Experience More

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Perdido Key

n 15500 Perdido Key Dr, Pensacola; www.visitperdido.com

A 30-minute drive southwest from Pensacola are the pristine shores of Perdido Key, which regularly features in the list of the top 20 US beaches. There are bars and restaurants and facilities for water sports, fishing, and diving.

The eastern end of the island is accessible only by foot. The road runs as far as the Johnson Beach Day Use Area, just east of the bridge from the mainland. The sands extend for 6 miles (10 km) on both gulf and bay sides, and there are facilities for visitors, and a ranger station.

On the mainland opposite Perdido Key, Big Lagoon State Park combines sandy beach with salt-marsh areas offering excellent bird-watching and hiking. Enjoy sweeping views from the observation tower.

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Johnson Beach Day Use Area

13300 Johnson Beach Rd # Mar–Oct: 5am–9pm daily; Nov–Feb: 5am–6pm daily nps.gov

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Big Lagoon State Park

12301 Gulf Beach Hwy # 8am–sunset daily floridastateparks.org

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t A boardwalk through the marshes at Big Lagoon State Park, near Perdido Key

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Steinhatchee

n 428 N Jefferson, Perry; www.steinhatchee.com

Set back from the mouth of the Steinhatchee River, this is a sleepy old fishing town along the riverbank. To get a flavor of the place, stroll among the fish camps, bait shops, and boats tied up to the cypress wood docks. Trout fishing is big here, and people go crabbing along the coast.

About 26 miles (42 km) northwest is Keaton Beach, a tiny but popular coastal resort with good year-round fishing.

5

Gulf Breeze

n 409 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Santa Rosa County; www.gulfbreezechamber.com

The affluent community of Gulf Breeze lies at the western end of a promontory reaching out into Pensacola Bay. The area east of the town is heavily wooded and once formed part of the huge swaths of southern woodlands that were set aside in the 1820s to provide lumber for shipbuilding.

The Naval Live Oaks Reservation, off US 98, was originally a government-owned tree farm and now it protects some of the remaining woodland. Visitors can follow trails through 1,300 acres (500 ha) of oak hammock woodlands, sand-hill areas, and wetlands, where wading birds feast off an abundance of marine life. A visitor center dispenses maps and information about local flora and fauna.

Ten miles (16 km) east of Gulf Breeze, the Gulf Breeze Zoo has more than 700 animals in residence. You can take a ride on the Safari Line train through an area of land where animals roam freely, take in the views from the elevated boardwalk, or stroll through the botanical gardens. You can even look a giraffe in the eye from the feeding platform.

Naval Live Oaks Reservation

1801 Gulf Breeze Parkway # 8am–sunset daily nps.gov/guis

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Gulf Breeze Zoo

5701 Gulf Breeze Parkway # 9am–4pm daily (Mar–Oct: to 5pm) gulfbreezezoo.org

6

Santa Rosa Island

n 8543 Navarre Parkway, Navarre; www.visitpensacolabeach.com

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t White-sand beach at Santa Rosa, a barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico

A long, thin streak of sand, Santa Rosa stretches all the way from Pensacola Bay to Fort Walton Beach, a distance of 45 miles (70 km). At its western tip Fort Pickens, completed in 1834, is the largest of four US forts constructed in the early 19th century to defend Pensacola Bay.

The famous Apache chieftain Geronimo was imprisoned in Fort Pickens from 1886–8, during which time people came from far and wide to see him. The authorities supposedly encouraged his transformation into a tourist attraction. The fort remained in use by the US Army until 1947. Now, visitors are free to explore the brick fort’s dark passageways and small museum.

Santa Rosa Island boasts several fine white beaches. Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach are both popular, each with a fishing pier and plenty of water sports activities. Between them is a beautiful, undeveloped stretch of sand where visitors can relax away from the crowds. There is also a camp ground, situated at the western end of the island, near Fort Pickens.

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Fort Pickens

1400 Fort Pickens Rd (Route 399) # 5am–6pm daily (Mar–Oct: to 9pm) nps.gov

EXPERIENCE The Panhandle

Eat

Aegean Breeze

A Greek restaurant where the fresh seafood is the perfect complement to the coastal ambience.

913 Gulf Breeze Parkway #20, Gulf Breeze myaegeanbreeze.com

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Cafe Tango

If it’s romance you want, this intimate nook is the place to go. Located in a vine-covered cottage, the Mediterranean menu includes chorizo-encrusted fish.

