LIFE IS A BEACH: A Non-Fort Trip Report

[bama_ed]

DW and I are in the midst of a fall beach trip. Early November can ("CAN" is the key word) be a wonderful weather time down on the northern Gulf Coast and this week is true to that. We left on Monday for a few days in a Florida State Park during the week and our plans are to rotate over to our favorite Alabama State Park for the weekend.

Our destination yesterday (Monday) was St. George Island State Park which is a SP on a barrier island in the northern Gulf Coast of FL. For those of you unfamiliar with the geography, move from the FL/AL line from west-to-east: you have Pensacola, Ft Walton Beach, Destin, Panama City, Port St Joe, Apalachicola, and off the coast of Apalachicola is St George Island and the SP is on the far eastern end. Temps are to be in the low 80s this week and nights in the high 50s/low 60s with sunny blue skies. The SP is basically on the Gulf (the campground is a 2-minute bike ride away) and it feels like it's on the end of nowhere.

This was the first trip we used our new-to-us front hitch on the Yukon XL with the bike rack on front. We love taking bikes with us when we camp.



Running down the highway, the handlebars and seats in front of me are off to the side and not directly in the line-of-sight. @Teamubr warned me about front bounce and sway and I will admit my ratchets controlled sway, the bounce was still there at times at high speeds with wind gusts (tight tolerances and all precautions can't prevent ALL movement). But after a few early stops to check and tighten stuff, the front bike rack worked very well.



St George SP is in the town of Eastpoint on St George Island and is off the fattest part of the Florida peninsula on the north Gulf Coast. The first 75% of our drive was identical to a trip to WDW. Tuscaloosa to Montgomery to Dothan south to I10 and east on I10 for about 45 minutes. There it gets off the WDW track and you make your way on 2-lane roads and little towns down to the coast. So it took 7.5 hours plus the hour moving to Eastern time zone. We got in about 330pm with sunset about 545pm. Like most FL SP campsites, the sites are NOT paved but mostly sand with rock and old oyster shells.





Florida SP's, especially those with beach access like ours, are notorious for filling up early at the 11-month booking mark especially on weekends in like weather like now. I was able to book these weekdays not long after the 11-month window opened but could not get a weekend.

After doing the major unloading and setup, I'd worked up an appetite and we headed out for dinner. That's my MO most times is to NOT cook at the campsite on the arrival day. Now our drive out from the campground to the SP office is 4 miles of slow speed limits through empty landscapes of sand and sea oats. There are several beach road pull-over parking lots with about 6 parking spots each and two big parking lots with bathrooms and pavilions along the SP beach road. Once out of the SP, it's another 4 miles at 35 mph on the 2-lane through the beach houses (no high rise condos here). Then we get turn right and head over the 6-mile bridge across the sound to the mainland. The St George Lighthouse is there right at the turn in the center of town (more on the LH later). And then another mile or two to our selected restaurant. Point is, it takes about 25 minutes to get off the island to get ANYWHERE.

At least our dinner choice knew how to make a proper Oyster Po Boy sammich. My compliments to the chef.



I am writing this update on Tuesday and have already found the little Piggly Wiggly grocery store on the island to be a life-saver. Best of all, it has the big PW pig out front!



This morning after finishing the unload and setup, we looked like this.



We rode our bikes 2 minutes to the beach and checked it out. Yellow flag but very gentle swells, peaceful, and clear water.







I will continue today in the next post tomorrow.

Bama Ed

 

[Teamubr]

Great TR so far. A friend goes to the St. George area often. And glad to hear the bike rack worked out. I suspect you will keep engineering the tie downs until nothing moves.

j

 

[cruising spud]

You Southerners get to camp in November!! Have a fun time.

 

[bama_ed]

Continuing Tueday (on Wednesday) and hoping I don't fall further behind:

Visited the beach on Tuesday as shown above. Leaving the beach, here is a straight on view.



On our way back to the bikes when we reached the blue tarp walk, we noticed a crab that was soldier-down and had not noticed him on the way in.



As we approached, his wingman ran off into the sea oats nearby but I got a pic of him.



This beach access is right at the end of where the campground road intersects the main state park beach road.



After lunch, it was time to visit the first light house of this trip, the one here on St. George Island.



Only 92 steps up (not that tall) but the last climb is up through a pretty small hole with a ladder (this is a rebuilt LH following the original architectural plans after the original LH collapsed).





Although not high (original LH was built 1830s), the view was nice.







More of Tuesday in the next post.

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

When camping at the beach, one of the things I most enjoy is watching a sunrise and/or a sunset. Tuesday night we watched a sunset (which sort of happens behind the beach not over the ocean but back across the sound towards the mainland due to the state park's orientation).

