Almost to Pensacola Traveling Along the Forgotten Florida Coastline
Friday, May 6, 2011
I have already written this post once and some how it got lost. I'm mad I have to do it again. But there was so much good information and pictures that I will do it again. We stayed at the Main Stay Suites in Port St. Joe.
It was a very nice hotel...but no hot tub. Outside was the sweetest little Magnolia Tree and it was blooming.
Since it was small, I could get up close and take pictures of the beautiful white blossoms.
The Forgotten Coast of Florida lies along the Panhandle. It is bounded on the West by Mexico Beach, St. Joe Beach and Port St. Joe. Going East you come to Simmons Bayou, Cape San Blas, Indian Pass, and The City of Apalachicola on the banks of the Apalachicola River. Continuing east you come to Eastpoint, St. George Island, Carrabelle, Lanark Village, St. James Island, St. Teresa Island, and Alligator Point in Franklin County, FL. As you cross the Ochlockonee River on Highway 98 you enter Wakulla County, FL and Ochlockonee Bay, Mashes Sands, Panacea, Live Oak Island, Shell Point and St. Marks. The St. Marks Lighthouse and nature preserve is the easternmost place on the Forgotten Coast. Each area is different, and all are uncrowded Natural Wonders.
Reader surveys over the past two decades tell us that what our visitors enjoy most about Florida’s Forgotten Coast is that they are able to ‘just plain relax.’
But if a totally sedate, ‘just plain relax’ vacation lifestyle is not necessarily your cup of tea; we offer for your consideration at least 101 things to see and do on Florida’s Forgotten Coast.
This journey is from west to east along a remote and quite rural portion of the Florida Panhandle between hectic Panama City and an area due south of equally hectic Tallahassee, the state capitol. At the urging of this publication & publisher, it was labelled “Florida’s Forgotten Coast” in the early ‘90s because state tourism promoters most often ‘forgot’ to even include this area on their maps. Ironically it has since evolved into quite possibly the leading ecotourism destination in Florida.
You are travelling along US Highway 98, a mostly two-lane road along the Gulf of Mexico. It is about 15 to 20 miles between communities. Population of the communities generally ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand. Traffic signals are rare as are shopping malls, bungee jumps, bowling alleys and parking meters. What you will see is lots of trees. More than 60% of this entire land mass is either a reserve, preserve or in the hands of one private landowner.
The scenery is fantastic and you can pull over to the side of the road most anywhere and enjoy the view, take a dip or dip a hook. Since the Gulf is to your right you can only take side trips to the left. In fact, Franklin is the only county in the country that has but one east/west artery and one northerly route. (Hint: that means law enforcement has but one main road on which to catch speeders.)
The Birth of Florida’s Forgotten Coast or why is it called the forgotten Coast?
It was 1991 and once again a Florida tourism promotion group had published a map that completely “forgot” to acknowledge the existence a delightful coastal section of the Florida Panhandle extending from Mexico Beach (eastern Bay County) on the west to St. Marks (Wakulla County) on the east. As if there was absolutely nothing “attractive” about the area between Panama City and Tallahassee.
“Coastline” Publisher Chuck Spicer gathered together a group of Chamber of Commerce & business leaders from Franklin (Carrabelle, Apalachicola & St. George Island), Gulf (Port St. Joe & Wewahitchka), Wakulla, and eastern Bay Counties (Mexico Beach) to discuss the situation.
They decided the appropriate moniker for the region was “Florida’s Forgotten Coast”. U Under the creative guidance of Cindy Clark at “Bay Media,” Spicer, and talent donations by Jim Green & Keith Martin Johns, the first ever “Florida’s Forgotten Coast” four-color brochure (with map) was created. It went a long ways toward putting this region “on the map.”
It’s now nearly two decades later and some will argue the region is no longer “Forgotten.” Quite possibly true. But relative to the rest of the Sunshine State, this area is still virtually undiscovered. For most all of the year each visitor can “claim” a quarter mile of private beach. There are still very few streetlights and no parking meters. No bungee cord jumps, shopping malls, traffic jams, neon lights or skyscrapers. Few waiting lines at the many award-winning area restaurants serving the finest fresh and best prepared seafood in the world.
Online there is a link that tells 101 Things To See And Do if you are traveling along this part of Florida's coast...I wish we would have had this article when we started this journey, because we missed most of these 101 things to see and do. We saw mostly trees, small roads, cattle & horses grazing, and fishing boats. Here is the article and link.
http://forgottencoastline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=157:101-things-to-see-and-do&catid=83
It features miles of white sand beaches, striking dune formations, a heavily forested interior and a favorable climate for year-round outdoor recreation. The 2,516-acre park is bounded on three sides by the waters of St. Joe Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
St. George Island State Park Beach
View from the air.
Miles of undeveloped beach with the Gulf of Mexico on one side and Apalachicola Bay on the other provide the perfect setting for this 2,023-acre park. Two boat ramps provide access to Apalachicola Bay where anglers can fish for flounder, redfish, sea trout, pompano, whiting and Spanish mackerel. Few parks offer better opportunities for Gulf coast shelling while enjoying the antics of the shore birds, such as the snowy plover, least tern, black skimmer and willet who often nest along the park's sandy shores and grass flats. Visitors have ample opportunities for sunbathing, swimming, canoeing, boating, hiking, camping and nature study. The park has six large picnic shelters equipped with grills, tables and restrooms, and the campground features full-facility campsites. A primitive campsite can be accessed by trail or by private boat.
