When I go to a new beach area
I want to know a few things such as:
What are the beaches like?
What are the people like?
Just click on the area you want to check out and read my reports. And if you have questions just email me as I will be happy to help.
Beaches |
Local Scene |
Johnson Beach (Gulf Islands NS)The first part was pristine. After the road ended, the tar balls and tar paties were everywhere as seen in the pics I posted. The clean-up crew was supposed to start cleaning it the next day. The island park is beautiful for hiking, etc. Once they clean it, you will enjoy it. But for now, I can't recommend it.
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Johnson BeachA part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, Johnson Beach is a beautiful part of Florida. After they clean up the tar balls and patties, you really could spend a whole day just exploring the beach, the dunes and the backside. In fact, skip the rest, grab a boat and picnic on the back side. You will have had a complete day.
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Ft. Pickens (Gulf Islands NS)The beach is white and similar to the other beaches in the area. Just beautiful white sand, small dunes with plants and animals, the beach extending gently out into the gulf. The wave change ecery day and it is hard to take one's eyes off the clear, sparkling water.
But again, tar balls were in many places. The clean-up crew was working it's way to that area. |
Ft. PickensBy far one of my favorite places so far. The camping is not as good as Big Lagoon State Park, but the sights are worth spending a few days there. The fort itself has a most interesting history and Jim in the store will make you feel right at home. Plus, at national parks you can walk on and explore the dunes, at state parks you can't.
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Pensacola BeachThe beach is beautiful as usual for this area. I saw few if any tar balls. The beach is very clean.
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Pensacola - Nice name...The verdict is in. I have spoken to several locals from many areas. Pensacola has a great beach and that's it. So far, it's the most negative place in Florida. If you are looking for nice folks and good customer service, you will be disappointed. I wish I could say better, but ... oh, wait a minute! Circle K is great there! No gas, but excellent folks work there.
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Santa Rosa Area (Gulf Islands NS)The beach was full of clean-up crews with scores of heavy machinery. I did see areas that had tar balls, etc., but the clean-up was in full force. The beaches and dunes are beautiful, but I would go to Navarre Beach instead.
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Santa Rosa Area and Navarre BeachA strange and relaxing community. I was there in the off season and few people were about. No hitchiking here. Nice beaches.
Navarre Beach is a quiet community with a beautiful state park and the end of the beach which continues on as Eglin AFB beaches. |
Eglin AFB BeachA very beautiful beach. The shells are fantastic. I showed a person who collects shells and he said the ones I got off that beach were excellent. You can walk on the beach, but I think they don't want you to spend the day. I had to jog sraight through. Few if any tar balls. In fact, I think we are out of any tar/oil area.
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Eglin AFB BeachA great beach. I started from west to east, from Navarre to Eglin. Make sure you use the facilities at Navarre Park because there aren't any on Eglin Beach. The shells you will find there are the kind you want to keep. I kept one and I promised myself I wouldn't do that. But it reminded my of the shell we had at home when I was a little tyke. I used to pick it up from the shelf under the TV stand and listen to it from time to time, hope to hear the beach. I was never disappointed.
Not many folks on this beach, but Navy was out playing. If you want to walk to the tower, be careful. It is farther than you think! |
Ft. Walton BeachThe sugar sand is while and the water is emerald and blue. Some spots are busy with people and some belong to the Gulf Shores NS. I say, if it is beaches you want, any beach so far would be almost perfect. Absolutely no tar/oil stuff here.
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Ft. Walton BeachThe place is full of condos and party places, etc. And the beach is wonderful. Many people were out and if you want to party on the beach, this is a spot to do it! Beach and water perfect as usual. Friendly folks, too.
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Destin BeachThe beaches here a fun to run. The peninsula near the Emerald Grand is a great little beach area. The sand is white and clean. The water is fantastic, just as it is alll along the coast. It is so clear I just want to jump right in. (Just a touch too cool for me!)
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Destin and nearbyThis is by far the best place I have been. The amenties, The people. This is a place to come and stay. On the south side you have the condos, etc. North of SR 98 you have the fine local folks, their homes, the canals and several fresh water lakes. This is near the top of my list as a place to move to. Don't miss it!
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San Destin to Greyton BeachThe beaches are white and wonderful. No hint of oil. Just goes to show the hype the media does to get commercial dollars!
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Watercolor and SeasideThe folks here are well-heeled. I had a fishburger and two beers and paid over $20. The localtions are nice, but it sems more like a retirement center for yuppies.
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Panama City BeachesI hit these beaches just before spring break. THe madness hadn't set in yet. The beaches are fantastic! You can walk out a ways, the sand is white and fine. As you get closer to the Panama City itself the beaches become more crowded.
