SEPTEMBER 2022 FORGOTTENFLORIDA’S COAST? B.O.W. CREW VISITS THE BIG BEND CEDAR KEY A Beautiful City with an Incredible Past, Present, and Future THIS IS THE END! OF SCALLOP SEASON THAT IS – JUST A FEW MORE WEEKS LEFT!
EVELYN ZENA People’sREALTOR®Trust Realty O: 352-442-2757 www.evelynsellstampa.com YOUR LOCAL REAL ESTATE CONNECTION Get a positive, helpful partner for buying or selling a home: • Trusted resource for answers about the process • Innovative marketing strategies • Expertise about neighborhood features • Ability to target home searches • Strong negotiation skills • Support through the closing and HOMEbeyondWelcome5229 SANDRA DRIVE , WEEKI WACHEE, FL 34607 Features • $574,900 • River Country Estates • 4 Bedrooms + • 3 Bathrooms • 3 Car Garage • Screen Enclosed Pool • Gourmet Kitchen • Great Room & Den • Breakfast Bar • Vaulted Ceilings • Plantation Shutters • Skylight(s) • Walk-in Closet(s) • Minutes from Weeki Wachee River and the Gulf FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PROPERTY VISIT - https://bit.ly/38LJgdt If you are thinking of buying, selling, or investing in real estate CONTACT ME TODAY!
CEDAR KEY - FROM PENCILS TO CLAMS… A CITY IN MOTION Cedar Key is a beautiful city with an incredible past, present, and future. If, you have never been, please take our advice and go visit. We don’t think you will be disappointed!
CONTACT
Better Off Wet Media Group info@betteroffwet.comwww.betteroffwet.com352-238-7009
THIS IS THE END OF SCALLOPING… FOR 2022 THAT IS. Enjoy your last Month and have fun out there on the water! Scalloping is a great way to get your friends and family on and in the water. You don’t need much to head out and get some. B.O.W. VISITS GULF SPECIMEN MARINE LABORATORY IN PANACEA, FLORIDA. At Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory in Panacea, you begin to get a better sense of what’s really out there. ARTICLES 38 50 8 44
Better Off Wet , all rights reserved. No part of this magazine or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted without the express written consent of the Publisher. 8 38 18 HO-HUM RV PARK Wow, Ho-Hum RV Park is just what the Doctor ordered; if you want to relax, and just get away from it all this RV Park will hit the spot. Ho-Hum has beautiful views, great fishing, great boating, and easy going nights on the water. Arrive, check. Turn off phone, check. Relax and enjoy, double check!
FLORIDA’S FORGOTTEN COAST?
There are many things to do in this area from Apalachicola to Alligator Point. But, that being said…there is also plenty not to do, like just chill on the beach and enjoy the lack of ambient noise at Carrabelle Beach.
BETTEROFFWET.COM 5 PUBLISHER Benjamin ben@betteroffwet.comChewning SALES Megan megan@betteroffwet.comChewning CREATIVE DIRECTOR Theresa TIBCreativeStudio@gmail.comBarzyk
WEB Juan De info@webdevelopmentanddesign.comLeon
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Better Off Wet is now offering UPF performance hoodies and youth sizes. Please visit to get yours and to check out our other gear. All shirts are Made in www.betteroffwet.comFlorida!
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8 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022 Ho-Hum RV Park
HO-HUMRVPARK
Ho-Hum RV Park
Wow, Ho-Hum RV Park is just what the Doctor ordered, if you want to relax, and just get away from it all. We at Better Off Wet could not believe how fast time flew by, while we were there. We were not moving at a fast pace at all, but that seems to be when time slides away the easiest, at places like this. Waking up is just simply amaz ing, looking out of our RV to the sunrise. Even the B.O.W. company cat T.T. liked soaking up the gorgeous views from the dash of the B.O.W. RV. After waking up each day, we would go to the wa
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10 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022 Ho-Hum RV Park
The Forgotten Coast Is Calling Your Name!
ter and cast for bait or grab some crab from seemingly endless numbers of them cruising around, for our fishing. Then depending on the tide, we may eat breakfast first, or get right to the fishing! If, you have a kayak, canoe, or SUP, launching is super easy at the RV Park. If, you have a boat, the boat ramp is close by. They do have space at the park available for your boat trailer, but be sure to let them know you have one, when you book your reservation. While staying at the Park, we saw many species caught, like Redfish, Snook, Sea Trout, Cat fish, and more. Even if fishing is not your thing, there is plenty to do for the water lover. If, you are on a vessel of any kind, there are miles of shore line to explore, and Dog Island is just across the Sound from the Park. You will run out of daylight before you run out of things to explore every day, guaranteed. Ho-Hum also has several areas to chill and relax and they even have their own sandy beach. Nighttime offers beautiful sunsets and that coastal breeze that just soothes the soul. We would like to say thank you so much to the folks at Ho-Hum for having us there and we definitely look forward to coming back soon. If, you have an RV and love the water, you will certainly enjoy your time staying at Ho-Hum RV Park! Please, tell em the folks at Better Off Wet sent ya.
