DEL.ICIO.USFor the Journal-Consitution
Published on: 01/15/08
The simple Florida vacation plan is to point the car toward Orlando's theme parks. Instead, aim for less-crowded destinations. Tucked away in overlooked corners of the state are historical and natural treasures perfect for family getaways.
If you want to glimpse a manatee up-close, scramble over the parapets of a fort in the nation's oldest city, stroll along a deserted Panhandle beach, search for shells by azure Gulf waters or take a canoe ride in the nation's most famous swamp, here are five often overlooked Florida gems to consider.
 Mike Williams / Cox Newspapers |
| The restored Gibson Inn is one of several quaint places to stay in Apalachicola. |
 Mike Williams / Cox Newspapers |
| Pink flamingos at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. |
APALACHICOLA
They call this stretch of the Panhandle Florida's "Forgotten Coast," and in many ways it indeed feels like time has skipped over the place. There's not a single traffic signal or four-lane road in all of Franklin County, which is about 80 miles southwest of Tallahassee. It takes a little longer to get here, but the laid-back ambiance is a strong attraction.
The beaches are spectacular, with St. George Island and Point San Blas offering sugar-white sands and gentle gulf waves. Winter months bring brisk water temperatures, but beach walking is still a pleasure.
For a special treat, spend a day on St. Vincent Island National Wildlife Refuge, where you can hike or bicycle in solitude on an undeveloped, 12,500-acre island. You will need to rent a boat or arrange a charter (see "Tips"), as there are no bridges to the island, but you'll be rewarded with excellent bird-watching in a gorgeous natural setting.
Almost anywhere in the region you'll probably see oystermen working the long-handled tongs used to scoop up oysters from the shallow bottom of Apalachicola Bay.
These tasty treats can be sampled at nearly every restaurant in the county, and locals brag they are the tastiest in the country.
Apalachicola itself is a hidden gem, a tiny, working village of fishermen bent on preserving their way of life. Artists and tourists have discovered the place, however, and downtown streets are lined with galleries, gift shops and restaurants. Along the waterfront you'll find Boss Oyster, a rambling, down-home raw bar where you can watch the shrimp boats unloading as you slurp down a dozen oysters on the half shell.
Stop by the Chamber of Commerce office on Commerce Street and pick up a brochure for a walking tour. One highlight is the John Gorrie State Museum, a tribute to a medical doctor who invented the ice machine in his quest for a way to cool down yellow fever patients.
There are several historic bed-and-breakfast inns with rooms to rent, along with the restored Gibson Inn, which offers rooms with clawfoot bathtubs and canopy beds, not to mention an award-winning restaurant run by David and Ryanne Carrier, nationally-known gourmet chefs.
IF YOU GO:
• For the latest information: www.apalachicolabay.org.
• Getting there: Air service is available to Tallahassee, 80 miles to the northwest, and Panama City, about 70 miles to the west. Both airports have rental car counters and the drive to Apalachicola is a pleasant jaunt on two-lane roads.
• Accommodations: Gibson Inn, 51 Avenue C, features rooms with clawfoot tubs and canopy beds from $90 to $200 a night, www.gibsoninn.com or 850-653-2191. Others include the Coombs House Inn, 80 Sixth St., $89 to $229, www.coombshouseinn.com or 850-653-9199 and the Witherspoon, 94 Fifth St., $95 to $109, www.witherspoon.com or 850-653-9186.
• Dining: Boss Oyster, 123 Water Street, Apalachicola, fresh seafood and oysters; Avenue Sea, gourmet dining at the Gibson Inn, 51 Avenue C and Magnolia Grill, 99 Eleventh Street for steaks and seafood.
• Attractions: beaches at St. George Island and Cape San Blas. Hiking, birding and beaches at St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge, accessible only by boat. Contact St. Vincent Island Shuttle Services at www.stvincentisland.com or 850-229-1065.
