March 1 - St George Island, FL and Apalachicola, FL

  Great day today!  We drove to the Gulf of Mexico coast and over to St George Island State Park.  Due to the hurricane damage in this area, this was the first day the park has reopened.  The weather today switched from rain storms to cloudy.  So when we crossed the very high 4 mile long bridge over to St. George Island, we could see the rain coming down in the clouds ahead of us.  By the time we got onto the bridge, it had started pouring and the wind really picked up.  Of course the speed limit on the bridge was 55 mph, which I wasn't about to do, given the wind and rain.  At one point, I kept thinking about being swept right off the bridge in the wind.  Should I pull over and wait for the storm to subside or speed up and just get off the bridge?  I ended up getting safely over the bridge to the island.  The park is at one end of the island, which is really rather narrow.  The St George Sound is on one side,at one end of the island, and the Apalachicola Bay at the other end, with the Gulf of Mexico on the outside of the island. 
  We parked looking out at the Gulf, and ate lunch in the car while it rained.  When we were through with lunch, it stopped raining, and had the most impressive, beautiful clouds.  So we got out and did our couple mile walk on the beaches.  We saw 3 dolphins cruising along the coast and were enthralled with the many pelicans that would soar into the air, then dive bomb right straight down into the water to catch a fish,.  They did that over and over again.  With the mild wind blowing, and the sound of the waves, the incredible clouds, the birds & the dolphins -- it was really marvelous. 
  We walked a short boardwalk over to a view of the Sound.  Very peaceful.  Finally, we drove around the rest of the island--rather touristy, and with lots of houses on stilts (required by FL building codes).
  We drove across another bridge to the little town of Apalachicola, FL.  Walked the quaint tourist shops, and stopped for coffee and pastries.  Found a cute park along the Apalachicola Bay.  Then drove home and made dinner. 

St George Island State Park beach photos:

 Storm damage:

Apalachicola Bay side of the park:

Tamara's Shop in Apalachicola, FL: