Move? We’ve moved and then moved again! From one seaside state park we headed east
along the beautiful “Emerald Coast of Florida” to another seaside state park in
Panama City Beach. We had stayed in St
Andrews State Park on our very first winter of retirement – SPFB! Our site way back then was spacious and
backed right up to the bay. Not so
lucky this time! H had managed to
reserve the very last site that was open for only one night. It was narrow – down right malnourished -
just like the rest of the sites in that section. After much jockeying and frustration the big tan condo was backed
in and secured for our short stay. The
“roads” thru the camping areas were not much more than 2-tracks in the sand
with palms and pine trees left growing way too close to maneuver around
easily. We witnessed more than one rig
have a difficult time getting into his tight spot. We chose to not even try for another site the next day.
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| St Andrews beach |
We used the afternoon to re-explore the park. We walked the off white sand cliffs on the
beach. Erosion was still happening and
we heard they were dredging the bay to fill in the beach-AGAIN! It’s Christmas break so the park was full of
families and teens! We took time to
walk the fishing piers and watch the seabirds beg for the fish scraps at the
cleaning shed. There was even a
tri-colored heron on the roof that sat like Snoopy on his doghouse with his
head cocked over the edge to stare down!
We were packed and out early the next morning – still
following the route along the shoreline.
The beautiful beaches had now changed to rocky shallow bays and the road
followed obediently along and around each one.
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| St George Island Lighthouse |
H chose to follow a “Scenic Florida Highway” sign and we
ended up on a long strand of bridge out over the bay to St George Island. At the end of the 3-mile causeway was the
normal collection of tourist shops, a row of 3-story, parallel townhouses
stacked side by side like pastel dominos-ready to fall if nudged. A tall, stately 1843 lighthouse and keepers
house stood guard over a neatly groomed park with plenty of informative signs
to read. The lighthouse had been destroyed by storms in 2005 and has been
rebuilt using the salvaged bricks. The boardwalk nearby led over the scruffy
dunes to the YELLOW sand beyond. It was
cold and windy so there were not too many folks frolicking in the water today!
That afternoon we parked in a small “fishing camp”
campground – the Newport County Park on the St Marks River. Right across RT 98 was the road to the St
Marks Lighthouse and Wildlife Refuge.
Last spring the area was damaged by Hurricane Hermaine, and the
shoreline at the lighthouse still showed some residual damage.
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| Wakulla lodge |
We chose to spend
several nights and so took a day to see if Wakulla Springs State Park was still
doing well. It is! The agent at the gate had to charge us an
entry fee but was nice enough to inform us that we could use that receipt
towards any cost of a meal (breakfast!) at the restaurant in the lodge. The lodge was and is still a step back into
a grander time! Their Christmas tree was still up and the decorations fulfilled
the feeling of the era. A toasty fire
was crackling in the huge fireplace. The spring is still a first magnitude
spring and the resident manatees still follow the tour boats around and rise to
the surface as if on cue.
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| Wakulla Springs |
It was New Year’s Eve and there was to be a big celebration,
complete with fireworks that evening in Tallahassee at a park near the capitol
building. Since we were not going to be in Tallahassee after dark, we wanted to
at least see the park where all the fireworks were to be set off. It was not on our GPS so we wandered from
the east side of town to the west - right thru the Florida State University
campus! Right past the Seminole Stadium
- the guys that beat the Michigan Wolverines in the Orange Bowl by ONE lousy
point. We never did find the park.
Defeated also – H and I headed back to our snug little winter home.
We’ve gone from the “Emerald Coast”, thru the
“Forgotten Coast” where the tenor of the area changed from sparkling water and
tourists to tidal flats and fishing villages.
Around and down the “Big Bend” of the Gulf side of Florida we lucked out
and got a “walk-in” site in Manatee State Park near Chiefland. Manatee Springs had been closed a year ago
for updating electrical and
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| Manatee Springs |
sewer hookups.
Not much else has been done. From December to April, the actual run is
usually off limits (because in the cool weather, manatees come up in the run
from the river). Not so this year. The kayak and canoe rental is going
strong! During the day, there is still
a pod of 4 or 5 manatees out in the area where the spring empties into the
Suwannee River and can be seen from the boardwalk, the fishing dock – or from
your kayak or canoe! The spring is
still flowing 72-degree clear water. On
one trip to the spring to watch the swimmers in the water, we saw more than
just kids bobbing around. We were
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| Mermaid in Manatee Springs |
amazed to see a Mermaid with long shimmering blue green fins! H and I even got to talk with her! Her name is Serena and has wanted to be a mermaid
since she was a small girl! Cool,
huh!