With various magnifications but from one point of view, here is the Tuesday night sunset.















Also on Tuesday afternoon after visiting the St. George LH, I started the latest 1,000 piece puzzle of Lionel Trains. This is what the finished product looks like.



And here was my progress after the first day (sorting straights from non's).



I showed pics of Tuesday's sunset but Tuesday's sunrise came early for us through the coastal pines.



Let's continue in the next post and get today (Wednesday).

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

At night at our St George Island SP, our campground after sunset is serenaded by a hoot owl concert. For about two hours starting at sunset, they call and respond to each other in the woods behind me. We are, after all, out in nature. But this morning we awoke to a fog that hung till about 10am.



Today's schedule was a ride to the west of less than an hour through Apalachicola to Port St Joe to visit the Cape San Blas Lighthouse. The short story of the LH is that it was on Cape San Blas, a thin barrier island off the shore of PSJ at a Coast Guard Station who retired it in the 1970s. Shore erosion and a hurricane threatened its integrity so the LH and various buildings were moved to PSJ in a nice coastal park. It's one of those LH I refer to as "spider legs with tube stairs".



When they moved this LH, they literally laid it on its side, put it on a flat bed, and rolled it to its new location.



Entering the tube, it's a tight spiral all right.



Thankfully, the stairs empty right onto the exterior walkway (my back hugs the wall all the way around)













Last little bit coming up.

I can wrap up today, Wednesday, briefly in the next post.

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

We have two more nights here at St George Island SP and I am a meal planner (and dishwasher and cook plus cruise director). We have some boneless chicken in the fridge but when you come to the coast, you want seafood to cook. Now is not a good fishing season locally (the Apalachicola boats are drying their nets currently). But there was a cargo trailer with a guy selling seafood at the aforementioned St George LH parking lot (cash only) so I thought, heck, whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

Our man inside the trailer was old, grizzled, needed a shave, and looked like a guy who lived by his wits. Anonymous blue coolers were lined up inside with filets of fish on ice so I asked what was the most fresh fish he had. The grouper, he replied, flipping open a cooler. The big piece on top was a pound-and-a-quarter but the other pieces underneath didn't look any smaller. I'll take one, I said, and he reached his tough, ungloved hand to lift the filet, weigh it, put it in a bag, on ice, and charge me $21 (cash). Heck I could have been buying mullet (well, no not really but you know what I mean) but it was a THICK filet.

Heading back to the state park at the east end of the island, I like the mural they have on the checkin building.



I attempted some repairs on the Aliner (need some sheet metal screws though, will get those tomorrow), then worked on the puzzle some more. Here is the end of today's progress.



Here's that big filet pan frying away in an egg wash, panko crumbs, and lemon herb seasoning. I cut it into three big pieces and took my time cooking it.



Although this looks good, I should have taken a picture after I flipped these over. They were crispy brown and oh so good with a mac & cheese and tomato.

Okay. We are current. Headed east tomorrow to another LH that is spider legs with tube stairs.

Bama Ed

PS - I made chicken fried rice last night. My homemade recipe said it was 4 servings but DW and I licked our plates clean - no leftovers. Yummy.

PPS - looking ahead, the weather for our week starting Friday in Gulf Shores has had rain move into several days of the forecast. Not completely unexpected, though, so we will manage our time (including watching football games on Saturday afternoon/evening).

 

[Teamubr]

Loving the TR, Ed.

We have never been to the "Big Bend" or Apalachicola area, but friends go to St. Joe and St. George area often and love it. Question for you. Knowing how Donna and I like to get out and explore, see and do things (shopping for Donna), is there enough to do in the area for us to spend a week (or longer) there? One of Donna's informal requirements is a Wal Mart within 30 minutes.

j

 

[Stratman50th]

When camping at the beach, one of the things I most enjoy is watching a sunrise and/or a sunset. Tuesday night we watched a sunset (which sort of happens behind the beach not over the ocean but back across the sound towards the mainland due to the state park's orientation).

With various magnifications but from one point of view, here is the Tuesday night sunset.

View attachment 808924

View attachment 808925

View attachment 808926

View attachment 808927

View attachment 808928

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View attachment 808931

Also on Tuesday afternoon after visiting the St. George LH, I started the latest 1,000 piece puzzle of Lionel Trains. This is what the finished product looks like.

View attachment 808932

And here was my progress after the first day (sorting straights from non's).

View attachment 808933

I showed pics of Tuesday's sunset but Tuesday's sunrise came early for us through the coastal pines.