ST. AUGUSTINE
Just 30 miles south of Jacksonville, St. Augustine is the oldest continually occupied settlement on the continent, at least of those founded by Europeans. Spanish colonists landed here in 1565, establishing a fort and village that was attacked by pirates, Indians and even the famous English raider, Sir Francis Drake, who burned the place to the ground in 1586.
The featured attraction is the Castillo de San Marcos, a star-shaped stone fortress constructed in 1672 at the mouth of Matanzas Bay. Kids can clamber up the stone steps and pose atop the iron cannons still pointed toward the bay mouth, while learning about the tough life facing the early settlers in historical displays inside the fort.
For a further taste of history, venture into the Colonial Spanish Quarter of the city, just a few hundred yards' walk from the fort. St. George Street is the heart of this district, and a living history museum features leatherworkers, wood workers, blacksmiths and calligraphers playing the part of colonists and interacting with visitors.
St. George Street offers plenty of gift shops and restaurants as well, but as you approach King Street, the towers of Flagler College loom. This palace was built by railroad tycoon Henry Flagler and opened in 1887 as the Ponce de Leon Hotel, a glittering oasis that attracted the upper crust of New York society who arrived on Flagler's railroad. Although the hotel later became a college, it is open to guided tours twice daily, with magnificent displays of Tiffany stained glass.
Across the street is the Lightner Museum, also built by Flagler and opened in 1888 as the Alcazar Hotel. Today it contains a vast array of Tiffany glass as well as natural history and science exhibits and a collection of antique mechanical musical instruments.
If you tire of walking, board one of the open-air tourist trolleys for a ride and a bit of banter from well-trained guides who will give you an overview of the nation's oldest city.
And if the kids get bored, there is the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park nearby, as well as Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum, which features over 800 displays of the odd and inane.
Also nearby is the World Golf Hall of Fame, which features an IMAX theater, several championship courses and enough golf gear to satisfy even the most hard-core enthusiast.
And since you are in Florida, there is always a beach nearby. Cross the famous Bridge of Lions - now under renovation, with the famous stone lions temporarily removed - to reach St. Augustine Beach. The lighthouse features a museum, while Anastasia State Park offers unspoiled beaches.
IF YOU GO:
• For the latest information: www.historicstaugustine.com.
• Getting There: Air service is available to Jacksonville, about 30 miles to the north.
• Accommodations: The city features more than two dozen bed-and-breakfast Inns, including Carriage Way Inn, $99 to $209, 70 Cuna St., www.carriageway.com or 800-908-9832 and the Bayfront Westcott House, 146 Avenida Menendez, $129 to $249, www.westcotthouse.com or 800-513-9814. There are also numerous national hotel chains in the area, with some near the historical area and others on the beach or near Interstate 95.
• Dining: A1A Ale Works at 1 King Street is a brewpub with New World cuisine and a view of the Bridge of Lions. Barnacle Bill's offers fresh seafood at locations on the beach at 451 Highway A1A and downtown at 14 Castillo Dr.
• Attractions: Castillo de San Marcos, Living History Museum, St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park, Flagler College, Lightner Museum, Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum and World Golf Hall of Fame.
CRYSTAL RIVER-HOMOSASSA
If manatees are your fascination, there's no better spot to catch a glimpse of the lumbering "sea cows" than Florida's "Nature Coast," which stretches along the Gulf of Mexico about 80 miles north of Tampa. Winter is prime viewing time for manatees, as the creatures with the cute faces and bulky bodies take refuge for the cold months in a series of relatively warm springs and rivers.
If you are adventurous and a good swimmer, book a "swim-with-the-manatees" tour with one of several local outfitters. Bring your own snorkeling gear and wetsuit, or rent from the outfitter, and you'll get the chance to cavort with the manatees in crystal-clear shallow waters, an experience that captivates almost everybody who tries it.
Manatees don't bite, so there are no worries, and they move so slowly that even the weakest swimmer can usually stay alongside.
