Florida’s Forgotten Coast

While staying at Ho-Hum RV Park, we did a few drives along the Forgotten Coast, in the panhandle of Florida. Amongst other things, we saw all four of the lighthouses on the coast.

A pamphlet for the lighthouse driving tour, with information about each lighthouse:

Lighthouse driving tour pamphlet

Lighthouse driving tour pamphlet

The first drive was west of the RV park, with lunch at the Blue Parrot Ocean Front Cafe (they have a live cam you can view, too), then St George Island Lighthouse.

Here’s the route on an interactive map:

Bridge to St George Island:

Bridge to St George Island

Blue Parrot for lunch:

Blue Parrot

Blue Parrot

Blue Parrot

Blue Parrot

Blue Parrot

Blue Parrot

Blue Parrot

St George Island Lighthouse; unfortunately the museum was closed when we visited:

St George Island Lighthouse

St George Island Lighthouse

St George Island beach:

St George Island beach

Further west, the Cape San Blas Lighthouse in Port St Joe:

Cape San Blas Lighthouse


The second drive was east of the RV park, to St Marks National Wildlife Refuge, St Mark’s Lighthouse, and Publix groceries on the way back.

Here’s the route on an interactive map:

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge:

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

The refuge visitor center, with info about the lighthouse too:

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge visitor center

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge visitor center

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge visitor center

The wildlife refuge:

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

St Marks Lighthouse:

St Marks Lighthouse

St Marks Lighthouse

St Marks Lighthouse

St Marks Lighthouse

St Marks Lighthouse

St Marks Lighthouse


The third drive was to have lunch at The Fisherman’s Wife restaurant in Carrabelle, then visit the nearby Crooked River Lighthouse.

Here’s the route on an interactive map:

The Fisherman’s Wife; we wanted to eat here last year, but they were closed for the holidays. They were closed again most of the time we were at Ho-Hum this time too, but opened a few days before our departure:

The Fisherman's Wife

The Fisherman's Wife

The Fisherman's Wife

The Fisherman's Wife

The Fisherman's Wife

Crooked River Lighthouse, the tallest of the four:

Crooked River Lighthouse

The old lighthouse keeper’s house, now a small free museum:

Crooked River Lighthouse

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Fascinating stuff. We really enjoy this area of Florida; much more laid-back than the more touristy and populated parts.

Red Bay food and shopping

Some food and shopping around Red Bay, Alabama.

Casa Fiesta Mexican Grill, not bad Mexican food:

Casa Fiesta Mexican Grill

Casa Fiesta Mexican Grill

Piggly Wiggly grocery store, pretty basic:

Piggly Wiggly grocery store

Piggly Wiggly grocery store

Holiday lights:

Holiday lights

Holiday lights

Holiday lights

Mia Marlie’s Hometown Pizza, fairly good and inexpensive:

Hometown Pizza

Hometown Pizza

Cardinal Drive-In, much like Sonic, but better:

Cardinal Drive-In

Cardinal Drive-In

Cardinal Drive In

Big Star grocery store, much nicer than Piggly Wiggly, and lots of super-tasty treats (of which we stocked up!):

Big Star grocery store

Big Star grocery store

Big Star grocery store

Big Star grocery store

Happy Hollow, home-goods and outdoors stuff, we always get some cat toys there:

Happy Hollow

Happy Hollow

Happy Hollow

Happy Hollow

Happy Hollow

Happy Hollow

Red Bay is a small town, but has some good food and shopping options.

2024 towns

This summary is about cities and towns I’ve posted about. I don’t tend to do these posts very often, so there aren’t many.

Again, you can also see the attractions from 2023, from 2022, and from 2021. And you can see all of the attraction-related blog posts via the exploring category, with the earliest posts at the top, or the latest posts at the top, or more specifically the town category (with earliest or latest posts at the top).

Carrabelle, Florida:

World's smallest police station

Key West, Florida:

Southernmost point buoy

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina:

Myrtle Beach Welcomes You

Washington, North Carolina:

Main Street

Driving around Wasington DC:

US Capitol

Ashland, Oregon:

Creekside restaurants

Marathon, Marfa, and more in Texas:

Giant Marfa mural

Marathon aerials and stars in Texas:

Marathon

Some interesting places.

Marathon aerials and stars

Some bonus aerial photos from my drone of the Marathon Motel and RV Park and the small town of Marathon, Texas, and some pictures of stars from our site:

Highway and RV park

Aerial view

Aerial view

Aerial view

Aerial view

Aerial

Marathon:

Marathon

Marathon

Marathon

Marathon

Marathon

Marathon

Marathon

Marathon

Marathon

This park is in a dark skies area, so there were lots of stars visible (photos just from my iPhone with a 10-second night mode):

Stars

Stars

Stars

Stars

Stars

Stars

Stars

Stars

Stars

Marathon, Marfa, and more

An assortment of pictures of Marathon and Marfa, Texas and surrounding areas.

