Old "Grayton Beach" memories

[DBOldford]

Re: Old "Grayton Beach" people from the 60's & 70's

Okay---we need a gathering, people! This will be to celebrate the good old days and to celebrate surviving the storms. We will offer Conch Out in either mid-October or over the Christmas holidays for this. It's large enough to accommodate a crowd and easy access to the beach and Red Bar. Maybe everyone can dress vintage 60s (which shouldn't be hard...it's what we do every day down there) and bring a favorite photo or story of Old Grayton Days. I am thinking this should be an event that would welcome homeowners and visitors alike. Someone should create a Hurricane Voodoo Doll that we can all set upon. I have tons of 60s and 70s tunes on CDs. The only rule is that we won't talk politics or football so that no one ends up in the pokey in DeFuniak. Any interest in this? Kurt and Smilin' Joe, we can't have this party without both of you, the local heroes.

 

[steele mama]

Re: Old "Grayton Beach" people from the 60's & 70's

My sister, Pat Pinkston Weldon, Donna Butler and I would walk down to "Orange Mountain" (now Gulf Trace) and dig up Indian pottery. Donna said it was an old Indian mound. I believed her. Come to think of it...I don't know if we ever found any pottery.

 

[JC]

Re: Old "Grayton Beach" people from the 60's & 70's

My sister, Pat Pinkston Weldon, Donna Butler and I would walk down to "Orange Mountain" (now Gulf Trace) and dig up Indian pottery. Donna said it was an old Indian mound. I believed her. Come to think of it...I don't know if we ever found any pottery.

The mounds are there! We use to find big chunks of pottery, arrow heads too!

 

[JC]

Re: Old "Grayton Beach" people from the 60's & 70's

Take it from one who literally spent part of each year of her life at Grayton Beach, those really were the days....the 60's and 70's. The age of innocence when we didn't know any better than to just enjoy "being" at the beach. Skeeter was a legend and I'm sure no one was surprised when he died young, maybe we were surprised he lived as long as he did. Everyone of us that experienced those times has special and unique memories of the magic of Grayton.

The nights were even more special than the days. Open doors and windows full of the night sounds...crickets, frogs, rustling leaves, the jukebox, and an occasional car on the hard road. Playing cards at different houses. Lots of PBJ sandwiches. Running a tab at the "store". I still don't know how our parents settled the bill at the end of the summer as there were a lot of us Pinkstons charging ice cream and Cokes. VanEs would just write it down on a small pad. Each family had a ledger. No debit card, no ID, no interest charges either!!

The thought of doing out to dinner never ever crossed our minds. My Granddad did go to Chapman's across the bay bridge occasionally, but there was not a single place to eat out without driving to Destin or Panama City and our family wouldn't consider that. We did however eat lots of good southern dinners with fresh vegetables (from the produce truck that came by a couple times a week) and plenty of ice cold watermelon.

We really should organize a reunion of the people that were lucky enough to have spent summers at Grayton during the 60's and 70's. Any volunteers?

On another note, our house will be 50 years old next summer and we are working on a BIG celebration. Lots of history there and we are looking forward to 50 more years!

Guess you can see why my name is "OT"

Skeeter was a legend...to us younger guys. Awsome car "The Lizard", I think it was a Chevelle...Cool Car. He use to tell use about how he raced it at Daytona!

 

[Oldtimer]

Re: Old "Grayton Beach" people from the 60's & 70's

The mounds are there! We use to find big chunks of pottery, arrow heads too!

On a sad note, Lonesome Pine is long gone. Wish I had one of those post cards of the pine that they sold at The Store. A beautiful thing.

Just so thankful that the state had the good sense to preserve the dunes to the west of Grayton. A really good thing.

 

[JEANNE]

Re: Old "Grayton Beach" people from the 60's & 70's

Yeah, I remember the Lonesome pine...in fact I still have a piece of the bark from the old tree. I have kept it all these years! It was devastating when I heard of its fate. I too grew up down at Grayton every summer during the 60's and 70's. I remember a dude called Charlie Kawaski that would be at The Store on the weekends. He was always a "cool dude". I would dance and play pool until all hours of the night at the store. We really didn't have much of a curfew. Our parents just let us stay out until there were no more parents at the store. I started driving on the beach at about age 10 I think. I could barely reach the pedals. My cousin taught me how to drive a stick. I have such sweet and sacred memories of my childhood. It is almost like a dream. And it's a dream I will never forget. I love Grayton Beach with all my heart!!

 

[Kurt]

Re: Old "Grayton Beach" people from the 60's & 70's

Yeah, I remember the Lonesome pine...in fact I still have a piece of the bark from the old tree. I have kept it all these years! It was devastating when I heard of its fate. I too grew up down at Grayton every summer during the 60's and 70's. I remember a dude called Charlie Kawaski that would be at The Store on the weekends. He was always a "cool dude". I would dance and play pool until all hours of the night at the store. We really didn't have much of a curfew. Our parents just let us stay out until there were no more parents at the store. I started driving on the beach at about age 10 I think. I could barely reach the pedals. My cousin taught me how to drive a stick. I have such sweet and sacred memories of my childhood. It is almost like a dream. And it's a dream I will never forget. I love Grayton Beach with all my heart!!

 

[tfolse5]

Re: Old "Grayton Beach" people from the 60's & 70's

My family first went to Grayton in 1958; I was 7 yrs. old. I have a few pictures of those days, many more in my mind and heart. We still go every summer, but REALLY miss the old cottages. Our group usually numbers between 35-45, we are in our 5th generation. We would gladly give up the air conditioning, microwaves, TV's, telephones, washers and dryers, carpet to go back to rents of less than $300 per week, less people, less development!! We tried so hard to keep our paradise a secret!! So much I could tell you....I remember showers outside because there was only a tub inside(if anything besides a toilet!!), asking my aunt-who used to stay in the Hi Rise-who was the first to have an inside shower-if I could please come and take 1 warm shower mid-way through the week, singing and bonfires at night, being told by our parents not to walk through the lagoon(now called Western Lake outlet) because "who knows what might be in there"-so we had to walk around through the sand. It was much further to the beach then. We visited more in the afternoons and in the evening instead of being closed up in our cottages. Yes, we brought fans from home and our own linens; we still bring our own griddles for blueberry pancakes. This is just the beginning...so much more....one thing I would like to know is what happened to the ordinance or whatever about not building on the dunes??? Looking forward to sharing more memories of our Mecca

 

[Jdarg]

Re: Old "Grayton Beach" people from the 60's & 70's

We LOVE reading these stories! It gives us "new" people great ideas for traditions to start! The kids already take their showers outside- we figured out a long time ago to throw the soap and shampoo in the outside shower- why make'em clean up twice?

Everyone keep posting. I'm going to print them out in a few days and read them to the kids on the drive down.

 

[tfolse5]

Re: Old "Grayton Beach" people from the 60's & 70's

Well, these outside showers were the ONLY ones available, and there was no warm water, no privacy...it was pretty different. Hope y'all have a great time and make wonderful family memores. I copied some pages from a guest book in one of the places we rented this summer. If you want to send me your address I can mail them to you-inspirational reading!! Also, there were pickers EVERYWHERE you walked -or cockleburrs as some people called them. We were forever removing them from our feet....and we had to sweep several times a day-wooden floors. We all get together in the evening to eat; everybody brings one or two things-what gourmet feasts we have!! Perhaps some of you have seen us-usually the 2nd week of June...We used to rent the Brink before Opal, then the little pink house on the end of (now) cottage street until SOMEONE "had to buy" it and tore it down-what a wonderful porch it had. Where are y'all staying?