24 Miles of Beautiful Beaches - Exploring the Emerald Coast

(Destin, FL) We arrived in Destin a couple of days ago.  It is the centerpiece of a string of lovely beaches for about 24 miles along the Emerald Coast. Destin was such a change from the very rural and sleepy Carrebelle.  It is a vibrant city with tall condominium skyscrapers, shopping malls, numerous restaurants, and yes, lots of traffic.  



Emerald Coast



The Emerald Coast extends from Panama City through Pensacola.  It was a very pretty drive along the coast and through the small beach towns.  At times we did encounter bumper to bumper traffic which could be avoided on a less scenic route. 

We were not able to stay at St. George State Park as planned and spent two additional days at the Ho Hum RV Park..  Unfortunately I got the flu and was not up to traveling anywhere.  I even had a flu shot! I read that it was still possible to get the flu but  the symptoms would be reduced. Seriously, I don't think it could have been much worse.  I'm starting to feel like the "living" again and plan on  taking it easy for a few more days. 

We arrived on Friday at the Destin U.S. Army Recreation Area campground.  This is a called a MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) Center.  It is not a base, but rather a place where the military can get away for a vacation.  There is a small campground with 46 sites.  Cost is $18 per night for a full hook up site.  We initially had planned to stay here for a month but have shortened our stay for a week in order to visit with some family.  The sites are very close together and offer zero "it" factor.  However, the park is very clean and each site has a concrete pad with a picnic table. 

Note our cozy picnic area!

The facility on the other side of the campground overlooks the pretty Choctawahatchee Bay. During peak season there is a nice pool, marina with boat rentals and deep sea fishing tours.

There are a variety of very reasonable accommodations that can also be rented including hotel rooms and cottages. 

Yesterday we started exploring the Destin area and did quite a bit of shopping.  We made some quick stops at Best Buy,  book store, auto part shop, and Bass Pro Shop.  John said it's probably good we are not spending a month here because we would quickly blow our budget.  We took Jimmy to PetSmart and set up a grooming appointment.  He definitely needs a summer cut.  There are these little thistles in the grass that get in his long coat and cause him a lot of torment.  A shorter cut would be helpful.  

Afterwards we went for a long walk along one of the beaches.  The sand  is white and very soft.  We found a public access and enjoyed a long walk.  The Emerald Coast gets its name from the color of the water.  The unique color is not quite captured in these pictures.  It really is a lovely color and quite different from anything I have seen before.  

 

Later in the evening we had dinner at Fridays and watched some of the playoffs with the boisterous crowd.  Afterwards we went to see the movie The Kings Speech.  We both really liked it and would highly recommend seeing it soon. It is based on a true story about England's King George VI (Queen Elizabeth's father).  He unexpectedly became King due to his brothers abdication.  and  suffered from a severe stutter. The story is about how he overcame it with the help of a very eccentric speech therapist.  Be sure to check it out. 

Tomorrow will be a day of completing a lot of tasks on the honey do list.  Plus, I'm sure some more football will be involved 

Camping Along the Forgotten Coast

(Carrabelle, FL) Just as we leaving Pelican Roost yesterday we saw a Cost Guard Cutter go past our site. 

We are traveling across the Panhandle of Florida also known as the Forgotten Coast.  It was an easy five hour drive to our campground, Ho Hum RV Park.  We had read about this campground on a great blog called Semi True Tales of our Life on the Road.  Laurie gives some very helpful reviews of campgrounds.  We were warmly greeted by the campground hosts and had reserved site #35 per Laurie's recommendation.  The camphosts called it the honeymoon site.  It is the last site on the water and your patio faces a pretty beach with a little bit of privacy. 

The weather is rather chilly and a freeze warning has been given for tonight.  However, it beats the alternative in Indiana right now :).

Today we decided to explore a couple state parks in the area.  Our first stop was Ochlockonee River State Park in Sopchoppy Florida.  Certainly a mouthful of a name but it is a very pretty park.  The ranger had called us several month ago to see if we wanted to be camphosts  We had applied as volunteers through the state website.  We had to decline at the time since we were still working.  We drove around the park and liked the campground, especially site #8.  There are trails behind each site that lead out to the river. 

There is also a canoe trail and a small swimming beach. 

We talked to the ranger and their camphost positions are reserved through 2013.  However, he will let us know of any availability.  Afterwards we headed out to St. George Island State Park.  There is a long bridge that leads out to the island.  It was a nice drive and a very pretty island.. 

The park has the prettiest beach we have seen so far.  The sand was powdery white with lots of sand dunes .

The campsites were closer together and currently easy to obtain.  The ranger told us peak time was mid April - June and suggested reservations during that time. 

We took Jimmy for a long walk on the beach by the lighthouse 

Here is a map showing the area we traveled today.  It was a great road trip. 

View The Forgotten Coast in a larger map

We returned to our campground and found this blue heron keeping guard over our site.  Thanks for stopping by today.  Tomorrow we are heading for St. Andrews State Park.