Hidden Gem on the Forgotten Coast

Every once in a while you have one of those days where everything just comes together. In this case, a magnificent golf course and a new friend. I had planned to drive the two and one half hours to Tallahassee to play the Fred Couples designed Southwood course, ranked #25 in "The Top Courses you can play in Florida" by Golf Magazine. However, golfers I met kept telling me, why don't you drive to Carrabelle, about 45 minutes east and play St. James Bay. Whoa! am I happy I took their advice. A great track.

I joined up with Don Scanlan (63) of Marriotts Cove, about an hour's drive south of Halifax, Nova Scotia. A retired financial advisor (hope his clients took his advice), it turned out we had a mutual friend in Larry Teetaert, whom I worked with at Parks for 30 years. Canada may be a big country, but it's a small world.

Don Scanlan on the 158-yard par 3, 11th

As the story goes, St. James Bay was developed by a Texas oil tycoon for his own playing pleasure. It was as if JR Ewing himself, had invited us to his private playground. We had the course to ourselves.

Ken blasts out of a bunker on #16 on route to a 'sandy'

St. James Bay was like no other course I have ever played. Built in a wetland and certified a Signature Sanctuary by Audubon International, the course is a maze of boardwalks to get over and around the swamps and gator ponds. It was like playing in a bird sanctuary with herons, egrets and cardinals at every turn. We played from the whites, which only measured 5439 yards, but don't let the length fool you; this was all target golf. You needed the precision of a surgeon. I managed to splash six balls, even though I played quite well. It was the most balls I can ever remember losing during a round.

For the record I shot 86 on nines of 39/47 with nine pars and one birdie. Thank you Don. Great day, see you on the 'Jimmy' next spring.

KP

She's as sweet as tupelo honey

With a wake-up temperature of +1C, it wasn't exactly a beach day. So we headed inland to the small community of Wewahitchka in search of Panhandle gold...tupelo honey. It didn't take us long to discover Smiley Apiaries.

Tupelo honey is produced from the White Tupelo tree that grows in the swampy terrain of the Apalachicola River Basin in Northwest Florida. Tupelo honey is world-famous for its distinctive flavour and because it does not crystallize like other honeys.

Ken & Bobbie with our Tupelo gold

We had a fascinating chat with the owner while his wife, we believe, filled bottles and packed boxes of the sweet stuff. For more information check their web site at www.FloridaTupeloHoney.com

It's also worth noting that Ulee's Gold (1997) starring Peter Fonda as a Florida beekeeper was filmed in the surrounding area. Peter picked up an Oscar nod for his performance, which some reviewers still feel is his best ever.

You can take all the tea in china 
Put it in a big brown bag for me 
Sail right around the seven oceans 
Drop it straight into the deep blue sea 
Shes as sweet as tupelo honey 
Shes an angel of the first degree 
Shes as sweet as tupelo honey 
Just like honey from the bee 
- Van Morrison

KP

Flounder Fishing on Florida's Forgotten Coast

Earlier in the trip I was invited out for a bit of fishin' by Clay Lewis. Clay (52) owns and operates CSB Rentals on Cape San Blas. He has kayaks and bikes to fit every budget and has over 25 years of knowledge and experience about the area. Call 770-289-8023. I rented a 'grannie' bike and it's a terrific way to explore the Cape.

Joining us on his pontoon boat were friends Gene (67) originally from Panama City and Hal Tarpley (28). Hal is a second generation owner and operator of Shore Thang Charters. This kid was a master, and if you love to fish, I would highly recommend checking him out if you're in the area. Go to www.shorethangfishing.com

Clay loads up the pontoon, Roxy looks on

(l-r) Clay, Gene, Roxy and Hal

To say we had a good outing would be an understatement. We were after Gulf Flounder. They make excellent table fare. Hal guided us to a sand bottomed area of St. Joseph Bay. There, they lie camouflaged in the sand waiting for prey, or my lure, to come near enough to strike. Hal gave us a quick lesson on bottom fishing with a jig and then told us to have at her. It did not take long before Gene had a couple of nice bites and we were away to the races. In the end we lost count, but came away with a dozen in the cooler of which, I'm proud to report, were two of mine.

