St. George Island SP, Eastpoint, Fl.
We rode over to the beach at 7AM to see the sunrise, but gray skies made it dubious if we would see any sun whatsoever. However, there was an invisible break in the clouds right at the horizon about the same thickness as the sun. So, we caught a two minute sunrise!
After breakfast, we went on a 4 mile roundtrip hike though the long leaf pines, palmettos and marshes. The pines are spread out so there were areas of mottled sunlight and others of direct sunshine. It was a bit warm; the birds were hiding out in the shade. We did see the usual suspects and got a few pictures. The landscape was very interesting with savannah like forests, large marshes with last year’s grasses falling over in places.
The highlight of the hike was a viewing platform overlooking the East Slough where shorebirds lurked about waiting for a fish or bug to snap up, kayakers paddled by, and the sun illuminated a lovely coastal scene. The platform was shaded by the pines and the breeze was a blessing. There was a Zen like magic to the scene that allowed for quiet reflection and rest. It also marked the end of the trail; as we left the platform a feeling of tranquil peace accompanied us on our return.
Our two and a half hour hike made us hungry; we tagged teamed BLTs and ate heartily. I was going to bike, but I had my fill of sun exposure. The shower house right across the street was refreshing!
This campsite comes with a bonus. The water faucet has a small drip; the birds fly in to wet their whistle (pun intended). The faucet is directly out our kitchen window, so we are taking stunning close ups of beautiful songbirds.
For entertainment after dinner, we went through our prodigious photo library randomly picking events and reminiscing about our adventures in that time and space. It was a blast! We stayed up way too late and even drank an extra beer!