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Panama City BeachesThe folks along the way were nice once you got past the ritzy sections, like Carillon Beach. Exclusive and they assume their privileges. But after that the folks seem rather nice, very touristy though. Once you get a few blocks from the beach, the folks are even nicer. The pandering to spring breakers is truly on a monumental scale. Skip the buffets unless you want poor and possibly dangerous food. The bars advertise not just drinking but getting drunk. And this is for your college teens? Nasty place.
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St. Andrews Sate Park BeachesThis two and a half mile stretch of beach has been voted the most bautiufl beach in the world. When you turn the corner at the jetty, the view is breathtaking. Many folks who camp there enjoy walkkng the beaches every day.
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St. Andrews State Park FolksThe people who run the place are kind and helpful. The park amenities are as good as any in the Florida state park system. The campers and guests of the park are friendly. If you meet Vernon Harness, you will have an interesting and good conversation.
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Shell IslandThe island is about 400 meters from the peninsula. It's about 13.5 miles long and the beaches in the middle are emply and full of beautiful shells. There is a freshwater lake, dunes and forests. Also, you can access Tyndall AFB from the beach, about 8 miles down.
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Shell IslandThere is only one how on Shell Island and it sets about three miles on the beach from the western edge. Very weird to come across. Nobody home. Tourists from the dolphin sightseeing ships stop there as well as kayakers. Farther down the beach a few Tyndall AFB personnel are tanning and joging.
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Panama CityNo beaches here really, but had mention it. The bay, Grand Bay is a worthwhile cruise.
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Panama CityMany folks here were born and raised here. They like this place and so do I. More so than I thought I would. A possible place to live when this jog is over.
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Buck BeachThis is a beauiful beach tucked away in the environs of Tyndal AFB. You need to find the right road to access it and that road is only open to the public on weekends and holidays. The beach is full of trees and tree stumps. But you can walk through it. Nice!
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Buck Beach FolksThe people you meet there are local hunters and fishermen. The two I met were friendly and helpful. Otherwise you might just run into a snake or two, a bear, some deer, etc.
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Crooked IslandLike Shell Island, it is not really an island, just a peninsula. The beach is full of shells, Toward the western end it is desolate with a small forest before the end.
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Crooked IslandYou might see a few folks at the western end, but it is usually empty of people. This area goes all the way to Mexico Beach and the closer you get you will see fisherman, tourists and families. There is a parking lot and access to it just at the "Leaving Tyndall AFB" sign.
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Mexico BeachThis is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. It has a wonderfully graceful curve. The sand is pure and great to jog on.
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Mexico Beach FolksThis is a fun, low keyed retirement area. The folks are friendly and active. Lots of fishing. No condos, no McDonalds and no uppity folks. I attended the Baptist Church and felt right at home.
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St. Joseph State Park BeachThe first seven miles of this beach is accessible only by hiking. No roads. The beach is narrow in spots and wonderfully desolate for long stretches with sandbars you can often walk on. After the first seven miles the beach widens out a bit and heads to the cape.
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St. Joseph State Park FolksThe park folks are nice, several young people on spring break, many retirees and many active middle-agers on vacation. Lots of boats and kayaks. Cape Trading Post is just off the park and has everything you need and the nicest folks run that place.
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Cape (Lighthouse to Indian Pass)The beach is spectacular. At the cape it is pristine with trees and tree stumps here and there. Once you turn the corner you see a sweeping arch of sand. No condos.
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Cape FolksCape San Blas folks are made up of vacationers, wealthy retirees and locals. All thes folks are downright nice. In fact, these are the nicest folks I have met. The Raw Oyster Bar is THE place to be on weekends. Jimmie Mack runs a fun place with excellent food.
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Little St. George IslandThe island is run by the state as a preserve I think. You can only access this by boat. The beach complete gorgeous in it's entirety. I had to kayak the the Bob Sikes Cut and hike westward from there. About 3 and 1/2 miles down I found a huge conch shell just lying on the beach wating for me to pick up. This is the best shelling yet.
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Little St. George IslandNo people live on this island. It is run by the state as a wildlife preserve. There are all kinds of wild animals and critters out there. But they left me alone when I camped out on the beach. You might see George and Jimmy out there. They are rebuilding the dock on the bay side and are friendly and good people.
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St. George IslandThe beaches are some of the most beautiful places on earth. The sand is firm and soft in places. You can walk your dog on the beach. Truly a perfect beach on the gulf side no matter whether you are fishing, taking the little ones to build sand castles, playing volley ball, etc. From Bob Sike's Cut on the Plantation to the East End of the state park, you will find no finer beaches in Florida.
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St. George Island FolksI was surprised to find the locals defending the Plantation which comprises the last five miles on the western end of this island. Usually, locals don't like private, gated communities especially when they take up so much of the island and some very good fishing spots. But everyone I spoke with said things like, " they have been in the public eye for years and this helps them have privacy" or "They are nice folks."
