In the northwest corner of Florida, the condos dotting the beach evaporate in favor of a natural landscape, more reminiscent of winter.

The drive in this part of Pensacola Beach looks a lot like a snow covered greeting card in New England. Seasons collide at Gulf Shores National Seashore.

"If you walked out of your car, or stepped out of the plane, you would think you were in snow,” said Will Butler, a National Park Service park guide.

Butler was born for this.

"I was the kid whose mom locked me out on the weekends,” he recalled. “And I am catching snakes and turtles in the backyard and sinking boats in the lake."

Today, he's still involved with turtles. This time, providing an education on the wonders of nesting season.

"We have our sea turtles that come up every single year, lot of Loggerheads, we also get Greens and Kemp's ridley’s and the Giant Leatherbacks that are as big as a car's hood,” Will said.

All wildlife is held in high regard at this National Park site.

"First thing in the gate, we saw a great blue heron, laughing gulls. And not very far off the coast, we saw sharks,” Will explained.

No matter the season in this part of Escambia County, visitors have the chance to hike, bike, sun and swim for miles. The Gulf Islands National Seashore is so massive, the park spans more than 100,000 acres. In fact, the park stretches from northwest Florida all the way west to Mississippi.

A fishing pier stays open late for anglers, while everyone is welcome to behold the nightly fireball sinking in the western sky. Sunsets on the beach here are majestic.

"Every time I am out for a sunset, I see dolphins swimming by,” Will said.

Tankful on Television
You can catch new Florida on a Tankful stories each Thursday and Saturday on News 13 and Bay News 9. New editions play at the end of each hour starting at 6 a.m. Classic Florida on a Tankful stories can be found each Friday and Sunday on Bay News 9 and News 13 at the end of each hour starting at 6 a.m.

Tankful on Demand
Catch Florida on a Tankful with Scott Fais on your time, now on Bright House Local On Demand, Channel 999. Use your remote to scroll to the right to the TRAVEL category. Then scroll down to TANKFUL.

Scott Fais joins Travel Monthly
Catch our own Scott Fais as the Florida Correspondent on the On Demand travel magazine, Travel Monthly. Each month, Scott joins other travel reporters from across the United States as they showcase a wide variety of attractions, diners, parks and landmarks from across America. See Travel Monthly nationally on Time Warner Cable channel 411. And here at home on Channel 999. Or see more of Travel Monthly here, courtesy of NY1, a service of Charter Communications.