Casita Aventuras: St. George Island

St. George Island is a 28 mile long, very narrow barrier island about 4 miles off the Florida panhandle near Apalachicola. The island is characterized by sandy beaches (nearly deserted in the off-season) with extensive dunes on the Gulf of Mexico side. Closer to the bayside the landscape is dominated by slash pines with a scrubby understory. The state park where we camp occupies the eastern third of the island. It is one of our favorite places to visit in Florida.

Diane contemplating the unknowable

We've had both sunny and foggy days during our visit. Frequently the fog burns off by mid-day but returns in the early evening. The fog gives a mystical and magical air to the landscape.

We've written about Florida's slashed pines and turpentine making during previous trips.
When we are hiking it seems so "old fashion" to see these scarred trees that still have the attached metal pieces used to direct the pine pitch to a pot. The collected pitch was made into turpentine.
It reminds me of maple sugaring.

The metal pieces in the scar of the tree.

This is a unique fungus George found growing in the sand. I have no idea what kind it is. Anyone?

This is a sand/wind/ shell sculpture on the beach. There are small shells being hit "head-on" by the wind. The shell protects a section of sand behind it and as the wind blows away the sand around the shells, it leaves a "streak" of protected sand.

We had some windy days at the beach bringing up a good surf. It didn't seem to bother this fisherman or great blue heron.

The town in the center of the island is very quiet and laid back in the off-season. We're told its much busier in the summer with families coming down from Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee for family vacations.