A word from the folks at Ho-Hum RV Park: Ho-Hum is a different kind of RV Park than your traditional RV resort. Here at Ho-Hum, we don’t have a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, playground, or elaborately landscaped sites. We are a quaint RV park designed for the simple pleasures of life. Smell the ocean, hear the waves, and enjoy the simplicity of beach living. The Gulf of Mexico is within an oyster shell’s throw from any site. There is a private and unobstructed half mile natural walking beach that’s great for dog walking, and our 250ft pier is perfect for fishing, relaxing, and watching the daily sunsets. Ho-Hum is the perfect place to read, take a nap, or relax. Ho-Hum is positioned between Hwy 98 and the Gulf of Mexico on the for gotten coast of the Florida panhandle. Ho-Hum is only four miles east of Carrabelle, FL, in Lanark Village. We are in the eye of nature, where the Apalachicola National Forest, Tate’s Hell State Forest, and The Gulf of Mexico come together. While at the Park you can fish from our 250 foot pier, your boat, or your kayak. Sit back and enjoy the breath taking sunrises, dolphins slowly swimming by, pelicans floating or flying in formation overhead — and seagulls and shorebirds doing their dance. Birders, bring your binoculars and kayaks to enjoy all our native spe cies. Lanark reef, locally referred to as Bird Island, was recently purchased by the Audubon Society and is less than one mile offshore in shallow water.
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12 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022 Ho-Hum RV Park Inside Ho-Hum RV Park Other • All sites full hook up water and sewer with 50/30 amp electric • Pull-thru sites up to 75 ft. • Back-in beach sites • Free digital cable TV (over 70 channels) WIFI • Ho-Hum RV Park has a Cloud managed WiFi/internet system and best of all, it is FREE! We have 5 WiFi Gate ways dedicated to a specific section of the park. Our WiFi signal is password protected for your added security. *For guest that intend to stream movies, play video games or otherwise need more bandwidth, we do offer a premium WIFI service for a nominal charge. Propane • For your convenience Ho-Hum has a Propane filling station where we are able to fill motor homes and a wide variety of propane tanks. Ho-Hum RV Park 2132 Hwy 98 E Carrabelle, FL 32322 Monday through Sunday – 9:30 am to 4:30 pm Phone: 1(850) guestservices@hohumrvpark.com697-3926
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DIY Seafood -
16 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022 DIY Seafood - Whole Fried Fish Recipe
My friend Shawn May was out spearfishing and lobster ing and had the good fortune to be able to pick up a few nice bugs as well as shoot the 6 pound or so Hogfish seen By: Benjamin Chewning in these photos, while drift diving off of Palm Beach. He showed up to church with this beautiful fish on ice directly after his dive and after service gave it to my wife and I as a gift. This is a gift of which we were very grateful, given the tastiness of the delicious species. And, the timing was perfect because our Goddaughter’s birthday party was hap pening in the coming days. I will skip past the recipe for a moment and say that the fish did not seem to disappoint anyone, to my knowledge, as there was nothing left but a Hogfish carcass that looked like it had been picked over by some junkyard cats. The recipe is simple. But, how you get the fish may not be. Whether you buy the fish, shoot the fish, or catch it on hook and line, this simple recipe is sure to work out. Have fun cooking!
If you love the water, I’m guessing chances are you love to eat seafood. And, if I am wrong in this assumption, please give me a call. If, it’s not an allergy or something medical, I’d like to hear someone tell me they just don’t like the taste of seafood but, they love being on the water. I would definitely see this as being a low percentage of folks who love the water. So, if you don’t love seafood, continue on to the next page or give me that call. If, you do love seafood, please read below because this whole fried fish recipe is easy and will work on almost any fish you can drop in the oil.
Whole Fried Fish Recipe
9. Cook, covered in oil, heated to 375 degrees.
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5. Trim the fins and tail, as needed, to aid in frying.
6. Make deep slits in both sides of the fish.
DIY Seafood - Whole Fried Fish Recipe
7. Rub in your favorite seasoning into the slits (I use ½ mix of Ba dia All Purpose seasoning and ½ Redfish Magic seasoning, a few tablespoons of each). Be sure to pack the seasoning into the slits well.
8. Cover the fish in a fish fry batter (packaged or homemade).
3. De-scale the fish.
4. Rinse fish thoroughly with fresh water and pat dry with paper tow el.
1. Get a fish. 2. Gut the fish.
*We used a Turkey fryer for this fish, because of its size and cooked the Hog fish for right at 10 minutes. Smaller fish will cook in just a few minutes. Be sure to pay attention to the meat, particularly looking into the deep slits to see if the meat is whitening up. If, cooking in a pan, a couple minutes per side of the fish should do. This is a super simple recipe that will not fail the seafood lover in your life. Have fun out there and enjoy cooking your catch or someone else’s!
18 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022 Florida’s Forgotten Coast?
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The first time I saw a sign that read “Florida’s Forgotten Coast”, I was a bit taken back. I thought to myself, what do they mean? It seems impossible to forget an entire coastline, especially in a State like Florida. But, after hav ing the opportunity to spend a week exploring the “Forgotten Coast”, I understand why the name sticks well and holds a true meaning. Florida’s Forgotten Coast is located in the pan handle and it is the last remaining stretch of unspoiled, pristine Gulf Coast beaches, that haven’t been over run by high rises and strip malls. The Forgotten Coast includes the charm ing communities of Apalachicola, Alli gator Point, Carrabelle, St. George Is land & Eastpoint. Once I was nestled in, I quickly had clarity on the name and how appropriate it is. I had the pleasure of spending my time in Florida’s Forgotten Coast, with my Wife, Family, and some good friends. To say this area is a perfect Summer family destination getaway, would e an understatement. And, if you love the water like me and my family, you can look at the area as a big playground. We spent most of our time in Carrabelle, a historic panhandle city, with a ton of history. Carrabelle is definitely a water per son’s community.
Florida’s Forgotten Coast?
Forgotten Florida’s By: Benjamin Chewning Coast?
20 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022
Florida’s Forgotten Coast?