14 Vicki St, Santa Rosa Beach cafetango30-a.com

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The Jellyfish

As you might imagine, seafood rules at this Perdido Key institution, with sushi rolls and shrimp in high demand.

13700 Perdido Key Dr, Perdido Key thejellyfishbar.com

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7

Panama City Beach

~ @ n 17001 Panama City Beach Parkway; www.visitpanamacitybeach.com

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t A roller coaster in Panama City Beach, the biggest resort in the Panhandle

The Panhandle’s biggest resort, Panama City Beach is a 27 mile (43 km) “Miracle Strip” of hotels, amusement parks, and arcades, bordered by a gleaming quartz sand beach. Nicknamed the “wreck capital of the south,” it caters both to the young crowds at Spring Break, and to families, who dominate in summer. The sports facilities are excellent.

Panama City Beach is also a famous diving destination. Besides a few natural reefs formed from limestone ridges in the sea bottom and the presence of older shipwrecks, it has more than 50 artificial diving sites created by wrecked boats. For the less energetic, Capt. Anderson’s Marina and Treasure Island Marina offer glass-bottomed boat tours and trips to see wild dolphins. Animal encounters are the highlights at Gulf World Marine Park. The aquariums and a walkthrough shark tank are set in lush tropical gardens with a resident troupe of performing parrots.

The Museum of Man in the Sea provides a homespun but educational look at the history of diving and marine salvage. Exhibits range from ancient diving helmets to salvaged treasures from the 17th-century Spanish galleon Atocha, plus a parking lot full of submarines. Moby Dick is a whale rescue vessel resembling a killer whale.

The 1,600 ft (490 m) Lazy River tube ride at Shipwreck Island Water Park is great, but there are also higher-energy options, such as the 35 mph (55 km/h) Speed Slide, the Raging Rapids, or the 370 ft (110 m) White Knuckle Rapids. There are gentler rides for youngsters, as well as a children’s pool.

Coconut Creek Family Fun Park has two 18-hole mini-golf courses. There is also a giant maze the size of a football field, which has as its theme voyaging from one South Pacific island to another, and is the largest of its kind in the country.

Capt. Anderson’s Marina

5550 N Lagoon Dr # 9am–5pm Mon–Fri captandersonsmarina.com

Treasure Island Marina

3605 Thomas Dr # 7:30am–4pm daily treasureislandmarina.net

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Gulf World Marine Park

15412 Front Beach Rd # 10am–3pm daily gulfworldmarinepark.com

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Museum of Man in the Sea

17314 Panama City Beach Parkway # For tours only; check website maninthesea.org

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Shipwreck Island Water Park

12201 Hutchison Blvd # Times vary, check website shipwreckisland.com

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Coconut Creek Family Fun Park

9807 Front Beach Rd # 9am–11:30pm daily coconutcreekfun.com

Experience The Panhandle

The Beaches of the Panhandle

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t Array of shops along Harbor Walk marina in Destin

Between Perdido Key and Panama City Beach lie some of the most beautiful beaches in Florida. The hordes descend in June and July, but the Gulf waters are still warm as late as November. Visitors can choose between quiet beaches and more dynamic resorts; there is also plenty of opportunity for water sports.

EXPERIENCE The Panhandle

Drink

No Name Lounge

The views of The Gulf from the terrace seats are worth the visit alone. Add cheap drinks and free table snacks and you’ve got a place loved by locals and visitors alike.

5555 W Hwy 98, Panama City facebook.com/nonameloungepc

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Destin

~ @ n 4484 Legendary Dr, Suite A, Okaloosa County; www.cityofdestin.com

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t A boat preparing to dock at Destin, a town renowned for its fishing opportunities

Situated between the Gulf of Mexico and Choctawhatchee Bay, Destin is a narrow strip of a town that runs parallel to the coastal highway, US 98. It started out in 1845 as a fishing camp but the town has since grown into what is claimed to be the “most prolific fishing village” in the United States. Deep-sea fishing is the big attraction, and charter boats come and go full of hopeful fishermen. The waters near Destin are particularly rich in fish because of a 100-ft (30-m) drop in the continental shelf only 10 miles (16 km) from the shore. The prime catches include amberjack, tarpon, and blue marlin. There is a busy calendar of fishing tournaments in Destin, the most notable being October’s month-long Fishing Rodeo. Another important date is early October, when people flock here for the Destin Seafood Festival. Cockles, mussels, shrimp, and crab tempt the crowds.

