April 2016
“Hands down our family loves to go to the Bay at St Joseph Peninsula State Park over and over again. It is certainly our family’s tradition. We don’t have a boat – which is unusual here but shows that you don’t need one! We park and walk out into the Bay and spend hours.” Megan Burkett, owner of Coastal Joe Vacation Rentals and GCFL Adventure Guide, could easily be your next-door neighbor. Friendly and warm, she is originally from Atlanta and moved to Gulf County 10 years ago. She and her husband, Brian, have three children and everyone has really embraced their GCFL outdoor traditions.?
“We start in late morning and are looking for all kinds of things – hermit crabs, conch shells with animals in them, sand dollars, urchins, we even saw a baby sea turtle once. You see other people all around you but it never feels crowded. And, there are so many different entry points in the State Park. We drive past the camping grounds and have just found openings into the Bay. It’s true adventure – even picking your spot is different every time! Walking in the water is awesome. The water is so clear. We’ve seen some sharks out in the distance but nothing we’ve been afraid of. We’re not a “flips and handstands” kind of family. We like to be out in nature hunting for wildlife. The baby sea turtle was probably the coolest thing we’ve ever seen. My husband took pictures and it’s a memory my kids will have forever. We’ve also seen huge conchs different than we’ve seen anywhere else. They were a weird red color.
Going out to the tip of the Cape is always a different adventure, too. It’s the same location but totally different every time. Different shells. We’ve never seen it the same. Tides are always different out there and they create different sand bars and shallows. Boats dock in different places. Every time of year is different. You can only get there by boat. If you come into town you can rent a pontoon with Seahorse Water Safari’s out at the Marina. We love them. They have great boats and they employ the kids around town, too. When we’ve had family come down, we’ve rented from them before and just had a blast in the Bay.”
Megan Burkett, former teacher and Adventure Guide, recommends getting out to the State Park often. She promises you will see something different every time and your kids will beg you to make it your next family tradition.
Updated: Dec 08, 2017 0:32
Published: Apr 21, 2016 22:30