Carrabelle has a deep water seaport, great public boat ramp, and is also home to the world’s smallest police station (we managed to stay out). Saint George Sound separates Carrabelle from Dog Island. Dog Island is not very far from the shores of Car rabelle Beach. If memory serves me correctly, from our boat’s GPS, it is around 4 miles off shore. Dog Island has beautiful white sandy beaches that are just a stone’s throw between the Ocean side and the Sound side. This entire area is home to great boating, fishing, sightseeing, and most importantly…eating. The seafood in this area is in my opinion, hard to be rivaled by many others. Everywhere we ate the seafood was extremely fresh and surprisingly affordable, even with the wonky inflated prices we are seeing now. Of course, if you want to eat your own catch, you will need to put in a little work to make that happen. We caught beautiful Triple Tail, while fishing old pilings and buoys. If, you have never tried Triple Tail, it is a true delicacy and the fresh catch certainly brought smiles to everyone in our party. For water lov ers, Carrabelle is a definite must visit. There are many things to do in this area from Apalachicola to Alligator Point. But, that being said…there is also plenty not to do, like just chill on the beach and enjoy the lack of ambient noise. We never saw the beaches overcrowded while we there and unlike many Florida beaches, unfortunately, the beaches in this area are pristine. I love being at the beach as much as any big kid. But, I am not your typical “beach lounger”. I prefer snorkeling, playing in the waves, building sand forts, chasing birds, throwing the football, or toss ing the Frisbee around. Luckily for me, most in my family and party on
BETTEROFFWET.COM 21 Florida’s Forgotten Coast?
The kids in our party and other kids on the beach were amazed and enthralled with the different species of fish and crabs we were putting in the pond. Some species liked to hang in the deep end, by themselves, while other species instantly formed a school, and followed their little leaders around and around the pond.
22 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022 Florida’s Forgotten Coast?
this trip think along the same lines. I do understand the draw for some folks to lie around and read a book or whatever, but, that is just not me. I would much rather be moving. It is amazing to me how fast time can just melt away while enjoying the simplest of things at the beach though. One of my favorite things I’ve done recently was with the kids on our trip, building our own little “pond”, at the beach. We did not have any excavators or wheel loaders, just a couple small buckets, and a plastic shovel but we were able to complete our pond on time and under budget. After the pond was built we needed to stock it, of course. So, with the trusty old cast net, my Cousin and I caught some small fish, in the surf, near the pond.
Even other adults stopped by our little pond to check it out. It is amazing how something so simple can occupy hours, with almost no cost, and be so rewarding in the long run, especially to the children. As it was getting close to time to leave the beach, that day, we dug a “canal”, connecting our little pond back to the waters of the surf. We left a little dam in place during the construction of our canal. And, upon completion of the canal, we removed the dam and all the fish that were in the pond went back out into the surf, in what we called operation fish freedom. The construction and demolition were a success on the beach. I say it all the time, “nobody needs to be told where Miami and Clearwater are”. Both are great cities, with tons to offer. But, maybe next time you are searching out a good family vacation spot, consider the Forgotten Coast… because, the memories made there will surely not be soon forgotten.
Hooked On
Hooked on Heroes is a Non-Profit Organization run completely by volunteers and we work hard to organize two fishing trips per year for 250-300 Veterans per trip. Our next trip is Saturday, October 1, 2022 in a Steinahatche, FL. If you are a Veteran and would like to sign up for this trip or a future trip, you can call 386-688-3216. We also would love to hear from those of you who own a boat and would like to take some veterans out on one of our fishing trips! If you are interested, please let us know! Want to help Veterans in a truly special way? You can donate directly on either the website hookedonheroes.com or checks can be mailed to: 384 S E Deerwood Gln Lake City FL 32025 100% of Your donations go directly towards the betterment of our Hero Veterans. Check us out on Facebook @ Hooked on Heroes Live Oak Fla.
Heroes Attention Veterans and All those who appreciate the Freedom they fought for:
24 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022 Destination San Marcos
The public boat ramp is very nice. In fact the entire Public Park near the boat ramp is very nice. There is a large gazebo and fishing area with public restroom facilities. The overflow parking is just down a paved path, if you find yourself there during busy hours. We were there on a week day and didn’t see anyone at the boat ramp until around 9 o’clock in the morning. We launched the 26 foot B.O.W. Panga behind our RV, without any issues. You will need to have cash to
We at Better Off Wet get to see a lot of small towns on the water. We have to say St. Marks is a gem among gems. St Marks sits on rivers that lead out to the Gulf of Mexico and St. Marks provides all that watery goodness you could only expect from such a location; good fishing, food, and adventure.
SanDestinationMarcos
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pay for the parking at the boat ramp. We saw a ton of fish and wildlife while exploring both rivers and heading out to the Gulf to see the St. Marks Light house by water. Head up the Wakulla River for amazing inshore fishing. We saw huge Redfish, Sheepshead, and many other fish up river. If, you don’t catch any keepers be sure to try one of the local restaurants. Our favorite in St. Marks has to be whole fried Flounder and blackened Blue Crab Claws! Destination
San Marcos 26 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022
Take a read below for a brief history of St. Marks and be sure to add St. Marks to your list of places to visit in the great state of Florida!
About St. Marks: St. Marks is one of the oldest settle ments in North America and is be lieved to be the third oldest in the new world. However, there is evidence that even before various explorers reached our shores; the Paleo-Indians were here over 10,000 years ago. The first European explorers in our area date back almost 500 years. Pan filo de Narvaez first landed in what is now Tampa in 1527 and reached the St. Marks area in 1528 with near ly 300 sick and hungry men. They proceeded to beat their swords and armor into nails and use horsehide for rigging as the first “ships” built by Europeans in this country were constructed. They sailed out of the area in late 1528.
