Coastline RV Park - Eastpoint, Florida – August 22-28, 2016

Monday morning dawned bright, sunny and by 10 a.m. the temps had reached 91°, our departure time. Our plan was to drive 4 hours, non-stop to our next destination in Eastpoint, Florida, Coastline RV Park near Apalachicola (“Apalach” to the natives), located right on the Gulf of Mexico. No problem ‘til we got a little more than halfway there, to just east of Tallahassee a few miles. BLAM! The door side/rear tire blew on the camper.

We called Good Sam roadside assistance; we had our tire changed within the hour, using our spare. Whew! We’d still be at our destination by about 3:30 rather than 2:00. Then about 15 minutes later, BLAM! The door side/front tire blew on the camper. Now what…!?! No spare, it’s already on the ground. Another call to Good Sam roadside assistance. This time their affiliate arrived just 2 ½ hours later, with 2 brand new tires for a roadside installation: both would go on the ground, so the spare could go back to its hiding place under the camper. In the meantime, we took out our camping chairs, set them up alongside the truck and camper in the shade—what there was of it, in 95+° heat—took out our books and bottles of water and made the best of the situation while we waited.

We finally arrived to Coastline RV Park at 7:30, 5 ½ hours later than originally planned. Thankfully, there was still daylight and it was a slightly cooler than earlier in the day, with a breeze off the Gulf.

There’s damage to our camper, on the lower panel dining room slide, like the damage from a tire that blew 2 years ago.  Here are a few photos. The first is of blowout #1; the 2nd is blowout #2.

Coastline RV Park is a lovely park, and as I mentioned, it’s right on the Gulf of Mexico in the panhandle of Florida. They have 30 sites, in 6 tiers. The park is very clean, with good amenities. Although there are no trees at the sites, and the roads are gravel, everything is well maintained. The sites are level, and all have a very roomy paver blocks patio with a picnic table, and grassy area between sites. The WiFi screams, and there’s cable TV, too! (Just down the road is their sister park, Coastline Campground with 23 sites, and plans for future expansion.) Here are a few photos of Coastline.

This fishing pier is just across the road from the RV park. I was watching a crab attack the body of another, which was obviously dead. Guess they take care of their own!

The small town of Eastpoint was originally founded by a communal religious group, who established a group called the Co-Worker’s Fraternity which farmed the land, harvested seafood, worked the lumber industry and shared the profits among themselves. Prior to their arrival the entire coastline was inhabited by Native Americans, apparently for thousands of years. Life was good. Seafood was abundant and as a result, what is now Eastpoint became the central seafood hub of Franklin County, in which it lies. This narrow sliver of coastline is just across the bay from Apalachicola and on the mainland across from St. George Island, one of the barrier islands that protect this area. Rustic seafood houses line the shore for nearly a mile along Highway 98, where oystermen and shrimpers bring in their burlap bags of freshly harvested Apalachicola Bay oysters to be washed, shucked, packed and shipped across the country. Many of the restaurants in this area have been operated by families for over 4 generations.

We took it easy on Tuesday, deciding what we would do during our week-long stay here. That evening we had dinner at The Red Pirate, a local restaurant that also has a “championship” miniature golf course. Dick had bay scallops, while I noshed on grilled shrimp. Delicious!!

That night we had heavy rain with thunder and lightning, and also found we had a little guest traveling along with us—a gecko, obviously picked up at our site in Jacksonville. Good grief. How to catch the little bugger…?

Wednesday morning Dick had an internet webinar so we didn’t leave ‘til shortly after noon. We drove the 15 minutes across a beautiful bay bridge to St. George Island. St. George Island is a 22-mile barrier island with no high rises. Comprised mostly of sand dunes with sea oats and pine trees, the clear waters from the Gulf kiss one of the most beautiful beaches in Florida. The white, fine sand beach goes on for miles, and is perfect for walking, swimming, sunbathing, and shore fishing. 

