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Surf Fishing
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My wife took this picture of me surf fishing next to "the Cut" on St George's Island

































St. George's Island sunset
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Darcy took this wonderful sunset photo!




































 

Dog enjoying the water
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Darcy took this photo of a dog who loves the water!





































My wife Darcy
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This is my wife Darcy on the beach house balcony



































Beach House
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This is the living room of the beach house




































Net Fishing
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Darcy took this photo of me net fishing





































Beach House
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Outside photo of the beach house



































Playing Guitar
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Darcy took this photo of me writing some tunes







































John Fishing
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Me fishing "the Cut" just before sundown



































 

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"Tips for traveling to popular vacation destinations off season"     

Copyright 2007 by John durant


Do you find yourself putting off your dream vacation year after year, hoping that maybe "one of these years" you'll be able to scrape up enough cash to afford it? There's no need to put it off any longer, because you can take that vacation without breaking your budget if you're willing to make a small compromise.


What is this compromise? Just try taking your dream vacation in the off season. Once my wife and I discovered that in the off season we could live big on a modest budget, we've been taking great vacations every year!


Planning a vacation in the off season saves you big bucks in travel and lodging expenses, and allows you to enjoy more luxuries than would be possible if you had gone to the same destination in the peak season. Please don't take my word for this, check it out yourself!

My wife and I have been staying in very nice St. Georges Island beach houses on the Florida panhandle for the past couple of years. We definitely couldn't afford luxury accommodations like these if we were to pay premium peak season rates. We discovered this while shopping for vacation rental properties on the Internet. Believe it or not, planning a vacation just two or three weeks prior to the peak season can save you some serious cash.


The key to planning a successful off season vacation is to do your research several months in advance, and to book early, so that you have the best choice of accommodations and vacation weeks. Some vacation rental companies even offer 5-day specials or weekend rates for additional savings. We were shocked when we saw the type of beach houses that were affordable to folks like us who have to plan vacations on a pretty limited budget!


Another nice side benefit of vacationing in the off season is that you don't have to deal with the big crowds. I enjoy having a little peace and quiet while I'm on the beach, and I prefer not to share my personal patch of sand with two-thousand screaming kids! Some people really enjoy the Spring Break atmosphere, and I'm not one of them!


There are usually a lot of great deals in the shops, restaurants, and tourist attractions because businesses are competing for fewer customers until the peak season kicks off. The restaurants are usually less crowded, and the locals have more time to chat with you about all the great things to see and do around town.


Are you ready to pack your bags for that dream vacation you've always wanted? Traveling to your favorite vacation destination in the off season can save you enough money so that you can enjoy a dream vacation EVERY year!


Appalachicola Shrimp Boat
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This photo was taken at "the cut" on St George's Island by my wife Darcy

St. George's Island Vacation

Here are some photos of one of our St. George's Island vacations. Appalachicola Bay and St. George's Island have become our favorite Florida vacation getaway. My wife Darcy and I found this "Old Florida" style place by accident while we were surfing the net. They have miles of scenic beaches between Port St Joe and St George's Island (and beyond) that haven't been overrun by high-rise hotels and commercial business areas.
 
Appalachicola is a small town centered around fishing, shrimping and oysters. They've retained their small town charm by resisting the urge to bring in large chain retail businesses like Walmart and Home Depot. The Mom 'n Pop shops flourish here, and I hope they continue to preserve this wonderful community. Dollar General and Piggly Wiggly are about the biggest retailers you'll find in this area, so you have to stock up on some things before you arrive there.

St George's Island is a beautiful barrier island protecting Appalachicola Bay, and has the perfect combination of uncrowded white sand beaches, small shops, restaurants, and beach houses. There are no buildings over three stories high, and there's a State Park on the East end of the island that provides miles of protected beaches and nature trails. 

I love the ocean fishing and my wife loves to relax on the beach, so we find a good place to do both every day until the sun goes down. During this vacation we stayed the "The Plantation", which is a large beautiful gated beach house community on the west side of the island that goes to the "cut". The "cut" is a manmade access to Appalachicola Bay which provides a shortcut for boats, and also has the very best shore fishing on the island.

Here are a few vacation photos that we'd like to share with you, and I may put more on the site sometime in the near future. Enjoy!

John