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.

An Easy Day and a Long Drive

Monday, 10 September
High Temp: 86F (30C); low humidity

There was a definite chill in the air when we woke up at 6:30a; what a difference from our first few mornings here.  It didn’t get much warmer when the sun came out.  Undaunted, we put on our sweaters and enjoyed breakfast and computer time on the balcony so that we could better appreciate the morning and its promise of clear, blue skies and low humidity. As the sound of engines revving up and jets taking off from the nearby airfield filled the air, it quickly became apparent that today was a workday for some … not for us!

Some might interpret blogging as work; for me, it’s fun.

We waited for the temperature to rise a bit before heading to the beach at 8:30a for our daily dip and walk.  We’d been dreading the inevitable onslaught of biting flies; but surprise … NO BLACK FLIES TO PESTER US TODAY :-)

Heading towards the lighthouse, we enjoyed a quiet walk.  We encountered some people fishing from the beach, and saw some guys trolling the waters with their nets, collecting any tar balls that might have been swept ashore by the currents.  The good news — the nets were empty, except for one or two small bits and pieces.  It’s great to see that there’s been no lasting damage from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010.

Wearing my Dalton Highway / I Crossed the Arctic Circle t-shirt as a swimsuit
cover-up on a beach in Florida — that’s what I call a contradiction!

Someone has put a lot of effort into expanding the sandcastle I saw on my walk yesterday.

The castle comes with its very own alligator guard!

Visitors can climb 177 steps to the top of the lighthouse.  We were going to do that today,
but you need to wear shoes or sandals with straps; I have neither on this trip.  Next time!

A forgotten piece of the miles of boom that was laid after the 2010 oil spill.

We could keep going, but this is our turnaround point for today.

The temperature — both in and out of the water — was a little too cool for my liking.  So while Mui went for a swim, I played in the shallows, watching schools of fish swimming by and ghost crabs popping in and out of their burrows.  Unlike the ghost crabs we saw in the Galápagos in July, these crabs are smaller and, as befits their name, they are white in color.  They blend in exceptionally well with the sugar-white sand on the beach.  I didn’t see the sand balls I saw all over the beach at Cerro Brujo, so these crabs must not be deposit feeders.  (Click here for pics of the Galápagos ghost crabs and a short video of how they feed.)

It was 11:30a by the time we were done with our beach time and ready for the next part of our day.  First on our agenda was a return trip to American Home Base to pick up some mail.  We haven’t switched our mailing address to Florida yet, but anything that has to do with our domiciling has been coming here — such as the county clerk domicile registrations and the Florida titles for the Phaeton and CR-V.  We could have asked them to send the mail to us in Virginia, but figured we might as well stop by since we’re here.  Besides, we wanted to meet Tena, our contact at AHB, and thank her in person for helping us get this far in the process.

By the time we got on the road to our planned destination — Destin — it was already past noon.  With an hour’s drive ahead of us to get there, we probably should have re-thought our plans.  But hey, we’re on vacation with plenty of time on our hands.  The GPS took us there via I-10, but we made the return trip via the more scenic Route 98, which took us through Navarre and Fort Walton Beach.

This Google Maps image shows the location of American Home Base (blue flag) and our
lunch spot in Destin (fork & knife) in relation to the Navy Lodge on NAS Pensacola.

Although the beautiful days of sunshine and warm temperatures we’ve been enjoying bely it, this is the slow season for this part of Florida.  That’s evident from the lack of crowds on the beaches, and the easy traffic on the roads — especially on a weekday.  Another indication that the peak season is over is that many of the restaurants are closed for lunch.  That was the case with the first two places we tried.  The third time, though, we hit the jackpot with Dewey Destin’s Seafood, overlooking Choctawatchee Bay, just before the bridge that crosses from Destin to Fort Walton Beach.

The place is literally a shack on stilts.  The road leading to it goes by some rundown buildings; enough to scare one off from proceeding any further.  But the place was ranked #24 amongst 175 eateries in Destin, so we decided to take our chances.  And a good thing it was that we did.

Placing our order at the kitchen, we took a seat at a bench table on one of the piers jutting out over the water and entertained ourselves by watching the gulls flying about.  There were signs everywhere asking patrons not to feed the gulls.  People must be abiding by the request, as the gulls left us in peace to enjoy our meal without having to shoo them away.

There are a few other other patrons, but we have this part of the pier to ourselves.

our view from the table on the pier.

Screeching to keep away other gulls, this bird patiently poses for the shutter-clickers.

Mui ordered the steamed shrimp basket, and I ordered the grilled shrimp. Both were good — but seeing as how he had to remove the tails from his shrimp before he could eat them, Mui said he’d get the grilled shrimp next time so he wouldn’t have to work so hard to earn his lunch :-)

We passed on the homemade key lime pie for dessert, opting for a walk at the Marina Village and some Blue Bell ice cream we’ve heard so much about.  That turned out to be a mistake … one that we won’t repeat now that we know this brand of ice cream is not to our liking.

The return drive to Pensacola via Route 98 was about an hour, but at least we had some scenery to entertain us, and we spotted a couple of campgrounds along the way that might do nicely when we return to the area in the Phaeton.  Had we more time, we would have checked to see what Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field have to offer in the way of campgrounds, too.  We’ll do that next time.

Though the hour was getting late by the time we returned to the Lodge, Mui wanted to take another dip in the ocean.  I accompanied him, but opted to just play in the shallows.  Again, there were no biting black flies; perhaps yesterday was just an anomaly.

The beach scene at near dusk.

We skipped dinner since lunch was such a late affair.  Instead, we hopped in the car and drove over to the lighthouse beach access.  After catching glimpses of last night’s beautiful sunset from the balcony, I wanted to make sure I got some good shots of the sun going down tonight.  Alas, I was out of luck; this time there wasn’t as much color.  Still, it was a a good excuse for one more walk on the beach.

Not a lot of color; nonetheless, a nice end to our day .

We have a treat in store for tomorrow.  Actually two treats, but the one I want to mention here has to do with meeting up with Chuck and Anneke, fellow–bloggers of Goldenshoe RV Trip fame.  They recently got off the road after full-timing for several years and have settled in the area.  Reading in our blog that we’re in Pensacola, they reached out to us via email; we’re looking forward to having lunch with them.