Shorts & Shades, Panacea, FL on Ochlockonee Bay
Put on your 'shorts and shades' and join us for a relaxing escape from your everyday routine. Our comfortable 1 bedroom/1 bath condo is located on the 2nd floor (Unit F13) of George's Lighthouse Pointe on Ochlockonee Bay, 40 miles south of Tallahassee on Hwy. 98. Right outside our front door is a balcony where you can enjoy a gorgeous view of the bay. To the back of us, there is a wonderful view of the marina. Just a few steps away is Angelo's Restaurant, regularly voted as one of the 'Top 100 Restaurants in Florida'. Angelo's boasts mouth watering seafood (and other dishes), with indoor seating and casual outdoor seating right over the water!
We offer 874 sq. ft. of living area, which includes 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, den, kitchen and balcony overlooking the bay. The family area is furnished with comfortable den furniture, 34 in. TV, DVD, and offers a great view of the bay. This area is is separated from the kitchen by a bar. Our bedroom is furnished with a king-size bed and a twin bed and a small hideaway cot (suitable for a child under age 10). These accommodations will sleep 3 to 4 people comfortably. Perfect for a couple or small family.
The fishing is as good as it gets in this area. You can fish in the bay, head out for deep-sea fishing, or go down the river for fresh water fishing. We have it all!!! You can book a fishing charter with your choice of licensed captains, who are ready to take you out for an experience that you won't soon forget! Although many fishermen prefer to bring their own boat, boat trailers are not allowed in the common areas of George's Lighthouse Pointe and the condo only has one parking space.
Another local attraction are the beaches. The closest beach is Mashes Sands in Panacea (less than 1 mi.). It offers a beautiful, small beach. The beach is located on the bay and is pretty shallow for a good ways out, offering safety for small children and a great opportunity for shelling. Next are the gorgeous beaches at Alligator Point and Bald Point State Park (about 7 mi.), where you can enjoy sunbathing, snorkeling, swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, bird watching and nature study. Within a few minutes drive are two of the nation's TOP TEN RATED BEACHES, St. George Island State Park, near Apalachicola, and St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, near Port St. Joe. Both parks contain miles of undeveloped beaches, emerald waters and white sugar sand.
Other nearby attractions include St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge, an unspoiled barrier island just offshore from the mouth of the Apalachicola River in the Gulf of Mexico. The island is a haven for endangered and threatened species, including bald eagles, wood storks, sea turtles, indigo snakes, gopher tortoises and red wolves. It is accessible only by boat. A favorite is Wakulla Springs State Park, one of the world's deepest freshwater springs, with swimming, nature boat rides and glass bottom boats. Wakulla Springs is known as the filming location for several Tarzan movies, Creature from the Black Lagoon and Airport '77. From the river boat and glass bottom boat tours, you can see alligators, many species of wading birds, water fowl, fish, turtles, and snakes, in and among the crystal clear waters emerging from the depth of the springs. Kids love diving from the diving platform into the refreshing spring waters, which remain a constant 68-70 degrees year round. The St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge offers a habitat for all kinds of Florida wildlife. Smarter Travel recently voted the refuge as one of the top 10 wildlife refuges in America. At this swampy wildlife refuge, alligators can reach lengths of 14 feet. It's unusual not to spot them here in the marshes along the road to the 1832 St. Marks Lighthouse on Apalachee Bay. Photographers say the lighthouse is the best place to snap shots of hordes of monarch butterflies during the butterflies' annual migration in October. Whooping cranes and more than 300 other bird species stop over at St. Marks, and 98 species nest on-site. In May, watch for large groups of West Indian manatees in the waters near the lighthouse. Baby alligators emerge from nests in August. Keep your eyes peeled for bald eagles.
So the guys want to go fishing and you ladies don't ... NO PROBLEM! While they are catching speckled trout, Spanish mackerel, grouper, redfish (the list goes on), you can visit historic Apalachicola. Once a bustling sea port, this quaint village of about 5,000 still boasts a large shrimp fleet, a downtown shopping area with antiques, boutiques and local art, and beautiful restored houses from a bygone era. Once the third largest cotton port along the Gulf Coast, the Apalachicola/East Point area still harvests and processes 90% of the oysters consumed in Florida.
Locally caught seafood is prepared in the many fine restaurants located in Panacea, Carrabelle, and Apalachicola. If you prefer to cook it yourself, fresh shrimp, oysters, and the catch of the day are available in the seafood houses dotted along the coast from Panacea to Port St. Joe.
*** Sorry, but we do not rent to anyone under the age of 25. ***
CANCELLATION POLICY: We understand that it may become necessary for you to cancel your reservation. Please let us know as soon as you can, so that we may have time to rent out your time slot. Refund Policy: 14 days (100% refund); 7 days (50% refund).
HURRICANE POLICY: Either party shall have the right to cancel all or any part of this contract in the event of impending hurricane or tropical storm danger. If this occurs, all monies will be refunded for unused days.
