St. George Island (also known as Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park) is a 22 mile barrier island. A barrier island is a long, thin, sandy stretch of land, oriented parallel to the mainland coast that protects the coast from the full force of powerful storm waves. There are 20 miles of beach on the gulfside and miles of marsh, inlets and oyster bars on the bayside.
St. George Island
At the state park, there are nine miles of undeveloped shoreline, sand dunes, a pine forest and salt marshes. There are hiking trails, boardwalks and observation platforms. In 2013, Forbes ranked St. George Island State Park #3 for the best beaches in the USA.
Birding is popular. There are many migratory birds that use St. George Island as a stopover on their way south or north. We saw 5 Bald Eagles. Beginning early summer, loggerhead sea turtles come ashore to dig their nests and lay eggs along the beach.
The campground was easy to drive through and our campsite was plenty big and private for our RV. Seems to be a typical Florida state campground i.e. water, 50 amp, no sewer hookup (dump on the way out), nice shower facility, and hiking trails. Recycle bins for aluminum, plastic, glass, and paper!
We went to the Red Pirate for lunch. The prices were good and food outstanding. They had fresh oysters. Sandy ordered baked oysters in parmesan, butter, and garlic….and a beer. Very good!
Their float/pirate ship was in the parking lot.
Even though Michael’s strained/sprained back and wrist were still hurting enough to be splinted/braced, he was able to lend a helping hand.
Afterwards, we went to the lighthouse. The lighthouse was first built in 1833, revised in 1848 and 1852, finally collapsed in 2005. It was rebuilt in 2008.
Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from live pine trees. It is mainly used as a solvent and as a source of materials for organic synthesis. In the late 1800’s, the Naval Stores Industry collected, processed, and marketed forest products refined from the resin of the slash pine and longleaf pine trees. The industry was associated with the maintenance of the wooden ships. Gum naval stores cultivation refers to the labor-intensive method of extracting pine resin from the trees (the raw gum). The method of collection “tapping the trees” resembles that used on a rubber plantation or in a maple sugar grove. However, instead of preparing the tree to receive a tap, the tree is gashed with a curved blade, called a “hack,” to remove all of the bark down through the cambium layer. An angled piece of galvanized tin is then placed below the eight-inch-long, one-inch-wide gash (also known as “the streak”) to direct the oozing sap into a Herdy cup fixed to the tree. Each new “streak” is put onto the tree above the preceding one, and gradually a vertical “cat face” more than thirty inches in height is formed.
The process was very inefficient and eventually killed the tree. A Chemistry professor, Charles Herty, came up with a less invasive method that increased yield and the life of the tree. The collection pot was named after him, “Herty Cup”. Even though the industry significantly disappeared in the 1960’s, remnants of the process can still be seen on pine trees that survived when walking through the old pine forests.
We went to the Tap Room at the Owl Cafe in downtown Apalachicola for a late morning breakfast. Bloody Mary’s and a Filet Benedict. They have a nice atmosphere, good food, and a good wine selection.
Then back to the RV so Jake could stare down squirrels.
