Visit Gulf County, Florida + Fun Spring Contest

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gulf County, Florida for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you like to travel?  Are you planning a trip to Florida anytime soon?  Let me introduce you to Gulf County, located in the Northwestern part of Florida.  Gulf County boasts 43 miles of natural shoreline, where it’s surrounded by water – with no high-rises or busy highways.  Sounds pretty nice, right?

Gulf County has white-sand beaches facing westward into spectacular sunsets – on the Gulf of Mexico and St. Joseph Bay.  You’ll find beckoning bayous, unexpected wildlife encounters and the mysterious Dead Lakes.  You’ll also find seaside bike trails, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and snorkeling.  You can learn more about this “no worry, no hurry” destination at http://www.visitgulf.com and on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Here are some quirky and fun facts about Gulf County:

–       With two time zones, only two stoplights and spotty Wi-Fi, their beautiful beaches truly let you unplug and connect with the most important thing – your family.  But don’t take their word for it, check out this at-a-glance Pinterest board with loads of local and loyalist recommendations: http://www.pinterest.com/gulfcountyfl/at-a-glance/.

–       The authentic and legendary Tupelo Honey is farmed in Gulf County.  The harvest begins soon – late April or early May.  In fact, the 24^th Annual Tupelo Honey Festival is held on May 17^th on the beautiful banks of Lake Alice in Wewahitchka.  Check it out http://www.visitgulf.com/events

–       Cape San Blas, the white sand peninsula in Gulf County, has amazing westward-facing beaches, so the sunsets are spectacular.  In fact, Gulf County, Florida is known as the #championofsunsets.

–       Beaches in Gulf County, Florida are consistently ranked in the top ten US beaches to bring your pets on vacation.  The most recent beach –  http://www.petvr.com/index.php/pages/Beachesindex.html.  Leashed pets are welcome on the beach at all times and most rental homes will throw out the red carpet for our furry friends!

I think if we were to take a family vacation to Gulf County, I would definitely want them to experience the 24^th Annual Topelo Honey Festival!  I would also love to share the experience with them of watching a gorgeous sunset at the beach.

ABOUT THE #GCFLNOFILTER CONTEST

Late last year, “selfie” was officially declared the word of the year.  Then, Dove took hold of the idea in its purest form.  And then The Today Show debuted its #LoveYourSelfie campaign.  A seemingly egotistical idea has evolved into one that asks you to embrace who you are – the real you.

And that’s exactly how Gulf County, Florida makes you feel.  Gulf County, Florida loves you for who you are and what you love.  Nothing manufactured; all real.  It goes hand in hand with laid-back Gulf County, Florida and its all-natural, beautiful outdoor playground on the water.  In Gulf County, Florida, they believe you never look more beautiful than getting outside and doing what you love.  The sweatier, the better!  They salute everyone who stands up for “true” beauty, and want to celebrate that realness in Gulf County, Florida.  Because nothing is more beautiful than getting outside and living life to the fullest.  Being healthy; having fun.

In honor of this, and because Gulf County, Florida is the kind of place that lets you do what you love to do and not worry about how you look, Gulf County, Florida has launched their Spring promotion – #GCFLnofilter through Instagram.

Contest Details:

1 – Get outside.  Snap a picture while doing what you love.  Be real.  Be messy.  The sweatier the more beautiful.

2 – Post your picture to Instagram.

3 – Tag #GCFLnofilter and tell @gulfcountyfl what you’re doing in your shot.

4 – That’s it.  You will be automatically entered to win a free Spring getaway to Gulf County.

What Will Gulf County Do?

For 30 days, Gulf County will celebrate you “unfiltered!” – the real you – people looking beautiful in their “action” selfies.

They will be posting great shots on their Facebook page and congratulating people for being beautiful, strong, confident, happy, etc.

They will pin pictures of great outdoor passions to their #GCFLnofilter Pinterest board and give recommendations on where everyone might enjoy that passion in GCFL.  Their locals and loyal visitors will chime in building suggestions around what makes people feel beautiful. In the end, they will have a board that not only highlights “things to do,” but is a living testimony for how they make you feel.

GCFL Means Business:

Being active. Breathing in the fresh air. Getting lost in the moment.  Feeling proud.

These things are so important that Gulf County is going to put their money where their mouth is.

For every entry GCFL receives, they will donate $1 to Outdoor Nation – up to a final donation of $5,000!  Outdoor Nation believes in reconnecting the Millennial Generation to the outdoors.  Our health, the health of our communities, and the health of our planet depend on it.  They believe in the same things as Gulf County does. See below:

“We stand for nature and we stand for adventure. We stand for climbing, hiking, surfing, and singing. We stand for dirt under our fingernails and sand between our toes. We believe in the power and passion of the Millennial Generation, and we stand for whatever you stand for. We are artists. We are activists. We are explorers, dreamers, students and teachers. We are Outdoor Nation. And we want to help you change the world.”

http://outdoornation.org/

http://blog.outdoornation.org/

Contest Prizes:

Five long-weekend Spring getaways to Gulf County will be given out at random. Gulf County, Florida will draw a new winner every week and one extra upon conclusion of the sweepstakes.  They will provide great lodging in some unique places along the Gulf, St. Joseph Bay or in the cute small town of Port St. Joe. Perfect spots to enjoy your favorite outdoor activity.  Each prize package will also include $200 to help with travel expenses and $150 towards your passion of choice.  Feel free to spend it on an excursion once you get to Gulf County or to treat yourself to something at home. All to celebrate the outdoors and the real you!

For further information, visit the Facebok contest tab – http://statictab.com/x3bg59m

Check out my Instagram Selfie!  In the selfie, I am with a friend and we are exercising in the beautiful outdoors.  I love to go on walks and explore nature, but having a friend with you makes it that much sweeter!

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For more information, be sure to Like GCFL on Facebook and salute real beauty!  Come visit GCFL,

Have you been to Gulf County, Florida before?  What would you want to see there if you had the opportunity to visit?