View attachment 808934

Let's continue in the next post and get today (Wednesday).

Bama Ed

We have that puzzle Ed. It was a good one.

 

[bama_ed]

Loving the TR, Ed.

We have never been to the "Big Bend" or Apalachicola area, but friends go to St. Joe and St. George area often and love it. Question for you. Knowing how Donna and I like to get out and explore, see and do things (shopping for Donna), is there enough to do in the area for us to spend a week (or longer) there? One of Donna's informal requirements is a Wal Mart within 30 minutes.

j

There is NOT a Wal-Mart Supercenter or Neighborhood Market within 90 minutes, Jim. That's a factor with me too so Donna is not alone in that regard.

Not to air the dirty laundry from this trip but my Blackstone Griddle propane hose/regulator got "stuck" (a common occurrence online) and no propane would flow. WM sells BS stuff (it's a proprietary hose apparently) and I wasn't about to run 3-4 hours RT to get a hose when I saw they were in stock in Gulf Shores. So I have a new electric skillet bought locally. The gas cost alone of a RT possibility drove my decision.

I've had my toolbox out this trip too fixing cr*p too so I've been busy.

You know very well every coastal area of Florida has a marketing "name".

- The Gold Coast (Palm Beach to Miami)

- The Emerald Coast (Pensacola to Panama City)

- The Sun Coast (Tampa -St Pete area)

- The Paradise Coast (Naples area)

- The Treasure Coast (Palm Beach to Melbourne)

- The Space Coast (Titusville to Melbourne)

- The Fun Coast (Daytona Beach area)

- The First Coast (Jacksonville towards St Augustine)

Well, this area of the Panhandle has a name too. "The Forgotten Coast". As one volunteer at today's lighthouse told me, "Don't go home and say or post anything about our area here". There are no high rises, no Wal-Mart Supercenters, no go cart tracks, just small towns and beach houses and small businesses. No Publix groceries either (a Florida company no less). If you want that kind of civilization, you have to head up toward Panama City or Tallahassee.

A week would be overkill here IMO - even DW said she liked it but to do 2-3 nights next time (we are doing 4 this trip). But it is relaxing and pleasant. Just make sure you bring EVERYTHING with you that you will need (including a full tank of gas) when you get to the area.

Ed

PS - I was impressed with the small town vibe of Apalachicola though. Lots of old houses, an old brick business district down by the river/bay, a Piggly Wiggly grocery and a CVS. Big oak trees with Spanish Moss, some food and nightlife establishments in the little downtown area and medical facilities up towards Port St. Joe. I told DW I could be happy to retire here (but we ain't moving).

PPS - But I literally said your name as we drove past an RV park (in both directions) today along the coastal Hwy 98 during our LH trip and told DW, "that the kind of NICE RV park that @Teamubr would want to stay in" (based on your preference for the Anchor Down RV park in the Pigeon Forge area). It is across the 2-lane highway from the sound/Gulf and has an East and West location a few hundred yards apart.

https://www.coastlinervresort.com/stay-with-us/rates/

 

[bama_ed]

We have that puzzle Ed. It was a good one.

Then I am standing on the shoulders of giants.

I am not worthy.

Ed

 

[bama_ed]

Okay let's get back to the trip report.

DW is safely indoors tonight because there was 1-2 "skeeters" out which leaves me in peace and quiet outdoors next to my citronella candle to hammer out today's update. This was our last full day here and we visited our 3rd area lighthouse in 3 days. As I said in a previous post, this is a relaxing place. If you go on vacation to be entertained, this is NOT the place. If you vacation for peace, quiet, and small town atmosphere, this is the area to go to.

We went to church in Apalachicola this morning (as I said previously, I like the vibe of that town) then headed east to Crooked River LightHouse along Hwy 98 (the 2-lane coastal road). It was only 30 minutes of easy travel and I initially drove past it because it sits on the land side of the highway amid some pretty tall pine trees. It's another iron LH with tube stairs like yesterday but this one's stairs reach the ground level (whereas yesterdays required a stairway climb to get up to the spiral tube steps).



The view from the top is barely over the pine trees but it is great.







Back at the campsite by 1230pm, we had all afternoon here to relax. I worked on my Lionel Train puzzle some more, then we went for a bike ride, then I cooked up some leftovers for dinner.

Puzzle progress as of tonight:



We biked out to the end of the SP road which has a big parking area with restrooms, pavilions and plenty of empty beaches.





The sunset through the pines during dinner was beautiful.





Bikes are already on the front hitch rack and we head to Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, AL tomorrow. It's a 6+ hr drive but we gain an hour going back to Central (God's) Time. It will be very familiar territory for us.

