Most of our trip was on U.S. Highway 98. This was the route most of us took in years past, before traveling east on I-10, then south on I-110. The bridge to Navarre Beach is an old school two lane bridge over the Intercoastal Waterway. As you begin your descent down the pass section of the bridge, you are met with signs to slow down to 20 miles per hour.
On the sandy banks of the bridge path, a migratory bird claims this area, and other protected portions of the island as their nesting grown. We did not see them until out departure. They resembled bird colonies from every National Geographic special you have ever watched.
The cousins recently relocated here from Shreveport. They literally lucked out on finding a three story condo the is only about 50 yards from the sand and surf. The first floor is the garage and storage area, the second floor is the main living area and the third is the bedroom area. The backyard is literally a canal to the Intercostal Waterway.
The cousin has put out three crab traps, and she had already made a huge pot of gumbo with eight crabs from the trap. Talk about some fine eating! The spousal unit went kayaking right before sunset in search of some dolphins, with no luck.
There were no fancy swimming pools on this trip. You want to get wet? Its off to the beach to get wet! We loaded up our gear into our beach cart and cousin's beach wagon. Its about a 50 yard stroll to the end of the street. You have to wait for traffic to clear before crossing the major thoroughfare to avoid getting run over! Its then a short hike up and over the sand dune to our slice of heaven, if only for a day or two.
There are a few high rise condo units down the road, but this section of beach is sparely populated. We set up the umbrellas, got out the chairs, then oiled up for the day, Very few boats pass by in the water, and there is only the occasional flyover of the airplane with trailing advertising banner.
The first day we experienced the "June Grass" blooming effect. The shoreline was literally covered in a green moss like substance, which was also in the water, making a trip into the surf undesirable, even to pee! The second day the surf was stirring big time and the green muck from the day before was almost gone!
We watched in amazement as a hot air balloon made its way traveling east, into the wind. Later, a wind surfer using a parachute and a slalom ski passed us, working his way west. We all bet that his arms would just about fall off at the end of his journey.
The rest of our afternoon was full of old fashioned conversation and laughter. Lots of stories were told and shared about the days of our youth. Oh course, what is said on the beach forever stays on the beach! Our frozen margaritas and specialty drinks by now were all gone. Time to pack up and head back to the house. I have never laughed so hard at two women dragging a little wagon up and over the sand dune and it was lighter than when it first came over the dunes.
We ended the day with a grilling of some burgers and sweet corn. I promise, there is no finer meal at the beach than when you spend the time to prepare it yourself. This leads to even more conversation and stories that have to remain "at the beach"!
We looked the visitor calendar over and put our name down for future visits this summer. Then, we were back on the road to Highway 98, then I-10 and beyond, and already making plans for our next trip! Thanks to T & T for a great time!
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