We were in Eastpoint in February 2021 during our Winter Warmth trip. Read about our previous visit in 2020 here.

Florida’s Forgotten Coast is a real hidden gem! It’s much quieter and less commercial than your average Florida coastal area, with small towns and powder-sand beaches, seafood galore, and a wonderful state park. We love it there and were excited to return, but could only hit the highlights on this short visit. Definitely read our first Eastpoint post for a more comprehensive review of the area.

Apalachicola Bay is known for its oysters. For decades, the bay has produced 90% of Florida’s oysters, but in recent years overfishing, droughts, and other environmental pressures have wreaked havoc on the oysters’ habitat. Late last year, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission instituted a five-year moratorium on oyster fishing in the bay to allow the reefs to regenerate, aided by FWC rehabilitation efforts. The situation is sad for the local fishing industry, and sad for the local oyster population, and it’ll be interesting to see how the moratorium affects the small towns along the Forgotten Coast over the next few years.

Campground

Once again, we stayed at Coastline Campground, but with a slightly less-sweet campsite a little farther from the water (the first time we were in the front row). The campground is all full-hookup; there’s a playground, laundry room, and pool in the center, and a pizza restaurant tucked in the corner. It’s a lovely place and we recommend it. And, after rereading about our awning troubles in the first Eastpoint post, I am happy to report that we are now awning experts.

Eating and drinking and playing

We didn’t do anything new this visit! These are all repeats and favorites from our first visit.

We ate oysters and fish.

Lynn’s, a tiny shop and restaurant just down the road from the campground, was our favorite place for oysters last trip. This time, to avoid Covid, we wanted to eat our oysters outside, but their deck was under construction. Also, nobody inside was wearing masks, and we were uncomfortable with that, so we left and continued down the road to Apalachicola.

Apalachicola is an adorable little seaside town. Our first stop, just over the bridge, was The Station Raw Bar for a dozen oysters (from Texas) at a picnic table out front. Yum.

We ended up returning to The Station on our way out of town for a carryout dinner of an oyster po-boy with hushpuppies and fries, which we enjoyed at our campsite after making it all a little less soggy in our oven. Dinner was just ok, but desert was delicious! J impulse-bought a mini key lime pie at the register at The Station and it was dreamy.

In the morning, we stocked up on grouper and fish dip at Island View Seafood Market. We ate them both that evening at our next campsite in Bronson; the grouper was fresh and tasty, but the fish dip seemed to have come from a grocery store and was not from local fish–and not nearly as good as what we got from Lynn’s last visit.

We ate donuts.

Weber’s donuts is a must-visit if you’re in Eastpoint! It’s just across the bridge on St George Island. The donuts are beautiful and so good! Go early to avoid lines and shortages, and take cash.

We bought dog gifts.

Our favorite shop in Apalachicola is Oysterbones, a dog biscuit and pet supplies store. The generous person behind the counter showered Bugsy with cookies, and we bought a few silly gifts for pet-crazy family members. It’s a really cute store, if you’re into that sort of thing, which I 100% am. (If you recall, last visit I bought Bugsy a Princess Leia headband and a ski cap; J did not permit me to buy her any headwear this time.)

We drank beer.

Oyster City Brewing Company in Apalachicola is a fun spot to relax after buying dog cookies. The beer didn’t make us jump for joy, but our table in the sun was lovely, except for the dog doo next to it. Come on, people.

We ran in the state park.

St George Island State Park is just a delight, about 15 minutes from the campground. For $6 you get access to undeveloped beaches, birds, wildlife, and a dog-friendly trail through the forest to a secret little beach. Our out-and-back run on the trail was just over 4.5 flat miles, starting at the back of the campground. The park doesn’t open until 8am–or camp in the park and access the trail anytime!

We’ll be back to Eastpoint for sure!