South to the "Forgotten Coast"

No breakfast at LaQuinta....we have had enough of that place! Unfortunately it probably colored our memory of Tallahassee...which probably isn't fair. We did have a nice breakfast. Tom indulged me in a return to the Scrapbook Market (wanted more of something that I bought yesterday). Then a quick trip to check out the campus of Florida State....not a "Chucky" in sight!

Time to head South toward the Gulf. Thankfully we were not on interstates. Very rural. Very small villages here and there. One village that we doubt that ANY of you have seen is a little place called "Sopchoppy". God only knows why they named it that .....but I bet it is a doosie. On to the coast. If we had been any closer (on the road), we would have been in the water. Tide was out and the remaining water was very shallow. Waterfront homes were trickled along the way....predominantly modest in size. "Waterfront" in most places meant on the land-side of the road as there was no room on the Gulf side of the road. This IS the "Forgotten Coast".

The first town of any size was Apalachicola. Quaint, sea-side type. Definitely not crowded today. A fairly substantial commercial fishing fleet...some were dockside. A local recommended "Boss Oyster" for lunch. Excellent call! There must have been 30 or more oyster options on the menu. My "Rockefeller II" and Tom's "Oyster Po'Boy" were wonderful....AND the sunny day is cool enough to enjoy eating outdoors. There was some type of small red/orange butterfly in great number. An extra treat for us!

It was not far to move on to our "new" home in Panama City Beach. It runs together with Panama City and is a nice beach town. We did some exploring...got the gazillion bugs off the car at the carwash. Decided to check out "Pineapple Willie's" on the waterfront. Turned out to be in the heart of high-rise heaven. This well-established place is ONLY ground level and extends over a beautiful beach. It is built pier-style, but with a covered dining area. There was little wind/breeze, but it was very comfortable. We drank "supper" with some hearty nachos to share.... and had prime seats for a beautiful sunset. There is something really special about sunset at the water's edge. Delightful! Definitely a good move to go here instead of staying another night at Tallahassee as originally planned.