If venturing into brisk 70-degree waters sounds like too much adventure, you can still see the creatures at several spots along the aptly-named Crystal River, or even better, at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. The park has numerous wildlife exhibits, showcasing bobcats, Florida panthers, alligators, black bears and birds, including shocking pink flamingos. Rangers give educational talks several times a day
But the real treat is the underwater viewing platform tucked in a crystal clear spring. Visitors venture down two short flights of steps on a floating dock and peer out large underwater windows. Rangers feed the manatees lettuce several times a day, and visitors get to watch as the creatures munch their lunch, often pausing only inches from the glass.
Accommodations are not as numerous as in other parts of Florida, but a few bed and breakfast inns, chain motels and smaller "mom-and-pop" motels are available. Many visitors do a manatee swim and spend one night in the area before moving on to Orlando or Tampa.
If you head south to Tampa, be sure to take in the Weeki Wachee Mermaid show, a classic bit of Florida roadside fun. Attractive young women dress up in mermaid suits and put on an underwater show in a shimmering, rock-lined spring, while visitors watch through a bank of windows in an amphitheater.
IF YOU GO:
• For the latest information: www.visitcitrus.com.
• Getting There: Air service is available to Tampa, 70 miles south, and Orlando, about 60 miles east.
• Accommodations: Bella Oasis Hotel offers swim with the manatees and golf packages and is adjacent to Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park at 4076 Suncoast Blvd, $80 to $120, www.bellaoasis.com or 352-628-0650. Plantation Inn has similar offerings at 9301 West Fort Island Trail, Crystal River, $100 to $110, www.plantationinn.com or 800-632-6262. For a more intimate setting, try Blue Moon Bed and Breakfast, 10137 W. Fishbowl Drive in Homosassa, $145 to $175, www.thebluemoonbb.com or 352-621-1960.
• Dining: Riverside Crab House, 5297 Cherokee Way, Homosassa, offers fresh seafood and a dinner cruise; Patrick's Restaurant, 7431 Suncoast Blvd., Homosassa, family dining.
• Attractions: Swim with the manatees on a charter trip from one of the outfitters found at www.visitcitrus.com; view manatees from an underwater observation room at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park; mermaid show great for kids at Weeki Wachee.
SANIBEL AND CAPTIVA
For seashells and bird-watching, there is no better spot than these twin islands near Fort Myers.
Visitors and locals can be seen doing the "Sanibel stoop" - bending over to pluck a seashell from the sugar-white sands - all along the 12-mile island's stunning Gulf beaches. And bird-lovers come from around the globe to catch glimpses of egrets, anhingas, roseate spoonbills and wood storks at the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge.
The islands offer a rare atmosphere of unhurried charm. There are no traffic lights on either island and high-rise buildings have been banned. Nearly 70 percent of Sanibel has been set aside as natural preserves, and bicycle paths lace the area. Families can rent tandem bikes perfect for cruising, with smaller seats and handlebars outfitted for children behind larger ones set up for adults.
Locals all have their own theories of the best time to stroll the beach looking for shells, but visitors are certain to find gems almost any time of the year. The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, www.shellmuseum.org, offers fascinating educational displays about the creatures that make the shells, along with elusive perfect specimens.
All sorts of nature tours are available, from guided sea life encounters on pontoon boats to canoe and kayak trips and backwater fishing.
Accommodations range from luxury resorts to small cottages, and there is a large offering of rental homes and condos. A host of restaurants offer fresh seafood and fine dining.
On your way in or out through Ft. Myers, you might also want to visit the Henry Ford and Thomas Edison homes, now museums which showcase the lives of these two famous American inventors. Both were drawn to the area by its wonderful climate and natural beauty, typified by Sanibel and its sister island, Captiva.
IF YOU GO:
• For the latest information: www.sanibel-captiva.org.
