I remember the first time I walked on a beach that did not adjoin the Gulf of Mexico. I was nine, and a bit thrown. The brown sand beneath my feet and darker waters were so different than what I was used to. In graduate school, I again tried an East Coast beach—with similar results. Though the pebbly shore was beautiful, the chilly waters in late May made swimming an endeavor best left for those with stouter hearts.

Beach preferences are all relative, of course—just ask those enjoying the splendor of beaches in East Hampton, New York, or Cape Cod, Massachusetts. But here in Northwest Florida, we do consider ourselves geographically fortunate when it comes to the variety of our shoreline, from the luminous green waters to the darker blue depths, and everything in between.

In this, our third issue, readers familiar with the Forgotten Coast (that lovely stretch of coast extending from a few miles west of Port St. Joe to just east of Apalachicola) will know the kind of brilliant beaches that are found here and consistently named among the nation's finest. Writer Melanie Radzicki McManus covers almost every inch of the area for her story on the inaugural Plein Air Paintout of the Forgotten Coast, a ten–day event that brings in artists from all over the country to capture the beauty on canvas. Continuing with the coastal theme, we also recount the firsthand excitement of the Bay Point Invitational Billfish Tournament (in which the biggest blue marlin earns a tidy $100, 000), as well as follow top athletes competing in the Ford Ironman Florida triathlon, both events taking place at Panama City Beach.

Moving inland, Paul Goldberger, Pulitzer Prize–winning author and architecture critic, examines Florida's vernacular architecture—its origins and its modern incarnations—while photographers Clyde Butcher and Allen Rokach team up for a brilliant photo essay about the mysterious cypress-filled backwaters of the Dead Lakes. And for those of you itching to head out into the magnificent longleaf pine forests and fields, the new wildflower guidebook by Florida native Gil Nelson, reviewed in this issue, may be just the ticket.

Whether we are exploring parts of inland Florida or hitting the sparkling beaches for a relaxing day in the sun, SweetTea journal is all about letting folks know just how great we have it here in Northwest Florida. And people are noticing. Our publication was named one of the 31 Most Notable Magazine Launches in 2006, according to Media Industry Newsletter—one of publishing's leading authorities.