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This is the cover for my new revised and updated Gulf beach access guide.

A Cover Story: My New Gulf Beach Access Guide

How My New Book Cover Was Created One of the most important parts of a successful book is the cover. There’s just no way around it. So I knew this time I’d have to have my book cover professionally designed. Luckily, my son Nathan is a graphic designer who managed to make it through 4 […]

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Little Gasparilla Island homes on the Gulf of Mexico.

Little Gasparilla: Beyond the Reach of Urban Sprawl

The name “Little Gasparilla” doesn’t ring a bell with most folks. Not even with most Florida natives. It has managed to stay under the radar of just about everyone and everything. People love cars. If ya can’t get there by car, they ain’t goin. People love restaurants when they’re on vacation. Bringing all your own […]

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Step right up!

They Paved Paradise and Put Up a Parking Lot

The huge white quartz sand beach of Treasure Island is the subject of a controversy over whether the multiple carnival events held each year are getting out of hand. The beach is turning into a parking lot for several days, several times each year. Steve Nichols of Fox13 news recently did a story on the […]

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Beach Access sign

Florida is Making it Easier to Get to the Beach

For many years humans have worn trails through the dunes to the beach. Today, with so many people flocking to the beach and building homes on the shoreline, beach access has become more complicated. Access points vary from simple sand trails to spreading parks with modern amenities. And they come with rules. Lots of rules. […]

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children playing in the surf on anna maria island

Surf, Kids and Safety at the Beach

This is my message to parents and family members about taking kids into the surf at the beach. Whereas the beach is not a swimming pool, and Whereas the surf can be powerful and create dangerous and sudden currents, and Whereas the surf can appear much smaller from the beach than it actually is, and […]

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The cross has an inscription on the bottom: "Our Brother Lorn Heimann 1973-1993"

A Cross on the Beach for Lorn

As I was exploring beaches on Gasparilla Island, this wooden memorial cross caught my eye. I photographed it and wondered what the story behind the cross for Lorn Heimann was. When I got home, I searched for information about Lorn Heimann on the internet and found what I was looking for in an article written […]

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Lighthouse at Gasparilla Island State Park beach.

Photos From Gasparilla Island, Florida

I’ve been revisiting lots of beaches this year because I’m updating my beach access guidebook. I don’t write about beaches I’ve never been to, so I have to visit them all. I pretty much visit every trail to the beach, every city, county and state park beach, and I photograph each one. In my book […]

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