A Town Called WaterColor
Pastel yellows, pinks and
purples streak the evening sky, while silver glazes the Gulf of Mexico’s
turquoise waters. As the sun sinks below the horizon, the hues diffuse and blend
into each other like a serene watercolor painting.
With this scene as its
backdrop, it’s no wonder that the newest community on northwest Florida's
coastal road, Scenic 30-A, has adopted a name that captures the Gulf Coast's
rich palette – WaterColor.
This is a region of the world
where man and nature gently co-exist. A dozen residential resort villages hug
the 26-mile
coast known as Beaches of South Walton. Cradled between the Gulf of Mexico and Choctawhatchee Bay, these low-rise planned communities enjoy crowd-free beaches
rimmed by protected parklands.
It’s this relaxing mix of
residential comfort and nature’s bounty that lures my husband and me to
WaterColor. The region doesn’t disappoint, and for the next several days, a
spacious townhouse with a wraparound porch becomes our home.
Our first priority is to
experience the area’s incredible beaches. Getting to the beach requires crossing
Scenic 30-A at a stop sign, but once we cross a footbridge that spans the dunes,
we enter a natural world serenaded by waves.
Dazzling white sand edges
crystalline emerald water. Ground through millennia from brilliant quartz, the
sand squeaks underfoot. Because an underwater shelf traps items carried by
incoming tides, flotsam and seaweed rarely taint the pristine coast. For the
same reason, few shells reach the shore, so instead of beachcombing we watch the
dunes’ tufted sea oats dance in the breeze.
After our beach walk, we
scope out the rest of the resort community. In Cerulean Park, groundskeepers
shoo away "Capone," a great blue heron boldly feasting on koi in the park pond.
"He's a protected species," one of them tells us, "so the most we can do is
shout at him." Not even the floating plastic alligator head with red beady eyes
scares him. A water canal bordered with blossoming flowers stretches from the
pond to the marina on Western Lake. Slash pines, so named because their trunks
were once cut to extract turpentine, rim this coastal dune lake. At the
boathouse, cyclists mount bikes to ride through pinelands, and canoeists cast
off from the pier. We slip into kayaks to explore the calm lake.
Only
a berm of sand separates it from the gulf. The periodic intrusion of saltwater
causes the lake to be brackish (salty) near the shore, but sweet farther inland.
Depending on their location, anglers may reel in a saltwater red snapper or
freshwater brim.
Pristine Parklands
WaterColor's western border
abuts Grayton Beach State Recreation Area, one of many parks that provide
protected habitat for native species. Because 40 percent of Beaches of South
Walton’s land area is state-owned and restricted from development, recreational
trails abound. Hiking and biking paths wind through such diverse natural
settings as sand hills, pine flatlands, cypress ponds and dunes.
That afternoon we visit Eden
State Gardens, a former timber baron’s estate that hugs Tucker Bayou. Massive
live oaks grace the lush grounds. Designated "live" because they leaf through
all seasons, the trees cast a welcome shade. As we picnic alongside the bayou, we
bask in the serene setting. In contrast, from the 1890s through World War I, the
waterfront whirred with workers loading Gulf Coast lumber on barges for shipment
to Pensacola and points beyond.
During a tour of the
residence, we learn how the last owner reconstructed the house to showcase her
collection of family heirlooms
and antiques. Impressive original Louis XVI court furnishings adorn the living
and dining rooms. Upstairs, the guide unscrews a bed post's pineapple-shaped top
and places it on the pillow as he describes how 19th-century houseguests
typically stayed for months. "Putting the pineapple on your pillow was the
hostess's polite way of telling you it was time to leave," he explains.
Coastal Critters and Dune
Lakes
Later that week, we explore
trails lacing diverse vegetation of Topsail Hill State Preserve, a three-mile
span of undeveloped coast. Inland, paths penetrate pine forests–a habitat for
possum, armadillo and white-tail deer. Nearer the shore, salty sea spray has
stunted the trees. A variety of flowers, including golden aster and yellow
buttons, hugs the dunes.
Our naturalist guide, Jim
Moyers, points out tracks in the sand, no bigger than the impressions of rain
drops, made by Choctawhatchee beach mice. Although their tiny size suggests
insignificance, these endangered critters help supply the dune’s food chain.
A channel of water fringed
with beach grass flows from Lake Morris to the shoreline. Jim explains that
about six times each winter high water in the canal combined with high surf
breaks through the berm separating the lake from the gulf. "When it pops off,"
he says, "it's like a gully wash."
The day of our departure, we
stroll the shimmering white beach one last time. Green stalks of sea oats
stretch to a pastel blue sky. As the gulf deepens, emerald waters darken to
turquoise and then cerulean. Nature paints yet another memorable watercolor.
WHEN YOU GO:
The Beaches of South Walton,
which include 13 resort villages, cover a 26 mile-stretch between Destin and
Panama City on Florida’s panhandle. Air service is available through the Fort
Walton and Panama City airports.
Lodging, activities
and dining information: From cabins to villas,
Beaches of South Walton offers a variety of accommodations. Great dining options
abound. For a brochure and assistance call 1-800-822-6877
or visit
www.beachesofsouthwalton.com. Information about WaterColor’s lodging options
is also available by calling toll-free 1-866-426-2656 or visiting
www.watercolorflorida.com.
