by Linda Laughter, Guest Blogger

We never thought we would become snow birds, but after the last winter in Michigan we decided to go south and ride it out. Our friends told us about this authentic taste of Florida’s Gulf, Cape San Blas. It is a 17 mile peninsula on the Gulf Coast on Florida’s Panhandle.

Connected by a sliver of land, Cape San Blas is home to miles of uncrowded, pet friendly, pristine white sand beaches and great sunsets. Bound by code restrictions you won’t find high rise hotels are condos like you do on the southern coast. The pines have been twisted with the winds and are side by side with tall palms. I decided to take my acrylics and spent time painting my impressions.

The weather can be iffy in February and we experienced it all! I painted the empty beach with dog walkers and a grey blue sky. The folks are friendly and love to stop and chat. Most of them have come to escape the snow and a little rain feels good.

If you don’t want the hassle of thousands of people and crowded beaches this is the place for you. Night life is simple, grill on the deck, walk the beach and watch the sunset!

Twenty miles from the Cape is the historical town of Apalachicola. It is the home port of seafood workers, including oyster harvesters and shrimpers. Remnants of its past are seen in its many historic homes and buildings. I loved painting the Ante-bellum style that is so “Old Florida”.  There are more than 900 historic homes, buildings and sites in the city’s Historic District. Great art galleries and boutique shops line the streets of the small town. Great seafood!

Oysters are the food of choice in this area. They can be raw, fried, steamed, or covered in any number of succulent toppings. My favorite was the three cheese topping. We of course stopped at the famous Indian Pass Raw Bar. I photographed their art with the oyster shell frame. Also, oysters are well documented in galleries. I found this piece and couldn’t resist taking a picture.

So if you really want to get away from it all you can’t do better than this Forgotten Coast. Note: Make your reservation early to get the perfect place. They fill up fast.

Linda Laughter is a practicing interior designer and part-time painter in Ada, MI. She and her architect husband love to travel and enjoy all the architectural details and God’s beauty the world has to offer.