And they are right. Almost all these folks are nice as can be. There are a few who need to insert into conversations that THEY have a place on the Plantation. But they are few and far between. The rest of the folks are either locals or retired/semi-retired people who love the island. LIssy, who works at Journey's, hasn't been off the island in three months and she feels no need to. Jake, the long-haired fire chief, is a very cool guy who willing to help a stranger immediately. I like this place. The best beaches and the best of southern hospitality. Oh, yeah. No McDonald's, no Starbucks, and no Walmart! |
Carrabelle BeachThe beach has verynice state park there. So you can picnic and have a great day. The beach is very nice. It arches around and is only a mile or so long. Good sand and shallow water. the view of the islands is very pleasant to the eyes. When I was on the beach it was almost empty, but I hear it fills up on the weekends.
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CarrabelleThis has all the charm of a small town on a river meeting the sea. It is picturesque. The shops and restaurants cater to locals and tourists alike. Be prepared to be treated very nicely. It's a small place so there is no reason to suggest places.
But do try Captain Snooks just outside on the eastern side of Eastpoint. The food is very good. |
Hidden Beach and St. Teresa BeachI don't know the name of the first beach. The western end is full of little spikes and rocks, but the rest is a very nice beach. St. Teresa Beach is a nice beach as well. The picture of it shows that. Hard to get on and off, though.
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Hidden Beach and St. Teresa areaThe first place is a development community that the economic downturn stifled. A few large houses dot the forest landscape. St. Teresa is a Tallahassee weeked cottage community. No stores, upper middle class. Nothing to write home about. Pensacola and here are places I don't mind not going back to.
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Alligator PointHere is a gist of this "Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve is a shallow, neutral estuary and a barrier spit lagoon. It lies just east of the Apalachicola estuary and is enclosed by the Alligator Point sand spit. The harbor is approximately 4 miles long and 1 miles wide with a mean low water depth of approximately four feet. There is little freshwater inflow into the harbor therefore salinity levels areessentially the same as the adjacent Gulf of Mexico."
Here's my take: A beautiful peninsula. The western end is closed to traffric, some sort of protected area, but the beaches are open. As you walk out to the point, you have to climb over some rock barriers put there to stop the erosion. The birds in that area are beautiful. The beach is almost empty out there. Once you round the rocks on the way back, you see a small town of cottages, etc. I didn't see one restaurant or store, but the marina probably has a little shop/bar. The water is wonderful for swimming and fishing. A very nice job. No alligators. |
Alligator PointSome folks live out here, some have vacation rentals. This is a place to relax and have fun. I encountered absolutely no uppitiness. Folks were friendly and pleasant.
If you are looking for a McDonalds, or even a restaurant, don't go there. But if you want to get away and relax and enjoy, there are few better places. |
Bald Point State ParkThis is a continutation of the Alligator Point Beach. This is completely beautiful. The beach is firm, the water is perfect with swimmers and fisherman. The end has a short, but nice, fishing pier. This was the last major jog on the panhandle and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The days have been perfect, with temperatures in the 80's during the day and 60's at night.
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Bald Point State ParkThe people I met seem to come here often, whether for fishing or biking or just relaxation. People from Tallahassee come for the day. There are several locals here as well. This is a really cool place. Everyone is enjoing the beach or water. If I lived in the area this would be my favorite place to go.
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Mashes Island BeachThis is in Wakulla County and is a county park. The sand is a wonderful powdery white. The beach is about a mile long and there is a fishing pier at the western end around the turn. The water is shallow for quite a ways out. The waves were gentle and I really liked the jog here.
Many people like this place. |
Mashes Island BeachMany folks were out there when I did my jog. The season is getting warmer and the bikinis showing off more and more. Many locals are here, often with their kids, some just sunbathing. The areas around here are full of friendly folks and this beach reflects that.
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Shell Point BeachThe beach is small, the sand is a little more muddy at water's edge. There is a large condo community built up nearby and the golf cars are on the beach. It was a brief jog and an anti-climactic ending to the panhandle jog.
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Shell Point BeachThis is a touristy place with some locals. I really wasn't in sync with it. There were couples, older folks and families on this short beach, as well as young people getting ready to party with their music and beverages. I The quailty of the place doesn't suit my pristines ideas of a friendly beach. It is almost like a retiremenjt communoity on a beach.
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Other So-called BeachesI stopped at a few places where there were supossed to have beaches. You, turn left at the big oak tree and follow the road five miels bach through the forest and marshed (road being a sandy road). And when I got ther I jogged what was there. Shells, stones or mud.
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Other So-called BeachesThis is in the marshes or forests. I did meet a couple setting up a tent at one spot. They forgot their tent stakes so I have them 4 of mine. There was barely room for more than that. The groind was oyster shells. Beautiful point of land though.
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