June Vacation

Since we are just two months away from the trip to Saint Teresa Beach, Florida. I thought it would be helpful for everyone to get a taste of what to expect. I am very excited about having guests to a place that is very special to me.

For this introductory blog, I will begin by sharing the important information of how to get there and some tidbits on things you need to think about before you head on down. Look for future blogs to list the nearby attractions and activities ofthings to do while in the area.

Getting There
The closest airport to St. Teresa is the Tallahassee, FL airport. Looking at fares this afternoon, both Continental and Northwest are running just over $300 per person round trip. The airlines that fly in and out of Tallahassee are the forementioned two airlines plus Delta and US Airways. The other airports that are nearby are Panama City (70 miles), Valdosta (100 miles) and Jacksonville (180 miles).

What to Expect...

The Weather
June is a great time of year to be on the Gulf Coast. The weather is usually pretty nice as temperatures will range somewhere in the 90s with maybe a day or two over 100. Hurricane season doesn't officially begin until June 30th, so I don't expect tropical weather to be a factor. We may get a thunderstorm while we are there, which can be pretty entertaining if you have never been in a real thunderstorm before... KA-BOOM!

The humidity will be something that will hit you and take a day or two to acclimate. As soon as you walk out of the airport, you will feel the sweet thick Florida air. Don't expect too many good hair days, but at least you will know that your skin is going to benefit from the moist air and swimming in salt water.

Living with Nature
We have lots of insects in Florida, but there are really only 3 that you need to take precautions against: Mosquitos, Yellow Flies and Deer Flies. There is plenty of bug repellant and spray at the house. These pests will attack any time you are outside, but you tend to be safer the closer you are to the beach. If you are out in the yard or especially behind the house, you are more likely to get bitten.

The bugs also tend to come out in greater numbers in the early morning and late evening or any time immediately after a rain. We also have sand fleas or "no-see-ums" which you can't see, but just give you this general sense of itchiness. Avon makes a product very popular in Florida called "Skin So Soft". If you don't mind smelling all sweet and flowery, it does help on all the bugs. Whenever there is a breeze out we don't have to worry about bugs.

The other thing that you may notice is that the biting bugs might bother one person, but not another. What you eat is what you sweat, and what you sweat is what either attracts or doesn't attract the bugs. My advice to you if are prone to attracting insects is to avoid sweets and increase your intake of onions, garlic and vinegar both before the trip and while you are there. We'll also make sure to have some antihistamine as that can help relieve any itching and swelling with the bites.

You can also expect ants (if you leave food out), non-biting bugs drawn to lights, and the occasional cockroach. People get freaked out about cockroaches, but they don't bite and want to get away from you as much as you want to get away from them.

Smoked Mullet and Crackers
Get ready for some great seafood. One of the best parts about vacationing in Florida is the abundance of fresh seafood. You won't find fresher seafood than what you caught hours earlier in the day.

Fishing in the bay can be really exciting for those who don't mind casting a line. Either of the nearby flats can be good for Speckled Trout, redfish and flounder. Sometimes you get lucky and even pull in a Spanish Mackeral, Pompano, Cobia or Grouper. Going a bit further out to the reef, we can troll for Spanish Mackeral and Bluefish. The action out there can be tremendous.

Anyone who plans to fish in Florida is required to have a saltwater fishing license, which is a reasonable $16.50 for a 7 day license. We have a couple of trolling rods to take out to the reef, and I believe that there are a couple of spinning rods in working order for those who would rather fish on the flats. For anyone who wants to learn how to catch mullet (the fish not the fella in the picture), we have a couple of cast nets.

Living in 3/4 Time
Life is a lot slower in North Florida and especially along the Coast. Aside from the guaranteed boating adventure, it should be very relaxing and a good time to catch up on reading or just sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair and taking it all in.