Why was there no advertisement of these beaches on the road? We never even heard of it and even when we asked about beaches no one mentioned it. This was just the kind of places we wanted to see and drive through.
Mexico Beach
South Waldo Beach
Sana Rosa Beach
Destin
What a burger
Navarre Beach
Pensacola Beach
RB's house
Smokey's
I have already written this post once and some how it got lost. I'm mad I have to do it again. But there was so much good information and pictures that I will do it again. We stayed at the Main Stay Suites in Port St. Joe.
Since it was small, I could get up close and take pictures of the beautiful white blossoms.
I picked up a free paper at the motel called
Check Spicer's Forgotten Coast Line.
What is the "Florida's Forgotten Coastline and where is it?
The Forgotten Coast of Florida lies along the Panhandle. It is bounded on the West by Mexico Beach, St. Joe Beach and Port St. Joe. Going East you come to Simmons Bayou, Cape San Blas, Indian Pass, and The City of Apalachicola on the banks of the Apalachicola River. Continuing east you come to Eastpoint, St. George Island, Carrabelle, Lanark Village, St. James Island, St. Teresa Island, and Alligator Point in Franklin County, FL. As you cross the Ochlockonee River on Highway 98 you enter Wakulla County, FL and Ochlockonee Bay, Mashes Sands, Panacea, Live Oak Island, Shell Point and St. Marks. The St. Marks Lighthouse and nature preserve is the easternmost place on the Forgotten Coast. Each area is different, and all are uncrowded Natural Wonders.
Reader surveys over the past two decades tell us that what our visitors enjoy most about Florida’s Forgotten Coast is that they are able to ‘just plain relax.’
But if a totally sedate, ‘just plain relax’ vacation lifestyle is not necessarily your cup of tea; we offer for your consideration at least 101 things to see and do on Florida’s Forgotten Coast.
This journey is from west to east along a remote and quite rural portion of the Florida Panhandle between hectic Panama City and an area due south of equally hectic Tallahassee, the state capitol. At the urging of this publication & publisher, it was labelled “Florida’s Forgotten Coast” in the early ‘90s because state tourism promoters most often ‘forgot’ to even include this area on their maps. Ironically it has since evolved into quite possibly the leading ecotourism destination in Florida.
You are travelling along US Highway 98, a mostly two-lane road along the Gulf of Mexico. It is about 15 to 20 miles between communities. Population of the communities generally ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand. Traffic signals are rare as are shopping malls, bungee jumps, bowling alleys and parking meters. What you will see is lots of trees. More than 60% of this entire land mass is either a reserve, preserve or in the hands of one private landowner.
The scenery is fantastic and you can pull over to the side of the road most anywhere and enjoy the view, take a dip or dip a hook. Since the Gulf is to your right you can only take side trips to the left. In fact, Franklin is the only county in the country that has but one east/west artery and one northerly route. (Hint: that means law enforcement has but one main road on which to catch speeders.)
The Birth of Florida’s Forgotten Coast or why is it called the forgotten Coast?
It was 1991 and once again a Florida tourism promotion group had published a map that completely “forgot” to acknowledge the existence a delightful coastal section of the Florida Panhandle extending from Mexico Beach (eastern Bay County) on the west to St. Marks (Wakulla County) on the east. As if there was absolutely nothing “attractive” about the area between Panama City and Tallahassee.
“Coastline” Publisher Chuck Spicer gathered together a group of Chamber of Commerce & business leaders from Franklin (Carrabelle, Apalachicola & St. George Island), Gulf (Port St. Joe & Wewahitchka), Wakulla, and eastern Bay Counties (Mexico Beach) to discuss the situation.
They decided the appropriate moniker for the region was “Florida’s Forgotten Coast”. U Under the creative guidance of Cindy Clark at “Bay Media,” Spicer, and talent donations by Jim Green & Keith Martin Johns, the first ever “Florida’s Forgotten Coast” four-color brochure (with map) was created. It went a long ways toward putting this region “on the map.”
It’s now nearly two decades later and some will argue the region is no longer “Forgotten.” Quite possibly true. But relative to the rest of the Sunshine State, this area is still virtually undiscovered. For most all of the year each visitor can “claim” a quarter mile of private beach. There are still very few streetlights and no parking meters. No bungee cord jumps, shopping malls, traffic jams, neon lights or skyscrapers. Few waiting lines at the many award-winning area restaurants serving the finest fresh and best prepared seafood in the world.
Online there is a link that tells 101 Things To See And Do if you are traveling along this part of Florida's coast...I wish we would have had this article when we started this journey, because we missed most of these 101 things to see and do. We saw mostly trees, small roads, cattle & horses grazing, and fishing boats. Here is the article and link.
Two of the beaches on the Forgotten Coast Line, (St. George Island State Park and St. Joseph Peninsula State Park) have been rated among the Top 10 in the nation (including Hawaii.)
St. Joseph State Park Peninsula Beach
St. Joseph State Park Peninsula Beach
It features miles of white sand beaches, striking dune formations, a heavily forested interior and a favorable climate for year-round outdoor recreation. The 2,516-acre park is bounded on three sides by the waters of St. Joe Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
St. George Island State Park Beach
View from the air.
Why was there no advertisement of these beaches on the road? We never even heard of it and even when we asked about beaches no one mentioned it. This was just the kind of places we wanted to see and drive through.
Mexico Beach
South Waldo Beach
Sana Rosa Beach
Destin
What a burger
Navarre Beach
Pensacola Beach
RB's house
Smokey's
posted by Carolyn or Connee at 12:50 AM
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