Its history is rich with stories of pirates, Indians and shipwrecks. The Creek Indians who first inhabited the island as early as the 1600s, were aggressive traders who worked the area up and down the Apalachicola and St. Marks rivers. Intensive struggles for land control took place when the Europeans arrived. Pirate Captain William Augustus Bowles led the Indians against the Spanish and French in the late 1700s for control of the island. (Did he really bury a treasure on the island before he died? Hmm…that’s what island lore says…)

   

We drove around the island and checked out St. George Island State Park. Located on the far east side of the island, the state park has 60 sites, all with 50/30 amp and water; there’s a dump station at the entrance to the campground. After our drive around the island and before heading home we decided on a late lunch/early dinner, or “linner” as Dick likes to call it, at BJ’s Pizza on St. George Island. Really good! Really loaded with good stuff! We took half of it home for another meal. We would come back to St. George Island another day.

We decided to spend most of our time Thursday in Apalachicola, or as the locals call it, “Apalach.” Established in 1831, it was once the 3^rd largest port on the Gulf of Mexico. The wealth and craftsmanship of the 18^th and 19^th centuries was evident by the wide, tree-lined streets and large, picturesque homes. Many of the 19^th century buildings that lined the waterfront of Apalachicola River, that once housed ship’s chandleries, net factories, a sponge warehouse, and cotton brokers, have been restored and are now home to restaurants, galleries, boutiques, hotels and B&B's. Shipping cotton was the big industry in the early to mid-1800s. When the railroads expanded, lumber started taking over with the vast supply of cypress forests in the area. By the end of the 19^th century harvesting oysters and seafood became the important industry. Today this industry brings in over $14 million worth of seafood to Franklin County docks annually.

Apalachicola has more than 900 historic homes, buildings and sites listed in its extensive National Register District. It’s also noted for having some of the finest oysters found anywhere in the country; today this area of Franklin County harvests 90% of Florida’s oysters, and 10% of the oysters consumed in the nation.

After fueling our truck we decided to stop first at Cedar Street Cemetery, the oldest burying ground in Apalachicola. 

Death was very much a part of life in the Old South. Surrounding marshes were breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carried the dreaded yellow fever virus and malaria. And the water supply coming from shallow wells often spread cholera to the population. In addition, hurricanes and storms were prevalent, causing shipwrecks on the shoals of the bay. Daily life brought risk, and this risk has been captured in the history of Chestnut Street Cemetery.

Approximately 540 marked graves are located in the cemetery, but there are many more grave sites that are unmarked. A few graves are marked with simple wooden crosses, or a blanket of shells with no names, while simple vertical slabs from the 1830s and elaborate marble monuments mark others. The United Daughters of the Confederacy marked the graves of all the Civil War veterans in the 1930s; there are at least 79 Confederate veterans and 7 Union veterans buried here. After about 1900 the only people buried in Chestnut Street Cemetery were those who had existing family plots in the cemetery. 

The oldest tombstone dates from 1831, but the cemetery was probably in use long before that date, as wooden markers had disappeared over the years. Key figures that helped form Apalachicola and the surrounding area are buried here, as well as others whose names have been forgotten over time. One family plot holds the graves of 2 Confederate soldiers and 2 Union soldiers: brothers who fought on difference sides during the Civil War. The cemetery also holds graves of at least 7 men who participated in Pickett’s Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg, as part of the Florida brigade. Ethnic diversity is also revealed on the grave markers, listing people born in the United States, Greece, Italy, Ireland, and elsewhere. Two headstones mark the graves of 2 free blacks who owned Apalachicola’s finest hotel in the antebellum era. So much history…

 

From there we drove to the historic Orman House, which is adjacent to the Chapman Botanical Gardens.

Thomas Orman, a single man, came south from New York State to Florida shortly after the territory was acquired by the United States from Spain. He worked first in New Orleans on a sugar plantation, then partnered with a man and started a salt works. From there, after selling his shares in the salt works, he traveled east to the Apalachicola River, making his way north, buying slaves as he went. He purchased a plantation quite a distance north of Apalachicola and began to raise cotton. While there he met and married Sarah Love Trippe, from a prominent Georgia family. Orman, realizing the potential of shipping cotton and the prosperity it would bring to the port in Apalachicola, sold his plantation and moved his family south to Apalachicola in 1834. He set up a mercantile shop and cotton warehouses, with plans to purchase all of the European goods from ships coming in to port, and selling them in his mercantile. He would then have the right to reload the ship with cotton. 

Plantation owners would come to him, and for a 2½-5% commission he would sell and load the cotton from one of his warehouses. 

