Checking out the park and Linner with Friends

Tuesday March 25, 2014
St. George Island State Park
Eastpoint, FL

 

This is a post of our last few days in my efforts to get caught up to NOW which seems to never happen.  But the big news of today was posted earlier this morning.  So if you haven’t seen that be sure to read it here after you finish. It’s very short.

 

 

SUNDAY

Sunday was given up to preparations for leaving Manatee Springs early enough on Monday to miss the rain.  For us slow pokes that means we went out and dumped her tanks, filled her up with gas and put her on a more level site overnight so we could leave the jacks up.   Yes, I hate to drive in the rain.

The fun part of the day was doing chat on line with Carrie who did a play by play of the Virginia Memphis game since we could not get the channel on which the game was being broadcast.   She and I both type very fast so it was really fun for her to type  “great defense”,  Virginia steals the ball, time out, commercial…..Memphis coach is really mad.   Virginia won by a nice margin and lives to play again on the 28th.  This time against a very strong Michigan State. 

 

 

 

 

MONDAY

 

After all the preparations done on Sunday we were able to leave the campground early on Monday, stop by the farm supply for Propane and drive the 179 miles to St. George Island State Park under gray and threatening skies.   It sprinkled a bit as we got close to the park so we did a minimal set up in Site 57 and whipped up some lunch.

The site is a nice large one and as close as you can get in the campground to the beach.

 

 

Later in the afternoon, the off and on rain finally quits and we go out to take a walk around.  As we step out we are greeted by a favorite bird of mine the Rufous Sided Towhee (now known as the Eastern Towhee).  Rufous, as we have always called him, lived with us at the farm.  Well several of him did and seeing him here hopping around in the grass brings a smile to my face. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walk around the campground loop and back the trail to the Interpretive Center.  Not sure why they call it that.  As you can see it is a little building with a few tables and chairs, a very nice map of the island, a counter with magazines and book swap shelves.  David picks up a couple of National Geographics.  Not much to interest me.

We look at the map, check out the magazines and books and then went on down the trail to the bay where there is a little beach and a picnic table.  We are hoping at some point we will be able to see the sunset from here.  Not tonight obviously, it is much too cloudy.  

 

 

 

Sunset here?  Maybe??

 

 

On the way back I stop to admire these little beach flowers smiling up on this gray day.

 

 

 

Time to head over to the gulf.  As we walk on around the campground loop I see this interesting camping set up.  Would you call it a bed tent??

 

 

 

 

 

 

The skies are gray  on the path to the beach.  The vegetation on the dunes looks dark and rich.  The waters of the gulf are a bit rough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back from our walk along the shore, we stop at the two ponds on either side of the campground road.  They are really lovely and we always see something there.  Today is no exception. 

 

 

 

 

This little duck was quite far away and the picture is hazy but I’d love to know who he is if Judy or anyone else who might know is out there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

David is very excited to see the first real recycling in a state park in a long time.  For him, real recycling means something other than aluminum cans which we almost never have being non soda drinkers.  And of course, for the beer drinker, beer must come in a glass bottle.  HA!  He wants to remember what they recycle, thus the picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TUESDAY

 

I start the day with what will probably become my ritual here.  No manatee to see but with the island actually facing somewhat East due to the panhandle I can see the sunrise over the gulf.  Odd isn’t it.  The island sits at an angle SW to NE so the shoreline faces SE .   But no sunrise today.   WAY too cloudy.  Although later in the day perhaps the 20+ mph winds will blow the clouds away and the sun will come out.   It’s actually deep blue at dawn when I am first seeing the dunes.

 

 

But there are ALWAYS  many interesting things on a beach, in the air, and in the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The  sun gets high enough in the sky that I can see the clouds.  There are few things I love more than a deserted beach.  Nothing of man’s doing for as far as the eye can see in all directions.

 

 

 

 

 

This is what dunes that have not been flattened for development look like in their natural state.  Just gorgeous!  Thank you Florida!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This afternoon we have a date for Linner.

 

We always just call it Early Dinner when we eat at 3:00 or 4:00 rather than later.  But when I see that Gail and Rick Houle are at Ho Hum, just down the road I contact her about meeting up.   She calls it Linner and I like it.

 

 

We meet them at 3:00 at Tamara’s Café on the corner with its big awning.   On our way, David takes a couple of pictures of the cute town of Apalachicola but if you want to see some much better pictures of both the town and our meeting check out Gail’s blog Gypsy Turtles.

I had to borrow this picture of Tamara’s from the net as the one we took disappeared in the creation of this post.  How can that happen??

  The raised sidewalks and shops on one side of the street remind me of an old western town.  We’ve spent enough time in Florida to know that it was the wild west as recently as Colorado so I’m not all that surprised.   We noticed that Apalachicola seems to pride themselves on their oysters and their Tupelo Honey.  I thought the latter came from Mississippi.

 

 

 

Tamara’s turns out to be a cute little place with an interesting menu. 

 

But the best part is our Linner companions.

 

 

 

 

The food is excellent though this picture of it is not.  Gail liked her Key West pork chop with rice and black beans, David and I both enjoyed our oyster po’boys.  But Rick is the winner for his choice of a Creole Pasta with shrimp, sausage, chicken.

 

 

 

 

 

When David and I were crossing the street from our car to the restaurant we both noticed the store next to it.  He saw the sign on the left side of the door , I saw the one on the right.  Neither of us noticed the other.   The left hand side said Appalachian Coffee Company and the right side said Appalachian Chocolate Company.  Too funny!   You see what you want to see I guess. 

Wish I had taken a picture of the entire store front with both signs.  There is a reason I didn’t,  but that’s a story for another post.

In fact, Gail’s pictures of our meeting taken, as you can see, with her phone,  are much better than the ones we got with a camera.  If you want to see good pictures especially of the food and the fun they had earlier in the day, her post was up yesterday and you can see it here.   

In the end, we didn’t have coffee or chocolate.  We all had gelato.  Gail and I had the very end of the white chocolate coconut.   Rick had hazelnut I believe and David had amaretto almond.

 

 

 

 

This sure would have been a good picture if it had been in focus but I want to remember it so you have to look at it!  <grin>

 

 

 

Gail and I are both shocked when we notice that over three hours had gone by so easily we didn’t even know it.  I think it must have been even another half an hour before we said good bye.  I found we have a great deal in common and it was just an excellent afternoon.   They are going to Michigan for at least part of this summer so I hope we will meet up again.   Thanks so much Gail and Rick.  It was great seeing you.  Safe travels.  

We head out to do some grocery shopping and arrived back at the park entrance in time to look back over our shoulders and see the sun setting over the bridge to the mainland.  I didn’t get a sunrise this morning but the heavy winds all day did enable a sunset.  I’m hoping to see a lot of sunrises and sunsets here on the island.  That’s one of the best things about islands.  But of course the weather gods will really decide all.