Today, Chloe and I drove a good portion of Route 98 which I discovered is the longest U.S. road in Florida; the scenic portion of this highway runs along the gulf coast of the Panhandle passing through such destinations as Apalachicola, Port St. Joe, Panama City, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, and Navarre (the road continues further west into Alabama, but I stopped in Navarre).

After leaving Crawfordville this morning, I headed south and west meandering through pine forests, then alongside magnificent views of the Gulf of Mexico, through quaint fishing villages, traversing over bridges spying on hundreds of colorful watercrafts.  On the way, I passed by Tyndall Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field (also USAF).  Time passed quickly as I was able to just absorb the beauty and serenity of the area.  Of course, I had “gained” an hour because I crossed into the Central Time Zone after I crossed the Apalachicola River.

Later, I passed through Destin, probably one of the best-known cities in the Panhandle, which I found it to be extremely commercial and, unfortunately, Route 98 is under construction so, while known for its white sandy beach and emerald green water, as part of the scenic drive, it was disappointing.

I finally arrive in Navarre…

This way point was selected because Kevin, Amanda, and Cohen Rogers live here.  I am Kevin’s aunt and I am so proud of his service in the United States Air Force.  I was privileged to be invited to their beautiful home and, after visiting for a while, was taken on a very informative tour of the area.  My favorite parts were seeing the pristine Gulf Islands National Seashore and walking the longest fishing pier in Florida stretching 1,545 feet out into the Gulf of Mexico, towering 30 feet above the water.

Along the way, not quite seven-year-old Cohen explained the rules of the pier and signs along the way.  I also learned about every Star Wars movie ever made as well as features of different species of fish.  Very knowledgeable young man there.  We ambled along the pier watching an angler land a huge amberjack, saw a beautiful sea turtle, and a heron savoring its catch.  Beautiful!

Later in the day, we dined at a funky little eatery named TC’s Front Porch.  A perky, smiling waitress served us quickly even including a bowl of water for Chloe.  I ordered the two Mahi tacos served in flour tortillas topped with crisp cilantro lime slaw, smoked Gouda blend, mango salsa, shredded lettuce with chipotle sour cream that tantalized my taste buds to such an extent that I actually finished every single bite!

Finally, thank you so much Kevin and Amanda for your hospitality and companionship.  Cohen, I thank you for your fascinating and intelligent conversation.  I cannot believe the conversations we had considering how young you are and am excited to see you grow up.  Love you all!