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

Are you planing of visiting St. George Island?  If so, take a day to travel to the East end of the island and visit the beautiful Julian G. Bruce State Park.

With its miles of undeveloped beaches you have ample opportunities for sunbathing, swimming, canoeing, boating, hiking, camping and nature study. Two natural boat ramps provide access to the bay for small boats. Anglers can fish for flounder, redfish, sea trout, pompano, whiting, Spanish mackerel and other fish off the beach or in the bay

Do you like shelling??....well in our opinion there are few parks offer better opportunities for shelling.    

Sea turtles and shore birds such as the snowy plover, least tern, black skimmer and willet nest in the park during the summer

The park has six large picnic shelters equipped with grills, tables and nearby restrooms.







There is also a campground which features 60 full-facility campsites with water, electric, a central dump station and two bathhouses.   In addition, a primitive campsite can be accessed by a 2.5-mile trail or by canoe or kayak. 





The Park also features several annual special events throughout the year which include the Coffee in the Campground from December through March, Coastal Cleanup in September and The Oyster Festival and 5K Run in October.

This is a beautiful State Park and worth your time to explore...so come...spend a day...relax and have fun!

Up The Creek Raw Bar

Do you love oysters?


We do!  Very much!  And we especially love the oysters at Up The Creek Raw Bar in Apalachicola.




















We visited this restaurant for the first time in March and found ourselves going back numerous times during our week long stay on St. George Island.   You can either enter by going up the stairs on the side, or ride the elevator.  Once inside just make your way up to the counter to place your order and have a seat.  The atmosphere is very laid back and casual and you can either eat inside, or step outside and sit at either the tables or the bar along the back of the deck.  Choosing outside gives you a view as in the picture above.

We tried the oysters several ways and though they were all very very yummy, our very favorites were: 

The raw oysters on the half shell;
The oysters mignonette (raw) which had shallots, habanero and white balsamic sprinkled on top; and
The oysters classic (steamed)...not classic at all, but with melted cheddar cheese, bacon and jalapenos on top.

The oysters we had were harvested right out on the bay and had a buttery and smooth taste...not salty at all like we have here in Texas.  We learned that the oysters have their delicate taste due to a certain mix of the bay water and ocean water.   It is a very unique eco-system and if that balance of the water ratio gets out of balance it actually kills the oysters.

We also tried the shrimp and were as delighted with them as we were with the oysters.

And Oh My Gosh!  The desert!  We had both the coconut creme pie and the key lime pie and they were to die for...in fact I loved them so much I made my husband buy extra to take home for later.

So the bottom line is this...Don't miss this place.  Great Food...Great Atmosphere...and Great Employees.

o

Classic Boat Show April 20th

The Apalachicola Maritime Museum is hosting a Classic Boat Show this Saturday, April 20th.

The Maritime Museum will have several boats on display, both at the Museum and at Riverfront Park.  Don't miss the opportunity to see our newest acquisitions, including a steam powered replica of the African Queen!  Light craft constructed in our Wooden Boat School, and three Herreshoff-designed boats will also be featured. 

This program incorporates both history and maritime music of significance to Apalachicola. They will trace a voyage of the Montezuma of the Black Ball line, the first shipping company to schedule trips, twice a month, across the Atlantic.   The Montezuma is among the larger ships of the Black Ball's fleet and was built in 1849.  Her route is the "Cotton Triangle" which brought manufactured goods, farm implements, and other merchandise to  Florida; transported cotton to Liverpool and LaHavre; and returned with immigrants to New York.  It's December 1853 and we are headed to the port of Apalachicola.  Our voyage begins in New York, and the Black Ball's Quaker owners must muster a crew of 28 sailors, and a cook.  Captain DeCoursey and his wife and three officers are already aboard.  As the crew prepares to set sail, they begin to sing their shanties, work songs that musically unified the crew as they performed their tasks.  The program follow the Montezuma along her voyage, with historical sea shanties representing each leg of the journey, and an historical narrative based on actual voyages of this vessel interwoven between the songs. This well-researched collection of shanties includes tunes with documented connections to this trade route and to Apalachicola. 

Arrive early to get a seat!  Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.  The performance, featuring the St. Pete Shanty Singers begins at 7:00, and will be followed by a reception on the docks at 8:00, all for a donation of only $5.  Light servings of low country boil will be served.  Cash bar available.  Call (850) 653-2500 for more information.

For More Info go to the Museum's website:  http://www.ammfl.org

Pictures of our vacation home on the beautiful St. George Island, Florida

View of the front from the driveway

Looking out from the deck off the Master Bedroom

View from the deck off the living area

 

Second Master Bedroom

Dining Room

Dining Room and Kitchen

Club house with lap pool