Wednesday, June 25, 2014

the forgotten coast

Saint George Island Lighthouse (note the thunderhead boiling up)

Saint George Island Beach

 thunderstorm arrives


Took a short road trip southeast along the coast, through Apalachicola, out to St. George Island. It was a beautiful sunny day when we arrived but it didn't take long to get stormy, but we were just out sightseeing so no problem. The island is mostly rental houses, mostly full. Saw lots of small boats in Apalachicola Bay, not fishing, but harvesting oysters. The 'oystermen' now called 'tongers', use tongs (driving by it looked like posthole diggers to me) to bring the oysters up. 

oyster boat at Apalachia museum


This area was dubbed 'Florida's Forgotten Coast' in the early 1990s - south of Panama City Beach, from Mexico Beach to Carabelle, including Port St. Joe where we are staying. From the amount of people here I think they can change the name now. We were here 5 years ago and the little town of Port St. Joe was quiet - the only grocery store fairly empty. On our first day here this time we went to the Piggly Wiggly to get groceries and it was so crowded we just turned around and left, went back later in the day. The clerk said it has been this way for the last couple of years from Memorial Day to October. So the Forgotten Coast? I don't think so. 

By the way - the Piggly Wiggly folks are very nice. They have fresh seafood and will steam shrimp at no extra cost with your choice of seasoning, takes 5 minutes, best shrimp I ever tasted.


this cracks me up every time we drive by... seriously?




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