Oysters, Beer, and 20,000 Steps on Florida’s Forgotten Coast

Oysters, Beer, and 20,000 steps in Florida’s Forgotten Coast

And… we’re stuck.

Well, sort of. Our truck started losing power while we were towing Wilhelmina von Kampen on the second day of our journey from Fayetteville, North Carolina to Port St. Joe, Florida. We stopped a few times; pulled over for gas and Dave fiddled under the hood, but to no avail. We knew we needed to get the truck looked at, and the sooner, the better.

So, on day two of our trip, we decided (after a ringing endorsement from our Captain on Monday’s fishing charter) to stop by BJ’s Automotive in Port St. Joe to have the truck looked at. BJ’s Automotive truly had no availability but they decided to look at our truck, anyway. We opted to walk around Port St. Joe while they attended to the truck (and kept our fingers crossed for good news!).

But what to do in this town that we just arrived in yesterday? Well, we started walking…

Shockingly good coffee and a nice, long walk

First stop… breakfast. We had set out early, so we were in need of a nosh. We stopped at Bayside Bakery and Cafe, where the sign promised hot biscuits “while they last.” We walked in, and in true PSJ fashion, we were greeted as though we had known these fine folks for ages. We each got a hot (and delicious) breakfast biscuit and a couple of cups of coffee. I have to say, as good as the biscuits were (and they were delicious), the coffee was some of the best coffee I have had in a long, long time. https://www.baysidebakerypsj.com/

Now that we were fully caffeinated and biscuit-ed, we set off to find the old St. Joseph’s Cemetery, where a few grave markers mark the final resting place of those wiped out in the yellow fever pandemic that hit St. Joesph’s around 1840. We found the cemetery and walked around, taking in the old, almost unreadable tombstones from another era.

After that, we kept walking to make our way to the Constitution Museum. Turns out, the Florida State Constitution was signed in St. Joseph, when it was a bustling early 19th Century City. We arrived to the museum to find it closed, unfortunately. (This was a Tuesday and the museum is open Thursday-Saturday. But, never fear… there were plenty of park benches under towering trees that provided a nice respite from our long walk. We happened to catch a glimpse of the monument dedicated to those who signed the Constitution, however, and then continued our walk.

Rebound from Devastation

As you walk through Port St. Joe, you can’t help but notice the immense construction taking place in the region, as it continues to rebound from Hurricane Michael. Beautiful houses abound on streets lined with old oak and cypress trees, but the streets are also dotted with empty lots or brand new builds. It’s an interesting mix of old-meets-new, but the entire town shares a singular, laid back charm. David and I could have spent all day, meandering through the streets, marveling at the beautiful view that house has from its deck, or the interesting way this house blended the original home design with new elements. But, after two miles of walking, to be honest, we were a bit famished, so we headed downtown.

Raw Seafood is the Best Seafood

We arrived at the Uptown Raw Bar at around noon and took a seat at the bar, where we proceeded to devour a dozen oysters—4 raw, 4 steamed, and 4 baked. We also helped ourselves to cans of local beer (I enjoyed an Oyster City Mill Pond Dirty Blonde and he had an Oyster City Hooter Brown) from the refrigerator. The oysters were phenomenal—and that’s not just the hunger talking. They were plump, slightly briny, and absolutely delicious. Plus, we found a local favorite—Ed’s Red hot sauce. This stuff is IT. And, you find it about everywhere you go in Port St. Joe. There’s a reason for that… https://www.edsred.com/ The same with the beer… you can’t swing a dead cat round here without hitting a can of Oyster City Beer. And, ya’ll… it is goooooood. We actually visited the brewery in Apalachicola (but that is for another blog post…) Suffice it to say, if you are here on the Forgotten Coast, you will likely drink an Oyster City beer.

Stomachs full and ready to keep on truckin, we hit the main street in search of treasures and more local flavor.

A Little of This; A Little of That

We started at Joseph’s Cottage; a truly unique store with cool, coastal charm that won’t break the bank. They had the most adorable clothes and home decor and a wide array of goodies from local artists. https://www.josephscottage.com/ Even better, as with every other place we traveled that day in PSJ, the lovely woman who owns the shop acted as though we were long lost friends. There was a really cozy ambience at Joseph’s Cottage, and it wasn’t just the fragrance from the locally made candles. The vibe in the store was simply Port St. Joe.

We moved on to the No Name Book and Gifts which has… well, you guessed it… books and gifts (think puzzles, games, etc.) I love a well laid-out book store, and this one certainly was. There was even a section near the back, where series of books were actually…. gasp!… in order! As a book lover, it really warmed my heart. Again, we were greeted warmly and we spent about a half an hour looking through the books before choosing one. If you are in the market for something to get for a rainy day, this place should definitely be on your list…. https://www.nonamebooksandgifts.com/

Finish it With Something Sweet

Nothing says ”sweet” like a place called ”The Sugar Shack.” We dipped in to relax our tired feet (we were at about 15,000 steps at this point) and enjoy a little something sweet. I had a dip of chocolate chip ice cream and David had a shake called a peanut butter bomb… and it was, in fact, a peanut butter bomb. In my opinion, it tasted like softened tin roof ice cream and it was an absolute delight. If you are in Port St. Joe and looking for a spot to relax, maybe play a little Connect Four, and beat the heat, check it out!. https://www.facebook.com/people/Sugar-Shack-PSJ/100072614645276/?_rdr

At the End of the Day…

The odyssey ended with the trek back to the automotive shop at the end of a fabulous day of walking around. We sat on the couch and watched the folks who work there treat everyone like they had known them their whole lives. Turns out, there wasn’t much wrong with the truck; just needed a computer reset. However, had we not elected to take the truck in, we may have missed the heart of Port St. Joe—a small town with a laid back, ”welcome, ya’ll” vibe. By the time we finished, we had clocked 20,000 steps and made a lot of great memories.

Cheers!