Panama City Beach Florida

Panama City Beach Florida

Growing up on southern shores gave us a remarkable opportunity to enjoy the beautiful beaches of the Florida Panhandle.  One of my favorite vacation locations is Panama City Beach Florida.  My family has enjoyed this picturesque city on many occasions.  PCB has it all.  Beautiful beaches, gorgeous blue water, and friendly locals.

Panama City Beach Florida

When you visit PCB, you must visit Pier Park.   It is an outstanding shopping and entertainment center.   A couple of my favorite restaurants located at Pier Park are Margaritaville and The Back Porch Restaurant.  But if you want to try my top pick place to eat, you have to head down the road to a local oyster bar called “Dusty’s Oyster Bar and Eatery”.   This local oyster bar has the most excellent oysters on the half shell available.  Make sure you order the “Dusty Baked Oysters”.  They are off the chain!!!!!

Dusty's

After a great day on the beach or shopping, the only thing left to do is settle in on the deck of your condo and watch the beautiful sunset.  It is never disappointing.



If you have a passion for night-life activities, believe me PCB has it all.  Just ask any college kid on spring break.

I hope one day you will visit beautiful Panama City Beach Florida.  You will not be disappointed.

 

Life is Beautiful

Dauphin Island

Dauphin Island is located in the Gulf Coast in Mobile County. This barrier island is fourteen miles long and less than two miles wide. The only way to access the Island is by boat or the two lane bridge that leads onto the island. In earlier years, before hurricane Fredrick hit back in 1979, the bridge was an old fashion draw bridge that might make you wait before crossing due to the local barge traffic.  I cherish many childhood memories here because this is where my family for many years vacationed during the summer. Coming from a large family it was hard to find a vacation spot that we could go to that was reasonably priced.

My family would rent one of the many old style beach cottages that the island offers. We would load up our old station wagon with all of the supplies we would need for the week and head down to the island. It was not a long drive considering we lived in the city of Mobile, Alabama.  We would have no idea what the cottage had to offer until we reached our destination. Unlike in today’s social media world where you can view your choice of destinations before renting, we had to just hope for the best that it was a decent place.

I would always pick the screened in porch as the place for me to lay my head down. I enjoyed the sound of the ocean, with the waves breaking on the beach to put me to sleep and wake me in the morning. Being that I was a young man at that time stuck in the middle of several sisters, my dad and I would wake up early in the morning so that he and I could spend quality time together. We would load up that old station wagon with several nets for crabbing (blue crabs that is) and head out to the east end of the island.

This end of the Island has so much to offer anyone interested in history and beauty. From this point one can view the many boats that head out into the Gulf of Mexico for a day of fishing. There is the Sand Island Light House  that can be seen as well as the Historical Civil War Fort (Fort Gains).  There is an abundance of history that goes along with this Island. For anyone interested in history as well as small children that want to play and learn about American history, Fort Gains is an amazing place to visit. Several times a year they have Civil War reenactments that are open to the public. Looking across the channel one can also view Fort Morgan, another part of history as the two Forts protected the entrance to Mobile Bay during the Civil War.  

If you have the opportunity to visit the area,  I highly recommend visiting this secluded Island, Dauphin Island.  The entire Island has been designated as a bird sanctuary with many different types of birds that migrate at varies times of the year. You can take a ferry across the channel to visit Fort Morgan while enjoying the sea life such as dauphin swimming alongside the ferry.  

The Mobile-Tensaw Delta

 

Mobile-Tensaw Delta

The Mobile-Tensaw Delta is an enormous region of wetlands that is a well kept secret of the south.  It is home to some of the most assorted wildlife in Alabama. For most people that have grown up in the area, the Delta is something I believe is under appreciated, only  because for most of us that have been around it all or most of our life’s tend to take it for granted. Traveling the road ways that cross over the Mobile Bay, this area is just north of the bay and for the most part it is a common sight. Seeing it daily makes one tend to ignore its beauty. This vast area of wetland has so much to offer, fishing, and canoeing, kayaking and just plain old boating.

It is some of the most beautiful scenery one can image as you ride the various rivers, interconnected stream systems, canals, swamps and creeks that feed this area. The forest is untouched with modern development showing its true beauty. If you ever have the chance it is definitely worth the time to stop and enjoy it beauty. There are various ways to enjoy it scenery as there are a number of opportunities including airboat tours, casual dining trips and private kayaking tours.  

http://www.outdooralabama.com/5-rivers-alabamas-delta-resource-center

http://5rds.globaloutfitters.com/Pages/default.asp

Take a virtual field trip:

http://vft.ua.edu/rivers.html

Black Water River Milton, Florida

Living in South Alabama has some of the finest ways to enjoy the large selection of many different forms of water entertainment.

One of my family’s favorite rivers in the area is Blackwater River in Milton, Florida. This is where I took my son as he was growing up to learn to canoe, kayak and enjoy nature to its fullest.

Over the years we have grown very fond of the Blackwater River State Park.

Several times a year we join friends to camp and enjoy nature on the river bank. We enjoy full days of fun on the river canoeing, kayaking or just floating down the river on an inner tube.

There are a vast number of sandbars that you can stop and play on. This is where everyone enjoys each other’s company and is where you meet people from all over. It is family oriented and everyone gets in on the fun. Swimming, sharing snacks and socializing.

While floating down the river you get to enjoy the full pleasure of nature. You can fish, search out for the many different type of wildlife or just kick back and enjoy the scenery. You are in control of the time it takes to float down the river. Depending on how many stops you make and how long you choose to hang out and enjoy the fun determines the time it takes to reach the stopping point. 
Come to Blackwater and enjoy our beautiful park.

Growing Up on Southern Shores

 

 

 

Beach at Fort Morgan

Some of my fondest memories of growing up can be found on the southern shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Born a native Alabamian, in the beautiful city of Mobile, I was fortunate enough to live only an hour or so drive from the beautiful white sand beaches of Gulf Shores Alabama.

Our family had a cabin located half way down Fort Morgan Road, so we spent many vacations and weekends at "The Gulf".  As a young child, the salt air, sand, and water infected my soul.  It was there that I learned to fish, crab, swim, and ski.  I became a flip-flop wearing-beach scavenging-sun worshiper.  During storms, I learned how to respect the water's fury and I learned the peaceful serenity of calm waters on a beautiful day.  Most of what we needed, the shores and waterways provided.  From delicious Flounder or Speckled Trout to wonderful Crab and Shrimp Gumbo, we would eat what the land provided. We only caught what we needed and returned the rest to the water.

Fort Morgan

Having a house near Fort Morgan provided access to the rich history of the south. It was there, at Fort Morgan, where I learned about the Battle of Mobile Bay. We would tour the museum and explore the fort.  Walking the beach at Fort Morgan provided beautiful sand dollars and star fish. Climbing the large slippery rocks at the fort offered a bounty of beautiful whelks and moon shells.  At an early age, I became an expert in polishing and removing the hermit crabs from these shells.  This bounty acquired by our scavenging became beautiful art projects on rainy days.

If the excitement of nightlife or great dining was desired, downtown Gulf Shores and Orange Beach was just a few miles from our reclusive hideaway on Fort Morgan Road.  Today, these towns offer some of the finest lodging and dining around.  It has become one of the finest playgrounds of the south.

Some people might say this type of vacation is boring but I can assure you it is not. There is always a new adventure waiting on our southern shores of Alabama.  From shelling and sun bathing on the beach, to fishing or boating, it is the best of times.

“Life is Beautiful"