G' night all.

Bama Ed

PS - and maybe there will be a DIS kind of bonus next week? Ya think?

 

[bama_ed]

Today was moving day for us going from Florida to Alabama; From Eastpoint to Gulf Shores; From St George Island State Park to Gulf State Park.

Got in about 1245pm and got set up again in a little over an hour. This is the first time in a long time that I did a complete set up in one place, then a break down, then a second set up again on the same trip. Not so sure I'm very keen on that.

We are set up in GSP site #1 which is the first site past the checkin building on the right. There are a number of changes at Gulf SP since we were here back in May-ish.

1. There is a new computer reservation system. The key point is that there is NO LONGER an option to pay a deposit for a reservation. Now you pay for all nights booked IN FULL (which is like the Florida SP system). Obviously in the end it doesn't make a difference but it does tie up your cash flow while you work out the exact dates in the reservation you want to keep. (apparently you can modify an existing reservation but I have no experience with that option yet).

2. To delete a reservation, there is a separate email address to send a cancellation request to. From the new system, you can apparently modify (see above), print a reservation, and more. But not delete a reservation.

3. The new system does not have a password. You make a reservation which is tagged to the given email address. When you want to view/edit/print your reservations, you tell the system your email address and it will send a code/link to that address that is only good for a few hours. So it all works around your email address on the reservation(s).

4. The campground office and check-in building now has gates and a key pad code. One gate with key pad is on the returning guests inner lane went entering. The outer lanes (where arriving guests pulled across the rope and then walked in for check-in) has a second key pad (like the Fort back gate with a key pad at car (lower level) and one also higher up (at RV driver level)). They are lit up with red horizontal lights.

5. The office sign says they close at 7pm nightly now (no longer staffed 24x7 with camp hosts/volunteers as they had been for decades). The current reservations now have a gate code listed and I don't know how they handle paying any balance due. But the times, they are a' changin'.

Here is our set-up.



Middle Lake is out in the distance behind the Airstream.



After set-up we went grocery shopping at Wal-Mart (fully stocked, everything I wanted available, not crowded on a Friday afternoon). Then came back and put in some time on the puzzle till 530pm when the rain came in from the Gulf. It was warm and in the 80s today, cloudy, humid, and lows tonight only in the 60s.



It rained pretty steadily till 7pm tonight so we cooked inside tonight, a rarity, and ran the air conditioner to dehumidify the interior air. The EZ Up has been lowered and we are set up for a drizzle on/off that should last for days. Thankfully the GSP wifi runs my YouTube TV on the iPad so we will have football games to watch tomorrow.

There is a favorite family activity tomorrow morning and a chance to go get some seafood at the boat docks afterwords. We will see what they have for us.

So not much to report other than the relocation today. GSP appears pretty full.

Also, the GSP Fishing Pier is closing at 5pm this Sunday and will be closed for several months while they make repairs to the damage from Hurricane Sally in 2020. Before the hurricane, the pier was being upgraded to add a 2-level tower at the far end and to replace with wood boards with a more durable composite board. But now they will redo that and fix structural damage (which includes filling in the 200' gap that fell into the water). It is scheduled to reopen summer 2024.

Next update should be tomorrow night.

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

Today was a good day.

Although the weather forecast had an 80% chance of rain (which did eventually come as a mist), it was cloudy but dry all day till about 4pm in the afternoon. That's a WIN in my book.

But we did a 5k race this morning that I first did 23 years ago. It's a wonderful community race (with great food and drink afterwards). It was the Oyster Run in Foley, AL (about 10 miles north of Gulf Shores) put on by the local Rotary Club.

One gets the sense that these are good people. And although there were a LOT of people showing up for the 5k, DW and I still felt the vibe from 20 years ago. Not sure but DW says we've done this race (in some form or fashion - she/me, kids, parents, me) over 10 times in 23 years.

First I have to explain the Oyster Run graphic/t-shirt. It is usually the same general form with year-to-year variations. Plus they go short sleeve some years, long sleeve others. Cotten-blend some years and polyester others. My 2nd drawer at home is full of all the past choices. But here is the 2023 shirt:



The general design is always a(n) raw oyster carrying a shell on his back (the long time primary sponsor has been an oyster fishery [Bon Secour Seafood] in which 'Bon Secour' means "Safe Harbor" in lazy French) .

The starting line has always been in the same place



But the list of local sponsors keeps getting longer/bigger.



And the day-of-race checkin line to get your bib number and shirt was backed up.