Destination San Marcos
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28 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022 In 1539, Hernando De Soto arrived and is believed to have found skel etons of the horses that Narvaez had butchered and dried for food to take on their boat journey. The first use of St. Marks as a port was when De Soto met one of his ships in the bay to send them and his fleet on further west. The first fort, San Marcos de Apalache was constructed at the con fluence of the Wakulla and St. Marks Rivers in 1679 to protect the Spanish missions in the area. Between 1792 and 1801 Panton, Leslie, and Com pany operated the first trading post in West Florida. It was located just north of the fort on the Wakulla River.
Destination San Marcos
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Five flags have flown over the fort. The Spanish flag being the first, fol lowed by the British who held the ter ritory for twenty years; then in 1800 William Augustus Bowles flew the Muskogee flag for a very short time, just weeks. In 1821 Spain transferred Florida to the United States (Andrew Jackson became Florida’s first terri torial governor) and during the Civil War, Florida joined the Confederacy and thus the Confederate flag was flown.
Destination San Marcos
30 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022 Destination San Marcos
Destination San Marcos
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By 1823, St. Marks was well estab lished as a port. It was the meeting place for representatives from St. Augustine and Pensacola who iden tified the red hills of Tallahassee as the suitable location for the state capital where it remains today. In 1834, the St. Marks Railroad was chartered as the first in Florida and the third in the United States. It be gan operation in 1836 and operated variously as a mule drawn train and as a steam driven one. St. Marks was first incorporated by the United States Congress in 1833. Originally, it was known as “Talla hassee’s Port City” especially after the Tallahassee-St. Marks Railroad was completed. (As many as 50,000 bales of cotton were shipped from St. Marks annually before the Civil War). In 1961, its residents voted to reactivate a 1927 charter. Today, St. Marks is an incorporated municipal ity governed by a five member board of commissioners who are elected by the citizens. St. Marks has been an important seaport for three distinct historic periods. First the shipping of cot ton in the 1880’s; then commercial and recreational fishing, followed by importing storage, refining and handling of petroleum products. To day the petroleum industries have declined and recreational and com mercial fishing continues to flourish along with diverse array of boating activities. The railroad has become a very active “Rails to Trails” corridor for runners, cyclist, horseback rid ers, etc. and the fort has become a wonderful state museum. Text and City of St. Marks logo from cityofstmarks.com
32 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022 Lighting the Way – The Crooked River Light The RiverCrookedLight LIGHTING THE WAY
Lighting the Way – The Crooked River Light
The start of the timeline of the events leading up to the construction of the Crooked River Lighthouse, really don’t begin in Carrabelle, they begin about five miles out into the Bay on Dog Island. Soon after this area’s first lighthouse was built on St. George Island, local mariners saw the need for a second lighthouse in a better location. This location was on Dog Island at a place to guide ships into the bay through the East Pass. Construction on the Dog Island lighthouse began in 1838 and work was completed the follow ing year. The lighthouse stood only 3 years when a storm blew it down along with the Keeper’s house.
34 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022
Lighting the Way – The Crooked River Light
Construction began on the second Dog Island Lighthouse in 1843 and it was completed later that year. This one lasted until a fierce storm toppled it in 1851. It was rebuilt the following year and it lasted until 1873 when it met the same fate as the two previ ous lighthouses. About 10 years later, Congress approved the idea for yet another, the fourth, lighthouse on Dog Island, but the Lighthouse Board, said they thought a lighthouse on a mainland location might be in a posi tion to last longer.
Many delays ensued in selecting the mainland site, including changing the wording of the funding appro priation, correcting errors in the land title, and delays caused by a fire in a courthouse. So it wasn’t until 1894 that borings were made to determine the character of the foundation soil. Real construction began in January 1895 to erect a 100 foot iron skeletal lighthouse, two keepers’ houses, an oil house, a pier, and several outbuild ings. Meanwhile a new type (1/3 open bivalve) fourth order lens was ordered from the Henry-Lepaute company in Paris, France. This type of lens was so new and unique that it is thought it might have been the first of its type to be installed in the US.
Lighting the Way – The Crooked River Light
The big day came on October 28, 1895 when at 5:12 PM the Crooked River Lighthouse was lit for the first time by Keeper James A. Williams. Minor changes at the Lightstation occurred over the next several years including fencing around the property, a new pier with a boathouse at the end of it, and a new day mark (color scheme) for the lighthouse. Little change oc curred for the next 30 years, until 1933 when the oil burning appara tus in the lens was replaced with an incandescent light bulb. This must have been a very welcome change to the then Keeper Thorwald Hansen, as the daily job of ever so carefully cleaning the very valuable lens sud denly got a lot easier. In about 1935 the Federal Govern ment relinquished a strip of land to the State for the construction of Highway 98. It’s expected that at this time all the supplies needed for the lighthouse arrived via the new high way which lead to the beginning of the deterioration of the pier and wood plank walkway from the boathouse to the lighthouse. More labor saving changes occurred in 1952 as the light house became automated. However with these changes, which included the installation of a motor to replace the old “clockwork” mechanism, and a device to turn the light on at dusk and off at sunrise, the duties of the once all-important Keeper were quickly being eliminated. The Coast Guard realized this and, to the best of our knowledge, the last Keeper left the Lightstation property in either 1953 or 1954. From that time on the Coast Guard staff from the Aids to Naviga tion section in Panama City made only periodic visits to the lighthouse to make sure the light bulb changer device was stocked with fresh bulbs.
