Apalachicola, White City and (surprise) Port St. Joe

The Lower Place docked at Apalachicola Marina, FL

The short trek from Carrabelle to Apalachicola (4 hours) allowed us to have a full day of exploration!  And since we usually bypass this quaint Oyster town – it was nice to stop early and spend the night.  The Apalachicola Marina was quite rustic but very sufficient for our stay.  

What kind of flower is this? Dual bloom of white and lavendar.

Restaurants, shopping…that’s about it – but the friendliest folks around!!  Proving once again…our favorite stops are the small out-of-the-ordinary communities.

Saturday morning brought the predicted “higher than comfortable” winds and the weekend forecast of rain showers beginning late Saturday or Sunday (weather apps vary).  I wasn’t in favor of leaving but was reassured that once we got off the dock everything would be fine.  I shut my mouth and asked God to keep His hand planted firmly in place.

We planned to travel 20 miles to White City FL.  We docked on the free wall while doing the Loop and that was the intention for today.  Free = you get what you pay for (in my opinion) so without any drama we departed Apalachicola and headed west.

Here we are tied safely to the White City dock – note the FIVE lines securing The Lower Place.  The clouds were moving in and I have to admit the cruising was uneventful given the weather prediction.  Note the sign in the foreground…great!

Charlie spoke with a lady fishing from the pier and she was quite clear that the ordinance was enforced and if violated there was mention of a $500 fine.  We ate a quick lunch, I walked a fast mile for recess and we were off…headed to Port St. Joe.  Five miles off the beaten path toward open water with the wind increasing, the dock master cautioned us that the bay was “quite choppy”.

Our approach to the St. Joseph Bay

Once again, the good Lord took care of us!  His hand was still over my mouth, the canal to the bay was quite and the bay was surprisingly calm even though the wind was howling!!  Once we turned into the marina inlet there was no problem getting to the wall and securing the boat.  While our stay isn’t “free” we are well protected, secured and have some land based opportunities if we get a reprieve in the weather.  Based on the current forecast – we will be here until Monday!

Here''s the view after we docked...yuck!

I plan to do more exploring during the weekend so stay tuned for an early week update!  Have a fabulous day and be thankful for the things you don’t say when you don’t get your way!!  It certainly makes life happier!

God Bless