A quickie but goodie: Rocky Bayou SP, FL

[LONE-STAR 370]

I always liked your reports.

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

I don't know if they are cliquish or that it is easier to joke about Disney related things.  It is usually a hijacking that makes the extra posts.

 

Thank you for taking the time to post a TR.  I'm too lazy to upload my photos to a host site and I have a fear of someone seeing some unflattering photo of myself.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about that.

 

It's been many years since I've been to Rocky bayou. FL. really have some nice state parks. I've been reading your TR and have enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing. We actual stayed at the Maxwell Gunter park right down the road from there. Oh ya it's fun when you do something you don't really like and enjoy it. Like going to the Beach. Your lucky you had descent weather. Please don't stop doing your TR. they give us ideas and we see places we might not ever get to. Thank you

 

I am guessing you have to be active or retired military to use that facility?

 

I always liked your reports.

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is just a little frustrating. I didn't finish my Disney TR either because 1, I have been extremely busy with family matters and 2, when I post an update I get about 4 responses. Words just don't flow from me to the screen very well. To go through the effort of dealing with pics, typing something halfway entertaining, and getting little response just isn't fun. No big deal...I am not butthurt over it....just not going to expend the effort much anymore. I do appreciate those who do interact. A message board is not worth squat if people don't post and interact. 

[alexwyattmommy 181]

I am not quick with the thoughtful comments normally.  I often go through many updates on TRs without commenting, only reading.  It is the stupid silly comments I can do, and some of those fall pretty flat.  However, I don't know a single author who doesn't appreciate feed back, sorry for not thinking about that sooner.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I wish you'd finish.  And butthurt is a funny word. 

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I know how you feel since mine don't get many responses either, but please continue! You're in one of my favorite areas, and I want more!

 

And I have a question, that picture of the site with one of those A frame trailers.... is the site that wide? Are they all?

[Brent... Just Brent 83]

I'm not much of a TR commenter, but you said butthurt. Then I had to wipe the tea off the iPad. Well done. And great report. Except the part about kayaking across that lake with the storm clouds. That I could barely stand to read. Water and I aren't good friends like that.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

We've never visited a state park in Florida, but your pictures sure want me to try them!  Thanks for posting.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Beautiful kids and pix.

Please define butthurt?

No nerve mind. I don't want to know! Lol!

Beach good. Sand bad.

Kayaking good. Trespassing on federal land bad.

Cinnamon rolls good. No food pictures of kitties bad.

More TR good. Stopping TR bad.

I think a lot more people read then comment on TRs. Please continue as a previous poster said TRs allow us to go places and see things we may never get a chance to do ourselves.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

What? I wrote cinnamon rolls good and no food pictures of kitties pix bad.

Not pix of kitties. What's going on here?

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Food pictures of kitties!!!

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Food "P O R N"

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

I too have been reading along and not commenting. It has given me something to picture that was not at a hospital! This is near my home and I want you to continue! There do seem to be some folks that have groupies, but that doesn't make the rest of our trip reports any lesser! Summer is a slow time on FF.net, there is even a thread on here about there not being many posts right now.

 

I'm glad your not "butthurt!"

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

 

It is just a little frustrating. I didn't finish my Disney TR either because 1, I have been extremely busy with family matters and 2, when I post an update I get about 4 responses. Words just don't flow from me to the screen very well. To go through the effort of dealing with pics, typing something halfway entertaining, and getting little response just isn't fun. No big deal...I am not butthurt over it....just not going to expend the effort much anymore. I do appreciate those who do interact. A message board is not worth squat if people don't post and interact. 

 

Can't argue with that.

 

But, please don't stop.

 

As others have said, I really enjoy TR's from places I haven't been.

 

I don't know why some reports draw a lot of viewers and comments, while others don't.  I guess there are a lot of visitors to this site who are only interested in Disney and Fort Wilderness reports-those seem to always have more views than non-Disney reports.

 

As you said, trip reports are a lot of work.  And not so much fun when there is no response.  One thing you should think about though, is that you will always be able to go back and read your reports.  I wish this place existed when I first started to visit the Fort when my kids were little.  I would love to have old TR's to go back and read.  Instead, I have boxes of photos in a closet that I will need to go through and organize one day.  I'm sure I won't remember half of what is in the photos.  So, if for no other reason, write your reports for you.  And your kids.  It will be fun one day to go back and read them.

 

Please continue.

 

TCD

[ajcjmom 8]

I hope you finish the report. 

 

I don't post much because I usually check in at work, which means I don't have a lot of time.

 

I still am wishing some day to convince DH that we should camp!