With its stunning beaches and the clear waters so typical of the Emerald Coast, Destin has also become a very popular seaside resort, offering opportunities for diving and snorkeling.

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Seaside

n 25777 US Hwy 331 South, Walton County; www.seasidefl.com

When Robert Davis decided to develop Seaside in the mid-1980s, the vanished resorts of his childhood provided his inspiration. Davis’s vision was of a nostalgic vacation town of traditional wooden cottages, with wraparound verandahs, steeply pitched roofs, and white picket fences. The original style was rapidly hijacked, however, by quaint gingerbread detailing, turrets, and towers.

The town’s pastel-painted, Neo-Victorian charms have an unreal, Disneyesque quality, and when driving along US 98 it is hard to resist stopping for a quick peek. And then, of course, there is the additional appeal of the beach.

About 1 mile (1.5 km) west of Seaside, the Grayton Beach State Park boasts another fine stretch of Panhandle shoreline, and one that regularly features high in the rankings of the nation’s top beaches. In addition to its broad strand of pristine quartz-white sand, the park offers good surf, fishing, and boating facilities, a nature trail, and a campground. During the summer, families can take part in programs led by park rangers.

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Grayton Beach State Park

County Rd 30A, off US 98, 1 mile (1.5 km) W of Seaside # 8am–sunset daily floridastateparks.org

Did You Know?

Seaside was the set location for The Truman Show, the 1998 movie starring Jim Carrey.

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Blackwater River

Santa Rosa County £ @ Pensacola n 5247 Stewart St, Milton; www.srcchamber.com

The Blackwater River starts in Alabama and flows for 60 miles (97 km) south to the Gulf of Mexico. One of the purest sand-bottom rivers in the world, its dark waters meander prettily through the forest, creating oxbow lakes and sand beaches.

The river’s big attraction is its canoeing: one of the state’s finest canoe trails runs for 31 miles (50 km) along its course. Canoe and kayak trips can be arranged through several operators in Milton, the self-styled “Canoeing Capital of Florida.” These trips range from half-day paddles to three-day marathons.

The small Blackwater River State Park, located at the end of the canoe trail, offers swim-ming, picnicking areas, and the Chain of Lakes Trail. This 1-mile (1.5-km) nature trail runs through woodlands thick with oak, southern magnolia, and red maple trees.

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Blackwater River State Park

7720 Deaton Bridge Rd, Milton # 8am–sunset daily floridastateparks.org

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Eden Gardens State Park

181 Eden Gardens Rd, Santa Rosa Beach # 8am–sunset daily floridastateparks.org

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t The southern-style mansion anchoring Eden Gardens State Park

Along with the usual state park favorites like kayaking and hiking, Eden Gardens State Park also offers some fun for history and culture lovers at the Wesley House. Lumber baron William H. Wesley built this fine Greek Revival mansion overlooking the Choctawhatchee River in 1897. The two-story building, styled after an antebellum mansion, is furnished with antiques, and the estate’s gardens are shaded by magnolia trees and live oaks. These lead to the river, near where the old lumber mill once stood. Whole trees were once floated from inland forests downriver to the mill, where they were sawed into logs, then sent along the Intracoastal Waterway to Pensacola.

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Wesley House

181 Eden Gardens Rd # 10am–3pm Thu–Mon floridastateparks.org

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Fort Walton Beach

~ £ @ n 34 Miracle Strip Parkway SE, Okaloosa County; www.fwb.org

The city of Fort Walton Beach lies at the western tip of the Emerald Coast, a 24-mile (40-km) strip of dazzling beach stretching east to Destin and beyond. Diving shops and marinas line US 98, which skirts the coast and links Fort Walton to Santa Rosa Island. There is superb swimming as well as pier and deep-sea fishing, and this is a prime location for water-sports, too. Also available is sailing, or windsurfing off the island’s north shore, on sheltered Choctawhatchee Bay. For those who prefer dry land, the Emerald Coast boasts a dozen golf courses.

Gulfarium marine park’s most popular aquatic residents are its sea lions and dolphins. There are also seal and otter enclosures, as well as alligators and exotic birds. The glass walls of the Living Sea aquarium reveal sharks, rays, and huge sea turtles. Downtown, the Indian Temple Mound Museum stands in the shadow of an ancient earthwork, a ceremonial and burial site of the Apalachee tribe. The museum exhibits artifacts recovered from the mound and other historic sites nearby, and houses one of the finest collections of pre-contact ceramics in the southeast, while well-illustrated displays trace more than 10,000 years of human habitation in the Choctawhatchee Bay area.