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About 10 years after the last Keeper left, the Coast Guard published a bid to sell the 2 Keeper’s Houses and all of the various outbuildings. The buildings were purchased by a lo cal couple who moved them to the vicinity of the present day entrance to the Tate’s Hell walking trail. Then in 1976 the Coast Guard inspectors noticed mercury leaking from the “float”, a container filled with mercury which allowed the very heavy lens to revolve with little or no friction. By this time the Coast Guard was aware of the dangers of mercury, so the lens was removed from the tower and replaced by a small lens, referred to as a “modern optic”. The original
36 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022
Lighting the Way – River Light
“classic” lens was taken to the Coast Guard’s District 8 Headquarters for display where it remains today. Things rocked along at the Crooked River Lighthouse until 1986 when the Coast Guard painted the light house and made minor repairs to the structure for the last time. Fi nally in 1995 they posted a notice to mariners of their intention to decommission the lighthouse. Few, if any, complaints were received so in late August of 1995, the light in the Crooked River Lighthouse was turned off, just months short of its 100th anniversary.
The Crooked
MUSEUM: Wed-Fri, 11 am-5 pm, Sat, 9 am-5 pm, Sun 1-5 pm FREE, donations gladly accepted | 850697-2732
Lighting the Way –
The Crooked River Light
CROOKED RIVER LIGHTHOUSE PARK | 1975 Hwy 98 W, Carrabelle, FL (Just 1/2 mile west of Carrabelle Public Beach Park)
TOWER CLIMB: Wed-Fri, 11 am-4 pm, Sat, 9 am-4 pm, Sun 1-4 pm $5.00 per person GROUNDS ONLY: Everyday, Dawn to Dusk FREE
In mid 1999 five local folks heard that the Federal Government was about to declare the Crooked River Light house surplus to their needs. This was of great concern to them and they decided to form the Carrabelle Light house Association. In late 1999 they approached Franklin County to see if the county was interested in submit ting a proposal to the National Park Service Federal Lands to Parks pro gram to acquire the lighthouse. The county was concerned about possible expenditures related to the lighthouse and said they were not interested in submitting the proposal. Fortunately, the City of Carrabelle was inter ested in the idea of acquiring the lighthouse with the assistance of the Carrabelle Lighthouse Associa tion. The application was prepared and submitted and at a quarterly meeting of the Florida Lighthouse Association, held in Carrabelle in 2000, it was announced that the lighthouse would be deeded to the City of Carrabelle. John Canetta, Historian, Carrabelle Lighthouse Association - July 2007 Text from erlighthouse.com/https://www.crookedriv
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38 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022 Cedar Key – From Pencils to Clams… A City in Motion From Pencils to Clams… A CITY IN MOTION
Cedar Key –
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Cedar Key – From Pencils to Clams… A City in Motion
We at Better Off Wet, have always loved heading to Cedar Key. There is just something about this amazing little city, which ignites something inside us. To us, it is the picture perfect example of an old Florida waterfront commu nity. When we are walking the streets downtown, we always seem to fall back to a vision, of a time when the pace didn’t need to be so fast. I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t love looking at the shops and restaurants on A Street, built on pilings over the water. Cedar Key is the epitome of a what we picture a waterfront community to look like. Cedar Key has plenty to keep you busy, especially for the water lover. Watch the tides before planning your day on the water though. This is always good advice, in our opinion, at B.O.W. But, at Cedar Key it isn’t really advice as much as standard operating procedure. There are 2 sets of boat ramps, located downtown. The inside boat ramp, at low tide though, has little or no water. There are plenty of fishing guide ser vices available in the area. While there, on this particular trip, the fishing was great. We saw all types of keepers be ing unloaded from guide boats, going home with happy anglers. One thing we have to recommend is the Cedar Key Historical Society Museum. There is a self guided tour through the history of Cedar Key, with lots of cool artifacts to help your imagination paint a picture of what life was like in Cedar Key, in years past. Cedar Key has an extremely rich history. They thrived there with the pencil industry, oystering, sponges, fish ing, and even paintbrushes. Cedar Key is now the largest producer of farmed raised Clams in the South east. As the tour guide at the museum told us; Cedar Key rolls with the punches! Cedar Key is a beautiful city with an incredible past, present, and future. If, you have never been, please take our advice and go visit. We don’t think you will be disappointed!
Drivers and pedestrians wave to locals and visitors alike greeting each other with a warm welcome to our island.
A word from the Cedar Key Chamber of WelcomeCommerce:toCedar
The variety of natural habitats, from salt marshes to Indian shell mounds, makes this truly a nature lover’s paradise.
Text and Chamber of Commerce logo from www.cedarkey.org
Key, a place where time stands still and allows you to en joy the unique qualities of our coastal Cedarenvironment.Keyisa quiet island community nestled among many tiny keys on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Long admired for its natural beauty and abundant supply of seafood, it is a tranquil village, rich with the almost forgotten history of old ThereFlorida.are no high rises or huge apart ment complexes. We are a community of quaint cottages, single-family homes, working water front and aquaculture structures. The view as you cross the Number Four Bridge is spell-binding.
Cedar Key is a haven for artists, writers and “adventure” tourists, who find the unspoiled environment their inspiration.
Cedar Key – From Pencils to Clams… A City in Motion
The nearest major airports are Tampa and Orlando, there’s a regional airport in nearby Gainesville, and we have an airstrip on the island where many small plane enthusiasts land.
Thousands of visitors come annually to enjoy the “Old Florida Celebration of the Arts” in April, 4th of July, the October Seafood Festival, Pirate Festival, and The Stargazing Party in February. Our island provides a place for excellent fish ing, bird watching, nature trails, kayak ing and coastal guided tours. Federally protected sanctuaries, the Cedar Keys form a chain of barrier islands ideally suited to a vast range of migratory and shore birds, including the elusive white pelican, roseate spoonbill and bald eagle.
