A Perfect Description of Cape San Blas - By Adlen Robinson in the Forsyth County News

Family’s favorite beach getaway retaining its charm

Twenty-seven years ago, Paul and I first visited Cape San Blas, Fla. A friend told us the beaches were pristine and secluded and there was little commercialism.

Skeptical, we made the seven-hour trip, feeling we were out in the middle of nowhere soon after we passed Columbus. The verdict? We fell in love with the cape and the surrounding charming towns of Apalachicola and Port St. Joe. We vowed when we had children, we would bring them to Cape San Blas every year.

Our first trip with babies was when our oldest was 2 and our second child was about to turn 1. We also brought my parents on the beach trip, something we continued to do when we ventured back to the beach year after year. When the children were little, we loved to play on the beach for hours, swimming in the Gulf, building massive sand castles, burying Paul in the sand, feeding the sea gulls, taking long walks and fishing. Oh the fishing. How fun it was catching small sharks, pompano, whiting, catfish and even stingray and crabs.

We took our boat to the beach a few times. Although that added to the preparation stress, we had so much fun exploring the bay. Dolphins swam right along with us and watching young children see that sight is truly priceless.

Apalachicola is the oyster capital of America. And there are plenty of raw bars and restaurants in the sleepy town. On a recent trip, we tried a place new to us called Up the Creek. Besides the oysters, we had one of the best tuna tartares. The presentation was as amazing as the dish itself. We even met the young chef who created the dish, T.J. Elliot, who said he was a self-taught cook. Wow. That was impressive.

The cape is remote. It is probably not for those who like vacations that include putt-putt golf, water parks, high rises and fancy dining. There are no fast food restaurants on the cape, and not that many in the neighboring towns either. Grocery stores also are not plentiful.

When we used to come back years ago, there were even fewer grocery stores. I used to bring almost all of our food, giving Paul headaches as he struggled to pack the endless supplies.

It's Been 13 years and We Love A Tropical Breeze More than Ever!

Last week we were able to stay at A Tropical Breeze after an amazing summer rental season. We truly have some of the nicest guests in the world and celebrated 13 years of ownership on August 24th.

There's something about this place that is magical and some day we will get a chance to spend more than a week here, however with guest bookings, work and school schedules we've never had that opportunity. As of August 13, we became empty-nesters and plan to be here as much as possible, whenever it's not already booked with guests.

As always, we saw some amazing sunsets, a bobcat crossing CSB Road, deer, dolphins playing in the sunset and turtle nests. We did our best to see a turtle next hatch but it just didn't happen while we were there. We looked for nests that had been laid 2 or more months ago and carried our chairs out behind the nests. We were all settled in with our red lights and books when all of a sudden the wind shifted and the dark clouds to the south brought stinging rain our way. We ran back up the beach to Tropical Breeze laughing all the way. Who knew we could still run so fast. Our September guests should have several nests hatch while they are there, but to see it happen is a matter of patience and avoiding unexpected rain storms. LOL

Visiting isn't all beach time, after a summer of back to back guests, we usually have some additional maintenance projects. This year was no different and we had numerous service people in and out and did several DIY projects ourselves. Home ownership at the beach is a constant battle against sun, water and rust damage but we do our best to keep A Tropical Breeze is the best condition possible.

In the last year we added a new refrigerator, sleeper sofa, love seat, king mattress set and new lamps in the main master, new comforters on all 7 beds, new roof, new grill and painted all exterior trim. On our next visit we plan to re-cover the dining room chairs. Thanks again to all of our wonderful guests who take such good care of A Tropical Breeze during their stays. We are blessed to have you!!

The Pridemores are Moving to the Lake this Summer after 23 years in Roswell GA

We are downsizing and on the move to our new home across town, so I haven't been posting as much as usual. Getting a house ready for a move after 23 years and a major downsize to an older home is a lot of work but my family has been a big help.

We are about to be empty nesters as our youngest just graduated from Roswell High School and will be off to UGA in August. We are moving to a small house on the lake 16 miles away. We are truly spoiled to be living in such a nice community as Berkeley Lake. It's big down size for us and our bathrooms are from the 1950's but to have this view and great community, we can get used to small bathrooms.

A Tropical Breeze is filled with guests all summer so we will enjoy our time at the lake until we can get back to Cape San Blas. Hope everyone has a great summer!

Come See the World UNDER the Bay - Snorkel St. Joseph Bay

From VisitGulf.com I love our guided snorkel trips says Debbie VanFleet, Adventure Guide and owner of Happy Ours Kayak and Bike Outpost. Generally I’ll start in an area of the Bay that is shallow with pure white sand. We will see sting rays – I’ll teach guests the “sting ray shuffle” to get them out – and we will see whelks, egg sacks from tube worms and horseshoe crabs. And blue crabs will hide under the sand. There’s a whole world under that sand! Then we will head on to the short grass. Get everyone used to the turtle grass. It’s like an aquarium. The tulip shells are so beautiful. Before you know it, we gradually work our way into the thicker, longer grass. One of my favorite creatures is the tunicate. Some species are nicknamed sea squirts. Do you know it? It’s a filter feeder similar to a sponge but with a central nervous system. But, a tunicate will close their tiny holes when you touch it. It reacts to you. Or, an adjacent hole may close. It’s very neat to see.

Nature is constantly changing – every season and every year is different. I tell people that you think you’ve seen it all after a few hours but it is only the beginning. Every time you go, it’s different and it’s that change that makes it great.

Debbie VanFleet: Come visit Debbie, Adventure Guide and Florida Master Naturalist, and her husband Dan at Happy Ours Kayak and Bike Outpost. You are sure to see a side of St. Joseph Bay you have never seen before.

Cape San Blas - Leave No Trace Ordinance Passed - No More Personal Belongings on Beach Overnight

Important Notice: Leave No Trace Ordinance passed - No more tents, chairs or personal belongings on beach overnight. Below are excerpts from the Port St. Joe Star Leave No Trace article by Tim Croft.

A standing-room-in-the-hallway-outside-the-meeting-room-only audience, which at times participated as if sitting at the podium with commissioners, roundly applauded as Leave No Trace passed with little discussion.

“Enforcement is the key to any ordinance we put in and we are going to do our best,” said Commissioner Warren Yeager in speaking about Leave No Trace.

A highlight of the Leave No Trace ordinance is that personal property left on the beach by non-residents one hour after sunset or one hour prior to sunrise would be considered abandoned.

The language of the ordinance permits county crews picking up such abandoned property and disposing of it.

This is great news for the nesting sea turtles and anyone who loves the beauty of the beach.  Most of the beach does not look like this but there are areas that are completely out of control.  This will be a bit inconvenient for some, but a huge improvement for the overall feel of this beautiful beach. A Tropical Breeze guests will benefit from this ordinance.

Cape San Blas Lighthouse Comes Alive

It was great seeing the lighthouse lit up in Port St. Joe on our Christmas visit to A Tropical Breeze - Cape San Blas.

Passersby may have noticed something different about the Cape San Blas Lighthouse in recent nights.

The lighthouse, located in Port St. Joe’s George Core Park, was fashioned with a solar-powered light by residents Jon Hooper and Dr. Tim Nelson.

The solar panels absorb sunlight during the day and the light comes on around 6:30 p.m. ET each night, lasting for approximately five hours.

To read the complete article in The Star go to: http://www.starfl.com/news/local-news/cape-san-blas-lighthouse-comes-alive-1.419477