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.  

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!!

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.

Scalloping in St. Joe Bay

We are having an action packed 4th of July weekend and it's scallop season.  We found quite a few but forgot to take a good picture.  We were stashing them in the live well of our boat. Overall we found about 80 in the St. Joe Bay by the time we were done.

Atlanta Magazine Has Found Cape San Blas and The Forgotten Coast

Cape San Blas will rekindle your love for the Florida Panhandle

The "Forgotten Coast" provides quiet relaxation

by Rebecca Burns

Photograph courtesy of Rockin M Ranch Beach Horseback Riding

“Well,” I said to my husband, “I don’t think I have ever dined out looking so grubby in my life—but I don’t remember when I last felt this relaxed.” With another swig from a bottle of PBR, I leaned back in the wooden bench on the wide front porch of Indian Pass Trading Post and listened as Kerry James, whose sun-streaked hair and leathered skin testified to decades of beach bumming, belted his way through “Sweet Caroline.” 

Just ten minutes before, Jim and I had been sprawled on a blanket, watching horses clomp through cottony sand and splash through azure surf. I wore a Braves cap over a wet ponytail, and—good God—a tank top and ancient gym shorts over a damp bathing suit. Flip-flops. Salt water was still drying on my skin.

A half hour later, seated inside, we shared a plastic picnic table with a family of locals and watched the kitchen crew shuck just-caught oysters with the breakneck pace of contestants in a Top Chef challenge. Popped open, sparkling with brine, and arrayed directly on school cafeteria–style trays, oysters were delivered to crowded tables in a room where beer was available by self-service—and on the honor system—from two draft taps.

The Trading Post (Indian Pass Raw Bar my notes)traces its roots to 1903, when it opened as the company store for a turpentine concern that operated along Cape San Blas, a seventeen-mile barrier island that curves along St. Joseph Bay at the eastern edge of the Florida Panhandle. In the 1930s, Gypsie McNeill added food service for the few travelers who ventured to this distant strip of coastline.

Today the Trading Post (Indian Pass Raw Bar), located on the edge of Highway 30E, bustles thanks to its minutes-from-the-water oysters, harvested by Gypsie’s grandchildren and other members of the McNeill clan. It’s also busy because, frankly, only a handful of restaurants operate on this still-underdeveloped stretch of coastline, where turpentine and timber businesses occupy acres of land, and wildlife preserves take up much of the rest. The two-lane highway runs up the center of the cape, with most locals’ homes fronting the calmer waters of St. Joe Bay (known for its freshwater scallops).

This crescent of the Panhandle is known as the “Forgotten Coast.” Once a thriving center of commerce anchored by the Port of St. Joe, it fell into hard times during the latter part of the twentieth century. This beachy escape may be called forgotten, but spending a few days there made me remember why I fell in love with the Panhandle when we first started going to Seagrove Beach more than twenty years ago. Back then there were no mega shopping centers, no gingerbread-bedecked developments or colossal beachfront mansions with six-car garages. The only place to eat was the family-owned Wheel House, where the catch was fresh and you sat a few feet from the fishermen who’d reeled it in.

“I know that I promised to write about this trip,” I told Jim. “But now I don’t know if I want everyone else discovering this place.”

Where to stay: Most people opt for rental cottages or houses, available by the week or month (visitgulf.com). If you plan to visit for just a few days—or don’t need a family-sized house—Cape San Blas Inn has rooms and suites ranging from $175 to $285 and provides breakfast; coffee service; minifridges; and use of beach chairs, bikes, and canoes.

Where to eat: The Indian Pass Trading Post’s raw bar (850-227-1670) is a must-visit. Cape Tradin’ Post (850-229-8775) stocks beach essentials, fishing tackle, groceries, and a few takeout items (the hoagies are a good bet). It’s adjoined on one side by a closet-sized but impressively stocked liquor store and on the other by Cape Coffee Shop. If you go into Port St. Joe, Dockside Cafe serves fresh grilled fish and bay scallops, and provides a great view of the marina. My note: Of course you should stay at Dunes Club 2A or A Tropical Breeze.

