I love visiting the Florida Panhandle where my Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon mysteries are set. Family, beautiful sunrises (which as your probably remember I miss), beautiful sunsets, good drinks, and with this trip: fog, cold, and storms.
On Christmas Eve morning my mom supervised Bob making Spritz Christmas cookies from a well-loved recipe in Pyrex bowls my mom got as a wedding gift 74 years ago.
It was cold Christmas weekend. The windchill was 10! We had the beach to ourselves! I’m laughing at the way my hair feathered back in the wind!
Sunrises courtesy of my husband!
I see a man’s face in the next sunrise photo. It’s in the brightly illuminated part near the building in the upper right-hand corner.
Or maybe you can see him better in this one!
And then he took a picture with a heart or angel wings.
And this is why I don’t get up for sunrise–because when I do it looks like this!
Malcolm, a bartender at the Crab Trap, (Chloe goes there in From Beer to Eternity) made me two amazing drinks. The first was a Bushwacker (Chloe has one or two in Rum and Choke). When we went back two days later I asked him to make me a rum-based, fruity, smoothy drink and he suggested a Miami Vice. Yum! Then a little wine on the balcony.
A little mother nature! These two birds stayed looking at each other and touched beaks a couple of times. They are very small sanderlings that usually run when you get to close. I could decide if they were on a date or fighting.
One day the beach had a lot of Portuguese Man O War on it! I stepped carefully that day!
And of course some sunset snaps. One has an odd reflection that looks like a poppy!
Happy New Year!
Readers: What’s your favorite book vacation location?
the hustle of the city or sandy with blue ocean
Both have their charms!
I love beaches. Can’t get enough of beach locations. I live less than 2 miles from the beach in SW FL.
It would be great to live that close to the beach!
Gorgeous shots, Sherry! I also love the beach, and just booked a few days at one in Puerto Rico with my dear friend.
You are going to have such a great time!
Great photos, Sherry! I’m a big fan of the Florida Panhandle. In recent years, Panama City Beach has become our go-to vacation spot. I’m happy at pretty much any beach, though. Cheers!
As much time as I’ve spent in the Panhandle, I’ve spent very little in Panama City. A cheer competition when we lived here and a change of command at Tyndall — I think that’s it.
Great photos, Sherry. I admit I like reading something at the beach when it’s the middle of winter here in southwestern PA. But I like all settings as long as the mystery is good.
I agree. I don’t tend to choose books by their setting. Story and characters are more important to me and the setting is icing.
Gorgeous photos, Sherry. I hope you and Bob are having a wonderful time. I love mysteries set wherever I am. I read all the Karen Pirie books by Val McDermid when I was in Scotland this summer.
We are having fun but wish we were down with you!
Love the photos and sunrises! I enjoy sitting in the shade on a warm, sunny day, just a bit of a breeze, when we’re camping!
That sounds perfect!
Gorgeous! Thank you for this beautiful share
with us!
Love these photos, Sherry!
Thanks, Liz!
Great pictures. I love beach set cozies. You’d think I’d go to the beach more often then I do. Maybe this year, although it would cut down on my paddle boarding time.
The waves on the Pacific are spectacular. We lived in Redondo Beach for about three months in the early 90s and were only a block from the beach. We’d walk over every day. That was luxurious!
Beautiful pix, Sherry. Reminded me of our time in Destin on the run from Hurricane Irma.
Thank you!
Thank you, Sherry, for sharing your Florida with us. Beautiful, even the fog. I love to read anywhere that is quiet and I can put up my feet comfortably.
I enjoy a setting by the ocean, but I also like other nature settings such as mountains and gardens. I like snow as long as it is clean and beautiful although I am really a warm weather person at heart. Sherry, thank you for the beautiful pictures!
You are so welcome!
Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos! I never visited the FL Panhandle but have loved Sanibel and Captiva Islands. Re: book/vacation settings, my favorite is Vicki Delany’s (writing as Eva Gates) Lighthouse Library series set in Nags Head, NC. For more than 20 years I vacationed on the Outer Banks, including in Nags Head, Duck, and Corolla. Her stories bring back many great memories.
Some day I love to visit Sanibel and Captiva! We are hopefully going to the Outer Banks this year for the first time!
Sherry,
The face in the clouds looks, to me, like Mark Twain. Loved the scenic pictures. Haven’t visited Florida in over 10 tears. We used to escape winter in Michigan to visit the Sarasota area every other year.
Connecticut
Love the photos. 🙂 I have a set of those pyrex dishes from my own mom. I use them every time I bake. Any books set at the beach bring back wonderful memories. I worked at the Jersey Shore during summer breaks for several years, and vacationed with the family on the Outer Banks many, many times. North and South sections of the OBX: less commercial vs. VERY commercial.
Be careful of the soft sand next to the roads on the Outer Banks. My Mustang had to be towed out after I decided to pull over to get a ‘great shot’ of the ocean. No cell service, approaching ‘last ferry,’ and cash only tow truck driver. Yup. Great memories. 🙂