Florida’s Unforgettable Coast

Well it’s been about a month since I’ve posted. Sorry about that! Believe me when I say things have been crazy pants with my new job and being in the middle of a move! I have been posting on Instagram and Pinterest, so you can always follow along with my shenanigans there between posts, but I will try to do better about posting more often. Anyway, let’s jump back in. I was blessed to turn 30 last month! My sweet husband planned a weekend away with a couple of our friends to Florida’s Forgotten Coast. Um, it’s more like unforgettable! Completely gorgeous beaches without the crowds…sign me up. We will definitely be back. We stayed at a super cute townhouse style condo in Mexico Beach that he lucked up finding on Airbnb.  I linked to the actual unit because it was that cute. Brand new. Quartz countertops. Cute beachy decor. A bargain at twice the price.

Don’t forget the Forgotten Coast though!

There are several towns along the Forgotten Coast besides Mexico Beach, where we stayed. Port Saint Joe and Cape San Blas and just a few miles down the road, and it’s the kind of area where one town kind of spills into the next. We spent our first day in Mexico Beach just right across the street from our condo. A bit of bad weather blew up while we were on the beach, so we wandered over to the El Governor Motel pool bar because it is covered and we theoretically would be safe from being struck by lightning. And I know what you’re thinking. “El Governor motel???” Stay with me a second. It was actually a pretty sweet set up. Now, I didn’t actually tour a room or anything, but the pool bar was pretty nice and it is right on the water. They even have small beachfront units with kitchenettes and private grills, and there were several families that seemed to be enjoying the convenience those offered.

Mermaid lamp at El Governor Motel

Here we are at the El Governor Motel in a silly giant chair

For our second day we headed to Port Saint Joe for lunch to the Indian Pass Raw Bar. Seriously, people. Go there! And go early. We got there just a few minutes after they opened, and we snagged one of the last tables. No tables opened up while we were there. They have beer on the honor system! It. Is. Crazy. You fill up your pitcher, and keep a tally of how many pitchers you have on this sheet they give you which reminded me a big golf score sheet. Then you just pay when you’re done. They also have a whole wall of bottle beer, which is self serve, honor system style too. So all that was cool. But y’all. The oysters. It was July, which is not traditional oyster season. And they were some of the best, freshest oysters I’ve ever had in my life. They came from Apalachicola, which as my father reminded me, is the oyster capital of the world. (Side note: traditional oyster season is any month that ends in R. Apparently this rule no longer applies, which is hard for me to get over because I grew up with it, but if these oysters were any indication…)

After we stuffed ourselves with oysters, we headed to nearby Cape San Blas to the beach. This beach was so nice. Seriously one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen, and hardly a soul was on it. These pictures really don’t do it justice, and for that I am sorry. The water was clear and calm, and we had a great time riding waves on the giant popsicle float (pictured below). I’m a big fan of any not crowded beach you can find on the Gulf Coast, so be very thankful that I let you in on this secret. This was a PUBLIC. BEACH. PEOPLE!

Annnnnd it wouldn’t be Florida without some silly, funny cheesy signs. We were a little skeptical of the Ba-Da-Bing Room and Poop Deck, but they make for some great photo ops.

So don’t forget the Forgotten Coast the next time you want to make a Florida beach trip! We can’t wait to go back.