He became a very wealthy man, owning no fewer than 5 complete blocks of the town, multiple lots in 18 blocks and 14 lots of wharf space in town. These properties included both improved and unimproved lots, 11 cotton warehouses and several stores. 22 miles upriver he purchased land that would become the 10,259-acre Owl Creek Plantation, where he hoped to raise citrus. He also owned sailing vessels, steamboats, conducted trade with farmers and planters up the Apalachicola River, and had interests in several town industries. In 1861 he purchased St. George Island for $.30 an acre. 

The Orman house was built in 1837 by Thomas and Sarah Orman, from lumber shipped from New York in 1836. An old slave quarter and brick well are located to the rear of the house. The rice and sugarcane fields he owned required extensive manpower for upkeep; his slaveholdings at the peak were 26 slaves in 1860. 

The 2-story Greek Revival house they built was one of the grandest houses in Apalachicola. Porches wrapped around 2 sides of the home on 2 floors; the entryway is surrounded by elaborate moldings with carved corner blocks and a central panel with carved foliage. The doors are flanked by sidelights with a transom overhead.

During the Civil War, both Union and Confederate forces would arrive in town. Sara Orman, a proud Confederate supporter, would, as local lore reports, simulate roof repairs whenever Union troops arrived, thus placing a large nail keg on the Captain’s walk of the house to alert southern sympathizers upriver and Confederate soldiers coming home on furlough of the enemy’s presence.

The Orman’s only son, William, lived in the house until his death in 1888. His daughter, Sarah, lived there until her death in 1952, outliving 2 husbands. After her death the house passed on to relatives who owned the property until 1994, when it was sold and restored. The house was operated as a bed and breakfast for a few years, after which it was purchased by the Florida State Parks division in 1999 to become the Orman House Historic State Park.  If only walls could talk…

The downstairs includes the parlor, dining room, sewing room, office and master bedroom. (The master bedroom is included below.)

The top 2 photos are of the master bedroom (1st floor); the next set of photos is of the children's room upstairs, and then a 2nd bedroom. The stairs show the wear on the treads over the years.

Adjacent to the Orman House are the Chapman Botanical Gardens. These gardens pay tribute to the noted botanist, Dr. Alvin Wentworth Chapman, who lived out the last 50 years of his life in Apalachicola, and who is now buried, alongside his wife, in Chestnut Street Cemetery. Dr. Chapman was one of the premier botanists of the 19^th century, undertaking expeditions to “wild places” throughout the South in order to catalogue and research unique plant species. (His 1860 book, The Flora of the Southern United States, was an instant classic and is still popular today.) The garden features a winding pathway through beautifully crafted settings, a wild area as Florida was “back when,” a butterfly garden, and more. It was first conceived in the 1980s by the local city planner, who encouraged city residents to create a garden to honor Dr. Chapman’s legacy. It has become one of the finest botanical gardens available in any small city in the South.

Photos above and below were taken in the Chapman Botanical Gardens, with the exception of the grave markers, which are in the Chestnut Street Cemetery. Below are plants growing from a tree stump; a lubber; and an osprey that had taken up residency on the nearby water tower.

Also adjacent to the Orman House is the Three Soldiers Monument. Cast in 2008, it was cast from the original molds of sculpture Frederick Hart’s stunning statue that stands at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. The memorial reads:

Dedicated this 12th day of July, 2008 in memory of those persons from the South who valiantly served their country during the Vietnam War (1959 - 1975). Their commitment to their country, to freedom and to each other will long be honored by this memorial which represents, for all time, the human face of those who served.

A little known fact is that nearly 1/3 of the casualties experienced by the U.S. during the Vietnam War were suffered by Southerners. Of the 58,193 men and women estimated by National archives to have been killed in Vietnam, a total of 17,831 of them were from the South. The average age of those killed was only 20. This monument is the only authorized copy of the original that can be seen anywhere in the U.S. The sculptor believed that art must “touch our lives, our fears and cares—evoke our dreams and give hope to the darkness.” The Three Soldiers Monument does just that, as the soldiers appear to be emerging from the darkness into the light.