Gulf Flounder on ice

We returned to Gene's place bay-side on Cape San Blas where Hal cleaned the flounder and Gene fired up his propane deep-fryer. What a feast! A huge thank you to Clay, Gene and Hal, a wonderful, wonderful day. I hope we can do it again next spring.

KP

Feeding Frenzy

Woke up this morning to this amazing scene.

Incoming!

The large white birds hitting the water like missiles are Northern Gannets. During their spring migration, they will follow the coastline of the Panhandle east, eventually crossing Florida and then follow the Atlantic coastline north to nesting islands like Bonaventure near Perce, Quebec. The gannet is the only northern member of the booby family. Along with the gannets were Common Loons, Brown Pelicans and an assortment of gulls and terns.

Cape San Blas Air Force

Not sure what all these expert fishers were catching. Someone on the beach suggested mullet. As good a guess as any...I guess.

KP

Back on the Links

I slipped out for a quick nine this afternoon. I really should give it up. But a birdie 3 on the 367 yard par 4 - 17th will keep me coming back.

Brossard comes out of his shoes on #16

Today, I joined Dave Brossard and Dave Brewer for the back nine at St. Joe. Brossard, 63 is an insurance adjuster and lives in northern Michigan. Brewer, also 63 is retired after spending the last 26 years of his career in the food industry in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His story on how he came to be in Cape San Blas reminded me of those old Remington razor commercials. Every spring break he would bring his family to the Cape. One year, he's standing on the beach in front of the place he was renting and as he tells it, "I was so impressed, I bought the place". Gotta love Americans and their chutzpah to seize an opportunity.

Oh-oh, that's left. (Brewer on #16)

Thanks for the game gentlemen, it was a great afternoon...and Dave, take it back, low and slow.

KP

Boiled P-Nuts

Today, we decided to take a quick trip to Panama City Beach to see the sights. Along the way we pulled into a roadside peanut stand. I was curious. What are boiled peanuts? Well, duh, they are peanuts that are boiled. Raw or 'green' peanuts in the shell are used and boiled in salt water. Let's just say, the resulting very soft peanuts are an acquired taste.

The author is not quite sure what he's getting himself in to

Boiled peanuts are the official snack food of South Carolina and apparently are good for you.

$3.00/cup

KP

Lighthouses and Stingrays

After an early morning thunder-boomer, I hopped on my 'grannie's bike' as Bobbie calls it and headed to the Cape San Blas lighthouse. Placed in service in June 1885, it was used as a manned station until 1972 when it was automated. The US Coast Guard deactivated it as an active aid to navigation in 1996.

Cape San Blas Lighthouse

Full moon climbs are offered, unfortunately the site is closed for restoration.

Lighthouse Keepers Quarters under restoration

Cape San Blas and three other lighthouses cover a 90-mile span along the coast. The others are: Cape St. George, Crooked River and St. Marks.

As I made my way back to the cottage, I happened upon a fellow wrestling with what I am fairly sure turned out to be a Southern Stingray. These common rays are inadvertently snagged by sport fishers, angling for whitings (Gulf Kingfish) or shark, as the ray floats over the sand bottom in search of prey. A sting can be very painful, however, they are generally docile, and most stings are a result of stepping on the ray.

A surprise catch -- a Southern Stingray

This stingray was hooked near the eye. While a friend held the Stingray's whip-like tail down with a stick, this fisher very gently and very carefully removed the hook before releasing it back into the water.

Another cool day on the Cape.

KP

First game of the year

I finally got a chance to use my new membership at the St. Joseph Bay Golf Club. The course opened in 1969 and reminds me of the Mars Sand Hills track back home in Manitoba. Replace the Mars jack pine with longleaf pine and you have St. Joe. It's a little rough around the edges, the greens were slow and inconsistent and the fairways were quite muddy. I'm not sure if that was due to recent watering to ensure they don't dry out or if that is the aftermath of above average precipitation along the Florida Panhandle this winter. However, for $7.50 how could you go wrong? What I like about the course design is that every hole is right in front of you. What I mean by that is there are no gimmicks or tricked up holes; nothing goofy. What you see, is what you get.

