Sparking was the term for courting, dating, etc. etc. etc.
Ol' Timers' & Natives Sowal Spring Memories
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Sweet memories:clap_1: I can only imagine what life was like at that time....simple and filled with adventure.
I like that term...
Bobby--Was that the bar right in front of One Seagrove Place... If so, my friend Dan used to go in for a beer while his wife thought he was out walking.
He said the sign for the bar was lying on the grass.
Sa-weeet...
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What I remember of Santa Rosa Beach as a teenager was that it was incredibly boring. In the winter, there was nothing going on, no traffic, all the beach houses were empty, theves would break in to them and stay a couple of weeks. There was nothing to the west on 98 until you got to the Green Knight.
I sometimes miss boring...
FloridaGirl is correct; as a teenager, it was incredibly boring by most people's standards. However, we were pretty successful at making our own funn. ;-)
One thing that stands out in my mind is that, if I was going somewhere with anyone other than my immediate family, it was very difficult to get anybody to come pick me up. My home then is where my home is now...except back then, it required about three miles of dirt road. How things have changed!
One thing that stands out in my mind is that, if I was going somewhere with anyone other than my immediate family, it was very difficult to get anybody to come pick me up. My home then is where my home is now...except back then, it required about three miles of dirt road. How things have changed!
Looks like some of ya'll locals live in that magical PW area. 
So when did your road get paved?
I love Eden Gardens and the little nature trail too. Shhhh...seems like no one is ever on it. ;-) I sooo wanna bring our canoe sometime and get back in that water. Where would be some of the best canoe places? How about Morrison Springs? Are there any other springs in Walton County?Sure would a piece of property in the country with a little spring on it down there somewhere. Just wonder how much the state paid for that little piece of heaven? 
So when did your road get paved? I love Eden Gardens and the little nature trail too. Shhhh...seems like no one is ever on it. ;-) I sooo wanna bring our canoe sometime and get back in that water. Where would be some of the best canoe places? How about Morrison Springs? Are there any other springs in Walton County?Sure would
a piece of property in the country with a little spring on it down there somewhere. Just wonder how much the state paid for that little piece of heaven? 
The Reagan Era. Back in the 1980s, I spent my first week on the emerald shores of the Gulf Coast. It took residence in my heart from that day forward. Senior year spring break was spent in Fort Walton Beach. My best friend and I drove down by ourselves. We felt so liberated without adults around.
Shortly I became a Seminole, and I would leave FSU's campus on a sunny Friday afternoon to drive three hours to Seaside. It was just a baby back then, lol -- the Sundog Bookstore was a narrow trailer-like structure with screens for ventilation. The outdoor stage was just a dirt area.
Dozens of trips I took to little nooks and crannies beyond the tourist areas of the Gulf -- Port St Joe, Cape San Blas, St George Island, Mexico Beach. What a pristine, unadulterated place it was, and still is, compared to some other US beaches.
I remember the Oaks Restaurant near Panacea, a rural gulf coast fishing village. There I ate unshelled oysters served in a large bowl. Visual appeal was not a priority with world-class Appalachiacola oysters -- they sold themselves on the taste alone. I topped them with cocktail sauce, and it was well with my soul.
I could never afford to rent a condo or a beach house at SoWal. Even a hotel room is too much in high season. But I do have my own private room I can always afford: my tent at the Grayton Beach State Recreational Area. I can stay for a week for the price of two nights at a hotel. And I sleep under the stars with an ensemble of frogs, crickets, and waves singing me to sleep.
Shortly I became a Seminole, and I would leave FSU's campus on a sunny Friday afternoon to drive three hours to Seaside. It was just a baby back then, lol -- the Sundog Bookstore was a narrow trailer-like structure with screens for ventilation. The outdoor stage was just a dirt area.
Dozens of trips I took to little nooks and crannies beyond the tourist areas of the Gulf -- Port St Joe, Cape San Blas, St George Island, Mexico Beach. What a pristine, unadulterated place it was, and still is, compared to some other US beaches.
I remember the Oaks Restaurant near Panacea, a rural gulf coast fishing village. There I ate unshelled oysters served in a large bowl. Visual appeal was not a priority with world-class Appalachiacola oysters -- they sold themselves on the taste alone. I topped them with cocktail sauce, and it was well with my soul.
I could never afford to rent a condo or a beach house at SoWal. Even a hotel room is too much in high season. But I do have my own private room I can always afford: my tent at the Grayton Beach State Recreational Area. I can stay for a week for the price of two nights at a hotel. And I sleep under the stars with an ensemble of frogs, crickets, and waves singing me to sleep.