• Getting There: Air service is available to Fort Myers, about 25 miles east of the islands.
• Accommodations: The Colony Resort, 419 East Gulf Drive, Sanibel, $175 to $260 for condos or cottages, www.colonyresortsanibel.com, 800-342-1704; South Seas Island Resort, 5400 Plantation Road, Captiva, from $279, www.southseas.com, 800-552-5552; Captiva Island Inn B & B, 11509 Andy Rosse Lane, $190 to $300, www.captivaislandinn.com, 239-395-0882; Anchor Inn and Cottages, 1245 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, $160 to $250, www.sanibelanchorinn.com, 866-469-9543.
• Dining: Granma Dot's at 634 N. Yachtsman Drive, Sanibel is a local favorite; Mucky Duck, 11546 Andy Rosse Lane, Captiva is a beachside pub with seafood and cold beer; Jacaranda at 1223 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel offers sophisticated dining.
• Attractions: Shelling is great on all Gulf beaches, with good access and public parking near the lighthouse and at Bowman's Beach; bird-watching at J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge; canoe and kayak rentals, guided sea life tours, bicycling around the islands on safe, dedicated bike trails
THE EVERGLADES
The nation's most famous wetland is struggling to survive the threats of encroaching development, pollution and man-made blockage of its water flow, but still offers stunning vistas filled with birds and wildlife.
Most visitors venture out to the heart of Everglades National Park from Homestead south of Miami, although access is also possible from U.S. Highway 41, known as the Tamiami Trail, which connects Miami and Naples on the Gulf Coast.
But visitors should be warned: if you speed down the highways through the park at 55 mph, you are not likely to see much more than broad stretches of sawgrass, the razor-sharp plant that gives the area its nickname, "River of Grass."
"The Everglades are alive, but you have to be patient," said Assistant Ranger Rod Cammauf, who works at the Flamingo Visitor Center at the park's far southern tip. "If you sit by the road, you might see nothing, but if you take a canoe or walk one of the trails, you may see a whole flock of birds."
The park service offers guided canoe tours as well as bird and naturalist walks daily. The four-hour canoe trip can be a fabulous way to glimpse birds and alligators as well as to get a ranger's educated monologue about what makes the park unique.
The truly adventurous take their own trips into the Everglades backcountry, making multi-day tours in kayaks and canoes. These trips require backcountry permits, and reservations are limited and can only be made in person a few days in advance.
The park service has constructed raised "chickee" platforms where campers pitch their tents and spend the night under the stars. Bring plenty of insect repellant, however, as the bugs come out at dawn and dusk even in the winter months.
For those who want to see wildlife without picking up a paddle, Shark Valley off Tamiami Trail offers a guided tram tour along a paved trail. Visitors are almost certain to see alligators and a wide variety of birds.
Private airboat rides into the Everglades are also available near the Homestead entrance to the park and along Tamiami Trail, where the Miccosukee Indian tribe also has a visitor center with cultural displays.
IF YOU GO:
• For the latest information: www.nps.gov/ever.
• Getting There: Air service is available to Miami International Airport, about 50 miles northeast of the park.
• Accommodations: The park once had a lodge, but it is currently closed due to hurricane damage. RV and tent camping are available inside the park for $16 per night, along with backcountry camping sites for $10 plus $2 per person. Park entrance fee is $10 per car. Miami has a host of national chain hotels, along with several in Homestead and Florida City near the park entrance, including Best Western and Ramada.
• Dining: Bring your own food for activities in the park. Outside the park there are several restaurants in Homestead, not to mention Miami and Key Largo, which is about 30 miles south of the Homestead park entrance.
• Attractions: A backcountry canoe tour is the best way to see the glory of the Everglades and its wildlife. Information on trips guided by rangers is available at the Web site listed above. Shark Valley offers a tram tour for the less adventurous; private airboat rides are available outside the Homestead and Shark Valley park entrances.
Services »
