We had no more than a few short days at St. George Island State Park, one of those producing a “frognado” (thanks to my friend Beth for providing me that title) after an afternoon downpour, and another so foggy that exploring was out of the question, although we did attempt to give it a go. Cabin fever was settling in and thankfully our final day brought sunshine so a walk on the beach seemed the perfect medicine.
St. George Island is a 22-mile barrier island nestled between Apalachicola Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Part of Florida’s Forgotten Coast, a large stretch of undeveloped, serene coastline in the Panhandle, it resembles a long finger jutting out into the sea, no more than one mile across at its widest.
St. George Island State Park occupies the far eastern end of the island, with 9 miles of sugary white-sand beach and dunes to explore. Stretching our legs on the beach, a brisk wind in our faces, and lungs deeply filled with salty sea air was just the ticket to shake off the cloak of lethargy after several rainy days. If you long for some solitude, a symphony of wind and surf, with visions of a lovely little pond and a majestic heron hanging out in the surrounding trees, this could be the place to settle for a few weeks.
Had we the time and weather permitted, we could have spent an entire day exploring the lovely little town of Apalachicola, nationally acclaimed for both its history and its seafood. Given Mother Nature’s temperament, we had to content ourselves with sampling the local steamed oysters and blackened grouper at the bayside restaurant Up the Creek Raw Bar in Apalachicola, which was wrapped in fog. Except for the lapping of water along the shore you would never know the bay sat beyond this shroud of white.
The shallow waters of Apalachicola Bay are some of the cleanest and most productive in the country, supplying more than 90% of Florida’s oysters and 10% of the nation’s supply. They are recognized as some of the best tasting oysters by some of the finest chefs in the country and we had to agree they were pretty fabulous. Many times these sleepy little coastal towns are some of the best finds.
A walk down to the bay on our last evening left us with yet another fond memory, our first lovely sunset since arriving in Florida.
Perhaps the tides have turned, weather-wise at least. 🙂
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