Turtles Released on Cape San Blas, 

Excited and Ready to Return to the Gulf of Mexico

Roni with CSB neighbor Kay and rescued turtle

We've been regular visitors to Cape San Blas for over 15 years. We bought A Tropical Breeze in August of 2002 and during all of that time I have never seen a turtle laying eggs on the beach or the eggs hatching. This past weekend, Rob and I were fortunate to be on the Cape during the release of over 300 turtles that were rescued from St Joe Bay earlier this month due to the cold temperatures. The turtle release had a great turnout and was an event I will never forget.

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Rob and Roni Pridemore at turtle release

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A Tropical Breeze Turns 15 and Gets a Face Lift!

We celebrated A Tropical Breeze's 15th birthday this year with numerous improvements and upgrades. The salt air is tough on a beach home and we constantly fight rust. Many of these improvements are to replace rusted areas or protect from future rust.

These updates included a new oven/stove, commercial hot water tank, all exterior white trim painted or replaced with white vinyl, replaced all screen porch materials which makes for a much nicer and clearer view of the beach, new chairs and all new cushions on the screen porch, regraded Blue Water Drive, added shelves in the laundry room, new canvas picture of A Tropical Breeze sunset over the master bath, wood look tile on the lower set of stairs, new propane tank buried to prevent rusting, new toaster, new coffee pot, new pots and pans and a few other items.

New stainless steel stove

View through new screen on porch, plus new rails

New cushions and chairs but old screen and rails, prior to replacement on porch

All freshly painted or replaced white trim

New wood look tile on lower stairs

New shelves in laundry room suggested by guest and a great addition.

Canvas sunset print of picture taken in front of A Tropical Breeze

The Retired Life at Cape San Blas

My husband retired last month and we are enjoying three weeks on Cape San Blas. We have never been here for more than 10 days so this is a real treat. The first week we didn't have the best of weather and we spent a lot of time working on a Tropical Breeze getting ready for the summer rental season.

The second week we were joined by our extended family and had an amazing week of fun, fishing, food, beach time, family pictures, and so much more.

We are in the midst of week three with two other couples and a few of our kids. Tropical Breeze has guests for the week so we are staying down the beach in a different rental home.  

Amazing week of fishing, sunsets bonfires and music on the beach

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

December’s Insider Tip: Don’t bring firewood from home

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At a Tropical Breeze on Cape San Blas, building a bonfire while the sun is setting is one of our very favorite activities and definitely leaves a big impression on guests, since so few beaches allow campfires on the beach. This tip took me by surprise so I wanted to be sure to share with all future guests.

From VisitGulf.com: Gathering around a campfire at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park is always an awesome adventure!

If you ask Park Manager, Mark Knapke what one thing he wishes everyone knew, he will tell you about wood.

“Don’t bring firewood from beyond 50 miles of the State Park. People don’t know why this is important but it’s because of bugs or disease. You may unknowingly bring disease into the park that trees and/or vegetation haven’t been exposed to. We sell firewood. And, please keep your campfire within designated fire rings. Always, leave it the way you found it – leave no trace.”

A Tropical Breeze - Always Making Improvements for our Guests

The salt air, sun and wind can be tough on your skin when you spend a week at the beach. Can you imagine what it does to a home's exterior after years of sun, salt water and strong winds.   When you own a home at the beach, you are constantly replacing or repairing something.  Rust is our enemy and through the years we have learned the hard way to replace any thing possible with stainless steel or plastic.  Last week we replaced the metal roof with one that is guaranteed for 30 years.  The last one started to rust after only 7 years.

 This week we are having all of the exterior white trim painted.  I can't wait to see how pretty everything looks with the new white paint and white roof.  A Tropical Breeze has been such a blessing to us and we want to do our best to keep it looking like new for our guests.

Cape San Blas and St. Joseph Peninsula State Park listed in 5 NW Florida Beaches You Won't Have to Share

Pictures: 5 Northwest Florida Beaches You Won’t Have to Share

By: Lauren Tjaden

Yearning for empty sweeps of sand, where you can hear the sounds of the surf? Where you never-ever have to fight for a place to spread out your beach towel?

Read on. These five hidden gems have your flip-flops written all over them.

Beaches are listed from west to east. All are located in Northwest Florida on the Gulf of Mexico. 

Pensacola’s Fort Pickens, located in Gulf Islands National Seashore, is an area must-see. On the way there, you’ll pass miles of pristine beaches.  Make sure to ditch your sandals and check out the sand.

Located in Gulf Islands National Seashore between Pensacola Beach and Navarre, Opal Beach was born in 1995 when Hurricane Opal flattened the dunes to create a smooth, glittering paradise of sugar-sand beach.

.WindMark Beach has entirely escaped notice, yet its waters are calm and clear, and its sand begs for attention from your toes. This lovely wonder is located between Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe on Florida’s Forgotten Coast.

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, which encompasses the north end of Cape San Blas, is home to this beach, one of the most highly acclaimed in the nation. But almost anywhere on the peninsula, you’ll have oodles of soft, white sand and emerald-hued waters practically to yourself.

Yearning for empty sweeps of sand? Discover beauties like this one in Cape San Blas.

Credit: Lauren Tjaden

Tropical Breeze - Happy 12 Year Anniversary!

We have been so blessed to own this beautiful piece of paradise on Cape San Blas called A Tropical Breeze.  Today is our 12 year anniversary of moving into A Tropical Breeze. It's been a great 12 years with lots of wonderful family times for us and our guests. In that 12 years we have experienced weddings, engagements, graduations, silver and golden anniversaries, important birthdays and one Ohio State National Championship. There's been a few bad times too with hurricanes, oil spill worries and the frustration of the salt water air trying to rust every piece of metal in site.

We want to thank our wonderful guests who have treated A Tropical Breeze as their own, especially the guests that come back year after year.  You Bless us in so many ways!  Thank you!

Cape San Blas Light House Move

Well it's finally happening - the Cape San Blas lighthouse is moving to Port St. Joe. Very sad to lose this iconic landmark from the Cape, but its new home in Port St. Joe looks pretty good too.

King Mackeral - Fish On!

We didn't start out fishing for King Mackeral but sometimes you have to go with what's biting that day. Today we caught 8 large king mackeral, 1 lone red snapper, a few shark a Jack Cravelle and Cody even speared a flounder.  It was a really fun day of family fishing.