 

I love the beauty of State Parks.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Food "P O R N"

Just FYI, that word does invoke one of the few filters FF.net has.  It helps folks that have controlled web access not to have the site blocked.  An acceptable alternative some use around here is Pood Forn :)

[Memphis 105]

 

The next morning we were up early and off to Chikfila for breakfast. After that we hit Walmart for some supplies. After storing the supplies we headed to Henderson Beach SP. Our pass from Rocky Bayou allowed us free entry into Henderson. After a short drive and toll we were at Henderson. 

 

Now am I normally anti sand, but my kids and wife are very much pro sand. So I decided to suck it up and enjoy it. 2 critical factors for my enjoyment are shade and a cooler. Thankfully we had both. I brought the 10' x 10' EZ Up, 4 chairs, porta crib, and cooler. Amazingly, we managed to get it all to the beach in one trip.

 

Here's Bode enjoying the set up.

 

 

 

 

The girls spent equal amounts of time in the water and in the shade playing in the sand

 

 

I even managed to get in the water a few times and swim with the kids and throw them into the waves.

 

We spent a little over 4 hours there. That has to be a record for me. I am usually done in about 30 minutes. 

 

The kids were spent at the end of the day.

 

We ended the day with a good dinner at a locals only type of seafood place in Niceville. I didn't take any pics but it was right on the water and very scenic. The grouper was good too. Here's a link if anyone is in the area. 

 

http://bluewaterbaymarina.com/schooners/

 

 

That's all for Thursday

I love the beaches in the panhandle. The sand really is like powered sugar. (but don't taste it) It is so soft and blinding white.  Really good call on the easy up the worst sunburns I have ever gotten came from the beaches up around Pensacola, Panama City and Destin. There are also some nice waves up there. Here in the Clearwater Area we need a storm or a cold front to get some decent size waves.  Please do finish the report I just found it today for some reason I missed it until now.  

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Just FYI, that word does invoke one of the few filters FF.net has. It helps folks that have controlled web access not to have the site blocked. An acceptable alternative some use around here is Pood Forn :)

Thanks. I forgot! See how stupid Ive gotten since I've been gone

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

The campsites are really really big here. That pic with the A frame is probably the same size as 5 others. The ones facing the water are the biggest. Some of the lower number sites are not really deep, though. I would say that you could put two campers with slides on any site. A lot of people had their camper, vehicles, and a boat all within their site. The only problem I see with big rigs is backing in. The road is narrow with trees, poles, etc in the way of some sites. I would say no problem with 33' and smaller on any site. About half of the sites I would not want to put our 40'er on. 

 

I don't have much else to report.

 

Saturday started off very rainy. We had planned on going to beach again, but the radar didn't look good. We went to lunch at The Back Porch instead. After lunch the rain moved out. We stopped at Destin Commons for a little shopping. I bought some toys in Bass Pro for the kids and then people watched.

 

By now the skies were blue

 

Destin Commons is a pretty nice place if shopping is your thing. 

 

Later we went back to the camp, had some Jim n Nicks BBQ and relaxed. 

 

I took the kids on a bike ride and to the playground. I also took a few more pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday morning we threw everything in the garage, hit the slide buttons, and headed north straight into torrential rain.  40mph on the interstate pulling 15,000+ lbs wasn't much fun.

 

Finito

 

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

For those who like the butthurt comment, please keep this form handy if butthurt is witnessed.

 

 

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

love the campground!!!!  will have to add it to my ever increasing "list"

 

Also love the butthurt worksheet :)

[DaveInTN 3,247]

LOL at the butthurt form.  :rofl3:

 

Looks like a nice park....a more rustic alternative to Topsail maybe.  We've not spent much time in Destin, and the weather was pretty nasty when we were there so we didn't enjoy ourselves.  Might have to go back some day to try it again. 

 

Thanks for the report Blake. 

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

love the campground!!!!  will have to add it to my ever increasing "list"

 

Also love the butthurt worksheet :)

 

Ditto X2!

 

I need to print a few dozen of those out and buy a roll of stamps.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

We usually spend a few hours at Destin Commons when we visit the area.

 

We grabbed drinks and apps at the Back Porch when we were there because it was raining.

 

I'm not sure I'd swim with the alligator sign posted.

 

Good report! Looks like a pretty cool place.

[Beckers 1,136]

Food pictures of kitties!!!

This made me majorly lol. That word is blocked because it was causing issues for people at work (or something like that) so the term is pood forn. So hard to type.

[Beckers 1,136]

The alligator sign has me confused.

Um, swim with caution?!?! How about don't get in the freaking water?!?!?