Day 11 Florida

From Georgia, I drove further south to Florida, and across the panhandle to St. George Island, about 75 miles southwest of Tallahassee. It is a barrier island in the Gulf of America, 28 miles long and 1 mile wide at its widest point and connected to the mainland by a 4-mile bridge. The western two-thirds of the island is comprised of a high class residential area in the far west, and a typical beach town, including a lighthouse, shops and many more homes in the middle section. The lighthouse was originally built in 1833, but was destroyed and rebuilt/relocated three times, the last time in 2008, reusing the bricks from the previous (1852) version. I went up the lighthouse steps and took some pictures.

The St. George Island State Park is on the eastern end, comprising eight miles of pristine beaches on the southern side and campsites and nature trails on the northern side. The campground has slightly smaller RV spots for camping compared to my camp the previous night in Georgia but overall was nicer. Dogs are not allowed on the beaches, but we did take a three-mile hike on the nature trail, which tired the dogs out enough to make for a peaceful night’s sleep.

After dinner, I went to the beach. I have swum in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but never in the Gulf of America (not even under its prior name), so I made sure to get a good swim in.

Overall, the State Park is a great place to visit, and the entire island is peaceful and gorgeous.