There Be Whales … Sugar-White Beaches … and Crystalline Waters

Monday, 13 May
Mid-Bay Shores, Maxwell-Gunter Rec Area — Niceville, Florida
Temps: Lo 52F / Hi 80F (11C / 27C)

Gotcha with the whales thing, didn’t I?

It‘s not a lie — but instead of being in the gulf waters, these whales are on a Whaling Wall painted by Wyland in 2001.

The mural, which is at the head of the Mid-Bay Connector crossing over from Destin, would actually be better described as a whaling “building” as all four exterior walls are painted with whales.

Aerial view shows the flag on the roof and the whales on two of the four walls.

In 1981 (or thereabouts), Wyland began one of the largest public art projects.  His goal was to paint 100 murals featuring life-size marine creatures … many of them whales.  As the foundation website explains:

… These murals were painted in life-size dimensions to increase appreciation and understanding for aquatic habitats and the life within. Perhaps, most importantly, they have reshaped attitudes about marine life conservation.

Located at the Mid-Bay Marina, mural #88 is 1,480 feet long x 60 feet high (451 m x 18 m).

I’ve seen several of Wyland’s walls, but this one is something else entirely.  The sheer size of it alone makes the eyes pop.  By the way, in 2008, he completed his goal of painting 100 murals …spanning five continents, 13 countries, and 79 cities around the globe.  I wish it was possible to photograph the mural without the distraction of the boats and vehicles parked around the building, but this is seldom possible with the whaling walls.

Some of the many whales depicted in the mural.

If you’d like to see the full-size versions that make up the collage, click here.

OK, on with the rest of the day.  I mentioned before that each crossing of the Mid-Bay Connector is $3 (for a two-axle car).  So we’ve been “collecting” the errands we wanted to run in and around Destin.  Today, adding some fun into the mix, we headed across the bridge to take care of business.

A: Mid-Bay Shores; B: Henderson Beach State Park; C: Eglin AFB; D: The Boathouse Landing;
E: Mid-Bay Shores.  I neglected to mark the mural wall, but just come across the Mid-Bay
Connector and look right where the bridge connects to the peninsula.

Having ordered our stops so as to minimize backtracking, stopping at the Whaling Wall viewing area was first on the day’s agenda.  Then we stopped at Home Depot and Lowe’s, before continuing over to the James Lee Public Beach Access for a day on the sugar-white sands of Destin.  That was a bust.  Not because the beach wasn’t beautiful — it was; not because the pond-calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico weren’t inviting — they were.  Rather, because it was crowded.  Well, probably not crowded by summer standards, but chairs and umbrellas were already strung along the shoreline, and we weren’t in the mood to take second chair.

Doesn’t look crowded, right?  I assure you there were no front row spots to be had.

Figuring the $6/vehicle entrance fee to Henderson Beach State Park would be a deterrent to most when there are so many free beach access points, we decided to head there for our afternoon of sun ‘n fun in the surf.  There were plenty of people there, too … but there was also plenty of real estate to be had along the shoreline, so we were happy campers.

Sherry, this one is for you … to encourage you to return to Henderson Beach someday ;-)

We put up our beach shelter, unfolded the chairs, and set about enjoying an amazing day on the beach.  A light breeze kept us cool when the sun wasn’t filtered by clouds; and the shimmering, warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico invited us to play in the water.  With the water temperature at +/- 72F (~22C), Mui lost no time in taking the plunge.  Actually, as shallow as the water is, plunging isn’t really possible, but he did get to swim quite a bit.  Even I waded in to join him.

No need for any more words … I’ll let the photos do the talking.

Compared to the areas around the public access points, it is desolate here.

Note the tootsies!  My pedi matches the sea ;-)
(pure coincidence, I assure you.)

This is my idea of enjoying the beach, but …

… while I didn’t get as wet as Mui …

… I did wade in to enjoy the clear gulf waters.  Yes; that, tiny dot is me.

Mui’s having way too much fun!

We weren’t the only ones having fun at the beach today.  Mui was swimming quite a ways out when I noticed two dolphins swimming not far from him.  Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to interpret my signs from that far out and missed his chance to swim with them.  The dolphins were too far out for me to get a decent photo of them, but I did have company in closer proximity that didn’t escape my shutter clicks.

Sandeling stand-off.
They faced off for a while before the one on the left submissively turned tail and ran off ...
(Note the difference in coloring; the one on the right is a breeding adult.)

… and this one strutted his stuff on the beach for a while.

Ruddy Turnstone sipping the sparkling waters of the gulf.

Don’t look at me like that; I have no interest in your crab!

It was difficult to pull ourselves away from the inviting beachscape, but we did so around 5:00p.  After getting cleaned up at the pavilion, we continued with the rest of our plans.  Rather than return to Mid-Bay Shores via the Connector, we took the round-about way home.  Not so much to save on the toll, but so we could stop by the FamCamp at Eglin AFB and check it out for a future stay.  We found the campground.  Or perhaps I should say we found “a campground.”  But it doesn’t fit the description we have.  Too hungry to search further, we moved on.   We’ll try again when we go to the commissary later this week.

Next stop — The Boathouse Landing in Valparaiso (“D” on the map) for dinner.  This casual restaurant has a lovely setting overlooking the Boggy Bayou.  Nothing fancy, but the food was good, and the entertainment was free.

Not only do we have a nice view from our table on the deck overlooking the bayou …

… we have pelicans fishing, dolphins swimming, and great blue herons on lookout.

I’m a sucker for shrimp, so I ordered the pasta special, which was shrimp tossed in with penne pasta, with spinach and mushrooms.  Mui ordered the garlic crusted grouper, topped with crab meat.  A couple of cold brews washed down the meal.  But the best part was the chocolate volcano we shared for dessert.  Drizzled with cherry syrup, it tasted just like a black forest cake.

Clockwise from top left: No breadrolls; hushpuppies with strawberry butter instead —
garlic crusted grouper — chocolate volcano — penne pasta with shrimp.

We arrived back at the campground just in time to wrap up our day with a beautiful sunset, which we enjoyed in the company of two anglers — a great blue heron and a fisherman.

I’m not in the habit of photographing people going about their business, but Mui and I
both got a chuckle from the way this guy tucked his catch in his pants pockets.

The great blue heron started out fishing close to shore …

… before wading deeper into the water and moving into the perfect spot for a sunset photo op.

The scenery wasn’t exciting, but at full zoom, the colors were.

What a way to end a gorgeous afternoon on the beach, and a good meal on the bayou.