With my big “50th” birthday coming up this year, I knew that all I really wanted to do was get away for some R&R with Gary. Time to recharge, have some quality time together, and explore a new area. Now came the “where do we go” that is drivable and someplace neither one of us had been before. That’s when Gary suggested Apalachicola, Florida. At first, I thought hmmm, why there. What would we do? But once Gary and I got to talking more about it, this area not only seemed like the perfect fit, but just what we were looking for.
Apalachicola, Florida is in the Florida panhandle and is known as the Forgotten Coast, mostly because of its unspoiled Gulf coast beaches and its quiet and laid back atmosphere. You won’t see strip malls here or really any chain restaurants. What you will see is a lot of small owned boutiques, stores, and oyster bars. In fact, Apalachicola is known as the “oyster capital of the world” due to the fact that they produce most of the oysters in Florida and even in the country. The oyster industry in Apalachicola has a major impact on the economy, allowing for jobs for oystermen, oyster shuckers, and cannery workers. Other areas in the Forgotten Coast include St. George Island, Port St. Joe, Cape San Blas, Carrabelle, East Point, Mexico Beach, Alligator Point, Wakulla Springs, and Wewahitchka.
One amazing thing about this area is that you are surrounded by water, from the Apalachicola bay, to the Apalachicola river, and just past St. George Island, you have the Gulf of Mexico. We enjoyed being able to explore a few of the other areas while we were in Apalachicola and found them all to be just a short and beautiful drive.
In my research before our trip, I stumbled upon The Gibson Inn. This inn was first established in 1907. The charm and the attention to detail in keeping this inn looking like it did back in the day was amazing. The rooms are all decorated differently, the bed was very comfortable, and the shower in our room was the best! The staff was so friendly and helpful and made our stay even better. The Gibson Inn is currently doing an expansion to add on more guest rooms, a gym, spa, and pool. I for one cannot wait to go back once it is finished.
Another great thing about The Gibson Inn is that they have a restaurant called The Franklin Cafe that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and has gluten free options. I knew navigating my dairy allergy would be a little harder, but they were extremely accommodating. We ate breakfast there twice and both times I had an omelet with onions, spinach, and tomato (they were able to make sure there was no milk in my omelet) and a side of rosemary potatoes which were cooked in oil.
Honestly, all of the places we ate at during our trip were so accommodating to me. I did eat mostly steamed or grilled oysters for lunch and dinner, but I did have a shrimp boil two of the nights (yes, at the same place) and I had grilled mahi mahi on our last night, after oysters of course. Typically when I travel I know eating fresh seafood and fish is a great option for me, I just make sure to let them know that I cannot have butter.
I know, lots and lots of oysters, listen, when you go to an area like this, you just need to embrace it. Here are some of the places we ate at during our trip:
- The Franklin Cafe
- Half Shell Dockside
- Uptown Raw Bar & Grill
- The Station Rawbar
- Up the Creek Raw Bar
Our first day we took a ride to St George Island, a barrier island that is 22 miles and home to the most unspoiled and beautiful beaches. This island is quaint and is basically untouched. There are no high rises, is uncrowded, has rental homes, the St. George Island Lighthouse, and a few great spots to grab a bite to eat.
The St. George Island Lighthouse was first built in 1833. The Cape St. George Light Museum and Gift Shop offers information about the lighthouse and its keepers and has a gift shop where visitors can take home a memento of their visit to the lighthouse.
We took a much needed walk on the beach, looked for some shells, and enjoyed seeing how different the beach is up there as opposed to where we are in Naples.
Next up was Port St. Joe. We headed to the historic downtown area to walk along and check out the shops and restaurants. We browsed for quite a bit and had lunch at Uptown Raw Bar and Grill that day. Perfect oysters and a cold glass of white wine.
After lunch we checked out the Cape San Blas Lighthouse, which is over 130 years old. I am not sure what it is, but I am fascinated by lighthouses and just love to see them. I learned that this lighthouse used to be on Cape San Blas, hence the name, but was moved in 2014 to Port St. Joe in order to protect and preserve the lighthouse.
We of course needed to take some time and sit on the beach. We grabbed some stuff at The Pig (aka Piggly Wiggly) and packed a picnic lunch and off we went. This trip was defiantly all about exploring and sightseeing, but some time to relax and recharge on the beach was something we were looking forward to. We headed back over to St. George Island and enjoyed a beautiful sunny 75 degree day. You cannot get better than that.
One of the reasons we really wanted to head to Apalachicola was to go to a store that I had been shopping online for years and years, Becasa. I mean what can be better than shopping at one of your favorite stores for your 50th birthday.
This really was a dream for me to be able to come to the store in person and be able to see all of the amazing things they have in person. From clothes and straw bags, to hats, pareos, home goods, quilts, and Jewlery. In fact, my absolute favorite jewelry I wear every day are my Beach Bangles. I have them in every color, they are waterproof and perfect for me to wear when I am cooking or swimming. I always have a set on.
This store is styled absolutely beautifully and the quality cannot be beat. From 100% cotton clothes to prints from India, you will be so happy with any of your purchases here and you can shop for many of the items online.
Our last night we wanted to have dinner by the water and went to Paddy’s Raw Bar. We loved this restaurant and loved the view. Overlooking the Apalachicola River, seeing the boats, and one amazing sunset. They served of course oysters, as well as salads, sandwiches, wraps, and offered daily specials. I was able to get grilled mahi mahi and coleslaw, after I got steamed oysters of course and had a cold glass of white wine. The absolute perfect ending to our trip.
I have to say, this trip was of course special being that it was my 50th birthday, but being able to explore a new area was so much fun. We absolutely loved the area and cannot wait to go back again. I already have been working on other things we can do and explore when we go. If you are looking for a slow paced beautiful area in Florida, Apalachicola is defiantly a place that you need to take time to visit.
As we headed home bright and early, we were so happy to see this amazing sunrise. We are so blessed to live in a beautiful place and be able to be so close to the water. Traveling though the state is defiantly something we will be doing more often.
We hope that you enjoyed coming along with us and look forward to our next adventure coming soon!.
xo, Kristin and Gary
