Hibiscus to Fort Walton Beach

Today started with a hug from a southern lady. The house I had lodged in was built in the early 1900's. It was moved up from the beach, renovated and turned into the rental property it is today. It was comfortable, quaint and had a famous cafe. My first shoot of this voyage was very relaxed. I shot the rooms that were available, the architecture, trees and garden. The cafe was featured as well. As I had no p.m. appointment and the motto of the Hibiscus was 'relax,' it was a pretty soft transition.

The oatmeal they served me for breakfast was every bit as wonderful as the waffles of the previous morning. Oats, strawberries, blueberries, apples with a sweet fresh cream.

I spent some time searching for, and finding, my room key, said my goodbyes to my host and took off for Panama City. This destination was not at the top of my list but I am committed to getting footage for my area segments. This segment will cover the Panhandle and the Emerald Coast. To be thorough I've got to sample the areas the best that I can. Estimating the logistics of when, where, how long, etc., I shot all the way down the 98 corridor, past Panama City Beach, to Panama City. Not the most flamboyant of Florida towns, it still had neat little things to capture. The marina, the churches, and the hot dog joint where I had there special dog and a pink lemonade for $3.50!

Well, I had to get all the way back to Fort Walton Beach for my next stay, so best I hit the road. In the forefront of my mind was the knowledge that I just had to get some shots of Panama City Beach. Much more famous than Panama City, Panama City Beach is a city most reknown as the "Spring Break Capital." I pulled down the main drag, full of college kids and beach front hotels. I parked the car and made my way with the camera down a passage inbetween hotels and towards the beach. I took a quaint shot of mother, father and little son all staring out towards the coast. As I got nearer and heard the hollers of the crowd, I saw what they staring at. It was the epitome of Spring Break. A gaggle of college-aged kids around a stage, cheering on chicks in a booty dance off. Pretty gross. I got some shots that provide a good characiture of the experience of Spring Break and was happy to get out of there. As I passed families and the more aged I could not comprehend why they would come here at this time of year!

The drive back was busy with rush-hour and a few accidents. I passed the turn-offs of my previous destinations, drove through Destin and over the bridge into Fort Walton Beach.

My current lodging is a gigantic suite. Azure #605, can sleep 9 and overlooks the beautiful coast from many stories up. Click here to see more. Yes, its awesome and unbelievable that I get to stay here for 2 nights. I'm trying to live it up, I am. But self-indulgence can sometimes be uncomfortable. Heck, I've given up first class seats on a plane, just so I could sit in coach. I felt much more comfortable there. I also dwell on the fact that I've at least seven days that I have no idea where it is I am staying, properties that haven't scheduled, anxieties of the new gig, equipment idiosyncracies and general mayem in the head. But hell, live the damn moment. I promise to try and do just that. What a fortunate experience!

I had duck in pomegranate sauce for dinner at an Italian joint called Pranzo.

Tomorrow is the first day with two consecutive appointments. I'm telling myself just to chill after that. I'm hoping it goes well. I could skip including the above, but it is all part of the experience. Have a good day!