Finally! I have my beaches back!
My first weekend with room to actually roam, and I had Crystal Beach and parts of the National Seashore all to myself. There are still a few stragglers, but the beaches in Destin and Fort Walton were gloriously sparse. The seagulls were even slightly less vermin-y.
There is a small stretch of shoreline along Choctawhatchee Bay on Okaloosa Island near Fort Walton Beach that is part of the National Park system, so because of the US government shutdown, it was, well… shutdown.. A gate blocked entrance into the cove where kite surfers like to play. The gate didn’t deter the adventurers. They simply parked along the highway, walked over the gate and into the park. Civil disobedience, dudes!
The public access on the Gulf side is nestled between sections of the Air Force reservation, and there was no barrier to the beach… so I schlepped around there taking pix for a while. I felt kind of rebellious. Consider it me kicking sand in the eye of Congress.
You can click on any image to see a larger photo, or the series as a slideshow.
(Photos shot with a Nikon D60, using an 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 20mm f/2.8 wide-angle, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, and/or iPhone4)
For more photos, please visit my Flickr photostream
Thin spiral notebook 
So happy you have your beaches back. I love the butterfly.
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Lovely all.
White sand and sea oats.
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These images are so beautiful! I looked and drooled over each one carefully. I love the ocean and a day alone on the beach – what a treat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lucky you!!!!! Love your photography!
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you’re right, that beach does look like spun sugar, you want to dip your toes.
I think this is where I say something like “Wish I was there”.
your pictures are gorgeous, I know you don’t like Seagulls, but my mom loves them and that scene of the sand castle and seagulls is making me smile.
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I wish I was there.
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