From there we walked through Lafayette Park, located on the shore of Apalachicola Bay. The park was developed in the late 1800s, to complement another park located near the mouth of the Apalachicola River, now known as Battery Park. A pier was subsequently built out from the park over the waters of the bay. The park is a quiet neighborhood park, shaded by twisted live oak trees. A gazebo was added in the 1990s, from grant funding from the State of Florida, replicating one that had stood there years before. Brick walkways were added, along with playground equipment and landscaping.

Before a late lunch we decided to take in the Maritime Museum, down on Water Street. This museum was founded to celebrate and preserve the maritime history of this area, as well as provide a hands-on learning environment that includes active sailing and adventure programs, boat building and restoration, and education programs. They offer historical and eco-tours, kayak trips, sunset cruises, sailing programs, and excursions to pristine barrier islands. (We walked through the museum and toured the "Heritage of Apalachicola" sailboat docked behind the museum—we didn’t take any additional tours.)

The primary museum exhibit is the L. Francis Herreshoff designed 58’ wooden ketch Quark, which sailed into port in October 2007. It has since been renamed “Heritage of Apalachicola” to reflect her new mission of education. Its design emerged from the drawing board in the 1930s; it was the 63^rd vessel built to the Mobjack plans. (For those of you who understanding sailing, you probably know what this means. For you novices, here’s a link to a page that will explain it all.)

The maritime museum has also taken on the task of restoring a paddle wheel riverboat, that was once owned by famed actress and entertainer Debbie Reynolds, in its effort to preserve the history of the maritime industry.

Then, it was time for lunch. Yea!

We selected the Owl Café in historic downtown Apalachicola. The building, built in 1900, was first opened in 1908 as a restaurant and rooming house by two Greek businessmen. A favored meal then was called a “Whole Loaf” which was a hollowed out loaf of bread filled with oysters, sauces, and baked. An order of oyster stew back then cost $.20. The restaurant featured home-made ice cream and a soda fountain. The restaurant was closed in 1923. Today it’s a thriving upscale restaurant, with luxury river view condos above. 

Our meal was nothing short of fabulous. We selected a crab and shrimp salad roll, and linguini with spinach, mushrooms, garlic, shrimp and parmesan. A huge house salad served with sourdough bread preceded the main course. Wonderful!

Afterward we walked around town for a bit before going to the local Piggly-Wiggly for a few grocery items, and then home. These are some of the historic homes and buildings that show the wealth of past generations.

Friday was another day on St. George Island. We arrived early so we’d have an opportunity to walk the beach before taking in a local eatery for breakfast. 

As I mentioned earlier, the beach is beautiful, with pristine white sand, and the ocean waves that seem to sooth the soul. We walked for a mile on the beach, enjoying the solitude of the early morning. Loggerhead sea turtle nesting areas were marked off with stakes, tape, and chicken wire covering the sand. The hatchlings emerge at night and crawl to the Gulf waters.

From there it was a walk to The Beach Pit for breakfast. This eatery has been open for over 25 years, and features Texas-style BBQ, and fresh Florida seafood. However, for breakfast we had a ham and cheese omelette, bacon and eggs, hash browns, wheat toast and coffee. Two of the walls are covered in dollar bills, posted over the years by patrons of the restaurant. Very good food!

 After breakfast we walked across the block to the historic St. George Lighthouse.

The first lighthouse on St. George Island was built in 1833 on the western tip of the island; however this light was difficult to see by ships approaching from the eastern Gulf. After this 65’ tall light was damaged by storms in 1846, it was decided to rebuild the lighthouse at the island’s southern cape. This 2^nd light, completed in 1848, was about 75’ tall, made using materials from the 1833 lighthouse. This one lasted only 3 years, until a hurricane destroyed it in August 1851. A 3^rd lighthouse was completed in 1852, this time built farther inland, and “built to last” with pine pilings driven deep into the sand as a foundation.

During the Civil War its light was turned off so as not to aid Yankee ships. The beacon was relit on August 1, 1865. The Fresnel lens had suffered some damage during the war, but it was replaced in 1889. In 1949 the Fresnel lens was removed by the Coast Guard, who then installed an automated light; lighthouse keepers were no longer needed.

By 1992 storms and natural erosion once again placed the lighthouse in peril. Hurricane Andrew eroded a major portion of the beach surrounding the St. George lighthouse, so the Coast Guard deactivated the light in 1994, realizing that once again the lighthouse might be lost.