Three miles (5 km) north of town at Shalimar, at the Eglin Air Force Base, the US Air Force Armament Museum displays aircraft, missiles, and bombs dating from World War II to the present day. There is an SR-71 “Blackbird” spy plane as well as high-tech laser equipment.

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Gulfarium

1010 Miracle Strip Parkway # 9am–4:30pm daily gulfarium.com

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Indian Temple Mound Museum

139 SE Miracle Strip Parkway # Noon–4:30pm Mon–Fri, 10am–4:30pm Sat fwb.org

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US Air Force Armament Museum

100 Museum Dr (Route 85) # 9:30am–4:30pm Mon–Sat afarmamentmuseum.com

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t Sunset over the pier at Fort Walton Beach, on the Florida Panhandle

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Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park

3540 Thomasville Rd, Leon County # 8am–sunset daily floridastateparks.org

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t A pond bordered by ferns and blooming iris at Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park

These gorgeous gardens, 4 miles (6 km) north of Tallahassee, were laid out around Killearn, the 1930s winter home of New York financier Alfred B. Maclay. More than 200 varieties of plant are featured in the landscaped gardens, which surround the shores of Lake Hall. They remain eye-catching even in winter, when the camellias and azaleas are in full bloom (from January to April). Visitors can also swim, fish, go boating, or stroll along the Big Pine Nature Trail.

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Underwater Museum of Art

357 Main Park Rd, Grayton Beach # Noon–9pm Mon–Fri, 10am–10pm Sat, 10am–9pm Sun umafl.org

It seems a logical progression that a region with world-class art and scuba diving would eventually combine the two. The Underwater Museum of Art is located just under a mile (1.5 km) off the coast of Grayton Beach State Park. In 2018, seven large sculptures, including a giant skull and an octopus, were submerged in and around the designated areas at a depth of around 60 ft (18 m).

The museum is very much an ecotourism venture, with environmentally friendly materials being used for the sculptures. This not only drives home a message of conservation, but also helps local marine life by providing new habitats, meaning that the artworks themselves transform over time as marine creatures and plants live among them.

Entry to the museum is free; however, visitors do need to ensure that they are certified divers who are comfortable in open water. The State Park offers most of the facilities necessary for a visit.

15

Monticello

n 420 W Washington St, Jefferson County; www.cityofmonticello.us

Founded in 1827, Monticello (pronounced “Montisello”) was named after the Virginia home of former President Thomas Jefferson. Lying at the heart of northern Florida’s cotton-growing country, the town prospered and elegant homes were built here. Some of these are now guest houses, making the town an ideal base from which to explore the Tallahassee area.

Monticello radiates from the imposing courthouse on US 90. The historic district lies to the north, where there are tree-canopied streets and a wealth of lovely old buildings, ranging from 1850s antebellum mansions to Queen Anne homes with decorative woodwork and Gothic features.

Every year at the end of June, Monticello hosts its Watermelon Festival to celebrate a mainstay of the local agricultural economy. Pageants, dancing, rodeos, and the traditional watermelon seed spitting contest are among the festival’s many attractions.

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Wild Willy’s Adventure Zone

1306 Miracle Strip Parkway SE, Fort Walton Beach # Noon–9pm Mon–Fri, 10am–10pm Sat, 10am–9pm Sun wwazone.com

This modern-looking theme park on Okaloosa Island can be reached by car over the Midbay Bridge from Destin. It offers a good mix of outdoor and indoor activities. The most intricate attraction is the Tree Top Challenge, which encompasses five increasingly challenging levels of ropes and obstacles, reaching heights up to 60 ft (18 m). There are also two miniature adventure golf courses with a dinosaur theme, each aimed at a different age group. The Redemption Arcade is a state-of-the-art collection of video games that also includes a few old favorites where tickets and prizes are available, such as Skee-Ball and Grab and Win. In the 4-D Movie Experience, 3-D movies combine with articulated seats and other special effects for a thrilling experience of dinosaurs and the Wild West. There are also bungee-tied trampolines for adrenaline fans.