The small town feeling is absolute –transportation is by car, but the road is shared with bicycles and golf-carts.
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BETTEROFFWET.COM 41 Cedar Key – From Pencils to Clams… A City in Motion
Cedar Key – From Pencils to Clams… A City in Motion 42 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022
Today Cedar Key is one of the largest producers of farm raised clams in the Country and Florida oysters are avail able all year round. Because of Cedar Key’s rural location, the water quality is exceptional. It is a haven for artists, writers and “adventure” tourists, who find the unspoiled environment, their inspiration. Both aquaculture and tour ism is Cedar Key’s mainstay. And yet no industry has overwhelmed the authentic old Florida charm of the keys.
Cedar Key and the surrounding islands as a National Wildlife Refuge offer Fed eral protection for birds and wildlife. It is not uncommon to observe such rare bird varieties as bald eagles, white pelicans, osprey, and roseate spoonbills or fami lies of dolphin in a spectacular natural environment. We welcome you to visit Cedar Key and experience our island’s excellent fishing, bird watching, nature trails, kayaking and coastal guided water tours. We offer you the opportunity for dining, shopping and more.
The text above and the City of Cedar Key logo from: www.cityofcedarkey.org
A word from the City of Cedar Key: Cedar Key derives its name from a 1542 Spanish map that named the area as “Las Islas Sabines,”, “The Cedar Is lands.” The name “Cedar Islands” was in reference to the abundant growth of cedar trees that formerly covered all the barrier islands within the surrounding area. The City of Cedar Key resides on the island of Way Key, four miles out into the Gulf of Mexico, located 60 miles west of Gainesville, Florida. Cedar Key can be found by following State Route 24 to the end of the road and crossing over the salt marshes and channels on four small, low bridges. The population of Cedar Key is approximately 800 full time residents.
Cedar Key – From Pencils to Clams… A City in Motion BETTEROFFWET.COM 43
• Per vessel: Maximum of 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in shell or 1/2 gallon bay scallop meat (1/2 gallon = 4 pints)
NOTE: Vessel limits do not allow an indi vidual to exceed their personal bag limit. Minimum Size Limit: None Gear Requirements:
This is the End!
Scalloping is a great way to get your friends and family on and in the water. You don’t need much to head out and get some. We suggest a B.O.W. shirt, mask, snorkel, fins, and mesh bag (be sure to put a little baby shampoo in the mask to maintain good visibility). Also, don’t forget that dive flag. Be sure to put the flag at the highest point on your vessel and take it down when no one is in the water. Please, follow your boating basics when approaching other vessels. A dive flag is supposed to give 300 feet of clear ance for vessels approaching said flag. But, during Scallop season, boats tend to be anchored much closer together. Remember to approach other vessels slowly and have someone on your ves sel be on lookout for others who may be scalloping in the area. Below are the regulations found on my fwc.com, for scalloping in Florida State waters. Rules of the Scallop Road Daily Bag Limit:
• Legal Gear: Harvest permitted only by hand or by using a landing or dip net Commercial harvest prohibited.
• Per person: 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in shell or 1 pint of bay scallop meat
Recreational harvesters need a Florida saltwater fishing license to harvest Bay Scallops, unless they are exempt from needing a license or have a no-cost shore line fishing license and are wading from shore to collect Scallops (i.e. feet do not leave bottom to swim, snorkel, or SCUBA and harvesters do not use a vessel to reach or return from the harvest location).
• Gulf-NW Taylor County and LevyPasco County:
All good things must come to an end. And, Scallop Season is no different, we guess. We have had good days and slow days, this year scal loping on Florida’s Nature Coast. But, one thing is for sure we are always having fun when we are in the water looking for those delicious creatures, and thinking about them wrapped in bacon or cooked in a buttery sauce...hmmm yummy Scallops!
• Per person: 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in shell or 1 pint of bay scallop meat
Scalloping is a great way to get your friends and family on and in the water. You don’t need much to head out and get some.”
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• Per vessel: Maximum of 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in shell, or 1/2 gallon bay scallop meat (1/2 gallon = 4 pints)
• Fenholloway through Suwannee River Zone: • July 1-Labor Day
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Camp Gordon Johnston
46 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022 Camp Gordon Johnston
Occupying 165,000 acres of forest and coastline in Franklin County, Florida, Camp Gordon Johnston oversaw the training of a quarter of a million troops and was the second largest installation in the state of Florida. The camp stretched from Carrabelle to Alligator Point, using area beaches and forests for training and maneuvers. The Camp Gordon Johnston Museum houses over 3000 square feet of artifacts, photos, memorabilia and memories of the soldiers, sailors and other military as well as civilian personnel who trained and worked here during the years of 1942-1946. Our goal is to honor them and promote the learning and preserving of the history of WWII, while portraying the gigantic effort that our nation and its allies poured into the war effort. The Museum is assembling the histories of the
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The text below is from www.campgordon johnston.com. While you are taking your visit to the Forgotten Coast, please take the time to stop into the museum, take a tour, and see what those before us endured, for freedom. History of Camp Gordon Johnston Camp Gordon Johnston opened in 1942, for the purpose of training infantry soldiers and their support groups, for amphibious landings on hostile shores. Camp Gordon Johnston was designated the Army’s Am phibious Training Center in September of 1942, three infantry divisions, two Engineers Special Brigades, and elements of three more Engineers Special Brigades left here after training to confront tyranny both in Europe and the Pacific. By June of 1943, the U.S. Navy had taken over the bulk of Amphibious training, and Camp Gordon Johnston was transitioned in September 1943 to a U.S. Army Special Forces Training Center. There were many Port Construction, Harbor Craft, Amphibious Truck and other specialized units trained in various tasks, related to opening and maintaining ports, and supplying support to the war effort. At the end of the war, Camp Gordon Johnston served as a Separation Center for personnel of all services that lived in the Southeast Region. The Camp closed in 1946. Learn about their dedication, fears and heroism at our museum.