Henry Suman (14) busts one down the 496 yard par 5 16th

One of the beautiful things about golf is who you meet. The pro shop suggested I start on #10. So I trotted out to the tee box where a couple of young fellows were just getting ready to tee off. The older boy comes over and says, "Would you like to join us sir." 'Sir,' he calls me. Talk about polite. He introduces himself as Henry Suman from Houston, Texas along with his brother Knox. They're just finishing up their spring break and will be heading back to Texas the following day. I watch his practise swings intently and then he steps up to the ball and smokes it. Wow! "When did you start playing Henry," I ask, "five or six?" He says, "Last year." "Last year! Are you kidding me." Yikes, this kid is good.

Knox Suman (10) aka 'The Doc'

We complete the back nine and I've been noticing Knox's smooth tempo and solid contact. I take note and hit my best drive of the day on #1, my 10th hole. Knox, my 'swing doctor,' has me sorted and I open my back nine, par - par - bogie - bogie - bogie. Thanks Knox.

(l-r) Henry, Ken & Knox

We just might see the name Suman on a leader board in eight to 10 years time. Thanks for the round boys. It was a most enjoyable afternoon at St. Joe.

Oh and by the way, I'm sure you're wondering what I shot; 95 on nines of 49-46. I'm afraid the 9 on #6, my 15th, did me in. Should I start with the excuses...

KP

Parks, Beaches and Birds (part 1)

Magnificent! Spectacular! Amazing! Hackneyed expressions of greatness perhaps, however, I've had the good fortune to visit two special places in the Florida State Park's system; St. George Island and St. Joseph Peninsula and there are not enough superlatives to describe these wonderful protected areas. The Florida Park Service is the only two-time National Gold Medal Winner honouring the best state park system in the United States in 1999 and 2005 from the National Recreation and Park Association. It was also a finalist in 1997 and 2011.

1999 & 2005

Bobbie, Arnie and I visited St. George Island on Wednesday. About an hour's drive east of where we are staying on Cape San Blas it is one of Florida's Gulf Coast barrier islands. Last year, the beach was ranked #4 in Dr. Beach's Top 10 in America, which includes Hawaii. No small feat, (http://www.drbeach.org/top10beaches.html). And no wonder, the park offers nine miles (14.5 km) of pristine beaches, four located along the main drive and five in a special use area accessible only by foot or by vehicle with a special use permit.

St. George Island - Just me and a lone fisher

And guess what I found (scroll down to find out)

Banded Piping Plover

You could have knocked me over with a feather (no pun intended). As many of you know, I am a member of Manitoba's piping plover recovery team, so I was thrilled to find this one. Only 8000 were counted during the 2006 international census. Preliminary results for the 2011 census, indicate that that number has dropped. In terms of bird numbers that is a critically low figure. So you can imagine my surprise when I walked across the boardwalk over the sand dunes from the parking lot and spotted this one straight off. I have sent the band combination to my colleagues and await more information on where he/she was banded. Stay tuned. I also identified two other unmarked birds.

For more information on how Manitoba's piping plovers are doing follow my plover blog at:

www.peep-lo.blogspot.com or follow the plovers on Twitter @peep_lo

KP

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An Afternoon with Samuel Clemens

I was walking down the beach when I met this guy fishing. He says to me, "Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don't tell them where they know the fish."

Fishing on Cape San Blas

I have Arnie, our Portuguese Water Dog, with me and he gives the dog a stern look and says, "The dog is a gentleman; I hope to go to his heaven, not man's." I say to myself, I recognize this guy, but I can't quite place him. I'm intrigued. We have a great conversation, discussing all matter of subjects. I ask him if he's done any golfing in the area, and like the dog earlier, he gives me a stern look and says, "Golf is a good walk spoiled." Eventually, we introduce ourselves, and he tells me he's Sam Clemens. And then it hits me, I've spent the afternoon with none other than Mark Twain. You might have heard of him.

