Florida Panhandle - Cape San Blas Christmas

Port St. Joe, Florida, is centrally located among our daughters, so it was selected as a stopping place for Christmas. Melissa stopped by a week before Christmas, spending some time catching up and looking into the future. Amanda and Brittany, left early on Christmas Eve morning so they could help crew a trip to Cape San Blas.

A skinny spit of land, that would be a barrier island except that one end is attached to the mainland, Cape San Blas lies north/south along the Florida Panhandle creating St. Joesph Bay. Port St. Joe is on the mainland in the middle section of the bay.  The northern 8 miles of Cape San Blas is a Florida State Park.

Click here and zoom out for a Google Map of Cape San Blas

A short cruise across St. Joesph Bay brought the extended crew to Eagle Harbor, a cove along Cape San Blas that has a skinny piece of deep water providing an anchorage.  The shoals are clearly visible in the photo above.  Get near the green water and you are aground.

The long Gulf-shore beach provided many shell treasures for the ladies.  Again, the Last Dance crew found another beautiful beach that seemed to be a private enclave.  A private beach full of shells; a treasure trove for beachcombers.

Well, the crew did have to share the beach - with the full-time residents, many shorebirds.

Including one who complained about having to share the beach.

Back in Port St. Joe, the girls found a quite different tandem bike at the Port Inn, where they stayed.  Both riders shared the steering duties, a formula for problems which, fortunately, they avoided.

A multiple-course, seafood-based, non-traditional Christmas dinner was enjoyed on Last Dance, to benefit from the fresh local fare of foods.  A different, albeit savory meal, nurtured conversation and family time together.  It will be remembered as the Cape San Blas Christmas.