Final summer season my wife and that i determined we wanted to spend a couple of weeks within the panhandle of Florida camping on the beach. If you wish to go for a pleasant walk I suggest you stroll the seashore that is assessable by foot only like my wife and that i did; nonetheless, the surroundings doesn’t change, but there is an effective likelihood you will see some giant conch shells particularly at low tide. There is a dock on the spring head for folks to leap into the crystal clear waters. Mind you, we kept stopping and gathering shells along the way. The 2.5 mile path to Gap Point begins within the campground and meanders through the pine flat wood forest to the bay. The Florida panhandle beaches are well-known for their beautiful white sandy beaches and emerald inexperienced waters. After about 4 hours and traveling quiet a distance it regarded no nearer than when we began. Late one afternoon we took the time to discover the 2 nature trails: Heron Pond Path which takes you on a hike through the flat wooden pine forest, and previous the Turpentine Nonetheless and the trail at Gator Lake which takes you on a scenic view of Gator Lake. No, we did not see any alligators. A metropolis that relies on tourism had little or no all because of the offshore tragedy, and the information media. Ten months in advance we booked a two week camping vacation starting at Rainbow Springs State Park in Dunnellon for 3 nights then St. Andrews State Park in Panama Metropolis Beach for six nights and ending up at St. George Island State Park for 5 nights. We decided to take the path not figuring out where it would lead us and to our luck, it took us close to the general public seaside area. The last two full days at St Andrews Park was picture good weather. The spring head park has a botanical garden with lovely flowers, bushes as old as Florida is, and small waterfalls throughout the gardens. Irrespective of, because the time bought nearer we determined we’d go regardless. After the bike trip back, it was straight to the river for a dip to cool off. We watched the news each day to see if the oil would make it to the panhandle earlier than our journey or even during the journey. We had been instructed they have been signs of oil 20 miles off shore nevertheless it was not expected to get any nearer and that they had found no tar balls on the seaside. A brief bus trip by way of the park will get you again to the campground. St Andrews State Park is situated within the pinewoods close to Grand Lagoon on a former army reservation that has over one-and-a-half miles of beaches on the Gulf of Mexico.The weather was not that good when we first arrived at St Andrews State Park, not much rain, simply wind and very overcast; nonetheless, for the first few days we made the best of it. The catastrophe within the Gulf happened six weeks before we were to depart on this journey. To get to the spring head by road is seven miles which makes for a terrific bike ride. One afternoon we determined to trip our bikes down the strip of Panama City Seashore. Rainbow Springs State Park is positioned on the Rainbow River and affords its’ visitors a pure setting to only calm down, enjoy a picnic, or take a swim within the cool spring. Being it was the first of July and the temperature was within the nineties we determined to take the internal tube trip down the river. The primary 4 miles are assessable by car along the parks principal drive and the last 5 miles are by foot only. Yet the journey was value it. Thoughts you, the cool water will take your breath and it’s deeper than it seems to be. That is the place reality actually set in. The tube journey took slightly over two hours which boasts some spectacular scenery along the river banks. In actual fact, we spent about half of our day simply having fun with the gorgeous white sandy beaches with many of the local residents in addition to fellow campers. The beaches had been packed with campers in addition to native residents. Enough mentioned about that. The temperature was again to ninety degrees, not a cloud within the sky with a small ocean breeze. However, when the temperature is above ninety and no shade along the highway this experience can get fairly robust. There are two nature trails located contained in the park. The national Guardsmen that patrolled the seashore for signs of oil had been very polite and informative about the conditions of the beaches as nicely as the water. Staying out of the water had nothing to do with the oil spill. The ocean was calm and clear with little ripples of waves. After about 30 extra minutes we came alongside a trail leading into the woods. Because of the off shore winds the currents had been really bad in the gulf and other people have been advised to stay out because of sturdy currents. If one fells adventuress as we did flip south while you reach the bay and work your method along the sting of the water. Our intent was to attempt to reach the gulf, imagine me it’s not simple and far further that it appears. July 4th weekend when this city ought to have been overrun with people, nearly every resort we rode by had vacancy signs. The primary few days of overcast skies and cooler weather were great for leisurely riding our bikes across the park on the two miles of paved highway. St. George Island State Park has 9 miles of undeveloped beaches and dunes, surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and Apalachicola Bay. From the campground to the seashore is only one quarter mile unless you want to go to the general public seashore areas that have bathrooms and showers then it’s about one mile to the nearest one.