Mark Twain (aka Emmett Doiron)

I said, "You can't fool me, you're Mark Twain, the great American humorist, but you've been dead for...like...a hundred years." Where upon he turned to me and gave me the 'look' and says, "Look here sonny, the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

'The' Mark Twain

KP

Sharks (part 2) ... or Bill has the Last Laugh

When Bill waded into the water today, they laughed at him. They mocked him. "Hey Bill, don't drown yourself." "Bill, watch out for sharks." Bwahahahahahahah.

Bill wades into the Gulf of Mexico

And then this happened...

Bill Hetrick (65) of Benson, Minnesota, 86 miles west of St. Cloud, reeled in this Sandbar Shark, five feet in length, off the shoreline of Cape San Blas, Florida. A beautiful creature which he released after we got a few photographs for posterity. Shore fishing is a popular pastime here on the Forgotten Coast. I guess so!

Bill Hetrick (left) assisted by Emmett Doiron

Look who had the last laugh?

KP

Sharks...nobody said anything about sharks!

There's a lot of shoreline fishing on Cape San Blas. Guys and gals stick a little piece of shrimp on a hook with a two ounce weight attached to the end of the line and cast it as far as they can. Then they grab a beverage and wait. We were surprised when this fisher reeled in a small Sandbar Shark.

Fishing on Cape San Blas

Sandbar Shark

Apparently, they are part of the recreational fishery along the Gulf Coast. He told us he caught a 67 inch monster a few weeks ago.  They can reach 7 1/2 feet long and weigh as much as 200 pounds. That evening as we had Arnie out for a walk with his new-found dog friends we spotted the tall dorsal fin and tail of a Sandbar just beyond the breaking waves. It looked to be three to four feet in length.

Only one shark attack has been recorded in the area and that took place in June 2005. The culprit was identified as a Bull Shark, one of the three most dangerous sharks in the world along with the Great White and Tiger. It was not a Sandbar. A teenage boy was wading out to cast his rod, however, he had his bait attached to the side of his shorts. Not a good idea. He lost his leg.

KP

Indian Pass Raw Bar

This is one of those quaint local establishments you just love to discover while on vacation. The Raw Bar is about a 12 minute drive east of where we're staying on Cape San Blas. Best known for its oysters, served raw, steamed or baked, the cooler in the back works on the honour system. Just grab a beer or pour your own draft and watch the various characters of Indian Pass come and go. As the leaflet says - Simple But Good.

The Raw Bar actually traces its roots back to the commissary/company store for the turpentine operation which began here 110 years ago in 1903. Turpentine is obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from live pine trees. Florida led the nation in pine gum production from 1909 until 1923.

Arnie and Bobbie in front of the Indian Pass Raw Bar

When hurricane "Kate" hit in 1986, it virtually wiped out the wholesale oyster businesses in the area. So the McNeills, having more oysters than they could eat themselves, but not enough to continue wholesaling, opened this little gem on the "Forgotten Coast."

Simple But Good

KP

First Impressions

After four days and 2000 miles (3150 km), with a short detour to the home of The King, we arrived at our cottage on the Cape. And if I didn't know better I'd say someone had dropped us off at Grand Beach. The texture and colour of the sand is identical. From our balcony deck you'd swear you were looking out over Lake Winnipeg and not the Gulf of Mexico.

The Mississippi delta was shining 
Like a national guitar 
I am following the river 
Down the highway 
Through the cradle of the civil war 
I'm going to Graceland 
Graceland 
In Memphis, Tennessee 
 - Paul Simon

Arnie & Ken with 'The King'

Cape San Blas is a seventeen-mile long barrier peninsula that curves around St. Joseph Bay like a giant arm. In 2002, it was ranked as America's #1 beach. No kidding...it's spectacular! Remember when Playboy magazine ranked Grand Beach in the Top 10 beaches in North America. Port St. Joe, the nearest community, and the surrounding coastline received the dubious nickname, "Florida's Forgotten Coast" when state tourism officials left it off the map in the mid-1990s. And to some extent it has retained the name due to the financial collapse of 2008. However, there are signs of a comeback with new construction interspersed between the For Sale signs. We're just pleased to have discovered this 'forgotten' paradise.

Photo taken from the balcony deck of Gone Catchin',
our cottage on Cape San Blas

the Gulf of Mexico, not Lake Winnipeg

KP