St. Joseph Peninsula State Park

“I don’t see it” I said, combing a map of the state near Miami.

“It’s a little further North.” Kylie says.

“HHmmmm, like Boca Raton-North?”

“No,” she says “Look closer to Mississippi.”

“Kylie, Florida isn’t next to Mississippi.” but oohhh there it was, towards Mississippi. In the Panhandle.

That’s where she was taking us? I thought people only went to the Florida panhandle to identify the body of a missing daughter……..not to vacation.

And then she said the words, “It’s the Redneck Riviera.”

Was that supposed to sell it? She is a professional travel agent, and hasn’t steered us wrong on all our other trips. What the hell? We’re in for this one too.

So we packed our swimsuits and sun glasses and joined the Peck family for a week in a condo on the Redneck Riviera. Y’all might remember that we took a Caribbean cruise with them just 2 years ago, but on this trip there was a new Peck joining us.

Baby Madeleine….

There are several beach communities that run along highway 30A, nestled against the white sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.

We stayed in beautiful Seaside where The Truman Show was filmed.

The community motto is…..

How charming is the Seaside post office?

Food trucks line 30A…..

Taco stands and shrimp shacks line the beaches……

This amazing tower is the beach access from the center of Seaside.

A few miles down 30A is Alys Beach. Home of Charlie’s Donut Truck……

Fonville press….

and a fountain with some pretty disgusting rules…..

Did I mention how spectacular the white sand beaches were?

Since we had a rental car, we took a day trip to Cape San Blas and the St. Joseph Peninsula State Park…..about an hour and a half away. Well worth the drive.