In Marathon, we had lunch at the V6 Coffee Bar:

V6 Coffee Bar

V6 Coffee Bar

V6 Coffee Bar

V6 Coffee Bar

The only (very small) grocery store in Marathon, The French Co Grocer:

The French Co Grocer

The French Co Grocer

The French Co Grocer

We got some BBQ from Brick Vault Brewery & Barbecue:

Brick Vault Brewery & Barbecue

Brick Vault Brewery & Barbecue

Brick Vault Brewery & Barbecue

Brick Vault Brewery & Barbecue

An interactive map of a drive to Keesey Canyon Hoodoos for a picnic lunch, then Fort Davis National Historic Site (as seen in the previous post), and Marfa:

Keesey Canyon Hoodoos picnic area:

Keesey Canyon Hoodoos picnic area

Keesey Canyon Hoodoos picnic area

Keesey Canyon Hoodoos picnic area

Keesey Canyon Hoodoos picnic area

Welcome to Marfa sign:

Welcome to Marfa sign

Marfa

Marfa

The Giant Marfa mural, a tribute to the 1956 James Dean/Liz Taylor film “Giant“:

Giant Marfa mural

Giant Marfa mural

Giant Marfa mural

We enjoy quirky roadside attractions.

Ashland, Oregon

Some miscellaneous photos around Ashland, Oregon.

Ashland Springs Hotel:

Ashland Springs Hotel

Oregon Shakespeare Festival gift store:

Oregon Shakespeare Festival gift store

We enjoy the hills around Ashland:

Hills

Varsity theater:

Varsity theater

Creekside restaurants:

Creekside restaurants

Creekside restaurants

Lithia Park pond:

Lithia Park pond

Lithia Park bridge

Lithia Park pond

DC monuments by night tour

We did an evening guided tour of Washington DC from the Cherry Hill Park campground.

Selfie in the bus:

Selfie in bus

US Capitol:

US Capitol

US Capitol

US Capitol

Washington Monument:

Washington Monument

Back to our bus; there were lots of food trucks like this lining the roads in DC:

Bus and food truck

Treasury building:

Treasury building

Treasury building

The White House:

The White House

The White House

The White House

Guide talking about the White House:

Guide talking about the White House

Washington Monument:

Washington Monument:

Thomas Jefferson Memorial:

Thomas Jefferson Monument

Thomas Jefferson Monument

Thomas Jefferson Monument

Thomas Jefferson Monument

Thomas Jefferson Monument

Thomas Jefferson Monument

Sunset:

Sunset

Lots of tour buses:

Lots of tour buses

Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial:

Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial

Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial

Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial

Korean War Veterans Memorial:

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Washington Monument and the Capitol beyond the reflecting pond:

Washington Monument:

Washington Monument:

Lincoln Memorial:

Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial:

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

World War II Memorial:

World War II Memorial

World War II Memorial:

World War II Memorial

Washington, North Carolina

While staying across the river in Chocowinity, North Carolina, we visited the larger city of Washington a couple of times. According to that Wikipedia article, it is commonly known as “Original Washington”; it was established in 1776, and is the first city named after President George Washington. (Washington, DC was founded in 1791.)

An interactive map:

View from bridge:

View from bridge

“Washington Square Mall” — a small strip mall here, not at all like the big Washington Square Mall in Portland, Oregon:

Washington Square Mall

We had dinner at Boss Hog’s Chicken & BBQ:

Boss Hog's Chicken & BBQ

Boss Hog's Chicken & BBQ

Boss Hog's Chicken & BBQ

Boss Hog's Chicken & BBQ

Waterfront:

Waterfront

Main Street:

Main Street

Main Street

Main Street

Crab sculptures:

Crab sculpture

Crab sculptures

Main Street

Main Street

Main Street

Main Street

Main Street

We went to the Blu Farm to Table restaurant for my birthday, dining on their rooftop patio:

Blu restaurant

Blu restaurant

 

Blu restaurant

Blu restaurant

Blu restaurant

Blu restaurant

Blu restaurant

Blu restaurant

Blu restaurant

Unfortunately, we didn’t particularly enjoy the food. Oh well.

Waterfront:

Waterfront

Waterfront

Waterfront

Waterfront

Waterfront

Waterfront

Waterfront

Waterfront

Waterfront

Waterfront

Waterfront

Waterfront

Waterfront

Artwork

Main Street

A fairly cute little town.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

While staying at Myrtle Beach State Park, we went into Myrtle Beach proper a couple of times. Not the popular boardwalk and such, but along the endless strip of mini golf, beachwear, and pancake shops.

Myrtle Beach Welcomes You

Mini golf:

Mini golf

Mini golf

Rope course:

Rope course

Mini golf:

Mini golf

Park:

Park

Beachwear:

Beachwear

One excursion was to try Cook Out:

Cook Out

Cook Out menu:

Cook Out menu

Mini golf:

Mini golf

Beachwear:

Beachwear

Beachwear:

Beachwear

Beachwear:

Beachwear

Treats:

Treats

Mini golf:

Mini golf

Mini golf:

Mini golf

Beachwear:

Beachwear

Beachwear:

Beachwear

Pancakes:

Pancakes

Beachwear:

Beachwear

Pancakes:

Pancakes

Beachwear:

Beachwear

Beachwear:

Beachwear

Mini golf:

Mini golf

Beachwear:

Beachwear

Beachwear:

Beachwear

Pancakes:

Pancakes

Mini golf:

Mini golf

You get the idea. Not the most exciting part of town. I kinda wish we had checked out the boardwalk area, but it was probably more of the same.

Myrtle Beach Welcomes You