What to do: Thanks to its unique geography, Cape San Blas offers fishing for freshwater bass and scallops in St. Joe Bay and deep-sea grouper and king mackerel in the Gulf. For mellower adventures, try kayak and canoe tours by Happy Ours, or Two-Bit Stable’s horseback rides in the surf. Shelling, sunbathing, snorkeling, and lolling in the surf are the amusements of choice at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, which covers more than nine miles of untouched beach.

- See more at: http://www.atlantamagazine.com/travel/2014/04/01/cape-san-blas-will-rekindle-your-love-for-the-florida-panhandle#sthash.3rwO4DHb.dpuf

17th Annual, Florida Scallop & Music Festival

Make plans now for The Florida Scallop & Music Festival, July 27-August 4, 2013 along St. Joseph Bay in Port St. Joe.

Don't miss this year's 17th annual event where Arts & crafts vendors, educational exhibits, our popular Kidz Zone, and many food vendors will be offered throughout comfortable George Core Park around the pond and under the shade. Fried scallop plates will be available for sale and frozen scallops for take home.

Parking is free or you can pull your boat up close to the beach to hear the music!

Wish I could be at A Tropical Breeze this week for the scallop festival.  Taking the boat from Cape San Blas across the St. Joe Bay to eat some scallops and listen to some great music sounds like the perfect way to spend the weekend.  I hope our Tropical Breeze guests for that week, the Starr Family, have a wonderful time!

Tropical Breeze on Cape San Blas - Dolphins, Spanish Mackarel, new 60" and 32" LED Flat Screen TV's.

 We had a big week at A Tropical Breeze on Cape San Blas, caught lots of fish including a large Spanish mackerel, Red fish, Sea trout and the dolphins were everywhere.  

Dolphins All Around Us

Two Dolphins surface

Cody with red fish and sea trout - caught May 10, 2013

Roni and Cody with Roni's Spanish mackerel - caught on lucky first cast

 

New 60" TV in Living Room

46" Flat screen TV added to main master bedroom 

New 32" TV added to 2nd Master

New cushions added to outdoor furniture

Moonlight on the Beach

We arrived last night, I should say this morning about 2am after a 6 hour drive from Atlanta.  We were tired but excited to see the full moon when we arrived on Cape San Blas.  It had been overcast or raining most of our trip but when we got to A Tropical Breeze the moon was out in it's full glory shining. We walked out onto the beach and there were tons of shells.  I picked up a few and added shell collecting at 2am to my completed bucket list.  (OK, that was never on my bucket list, but it was still really cool.)

The beach is in great shape after Isaac, which thankfully did not cause much sand loss. The turtle nest markings are missing, however I found out this morning that the turtle patrol removed them prior to the storm and the turtle eggs are still safely tucked under the sand.

We are looking forward to a weekend of fun activities which will include fishing on the beach, scalloping in St. Joe Bay, a bonfire on the beach, making s'mores, beach bocce ball, looking for dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico, collecting sea shells, flying kites, a trip to St. Joseph State Park, dinner in Apalachicola or Indian Pass Raw Bar and bike riding on the new bike path.  We look forward to welcoming our good friends, who will join us tomorrow on their first trip to Cape San Blas.

Cape San Blas Park Named to Top 10 in USA

Best of America just named St. Joseph Peninsula State Park in their List of Top 10 State Parks in USA. This is the same park where my son caught the 42" redfish last Thursday. They have beautiful beaches, sand dunes, kayak and bike rentals and a small marina with a boat ramp. It's also a great place for snorkeling and scalloping.

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park - Bay View at Sunrise.

State Parks - Top Ten in the USA

Alaska 

Chugach State Park - Beyond the foothills at Anchorage's edge lies the third largest state park in USA.  A 500,000 acres of some of the most accessible hiking, skiing, camping, wildlife viewing, snowmachining, rafting, and climbing in Alaska. Those of us lucky enough to live here feel the influence of Chugach State Park almost daily. The mountainous backdrop to Anchorage reminds us that, although we live in an urban setting, we really reside in the middle of a vast wilderness. The Chugach foothills are a beacon for changing weather and resident wildlife have been known to wander into town.

