| Appalachicola Shrimp Boat |
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| This photo was taken at "the cut" on St George's Island by my wife Darcy |
St. George's Island Vacation
Here are some photos of
our St. George's Island vacation that we took this past May. Appalachicola Bay and St. George's Island have become
our favorite Florida vacation getaway. My wife Darcy and I found this "Old Florida" style place by accident while
we were surfing the net. They have miles of scenic beaches between Port St Joe and St George's Island (and beyond) that
haven't been overrun by high-rise hotels and commercial business areas.
Appalachicola is a small town
centered around fishing, shrimping and oysters. They've retained their small town charm by resisting the urge to bring
in large chain retail businesses like Walmart and Home Depot. The Mom 'n Pop shops flourish here, and I hope they
continue to preserve this wonderful community. Dollar General and Piggly Wiggly are about the biggest retailers you'll
find in this area, so you have to stock up on some things before you arrive there.
St George's Island is a
beautiful barrier island protecting Appalachicola Bay, and has the perfect combination of uncrowded white sand beaches, small
shops, restaurants, and beach houses. There are no buildings over three stories high, and there's a State Park on
the East end of the island that provides miles of protected beaches and nature trails.
I love the ocean fishing
and my wife loves to relax on the beach, so we find a good place to do both every day until the sun goes down. This past year
we stayed the "The Plantation", which is a large beautiful gated beach house community on the west side of
the island that goes to the "cut". The "cut" is a manmade access to Appalachicola Bay which provides a
shortcut for boats, and also has the very best shore fishing on the island.
Here are a few vacation photos
that we'd like to share with you, and I may put more on the site sometime in the near future. Enjoy!
John
| Surf Fishing |
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| My wife took this picture of me surf fishing next to "the Cut" on St George's Island |
| St. George's Island sunset |
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| Darcy took this wonderful sunset photo! |
| Dog enjoying the water |
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| Darcy took this photo of a dog who loves the water! |
| My wife Darcy |
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| This is my wife Darcy on the beach house balcony |
| Beach House |
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| This is the living room of the beach house |
| Net Fishing |
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| Darcy took this photo of me net fishing |
| Beach House |
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| Outside photo of the beach house |
| Playing Guitar |
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| Darcy took this photo of me writing some tunes |
| John Fishing |
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| Me fishing "the Cut" just before sundown |
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"Tips for traveling to popular vacation destinations off season"
Copyright 2007 by John durant
Do you find yourself putting off your dream
vacation year after year, hoping that maybe "one of these years" you'll be able to scrape up enough cash to
afford it? There's no need to put it off any longer, because you can take that vacation without breaking your budget if
you're willing to make a small compromise.
What is this compromise? Just try
taking your dream vacation in the off season. Once my wife and I discovered that in the off season we could live big on a
modest budget, we've been taking great vacations every year!
Planning a vacation
in the off season saves you big bucks in travel and lodging expenses, and allows you to enjoy more luxuries than would be
possible if you had gone to the same destination in the peak season. Please don't take my word for this, check it out
yourself!
My wife and I have been staying
in very nice St. Georges Island beach houses on the Florida panhandle for the past couple of years. We definitely couldn't
afford luxury accommodations like these if we were to pay premium peak season rates. We discovered this while shopping for
vacation rental properties on the Internet. Believe it or not, planning a vacation just two or three weeks prior to the peak
season can save you some serious cash.
The key to planning a successful off season
vacation is to do your research several months in advance, and to book early, so that you have the best choice of accommodations
and vacation weeks. Some vacation rental companies even offer 5-day specials or weekend rates for additional savings. We were
shocked when we saw the type of beach houses that were affordable to folks like us who have to plan vacations on a pretty
limited budget!
Another nice side benefit of vacationing in the off season is that
you don't have to deal with the big crowds. I enjoy having a little peace and quiet while I'm on the beach, and I
prefer not to share my personal patch of sand with two-thousand screaming kids! Some people really enjoy the Spring Break
atmosphere, and I'm not one of them!
There are usually a lot of great deals in
the shops, restaurants, and tourist attractions because businesses are competing for fewer customers until the peak season
kicks off. The restaurants are usually less crowded, and the locals have more time to chat with you about all the great things
to see and do around town.
Are you ready to pack your bags for that dream vacation
you've always wanted? Traveling to your favorite vacation destination in the off season can save you enough money so that
you can enjoy a dream vacation EVERY year!
