Port St. Joe area

A swamp near Port St. Joe.

Cape San Blas juts out into the hurricane prone Gulf of Mexico from St. Joseph's peninsula near the town of Port St. Joe, Florida. A brick lighthouse was built in 1847 to protect ships from the dangerous shoal; it burned in 1851. So in 1857 another brick lighthouse was built. This one was destroyed by Confederate soldiers, but the lens, oil and tools were hidden away. Finally in 1883 the Lighthouse Board built this skeletal lighthouse 1500 feet from shore; it was designed to better withstand the wind and wave action from the Gulf. But erosion destroyed all but about 144 feet of land between the lighthouse and the Gulf. In 1918 the lighthouse was moved to where it stands today. To get to the top of the tower, the keeper climbs a ladder inside the center tube. The two houses were for the lighthouse keepers.

Panama City Beach, FL

It may look nice and sunny, and the tourists below were wearing shorts. But we were more comfortable in long pants and long sleeved shirts. Even so Thursday afternoon was warm enough for a stroll along the beach, and warm enough to be a break from Virginia's cold weather.

Why doesn't erosion cause these skyscrapers to fall into the bay?

A hurricane damaged this wooden pier. . .now being completely rebuilt.

Arrival in Florida

The sun was shining when we arrived in Florida, anxious to see some sights and run a Half Marathon in Seaside, Florida. Temps were in the mid-50s to high 50s.