Pristine Properties Vacation Rentals

Cape San Blas Lighthouse Open House and Homecoming

09/09/08

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has declared Saturday, September 20, 2008 as Florida Lighthouse Day. To celebrate this day, the St. Joseph Historical Society is planning a Homecoming/Reunion for all those who lived or worked at the Cape San Blas Lighthouse.

The reunion will take place on Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (ET) at the lighthouse.
This would include any members of any of the families that lived and worked at the lighthouse, and especially any Coast Guard servicemen that may still live in or around our area and would like to come back home.

The lighthouse tower will also be open for the very first time since it was closed. If you are interested in seeing and climbing the lighthouse tower, please feel free to join the celebration. The new flag will also be raised on its new flagpole.

Normal business hours for the gift shop are Wednesday-Friday 11:00 am to 5 pm and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 4 pm. For more information call 850-229-1151,

After many attempts to secure this lighthouse from Mother Natures erosion, the most recent renovation was completed in 2005. In 1996 the lighthouse was deactivated and in 1999 both keepers quarters (built in 1919) were moved next to the tower. In 2002 one of the houses was restored. The second house, affectionately known as Sleeping Beauty, was stabilized and restored in 2005. In 2007, reaching a milestone in a long journey, the St. Joseph Historical Society officially cut the ribbon and had its first customer at the gift shop on the first floor of the refurbished Sleeping Beauty lighthouse keepers quarters at Cape San Blas.

The last of five lighthouses built on Cape San Blas (1838, 1847, 1856, 1859, and 1885). The first lighthouse was built at its northwest tip on St. Joseph Bay; the rest to the south on the Gulf of Mexico. In 1918, the 1885 lighthousea 98-foot-tall iron skeleton towerwas moved to its present location following a hurricane in 1916 that eroded the beach protecting the lighthouse.

When the city of St. Joseph was abandoned early in the 1840s, the St. Joseph Bay Lighthouse was dismantled and used to build a new lighthouse at the capes elbow. Completed in 1848, the lighthouse collapsed during a storm on August 23-24, 1851, along with nearby lighthouses at Cape St. George and Dog Island. A year later Congress appropriated $12,000 for a second lighthouse, which went into operation November 1855. Ten months later on August 10, 1856, a hurricane destroyed the tower. Again Congress allocated funds for a third tower, which was lit May 1, 1858. The lighthouse was abandoned during the Civil War, during which the keepers house and the wooden portions of the tower were burned. The lighthouse returned to operation July 23, 1865. Again the lighthouse was threatened by the encroaching Gulf. On July 3, 1882, waves undermined the foundation of the tower and it fell into the sea.
In 1883, Congress appropriated $35,000 to build an iron skeleton tower. The tower was manufactured in the North and transported by ship to the Cape. It came into full operation June 1885.

The life of the Cape San Blas Lighthouse keeper was often lonely and difficult as the nearest settlement was 23 miles away. Keeper Ray Linton finding the lonely vigil and wide expanse of the Gulf too great a burden, took his own life in 1832. Six years later another keeper was found dead from stab wounds in the workshop at the station by his 6-year-old daughter who came to call him for lunch.

Labor Day Weekend at the Beach

08/11/08

According to Wikipedia, Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September. The holiday originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union (of New York City) sought to create "a day off for the working man".

Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. Today, Labor Day is often regarded as a day of rest. Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water sports, and public art events. Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer.

Sounds to me, Labor Day was designed as an excuse for one last hoorah, and what better way to celebrate than head down to the beach. During this time the beaches are still beautiful and far less crowded. There are typically fishing tournaments going on to join in on for some friendly competition and entertainment.

At Pristine Properties Vacation Rentals, Labor Day falls into our Fall season which means rates are lower and 3 nights is typically the minimum number of nights. This is different than most other companies in the area. And it makes it a great time to take advantage of the Labor Day, end of summer celebration.

Port St. Joe Scallop Season

07/24/08

Well, scallop season is now in full swing. With a starting date of July 1st, this season of hunting for scallops in the beautiful St. Joseph Bay will last until September 10th. The report is that the scallops are out there, but they are small and scattered in the shallow water at the head of the bay. Dont let this discourage you though; scallops tend to grow rapidly during July. Bay scallops peak for harvest are 2 � inch bi-valves that peer from the bottom of the bay with translucent blue eyes.

The pristine waters of St. Joseph Bay are one of the only three areas left in Florida where scallops flourish to a degree worth enjoying. After you find the scallops, they are easily harvested in 2-5 feet of water. Some folks wade in the water with a small hand net and chum bag while others use a snorkel and mask, gloves, fins and a dive bag. Its possible to find scallops anywhere in the bay, but most scallops are found in the south end, or head, of the bay around and beyond Blacks Island. Look around breaks in the grass like scarred bottoms, potholes and channels. Lower tide levels make it easier to hunt.

Bay scallops can not be harvested commercially. They must be harvested by hand. A fishing license is required if you are 16 years or older. When divers are in the water, a boat must display a 20 divers flag that can be seen from all directions. Swimmers must stay within 100 yards of the flag. Boat-less swimmers should display a 12 by 12 floating flag. The daily bag limit is 2 gallons of whole scallops, or 1 pint of meat. No boat, regardless of how many are aboard, can go over 10 gallons.

Over the first weekend of August, August 2nd & 3rd, the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the 12th Annual St. Joseph Bay Scallop Festival. This year the festival will be held at Shipyard Cove which is on St. Joseph Bay in Port St. Joe. There will be vendors, arts, crafts, food, games, a petting zoo and bouncy castles. Did I say food; I meant good food, more importantly scallops. Bands will begin at 4:00 pm EST and the headliner, The Legendary JCs, will begin at 8:00 pm EST. The music will be held at Marina Cove in Port St. Joe near the marina. This is a festival you dont want to miss. There will be something for the entire family.

Scalloping is a great reason to getaway from it all and take a break on St. Joseph Bay. To view bay front properties, or properties perfecting for enjoying scallop season click this link, http://www.visitfloridabeaches.com/scalloping-vacation-rental.cfm.