Category: Coastal

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Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park

St. George Island is a barrier island with by far one of the prettiest beaches I have ever seen in my life. 22 miles long, and ranging from high density beach housing to luxury vacation rentals to desolate wind-blown beaches, it is easy to see why it is such a popular area. Steve and I bypassed the more crowded areas and headed directly for the State Park at the east end of the island. As we showed our annual pass at the gatehouse, we were warned of both red- and purple-flag conditions. No swimming, because of dangerous currents (due to Hurricane Sally a few days before), and wading only if you know the Stingray Shuffle, because stinging rays were in the area.

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St. Andrews State Park

Oh, St. Andrews State Park! Over 30 years ago, I first saw this barrier island which protects an area of the Big Bend region of the Florida Panhandle. My husband and I were newlyweds, and he was on a business trip to Port. St. Joe. I was lucky enough to be able to join him in Mexico Beach for a weekend – a real treat since money was tight and vacationing really was not an option for us then.

While Steve was busy with audit business, I took the rental car and just started driving. The weather was terrible; it was drizzly and the sky had that unvaried gray that would herald a snowfall if it occurred in a less tropical clime. I really don’t remember much about that day, but here’s what I do remember: I walked through the drizzle over a dune on a boardwalk, and saw emerald green water so clear I could see sand dollars and white sand under the water. For over 30 years, I have carried this memory with me and I’ve wanted Steve to have the same experience of that shocking green water against the monotone gray sky.

Well, that’s not quite how it worked out.

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Barrier Islands

Florida’s coastline is protected in many places by barrier islands. These islands are generally long and narrow and are separated from the mainland by a narrow lowland area. This lowland can take the form of a lagoon, a marsh, an estuary, or a combination of these. Occasionally, a peninsula may be long and narrow enough to be considered a barrier island.

Our recent trip to the Florida’s panhandle put us on three barrier islands that highlight the variety and beauty of these coastal protectors. We visited St. Andrews State Park (partially situated on a peninsula), Dr. Julian G Bruce St. George Island State Park, T.H.Stone Memorial St. Joseph State Park at Cape San Blas (another peninsular barrier island). All of these parks are known for their crystalline green water, but we arrived right after Hurricane Sally and the water was not beautiful. It looked like any north Florida Atlantic beach, and the water was too rough to allow swimming.

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43rd Annual Swim Around Key West

One year when Steve and I visited Mallory Square on an early Saturday morning, we noticed that there were people swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, and each of them appeared to be accompanied by a kayak carrying a numbered flag. When we got home, Steve did a bit of sleuthing and discovered that the swimmers were actually circumnavigating Key West. This is an annual event — and in fact, there are two organizations that host two different “Swim Around Key West” (SAKW)events.

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