SUMMER 2019 11
Frost
A long with the El Governor Motel, Driftwood
Inn, City Pier and Toucan’s, Frost Pottery
Garden & Gift Shop was one of Mexico Beach’s
most recognizable landmarks. It was impossible
to miss! Festooned with wind spinners, outdoor
art, exotic plants and splashing fountains, there
were hundreds of pots in every size, shape and
color imaginable. It was the livelihood, pride
and joy of the Frost family and nearly a dozen
dedicated staff members.
As Hurricane Michael barreled across the Gulf,
the time came to evacuate. Faced with the
nightmare prospect of historic surge levels and
160 mph winds, the Frosts came to a chilling
realization – everything that made their business
great also made it vulnerable. The vast inventory
of pottery, sculpture and artwork was utterly
breakable. Thousands of exotic plants were
doomed by impending hurricane force winds
and raging Gulf waters. Worst of all, they were
helpless to alleviate damage. For Frost Pottery
Garden & Gift Shop, and for all of Mexico
Beach, there was no place to hide. Resigned,
they warehoused what they could and left the
coast with everything they could carry.
What they returned to was heartbreaking. Their
home demolished. Their business stripped to the
foundations. Life and livelihood reduced to little
more than a field of rubble and debris. An entire
town laid waste. “It was totally overwhelming,”
said Dena Frost, tears welling up as she talked.
“At first, it seemed like we – and everyone in
town – had lost everything.” The devastation in
Mexico Beach far surpassed any dire prediction.
“It’s difficult to remember exactly what we did
first. I think we were in shock,” Dena recalled.
There was no power, no water, no cleared roads,
and no communication. The Frosts did what
they could to ensure other residents were safe,
then tried to figure out, “What happens next?”
It wasn’t long before Dena realized that, for her,
the first step toward recovery was salvage. Day
after day of wading through shards of broken
ceramic, shattered glass and twisted metal to
unearth a few treasures that somehow survived.
Every so often, she’d find herself, “standing still,
just sort of staring at the horizon...at nothing,
really. I think the whole situation was just too
much to process.” Then she would shake it off
and keep going. Individual pieces of recovered
inventory became clusters. Then piles. Then
stacks. “Looking back, having seen the shape
Mexico Beach was in, it’s a miracle that anything
survived...or that we could find it,” Dena mused.
As the collection of recovered goods grew larger,
new challenges arose.
Where to live? Where to work? Could poststorm
Mexico Beach even keep their business
afloat? With employees and family members
counting on her to keep food on the table,
Dena Frost had to make a decision quickly.
She headed for higher ground, namely Magnolia
Bluff in Eastpoint. “For now, we had no choice
but to move. We’ve always had loyal customers
on St. George Island,” Dena explained, “and they
were very positive. Their encouragement is what
tipped the scales toward Eastpoint.”
Dena Frost is not one for half measures, either.
When she commits to something, she is all in.
Scraping together every resource and recruiting
help from every quarter, she began the arduous
process of setting up shop 42 miles to the east.
“Wherever we ended up, I knew it needed to be
on Highway 98. Visibility is key in the pottery
business.” In the end, there was only one real
option. “The location and property size were
ideal,” she said, “but the building was not in
good shape.” She bought it anyway. Frost
Pottery Garden & Gift Shop found a new home
at 101 Highway 98 in Eastpoint, but it was
hardly move-in ready.
Once again, however, Dena had no choice. “We
had to go somewehere,” she said. “Loading that
panel truck for the last trip out may have been
the hardest,” Dena remembered. “I’d never even
imagined leaving Mexico Beach. I thought I’d be
there for the rest of my life.”
Though the work of recovery can seem endless,
Dena, her daughter Chelsea, and their staff have
persevered. In spite of the constant stream of
setbacks and frustration, progress is still made
every day. The process is ongoing, but Frost’s
new location has already been transformed.
Once again, Frost Pottery Garden & Gift Shop is
a local landmark. This time around, however, it’s
across the bay from Apalachicola in Eastpoint.
“Hurricane Michael forced us to trade a Gulf
view for a Bay view,” Dena quipped, sense of
humor somehow intact. Incredibly, she still
has plans for Mexico Beach, too. “It may take
us awhile, but Frost Pottery will be back at
the beach. When Mexico Beach is ready for us,
we’ll be there.” Forgotten Coast Strong.
STRONG
SURVIVORS AMONGST THE WRECKAGE LOADING UP FOR THE JOURNEY EAST
A NEW HOME FOR THE POTTERY GARDEN