Before nature could build the beach sand back up around the lighthouse, Hurricane Opal struck in 1995 resulting in a powerful tidal surge that swept around the lighthouse forcing it to move from its foundation. As the lighthouse settled into the sand, the circular iron staircase inside was torn from the walls, and the tower developed a 7° lean. This historic Florida lighthouse seemed doomed to suffer another fate.

Around 1995, a “Save The Light” campaign was started. Between local and tourist donations, artist paintings donations, and funding from the Florida Department of State Grants, the group managed to raise over $200,000 by 1999. A local contractor, using a backhoe, slowly excavated sand from around the base of the lighthouse on one side. After many days of the slow, tedious work, the lighthouse settled into a vertical position. Holes were drilled through the 4’ thick concrete walls at the base, and fiberglass reinforcing bars were inserted; a corrugated ring was placed around the base and filled with concrete, forming an island around the base. The lighthouse was deemed restored. 

Storms and erosion once again surrounded the St. George lighthouse, and by 2005 the lighthouse sat 20; out into the water, completely engulfed. The concrete platform was beginning to see the effects of the waves; on October 21, 2005 the lighthouse finally collapsed into the Gulf of Mexico.

 

The St. George Lighthouse Association, established in 2004, spearheaded the effort to salvage the pieces of the lighthouse. Volunteers cleaned the mortar off thousands of the old bricks. The original plans were obtained from the National Archives in Washington, D.C. and the reconstruction was begun in 2007, using as much of the original materials as possible. It was opened to the public in December 2008; the 92 wooden steps to the top of the light are there for you to climb. Dick did; I didn’t (I was wearing sandals that weren’t conducive to climbing). He also climbed the 8-rung ladder to the lantern room, where he took fabulous photos of the surrounding area.

At the base of the lighthouse is the reconstructed light keeper’s house, now a museum and gift shop. 

That evening we watched a wonderful movie based on the biography of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who overcame the limitations imposed on her by her condition to become a Ph.D. and expert in the field of animal husbandry. Today, she’s a professor at Colorado State University and well-known speaker on autism and animal handling. Wonderful, wonderful movie, and we recommend it highly! It gives wonderful insight into the world of autism.

Saturday morning dawned overcast with temps in the mid-70s. The high for the day was 92° with humidity about 70%. Dick took a motorcycle ride that afternoon for almost 2 hours through the surrounding area; I stayed home to work on the blog.

Dick’s ride took him to Fort Gadsden, the ruins of 2 forts, which over time were known by several names, including Prospect Bluff Fort, Nicholls Fort, Blount’s Fort, British Post, Negro Fort, African Fort and Fort Apalachicola.

The original fort at the site was built by the British during the final year of the War of 1812. At that time the British command was anxious to open a southern front against the U.S., planning an invasion of the Gulf Coast. Orders were given to establish contact with and provide arms and ammunition to the thousands of Creek warriors who had fled into Florida after their defeat at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, Alabama in 1813-1814. Supplies were landed on the barrier islands, and were soon moved up the Apalachicola River to Prospect Bluff where a trading post had been established—the ideal place from which the British could distribute military supplies to their new allies the Creeks and Seminoles.

Over the following months a massive fortification was built there, consisting of an earthwork battery on the river and a strongly built octagonal magazine and arsenal, all surrounded by a palisade and entrenchments.

The drawing at the lower left shows the original layout of the fort, with the Negro Fort at the top. The 2nd drawing shows the improvements made when Lt. Gadsden rebuilt the fort.

 In addition to more than 2,000 Creek, Seminole and a few Choctaw warriors, a force of more than 100 black soldiers were assembled at the fort. These men were mostly free black citizens of Florida, although some had been slaves of plantation owners in the U.S. These men were equipped, trained and supplied by British officers, quickly developing into a cohesive fighting force. Although the War of 1812 had ended in March 1815, the British did not evacuate this area for more than 2 months, during which they continued to distributed arms and ammunition to their allies.

When they finally left in May 1815, the fort and its cannon, along with a huge supply of small arms, ammunition and other material was turned over to the Indian and black allies they had enlisted. The fort was left under the command of Garcon, a former slave, who was instructed to defend it against any attack. Although many of the Indian warriors had returned to their villages, Garcon and a force of 80-100 black soldiers continued to hold the fort and live there with their families. 

