Bayside B & B with Jacuzzi at End of Private Dock
Along Florida's panhandle is a shoreline that is often called the Forgotten Coast. The beaches here have escaped any heavy development; instead, you'll get a glimpse of what old Florida was like, with soaring pines, saw palmettos, and snow-white dunes.
At the heart of the Forgotten Coast, the St. Joseph Peninsula stretches into the Gulf of Mexico. Cape San Blas Inn is situated on this narrow finger of land, which separates St. Joseph Bay from the open gulf. The inn stands just 200 yards from the beach on the opposite coast.
In the back of the inn, you can peer out to the water from bay windows and screened-in porches. A wooden boardwalk leads toward the water, where you'll find a dock extending into the bay. You can borrow one of the inn's complimentary canoes here, or paddle to the end of the pier, where there's a hot tub situated right on the waterfront.
Inside, no two guest rooms are exactly alike, but all include Sleep Number beds and prints of tropical beaches hanging on the walls. The Turtle Shell suite is the largest room, with a tile-framed fireplace beside french doors that lead onto a private patio.
In the morning, the inn lays out a spread of Starbucks-brand coffee with dishes such as quiche or french toast. Feel free to eat in the large, airy dining room, or carry your plate out to the veranda to watch starfish try to form constellations.
Port St. Joe, Florida: Beachfront Parks and Coastal Towns
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park is one of the prettiest local beaches. It overlooks both the bay and the shores of the gulf around the secluded eastern tip of the peninsula. All over the beachfront dunes you'll see sand pine scrub, and migrating falcons visit the 1,900-acre wilderness reserve every fall.
The Cape San Blas connects the peninsula with the mainland. It features a lighthouse that has been rebuilt no fewer than four times.
Head inland to the town of Port St. Joe, which has seafood restaurants and charter cruises, or travel farther east to Apalachicola, a city named for a Native American tribe and often translated as "land of the friendly people." The city is lined with 19th-century architecture, including the Orman House and Raney House. Both of these Greek Revivalist-style mansions were built by cotton magnates. If it's getting hot outside, head to the John Gorrie Museum-the former home of the man who pioneered air conditioning.
Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.
Address:
4950 Cape San Blas Rd., Port St. Joe, Florida
Cape San Blas Inn
