same pristine snow-white sand on the same peninsula, but here paws are welcomed and doggie-heaven is absolute. On St. Joseph the access is one of the closest. The public beach is only ~1 mile from the entrance to the state park, many miles long, wide, gorgeous, almost entirely deserted and totally paw-friendly. On St. George public beach they actively advertize themselves as a “dog-friendly” spot, and just between the two, on Carabelle public beach, dogs are allowed off-leash right on the sand. It’s yet another reason this place gets our vote with all 4 thumbs and 12 paws up.

The Forgotten Coast

The view is just spectacular

Imagine if you will, a deserted beach. Miles of pure white sand so fine it squeaks under your feet, dunes undulating over the blue ocean drifting off to the horizon, sea gulls surfing on the wind and not a soul in sight. You might think you were on an Island in the Pacific, or perhaps an exotic undiscovered coastline. You certainly wouldn’t think of Florida. But this is exactly where we are, and the scene is exactly as I’ve described it. We’ve reached the very aptly named Forgotten Coast and what a treat it is!

White sands, blue sky and dunes

The Northwestern end of Florida is called the Panhandle, because it’s shaped a bit like the handle of a saucepan.  It is a thin strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide (320 km by 80 to 160 km) famed for its long snow-white beach coastline much of which is fairly built-up and popular. Several spots regularly make the top 10 ”Best Beaches of the World” and it’s a hot destination for snowbirders and party-goers alike.

Afternoon reflections

We’re not really keen to be part of the “crowds” so most of this area didn’t appeal to us despite it’s beauty, but there is a spot, hidden deep in the curve of the Gulf which did attract our attention. It’s a short strip of land bounded by Mexico beach in the West and St. Marks Lighthouse on the East and it’s the “Forgotten Coast“. Here lies lonely peninsulas, eclectic little towns, cute state parks and miles of deserted beach. This is where you go to escape the world and play in a fairytale of sand and ocean. It’s totally our kind of place!

My kind of view....

We arrived here on Friday, dropped our jacks at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park at 4PM and walked the 30 secs from our RV to the glorious view of the beach described above. Even Polly gets to enjoy the ride, but that’s another little secret that I’ll talk about in my next post.

In the meantime, just lie back in the soft sand, relax and enjoy the view.

Love Is In The Air

Love is in the sand

Ahhhh, Valentine’s Day! We greet the morning with eyelids fluttering, lips puckered, hearts a-thumping and hands clasped in amorous rapture. This is after all the day of days. The magic time to bestow love upon your closest, break out in romantic rhymes and express the deepest emotions of your heat to the world at large. It is my favorite day of the year because you see, I’m a hopeless and utterly sap of a romantic.

And we’ve started it off just right. Hubby and I have made it to the beach, that being allllll the more romantic, don’t you know. I was never the type to welcome materialistic expressions of love, so this is right up my alley. Give me a heart in the sand and a poem over a diamond ring any day.

A deserted beach, sun and a kiss...valentine's is here!

So, we’ll celebrate the day with a walk on the beach, a sunset on the water and dinner by candlelight in the RV. As a final delight we’ll end our evening with something chocolate and decadent. Ah oui, mon cœur, c’est comme ça le vrai amour…

To all my friends, my loved ones and my family I send you my love over the sands and onto the winds to meet and intertwine together in bonds of everlasting tenderness in your heart. Happy Valentines Day, everyone!