Labor Day Weekend Makes Me Think of Port St. Joe

My mother grew up in Port St. Joe, Florida so when we were young we went back there often to spend Labor Day weekends on the beach. This weekend I was having dinner with my girlfriend, remembering back some of the beach adventures and she suggested that I share this one with you.

I usually spent a couple of weeks every summer with my cousins in Port St. Joe. It just so happened that my relatives lived across the street from "the monument" and just a short walk from the museum. By now you must be asking yourself what museum could possibly be in Port St. Joe. Most people don't know that Florida's constitution was signed in this small Florida town and at the time it was signed St. Joe was a bustling community. Unfortunately in the early 1800's the area was wiped out by yellow fever and a couple of hurricanes. When I was young we all believed a tidal wave had swept the town off the map but you can read more of the history here. After the hurricanes hit the surviving community, whatever was left of PSJ was washed into the bay. This is where I come in. During the summers the curator of the museum would pay me and my cousins 25 cents to walk in the bay at low tide to squish around in the muck for porcelain pieces and other items belonging to the early settlers that might have washed out to sea. Keep in mind that when I was in second and third grade, a quarter was good for 25 pieces of candy! We spent many hours in bare feet squishing around in the bay. So if you ever happen to get to PSJ, Mexico Beach or Cape San Blas, stop by and see the monument and enjoy the museum. I hope you will see some of my childhood summer footwork.