This part of downtown Foley has many MASSIVE oak trees over 100yo in the area which only adds to the ambiance of the event. There are a few things that make this 5k stand out from other 5k races.

1. Oak trees (as mentioned above) then pecan trees. The race track is an out-and-back which gets out into pecan orchards after it leaves town.
2. Flat and fast. Runners love flat courses which means fast (if you end up at the same place as where you started). Always good for a PR (Personal Record).
3. Generous prizes. Age groups, child recognition, door prizes, and a grand prize. If anything this part of the program can go on (and on and on).
4. The after-race food. Many 5k have healthy after-run options like bananas, bagels, gatorade, and low-fat chip bags. Not here - the Oyster Run has Papa John's pizza, hot dogs, gumbo, and fresh-shucked oysters (primary sponsor, remember?). Plus kegged beer for your 9am finish celebration.

Speaking of kegs, here they are on ice in the foreground and the award trophies in the background.



A close-up of some of the trophies for age group run winners.



In the past, the grand prize was a free weekend in a beach condo; but this year, the winner must be satisfied with a 65" Samsung SmartTV.



Not wanting to push myself too hard, I let the crowd thin out in front of me.



After the race comes in the next post.

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

Did I mention the great after-race food for a 5K? Look carefully at my plate.



Three individual cups of oysters with sauce and crackers, two hot dogs in foil, a cup of gumbo, and a slice of pizza and the beer cup at my feet. (I had a total of 12 oysters).

The beer was served in themed plastic cups (suitable to take home).



Everyone hangs around for the awards ceremony. Who will win the grand prize?





On the way back to the campground, I stopped in Bon Secour at Billy's Seafood where the catch literally comes off the boat into the iced trays to be sold retail to folks like you and me.



I got some mahi mahi (part of the dolphin family) and red snapper at Billy's. Then back to the campground to puzzle and watch Bama beat Kentucky on the iPad (via the GSP wifi network). The puzzle is coming into turn 4 and starting to feel like it's downhill from here.



I cooked the mahi tonight blackened with yellow rice and grilled asparagus (BertG would have been proud).

As I said earlier, today was a GOOD day.

Bama Ed

 

[4077]

Did I mention the great after-race food for a 5K? Look carefully at my plate.

[food]

Three individual cups of oysters with sauce and crackers, two hot dogs in foil, a cup of gumbo, and a slice of pizza and the beer cup at my feet. (I had a total of 12 oysters).

The beer was served in themed plastic cups (suitable to take home).

[cups]

Everyone hangs around for the awards ceremony. Who will win the grand prize?

[awards1]

[awards2]

On the way back to the campground, I stopped in Bon Secour at Billy's Seafood where the catch literally comes off the boat into the iced trays to be sold retail to folks like you and me.

[billys]

I got some mahi mahi (part of the dolphin family) and red snapper at Billy's. Then back to the campground to puzzle and watch Bama beat Kentucky on the iPad (via the GSP wifi network). The puzzle is coming into turn 4 and starting to feel like it's downhill from here.

[puzzle]

I cooked the mahi tonight blackened with yellow rice and grilled asparagus (Bert would have been proud.

As I said earlier, today was a GOOD day.

Bama Ed

Not sure if it just me, but the pics in last post are just labels...

Looks fixed!

 

[4077]

Great report as usual... a standard that I will never be able to live up to. Thank you for taking the time, Ed... first rate and fun pictures to go with your great descriptions...

We are not worthy (but we are grateful).

 

[bama_ed]

Not sure if it just me, but the pics in last post are just labels...

Looks fixed!

Jimmy, this is how I make my sausage (so to speak). You're seeing it in real time.

On the road I post all the text on my chromebook through the DIS website (with labels for me to know where to add my pics to) ...

... then I use my phone to edit the post and upload pics straight from the phone...

... then go back to the DIS website to edit out the pic labels/markers....

And that's how sausage IS made!

Ed

PS - or my posts anyway. Not all the DIS readers have a login to see my linked pics in full. So I do the pic upload instead.

 

[4077]

Jimmy, this is how I make my sausage (so to speak). You're seeing it in real time.

Ya know, I started to think something like that afterwards... guess I was too much like the impatient kid... "Is it ready yet, is it ready? Now is it ready, can I see it yet....?"

 

[bama_ed]

Great report as usual... a standard that I will never be able to live up to. Thank you for taking the time, Ed... first rate and fun pictures to go with your great descriptions...

We are not worthy (but we are grateful).

Don't sell yerself short, @4077. I've learned more about New England donuts from your posts than I ever THOUGHT I could learn.

Ed

PS - oh and we did some laundry today too but ya'll don't care. No pics.