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Torreya State Park

Route CR 1641, 13 miles (21 km) N of Bristol @ Blountstown # 8am–sunset daily floridastateparks.org

More off the beaten path than most other parks in Florida, Torreya State Park is nevertheless well worth seeking out. Named after the Florida torreya, a rare and now endangered type of yew tree that once grew here in abundance, the park abuts a beautiful forested bend in the Apalachicola River. High limestone bluffs, into which Confederate soldiers would dig gun pits to repel Union gunboats during the Civil War, flank the river, offering one of the few high natural vantage points in Florida.

Gregory House, a fine 19th-century Classical Revival mansion, stands on top of the 150 ft (45 m) bluff. In 1935 it was moved here by conservationists from its first site downriver and has since been restored.

It is a 25-minute walk from Gregory House down to the river and back, or you can take the 7-mile (11-km) Weeping Ridge Trail. Both paths run through woodland and offer a chance to spot all types of birds, deer, beaver, and the unusual Barbours map turtle (so-called for the maplike lines etched on its shell).

Did You Know?

The Apalachicola River by Torreya State Park is great for fresh-water fishing.

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Florida Caverns State Park

3345 Caverns Rd, off Route 166, 3 miles (5 km) N of Marianna # 8am–sunset daily floridastateparks.org

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t Admiring the rock formations at Florida Caverns State Park

The limestone that underpins Florida is laid bare in this series of underground caves hollowed out of the soft rock and drained by the Chipola River. The filtering of rainwater through the limestone rock over thousands of years has created a breathtaking subterranean cavescape of stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and glittering rivulets of crystals. Wrap up warm for the guided tours, since the temperature in the caverns is a cool 61–66 °F (16–19 °C).

The park also offers hiking trails and horseback riding, and visitors can swim and fish in the Chipola River. A 52-mile (84-km) canoe trail slips through the high limestone cliffs along the river’s route south to Dead Lake, just west of Apalachicola National Forest.

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Cedar Key

n 450 2nd St, Cedar Key, Levy County; www.cedarkey.org

At the foot of a chain of small bridge-linked keys jutting out into the Gulf of Mexico, Cedar Key is a picturesque, weathered Victorian fishing village. In the 19th century it flourished as the gulf terminal of Florida’s first cross-state railroad, and from the burgeoning lumber trade. However, within a few decades its stands of cedar forest had been transformed into pencils, and the logging boom came to an end. A few of the old lumber ware-houses have been turned into shops and restaurants, but the Cedar Key of today is blissfully quiet. Visitors can take a boat from the docks to an offshore island beach in the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge, or take an enjoyable bird-watching trip along the salt-marsh coast. Various boats run trips from the docks.

Alternatively, visit the entertaining Cedar Key Historical Society Museum, in which eclectic exhibits include some fossilized tapir teeth, American Indian pottery shards, and crab traps.

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Cedar Key Historical Society Museum

Corner of D and 2nd sts § (352) 543-5549 # 1–4pm Sun–Fri, 11am–5pm Sat

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Wakulla Springs State Park

Wakulla County 550 Wakulla Park Dr, # 8am–sunset daily floridastateparks.org

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t The large pool at the center of the lush Wakulla Springs State Park

One of the world’s largest freshwater springs, the Wakulla pumps 700,000 gal (2.6 million liters) of water a minute into the large pool which is the big appeal of this park.

Visitors can swim or snorkel in the beautifully clear, limestone-filtered water, or take a ride in a glass-bottom boat. There are also trips on the Wakulla River – look out for alligators, ospreys, and wading birds – and woodland trails to follow.

Do not leave without visiting the Spanish-style Wakulla Springs Lodge hotel and restaurant, built as a hunting lodge in the 1930s. The lobby is the finest part of the hotel, with Tennessee marble decorating the floors, stairwells, and the fantastic bar here. It also houses one of the oldest working Art Deco elevators.

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Insider Tip

Exploring Cedar Key

Blend in with the locals and rent a golf (“gulf”) cart – a popular way to get around. Prices start at $25 for two hours with the Cedar Key Gulf Kart Company (www.gulfkartcompany.com.)

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St. Joseph Peninsula State Park

Gulf County Route 30E # 8am–sunset daily floridastateparks.org

At the tip of the slender sand spit that extends north from Cape San Blas to enclose St. Joseph’s Bay, this beauti-fully unspoiled beach park is ideal for those in search of a little peace and quiet. The swimming is excellent, and snorkeling and surf fishing are also popular activities. Birdwatchers should pack their binoculars, since the birdlife is prolific along the shoreline: over 200 species have been recorded here. Guests can stay in cabins overlooking the bay, and there are basic camping facilities, too.