This became a settlement of free blacks, causing much concern for the government of the U.S. Slavery was still legal in the U.S, and many officials and plantation owners complained that the fort in Spanish Florida served as a beacon of sorts for runaway slaves. U.S. Forces from the U.S infantry moved in with a force of 112 soldiers, reinforced by several hundred Creek warriors, demanding the Negro Fort’s surrender. Garcon refused and responded with a shot from one of his heavy guns. His men raised the English Jack and a red or “bloody” flag. 

At 5 a.m. on July 27, 1816, the battle began in earnest. Two gunboats were moved into range of the fort; they were welcomed by a shot from the fort that flew too high. The sailors responded with slow shelling from the 18-pounders on their boats, using their first 4 shots to establish range. Then, for their 5^th shot, they loaded a cannonball that had been heated red hot into the 18-pounder on gunboat #154.

As the defenders of the fort worked their guns and cheered with the yells of defiance, “give me liberty, or give me death,” the cannon fired from the gunboat flew high over the walls of the fort and directly through the entrance to the gunpowder magazine. In an instant the “Negro Fort” was blown to bits.

This may have been the single deadliest cannon shot in American history. The fort was reduced to a smoking ruin, and 270 of its 320 or so inhabitants—men, women, and children—were killed. Bodies and parts of bodies were later found lodged in the tops of the tall pine trees that surrounded the fort.

The survivors were taken prisoner, but many of them died. Navy soldiers cried as they advanced over the ruined walls of the fort to render what assistance they could to the survivors. 

The top photo shows the fort as it is today, with the earthenwork battery; the next two show posts outlining where the octagonal magazine was of the original British Post, before it was blown up--the blast was felt more than 100 miles away in Pensacola; the photo of the river is where the gunboats were anchored during the battle; the brick outlined grave is where at least 100 bodies are buried. The metal pieces are what the archeologists uncovered during their digs, and date back to the destruction of the magazine during the battle that killed 270 people.

The ruined fort lay abandoned for about 2 years until the spring of 1818 when Major General Andrew Jackson arrived with his army. Impressed with the military worthiness of the site, he ordered an army engineer named Lt. James Gadsden to supervise the construction of a new fort there. Jackson was impressed with the outcome and named the new post after this young engineer: Fort Gadsden.

Fort Gadsden was used as forward base for army movements during the First Seminole War and was held by the U.S. until 1821 when Spain gave up its right to Florida. More than 100 men died at the isolated fort between 1818 and 1821 and are buried there.

During the 2^nd Seminole War, from 1835-1842, the fort was temporarily occupied by U.S. troops while hunting the swamps for small bands of refugee Creeks in 1840, in today’s Apalachicola National Forest.

The fort’s final military occupation came 20 years later when Confederate forces positioned a battery of field artillery and small guard force there. By 1865, the fort was little more than a campsite for a few men from the 5^th Florida Cavalry who posted there to watch the river.

After the Civil War, Fort Gadsden was never again used for military purposes. For the most part the site was forgotten.

That changed in the 1960s when the Florida Board of Parks & Historic Memorials established Fort Gadsden State Historic Site. Forest growth was cleared from the remains of the earthworks; a picnic area was established, as well as other amenities. The park was eventually returned to the Federal government through a cost-cutting move, and the Forest Service took over the site to care for it.

Beautifully maintained, the rustic park features the earthwork remains of Fort Gadsden, traces of the destroyed “Negro Fort,” a cemetery, mini-museum, interpretive signs and a walking trail that leads through the site. Archeological work is also underway to reveal more about the design of the site without disturbing this sacred ground. It is named one of America’s most significant historic sites as part of the Apalachicola National Forest.

Sunday was spent relaxing and preparing for our departure Monday—loading the motorcycle on the back of the camper and emptying the tanks. As we leave Eastpoint we’ll stop at a local tire distributor for 2 new “shoes” for the other side of our camper, in hopes that this will prohibit (or at least delay) another blowout.

Our next stop: Pine Lake RV Park in Fountain, Florida. It’s a bit inland from the Gulf, but there are supposed to be lots of interesting things to see in the area. Stay tuned!

‘til next week, love ‘n’ hugs,

RJ and Gail