Waltz Me To Heaven: Scalloping In Port St. Joe

Summers on the Gulf Coast are full of long sunny days spent on the water where your hair begins to feel like straw and your skin is tight from the salt. The hours in the sun eventually drain every ounce of energy until your body practically screams for sleep. After a couple of beers, some raw oysters and a cool shower, nothing is better than falling into bed in a beachy, salty haze. I love that feeling!

We had one of those days this past week after spending all day in Port St. Joe, Florida, searching for scallops in St. Joe Bay. When you are traveling from Pensacola east along the coast of Florida, you will eventually stumble upon a sleepy little area aptly called the "Forgotten Coast." From Mexico Beach to Apalachicola, the tourists are few but the seafood is plentiful. Right in the heart of the Forgotten Coast is St. Joe Bay - a large expanse of water dotted with several islands and protected from the Gulf of Mexico by Cape San Blas. Scalloping in this bay is a great activity to do with the whole family because it only involves searching through grass beds for the scallop shells and scooping them up with your hand. A mask, a pair of water shoes and a mesh bag, and you're good to go. My kids had the best time (although Scott and I did most of the actual scalloping) sporting their masks and snorkels and swimming around in search of these delicious little mollusks.

After we came off the water, we traveled a few more miles east toward Apalachicola to the Indian Pass Raw Bar. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere, and if it were not for the cars of patrons lining the highway, you just might miss it. Fashioned out of an old trading post, this little oyster bar is the stuff of legends. The atmosphere is casual, the staff is friendly, the oysters are briny and the beer is cold. It is the perfect stop for happy hour or dinner after a day on the boat, so put your name on the list, grab a cold one out of the cooler enjoy some live music on the porch outside while you wait.