Venture from the beach and explore the saw palmetto and pine woodlands, where you may see deer, raccoons, bobcats, and even coyotes.

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Manatee Springs State Park

11650 NW 115 St, Chiefland # 8am–sunset daily floridastateparks.org

Thirty miles (50 km) to the north of Cedar Key is the delightful Manatee Springs State Park, where a spring gushes from a cave mouth 30 ft (9 m) below the surface of an azure pool.

The spring water feeds the Suwannee River, which is as clear as glass and a big draw for both divers and snorkelers. Despite the name of the park, sightings of manatees, which occasionally winter here, are unreliable; however, it is easy to spot many other animals, including dozens of turtles, fish, and egrets feeding in the shallows, plus the turkey vultures hovering overhead. Visitors can also swim, rent a canoe, take a boat tour, or follow one of the hiking trails; along which they may catch a glimpse of an armadillo in the undergrowth.

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Apalachicola

n 122 Commerce St, Franklin County; www.apalachicolabay.org

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t The Three Soldiers statue in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza, Apalachicola

A riverside customs station established in 1823, Apalachicola saw its finest days during the first 100 years of its existence. It boomed first with the cotton trade, then sponge divers and lumber barons made their fortunes here. Today, a swath of pines and hardwoods still stands as the Apalachicola National Forest, extending from 12 miles (19 km) north of Apalachicola to the outskirts of Tallahassee.

At the end of the lumber boom in the 1920s, the town turned to oystering and fishing in the waters at the mouth of the Apalachicola River. Oyster and other fishing boats still pull up at the dockside, which is lined with refrigerated seafood houses and old brick-built cotton warehouses. Among the seafood houses on Water Street there are several places to sample fresh oysters.

Apalachicola’s old town is laid out in a neat grid, with many fine historic buildings dating from the cotton-boom era, including warehouses. A walking map, available from the Chamber of Commerce, takes in such privately owned treasures as the 1838 Greek Revival Raney House.

Devoted to the town’s most notable resident, the John Gorrie Museum State Park has a model of Gorrie’s patent ice-making machine. Designed to cool the sickrooms of yellow fever sufferers, Dr. Gorrie’s 1851 invention was the cutting edge of modern refrigeration and air conditioning.

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John Gorrie Museum State Park

46 6th St (Gorrie Square) # 9am–5pm Thu–Mon floridastateparks.org

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Suwannee River State Park

3631 201st Path, Live Oak # 8am–sunset daily floridastateparks.org

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t Swimming in the Suwannee River at Manatee Springs State Park

Made famous by the song “Old Folks at Home”, written by Stephen Foster in 1851, the Suwannee runs 265 miles (425 km) to the Gulf of Mexico.

The river’s route through this state park offers some of the best backcountry canoeing in Florida, with an easy flow and low banks, and canoeists have a good chance of seeing a range of wildlife, including herons and turtles.

Nearby, Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park offers similar activities as well as a museum and a carillon bell tower.

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Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park

11016 Lillian Saunders Dr, White Springs # Park: 8am–sunset daily; museum and tower: 9am–5pm daily floridastateparks.org

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t Snorkeling with a manatee

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St. Vincent, St. George, and Dog Islands

n 122 Commerce St, Apalachicola, Franklin County; www.apalachicolabay.org

This string of barrier islands separates Apalachicola Bay from the Gulf of Mexico. St. George is linked by a bridge to Apalachicola. A 9-mile (14-km) stretch of dunes at its eastern end is preserved as the Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park. The beaches on St. George are consistently named among the best in the entire country. To the west, the St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge is uninhabited and accessible only by boat; St. Vincent Island Shuttle and Fishing Charters runs tours. Visitors can see sea turtles laying their eggs in summer, and migrating waterfowl in winter.

To the east, little Dog Island can be reached only by boat from Carrabelle on the main-land. It has a small inn and excellent shell hunting.

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Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park

1900 E Gulf Beach Dr, St. George Island # 8am–sunset daily floridastateparks.org

St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge

St. Vincent Island # 24 hours daily fws.gov

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St. Vincent Island Shuttle and Fishing Charters

690 Indian Pass Rd, Port St. Joe stvincentisland.com

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