WATERFRONT LIFESTYLE: Rivercamps on Crooked Creek
A PARADISE FOR OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS BY VAL SCHOGER PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FENDER
Lanky pine trees line the long, winding roads that lead to Tim and Kim Hatley’s house in one of Bay County’s partially developed neighborhoods: Rivercamps. The two-story residence offers views onto treetops and glimpses of the twists and turns of Crooked Creek on the horizon. It is one of currently 40 completed houses in a community defined by tranquillity, seclusion, and countless amenities for its residents, just a few minutes north of Panama City Beach. While this house is not their first in Northwest Florida, it might be the one that makes the Harleys feel most at home.
Living in Florida’s mild climate and enjoying an active outdoor lifestyle is a dream for many. Tim and Kim Hatley, originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, started exploring Northwest Florida in 2007 when they heard about the beautiful beaches and friendly locals. “A friend of mine said it’s the nicest place you can drive to in one day. So, we got in the car and drove,” Tim remembers. He explains that, at the time, they owned a home in Tulsa and a lake house that was their weekend getaway. “Once we came here for a couple of days, I looked at Kim and I said, ‘We need to sell the lake house and buy a place here.’” It did not take long for this plan to be set into action. The Hatleys bought their first house in Florida in what was at the time one of the newest developments in Walton County, a residential area aptly named Watercolor, reflecting its coastal town flair. Watercolor offered walking distance to its pristine private beach and impeccable amenities contributed to an upscale flair. The couple’s daughter Taylor was a teenager at the time and quickly made friends. The entire family loved the outdoors. Soon they found themselves spending more time in their new home and beginning to think about moving to Florida permanently. Plans became reality and Taylor went to middle school in South Walton County but finished high school in Tulsa. When she enrolled in college in Oklahoma, her parents started looking for a residence that felt more like a home to them.
“We decided that we wanted a quieter lifestyle and a house with more land. We wanted to stay close to the water, with low upkeep,” Tim and Kim explain. “We were already familiar and very happy with the amenities that St. Joe Company offered at Watercolor. So, Rivercamps, also a St. Joe development, resonated very well with us. We just weren’t sure about the location at first and decided to lease this house for one and half years to see if we liked it.”
With its close proximity to the airport, their new location turned out to be ideal. The five-minute drive to Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport drastically cut down on travel time, an important factor for the couple as they have been traveling back and forth to Oklahoma every few weeks. Feeling very happy in their Rivercamps home, they finalized the purchase in the beginning of 2019.
“I just think this is the best of both worlds,” Kim says. The move to Rivercamps didn’t mean she had to give up any of the activities she enjoyed while living in South Walton. She plays tennis several times a week and for shopping, she points out that Pier Park, with several dozen retailers, is just 10 minutes away. “You can get there and play and do your things, and then come home where it’s nice and quiet and peaceful. We have room to breathe and the best neighbors anyone could wish for. I have started working as a real estate agent and Rivercamps is very convenient to all my appointments and the office.”
With its coastal design, the home blends beautifully with its surroundings, standing tall on pilings among hundreds
of pine trees.
With its coastal design, the home blends beautifully with its surroundings, standing tall on pilings among hundreds of pine trees. Stairs lead up to the main entrance, where a screened-in front porch is just one of four indoor/outdoor living spaces that makes the residence unique.
The main entrance opens to a foyer with stairs leading up to a landing that is Tim’s home office. As an independent grocery wholesale agent, he works with large nationwide suppliers and supermarkets. The office setup is perfect, with no distractions other than the occasional large bird flying by, and beckoning views of Crooked Creek winding into West Bay in the distance.
An avid bass fisherman for many years, Tim had to keep his fishing boat at a marina before moving to Rivercamps. Not anymore—the new neighborhood offers a boat launch. He can have his boat in the water and be fishing for redfish and trout within minutes, even equipped with ice, as one of the countless Rivercamps amenities includes an ice maker at the boat launch.
With four bedrooms and four closed-in porches, the home is perfect for entertaining visitors. One of the bedrooms with adjacent bathroom is situated in the carriage house, which is detached from the main house, only connected by a flyover walkway. “The house looks a lot bigger than it is,” Kim says, but the space is perfect for the empty-nesters, their cat, and three dogs, plus an adopted outdoor kitten.
Reclaimed wood flooring lends a rustic feel to the main living room that opens to the kitchen, offering phenomenal views of the forest that surrounds the house.
One of Kim’s favorite things to do in the mornings and evenings is to watch the small herd of deer that assemble outside the kitchen window to eat the corn that she has put out for them. When asked about her favorite spot in the house, Kim gives it some thought, but then points to the largest of the four porches, just off the foyer.
The screened-in indoor/outdoor space feels like a tree house, and she loves to sit and enjoy a good book by the crackling fireplace, listening to birds singing and wind rustling through the leaves. “Well, in the summer, the dogs do not like the porch as much as I do,” she says with a laugh. “They prefer the air conditioning inside the house.” Taking their three dogs on long walks through the forest and by the water’s edge is one of the daily outdoor activities she and Tim enjoy. There are approximately seven miles of trails, paths, and boardwalks that connect the residents with the many amenities at Rivercamps, with several observation decks along the way looking onto picturesque ponds and marshes. Quiet observers will catch glimpses of wildlife on the ground, in the air, and in the water. Is their home perfect for them? Kim and Tim say yes; it is their ideal home, but they do have a few plans for improvements in the near future. “We might set up a small A/C unit for the largest porch. It will be much more comfortable in the summer to enjoy,” says Tim. Kim mentions that they are thinking about replacing the tile flooring in the foyer with limestone. A kitchen update might be next on their list, along with finding ways to add closet space to their master bedroom.
With their own improvement projects in mind, the Hatleys have noticed that their neighborhood has started to grow in the last two years. According to the developer, two-thirds of this 1,500-acre community is committed to conservation. It is a prerequisite for the development permitting process and follows wetland
regulations. Many of the home sites are one acre or larger in size. According to the St. Joe Company, Rivercamps has 450 lots of which 301 are currently developed. As of April 2019, 40 homes are completed and nine houses are under construction.
“There have been more and more families, younger families with kids, moving into the neighborhood,” Kim says, confirming the recent growth spurt in the neighborhood. Tim agrees. “I believe that most everyone lives here full-time. It’s a mix of retired residents out here and young families,” he says. “That’s the big difference from our old 30A neighborhood, where many of the houses are second homes and are being rented out.”
The Hatleys do not mind driving the few minutes that it takes to reach restaurants, shops, or entertainment. And lucky for them, their favorite restaurant, Boondocks, is just around the corner. “It’s got a lot of character,” Tim says. Along with the fresh fish menu, he recommends the anniversary pie for everyone to try. “We don’t eat out as much as we used to but when we do, Boondocks is our absolute favorite.”
Tim and Kim Hatley look very happy in their new home. Which of the amenities is their absolute favorite at Rivercamps? The choice is tough. There is a fitness room, a large zero-entry swimming pool by the water’s edge, the boathouse as an indoor/outdoor venue for large gatherings, and even a campground with two large “glamping” tents and a fireplace for the owners and their guests to enjoy. Tim glances at his wife and laughs. “I like it the most when my workday ends.” Kim adds an aspect that the developers might have hoped for. “It really feels like a neighborhood where everyone helps each other,” she says. “The great neighbors we have here have made a wonderful difference.”