The Better Off Wet Crew was so happy that we were able to visit the Camp Gordon Johnston Museum. We our selves are Patriots, who love the United States of America, and are certainly lovers of the water and the world underwater. So, that being said, we could not help but love the rich military history embedded in the Forgotten Coast’s annals of time. Un derwater salvage and demolition training was conducted at Camp Gordon Johnston as well as all types of amphibious training. We literally spent hours reading through the detailed accounts of what life was like at the camp, watching old training videos and footage, and perusing over all the artifacts. If someone you know or a family member was at the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, they most likely were trained at Camp Gordon Johnston. They say Dog Island is the most fought over piece of land in the Country, due to all the training that took place there. Many brave Patriots trained at Camp Gor don Johnston, in an environment, that due to remoteness at the time and the wildlife, they called hell.
Camp Gordon Johnston various units and their training, as well as developing exhibits that remind and teach about the various aspects and events of WWII. Veterans have contributed the ar tifacts brought back from battles overseas, along with uniforms, mess kits, and all sorts of souvenirs, too numerous to name. The museum also preserves oral histories of veterans that returned for reunions or visited the museum. The collection boasts a variety of interesting and exceptional artifacts donated over the years, many accompanied by the unique sto ries behind them. Some examples include: The 28th Infantry Division’s “Bloody Buck et” patch, belonging to then two star general Omar Bradley, who was the commander of the division when it trained at Camp Gordon Johnston. The story of how this patch came to be in our collection is a delightful and interesting one, as the patch was gifted to Vivian (Matthews) Hess, whose father was the Camp Postmaster. The first NAZI flag obtained by ground forces on German soil, collected by then Lt. Samuel Rhea from a German schoolhouse when the 4th Infantry crossed the Siegfried Line in September 1944. Top Secret Plans for Operation Neptune, dated May 20, 1944, describing in detail the Naval Operations of Operation Overlord. A full spectrum of Japanese rifles, including the type 38, type 44, type 99, type 99 “last ditch” and type 99 School rifle, as well as a type II paratroop rifle. A mock–up of a Camp Gordon Johnston barracks, complete with sand floor (yes, they were sand in the beginning) with actual bunks, windows, screen door, stove, coal bin and lockers. The Museum owns three vehicles, includ ing a DUKW which represents us at events and parades. The DUKW is displayed at the museum for special events but is currently kept in Tallahassee. And of course, the biggest artifact of all, the Carrabelle Beach across US Highway 98 from the museum, the setting for am phibious training featured in numerous photographs and film. The museum is located at across the street from Carrabelle Beach. 1873 Highway 98 West Carrabelle, FL 32322 (850) Tuesday697-8575-Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday
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50 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022 B.O.W. Visits Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory in Panacea, Florida B.O.W. Visits GULF SPECIMEN MARINE inLABORATORYPanacea,Florida
At Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory in Panacea, you begin to get a better sense of what’s really out there. On a quiet back street between the highway and the bay, we house a collection of sea water tanks and aquariums. Water bubbles and flows in a swirl that sustains unique collections of the bizarre and the beautiful. Unlike most big public aquariums, that emphasize Porpoises and big fishes, we focus on creatures such as Seahorses and Hermit Crabs, Emerald Eyed Spiny Box Fish, Electric Rays, and Red and White Spotted Calico Crabs – just a few of the endless living treasures of North Florida’s still and shining coast.
Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory was established in 1963, Gulf Speci men Marine Laboratory is an inde pendent, nonprofit 501(c) 3 organi zation that provides marine life to schools and research laboratories. We also study endangered species and conduct research in mariculture, farming the edge of the sea. Today we are an integral part of numerous research programs all over the United States, Canada and Europe. In 1995, due to continued strong growth in interest and attendance, GSML began a program to more strongly emphasize educational pro grams for regional schools, aquarium display and public visitation. We strive to keep from damaging the fragile marine habitats, and ac tively oppose pollution and careless coastal development so that the sea will continue to bring forth. Please help us protect the earth which grows such strange and beautiful creatures. Support the preservation and protec tion of natural area and avoid over consumptive habits. Our sea urchins and sponges have been sent to outer space and have been studied using some of the most sophisticated technology our soci ety has to offer. Yet as modern day “hunter gatherers” we employ many of the simple harvesting techniques that Indians, who subsisted on this bountiful Panhandle coast, used thou sands of years ago.
Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory’s mission is to further through study, research, publication, teaching and public display the knowledge of ma rine biology; to promote protection of marine life and the marine environ ment; to collect, classify and dissemi nate marine biological specimens. Giving people an appreciation for the diversity of life in the sea and a desire to protect it is Gulf Specimen’s primary mission. We do so by using our touch tanks, graphic exhibits and
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B.O.W. Visits Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory in Panacea, Florida
W here the Sea Reveals its Secrets
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Panacea, Florida
B.O.W. Visits Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory in
conducting field trips to provide a unique “hands-on” experience enabling students to touch, smell, and hear the odd and interesting creatures of the Gulf of Mexico, and develop an aware ness and desire to protect the fragile life in the Sea. To help maintain this facility, we supply schools and research laboratories with a wide variety of living marine life from the Gulf of Mexico. That service is essential to research ers all over the United States in many different fields of science; hence we have won state, national and interna tional awards for our efforts.
