It’s that time of year…planning summer vacation! For most people, it includes a trip to the beach. Not sure which to chose or want to try something new, check out Dr. Beach. Every year he releases the Top 10 Beaches in America List…and I spent this weekend at #6 on the 2011 list, St. George Island, Florida.

St. George Island is a 28-mile long and 2-mile wide barrier island in the northern Gulf of Mexico. We flew into Tallahassee for the 90-minute drive south to Eastpoint, Florida then took the four-mile bridge across the Apalachicola Bay to St. George Island where you’re greeted by the pretty lighthouse. The island is a gorgeous, quaint, quiet beach community with not much going on which was perfect for our girls’ weekend.

We stayed in my girlfriend’s aunt’s beach house in The Plantation, a lovely gated community with lots of rentals. We spent most of our time on the beach…wide white soft sandy beaches…relaxing in the sun, happy hour on the beach, cooking dinners in. On the calm water days, you could see through the blue waters to the bottom and enjoy lots of dolphin watching. They even put on a show for us one evening during cocktails…incredible!

We brought most of what we needed for groceries, etc… from the main land. While there are a few small stores, the options are limited. We dined out one night at Blue Parrot on the beach on local seafood then moseyed over to Harry A’s for live music. Had a great time on the local scene.

St. George Island State Park is the actual beach that was #6 on the list but our stretch was beautiful and I’d recommend it. If you like beach fishing, there’s lots of that going on. And you can rent lots of kayaks, etc.. for water sporting.

In addition to the Top 10 List, there’s a Beachfinder tool to help you find your perfect spot. Because as Dr. Beach says, “the right beach is just what the doctor ordered.” I agree.

Cheers to summer beach time and finding YOUR perfect spot!