Florida 

St Joseph Peninsula State Park - has  striking dune formations, miles of white sand beaches, and a heavily forested interior. Dr. Beach once rated this beach as best beach in America. This 2,516-acre park is bounded by the waters of St. Joe Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park - Sand Dunes and Beach

California
Big Basin Redwoods State Park -  Established in 1902, Big Basin is California's oldest State Park. Home to the largest continuous stand of Ancient Coast Redwoods south of San Francisco, the park consists of over 18,000 acres of Old Growth and recovering Redwood Forest, with mixed conifer, oaks, chaparral, and riparian habitats. Elevations in the park vary from sea level to over 2,000 feet. The climate ranges from foggy and damp near the ocean to sunny, warm ridge tops.

     

Oregon
Sunset Bay State Park - Situated in one of the most scenic areas on the Oregon coast, Sunset Bay State Park features beautiful sandy beaches protected by towering sea cliffs. Only a short walk from the beach, the campground has sites for tent camping and RV's, as well as cozy and comfortable yurts. Day-use and picnic facilities are located along the bay to allow easy access for beachcombing, fishing, swimming, and boating.

Florida
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park - John Pennekamp  is the nation's first underwater park. Formed in the 1960's, Pennekamp Park represents over hundred square miles of mangrove shoreline, grass flats, and of course our famous coral reef. Adjacent to Pennekamp is the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary.
 

Utah
Wasatch Mountain State Park  - Wasatch Mountain State Park is in beautiful Heber Valley and is Utah's most developed state park. Tucked away in the beautiful Wasatch Mountains, the park is both a summer and winter destination. One of Utah's finest and affordable 36-hole golf courses is found here.  Soldier Hollow at Wasatch Mountain State Park was the 2002 Olympic Winter venue biathlon and cross-country events. Soldier Hollow is open year-round to the public for cross-country skiing, tubing, biathlon, snowshoeing,  and many more events.

New Hampshire 
Franconia Notch State Park - Franconia Notch State Park is located in the heart of the popular White Mountain National Forest. Franconia Notch is a spectacular mountain pass traversed by a unique parkway which extends from the Flume Gorge at the south to Echo Lake at the north.  Franconia Notch was once the home of the famous Old Man of the Mountain, the same "Great Stone Face" immortalized by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Daniel Webster. While you are here, visit the Flume Gorge Visitor Center and walk through Flume Gorge, ride the aerial tramway at Cannon Mountain, and explore the New England Ski Museum. Also, you can swim at Echo Lake, net a trout while fly fishing at Profile Lake, ride your bike on the Recreational Trail, watch for rock climbers, hawks, and falcons on Cannon Cliffs, or hike on the Appalachian Trail.

Tennessee 

Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park - Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park is one of the most scenic and spectacular recreation areas in America. Its waterfalls, cascades, sparkling streams,  timberland, gorges and an unmatched variety of recreation facilities. Fall Creek Falls is one of the highest waterfalls east of the Rockies, plunging 256 feet into a shaded pool at the base of its gorge.

Texas 

Palo Duro Canyon State Park - Located about an hour's drive from Amarillo lies the grandeur of Palo Duro Canyon, a  sixty mile-long and eight hundred foot-deep canyon carved out of the Texas High Plains. Visitors to 16,402-acre Palo Duro Canyon State Park are treated to towering cliffs layered with bands of red, yellow, purple and white. Patches of juniper, mesquite, sunflower and prickly pear cacti adorn the canyon slopes, while red clay and veins of white gypsum blanket the ground.
 

Michigan 
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park - Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is over 60,000 acres  and is  one of the few remaining large wilderness areas in the Midwest. Towering virgin timber, secluded lakes, and miles of wild rivers and streams make a visit to the "Porkies" a trip to remember.  This park Park was established in 1945. Since then, many changes have taken place in the way we live; however, the Porcupine Mountains are almost unchanged. The remote interior with its towering pine and hemlock seems to defy time, and the solitude of the park is mysterious and exciting. 

http://www.americasbestonline.com/index.php/pages/beststateparks.html