While most aquariums feature large charismatic marine mammals and sharks, Gulf Specimen focuses on the fascinating world of the small. More than a hundred school groups and over 20,000 individuals visit our laboratory each year to view hundreds of species of local invertebrates, fish and algae as well as sharks and Sea Turtles from the Gulf of Mexico.
in Panacea, Florida
Visits Gulf Specimen Marine
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B.O.W. Laboratory
Our exhibits are never the same twice. The marine biological supply opera tion that supports the laboratory provides a constant flow of animals, com ing through the lab. A wide variety of invertebrates, fishes, and algae are routinely collected by local fishermen and shipped to schools and research laboratories, hence no aquarium or standard marine laboratory with static exhibits can compete with it. At any given time, between one and two hundred species are present. Visitors are allowed to pick up and touch many of the animals, including Starfish, Sea Pansies, Sand Dollars, Whelks, Clams, and etc. Whether our visitors are pre-school, high school, college students, or ca sual visitors, they all ask the same fundamental questions: “What is it? Where does it live? What does it eat? What eats it, and how does it repro duce?”
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B.O.W. Visits Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory in Panacea, Florida
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B.O.W. Visits Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory in Panacea, Florida
While visitors are touching and see ing, we use the opportunity to tell them of the problems facing Florida’s ecosystems and how they can protect it. In addition to working with chil dren and rehabilitating wounded or sick sea turtles, we work closely with biomedical institutions studying the ocean’s vast storehouse for sources of potential new pharmaceuticals and have become an integral part of numerous research programs all over the United States, Canada and AfterEurope.a visit to our lab, instead of stepping over or on much of the life when they’re on the beach, people will notice. No longer will they stare puzzled at the “blob on the beach”. They will understand the diversity of life in the sea and perhaps have a desire to protect it.
56 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022 B.O.W. Visits Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory in Panacea, Florida
HOURS Monday-Friday: 9AM – 5PM Saturday-Sunday: 10AM – 5PM We are closed to the public on the following holidays: Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day.
*Children must be supervised. Certain tanks are for “looking only”; while others you are allowed to touch. When you purchase your ticket to the aquar ium, you will be informed on which tanks are touching and not touching. The tanks will also have signs indicating whether they are “look ing” or “touching.” Do not put your hands near the water or on the rim of the tank for the “looking” tanks! Our animals associate people with food and may have sharp teeth. Make sure children are always accompanied by an adult, when in the aquarium. Text from www.gulfspecimen.org Gulf Specimen Marine Panacea,222P.O.Phone:gspecimen@sprintmail.comLaboratory(850)984-5297Box237ClarkDriveFlorida32346
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58 BETTER OFF WET | JULY 2022
Going to the beach for most people is relaxing. The sound of waves crashing against the shore, warmth from the sun rays beat ing on your skin, the ocean covering your toes in the sand, the smell of fresh salt water in the air, all sounds like a beautiful day. For some, this is what we live for, a nice relaxing day at the beach. For others, espe cially if you have young kids with you, getting to the beach is a job in itself, let alone trying to relax while you are there. Many times you have to haul a bag (or bags) full of lotions, blankets, toys, towels, drinks, snacks, umbrellas, etc, out with you. By the time you get out there, you are at the mercy of the weather, praying it stays nice so you don’t have to pack it all up after it took you 20 minutes just to get the blanket down with no sand on it. After you leave, getting all the sand off everything, and out of your car, is another task to tackle. For me, I have always seen the beach as more of a burden than a haven. While we visited Carrabelle, I found myself dreading going to the beach the first day we were there. Constantly thinking about all it was going to take to get our group of 9 out to the beach and back. Thoughts crossed my mind of having to clean up the RV from all the sand and making sure we rinse everything off before we packed it back up. We got everything out there, set up the blankets, put our sunscreen on and I laid down to try to “relax” but it was hard to shut my mind off. Many of us struggle with enjoying the nature around us because we are constantly thinking of the tasks it takes to get there and back. With so many distractions in today’s world, it’s easy to let your mind wander to the next item on your to-do list. We live in a world with busy lives and even busier schedules. It’s hard to relax when you have a cell phone that tells you your every move, along with everyone else’s moves on social media and the news 24/7. But did you know that even the Creator of the universe instructs us to rest and enjoy His cre ation? In Genesis 2:1-3, the Bible says God rested on the seventh day and de clared it holy. Surely, He did not need to rest physically, but instead this is an example to you and I to take the time to rest from everything around us. Working hard is good, caring for your family is good, but why is it that so many of us feel “burned out” or can’t truly unwind and see the beauty in the nature around us? Maybe we don’t even know where to start. It took a minute for me at the beach to realize I was allowing my thoughts to steal the moments with my family and nature around me. I started by putting my phone away and began to listen to the waves as the kids laughed in the background. I heard my al most 3 year old niece yell, “Aunt Meg, come look!” as she discovered a new sea shell she had never seen before. The warm wind hit my face and I came to the realization that these mo ments make all the set-up and cleanup worthwhile. If we don’t take the time to rest and enjoy the moments in nature around us, we will cut our lives short with stress, sickness, and burn outs. If God chose to rest and enjoy His creation, so should we.
A Time to Rest
By: Megan Chewning
on the Sun, Sep 25, 10:30 am West of Lakeview Landing, across from Potato Creek Boats Family Friends Faith Worship Word Baptism Bring your own picnic lunch ◊ For info call 803.473.7175 Lake Marion, Manning, SC
