Franklin County offers quieter alternative for seasonal travelers

Oyster and shrimp boats await another day of work.
Oyster and shrimp boats await another day of work.

Florida was once known for beautiful, pristine beaches where the fine sand squeaked beneath bare feet, the sun warmed pale skin, the rhythmic sound of gentle waves allowed busy minds to relax, the fishing was unsurpassed, fresh seafood was plentiful, and people were hospitable.

If you try to find that in most of today's cosmopolitan areas of the state, forget it. However, there is still a piece of old Florida that is such a welcome respite I'm almost reluctant to write about it - Florida's "Forgotten Coast" in Franklin County along Highway 98 between Tallahassee and Panama City. It is an eight-hour drive from Chattanooga.

Bypassed by interstates, the area offers a lot. Many amenities you expect from vacation destinations like Tampa, Orlando, Panama City or Miami are missing, but the conjunction of Mother Nature at her finest coupled with a relaxing vacation opportunity more than compensates.

Along Highway 98, local communities learned from others about the excesses of high-rise condominiums, mass Spring Break partying and chain fast-food restaurants on every corner. To avoid those issues, they applied ordinances and zoning laws that minimize boisterous and overcrowded conditions, but enhance enjoyment of this slice of heaven for both locals and visitors.

photo The lighthouse on St. George Island is a reminder of the area's busier shipping days.

The easternmost towns are Alligator Point and Carrabella. Alligator Point is an eight-mile peninsula with lots of vacation rental homes, fishing charters and beaches. It is known for bountiful clam harvests and bird watching. Carrabella is the "Gateway to the Gulf" and has great beaches, golf and offshore fishing. It also has a nostalgic smallown feel and evidently a very low crime rate because it features the world's smallest police station - tucked into a phone booth. It is also known for Camp Gordon Johnson, where thousands of World War II soldiers rehearsed beach landings that prepared them for invasions such as D-Day. A local museum chronicles the story.

Continuing west on Highway 98 is Eastpoint, an old oyster-harvesting village with "a heart as big as the bay." At first glance, the cinderblock and metal structures that often double as oyster-processing facilities and raw bars may not appear like much, but they serve fantastic seafood. Our hands-down favorite was Lynn's Quality Oysters.

Lynn and Gregg Martina are third-generation owners, and theirs is the oldest licensed oyster-packing facility in the state. At one time, they had three trucks continually delivering oysters throughout the Southeast, but the business fell on hard times in recent years. Oysters require just the right combination of salt and fresh water, moderate temperature, solid sea bottoms and proper tidal conditions to thrive.

For centuries, Apalachicola Bay possessed the right stuff that produced some of the world's sweetest and most succulent oysters, but production dropped drastically in recent years. Hurricanes and the strong currents associated with them wreaked havoc on the fragile oyster beds. Overharvesting also took its toll, limiting production of baby oysters (called spats). And finally, there isn't as much fresh water flowing into the bay today; this is due to several factors, but the biggest problem comes from increasing water usage in Atlanta from the major tributary of the bay, the Chattahoochee River.

The good news is that the last few years have seen a renewed effort among local, state and federal agencies to help the crippled oyster business recover. Oystermen are better educated on harvesting techniques, and they are paid to spread crushed gravel and old shells throughout the oyster bed areas to give the spats a solid area to grow.

photo A carved wooden mermaid is one of many unique antique items for sale in Apalachicola's shops.

Additionally, research and environmental efforts are making progress. Those efforts are well displayed in the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve and Visitor Center, a first-class, free museum in Eastpoint that explains the fragile ecosystem in Apalachicola Bay.

But the real good news is that Lynn and Gregg opened the small restaurant to supplement their loss from wholesale oyster sales and their delicious high-quality oysters, shrimp and fish are available to tourists and locals.

The shining pearl of this oyster haven is St. George Island, a 22-mile-long barrier island about seven miles from the mainland and connected by a modern bridge from Eastpoint. St. George has beachfront and bayside rental condominiums and homes that blend well with the landscape, a restored lighthouse and a few restaurants, bars and stores. The beaches are spectacular - wide, clean and uncrowded. Several charter fishing boats leave daily and there are bike and hiking trails. A wonderful state park with a campground occupies the eastern end of the island.

Continuing west on Highway 98, we cross the bay on a five-mile-long bridge that takes us to the delightful old town of Apalachicola. Perhaps nowhere in America have people shown the ability to adapt to changing times and technology better than the locals here.

The town thrived before the Civil War as a cotton-processing facility and was the third-largest cotton exporter next to New Orleans and Mobile. After the Civil War reduced cotton production in the South and newly established railroads diminished the need for cotton facilities in this remote port, the money and merchants in Apalachicola went elsewhere. Soon, however the abundance of rich pine forests led to a thriving timber and turpentine industry that continued well into the 1900s.

After synthetic supplements were discovered, the turpentine industry waned. However, newly discovered canning processes for oysters then made the oyster business much more lucrative than the old, expensive process of packing oysters on ice for shipment. The fascinating business life-cycle story is well-documented throughout the town, which is today a tourist mecca with its many antique shops, boutiques, restaurants, bars, quaint inns and bed and breakfasts.

Apalachicola's "can do" spirit is epitomized in its most famous son, a hero largely unknown by most Americans. Dr. John Gorrie came to Apalachicola in 1833 after completing medical school in New York, he came to treat those suffering from yellow fever. Though doctors didn't understand then that the real problem was the mosquito, Gorrie discovered that, if he could keep the air in the patients' rooms cool and clean, they recovered much faster.

To facilitate the cooling process, he invented an ice machine that used a steam engine to compress air and circulate it in a box containing a saline solution. He was able to lower the box's temperature below freezing, allowing him to produce ice which he then coupled with natural air circulation to reduce room temperatures even in the sweltering Florida summer. His genius laid the foundation for modern air conditioning, refrigeration and freezing technology, but he died before he could capitalize on his idea.

A grateful citizenry chose his statue to represent Florida in the Washington, D.C., and in Apalachicola, a small museum tells the fascinating story and an obelisk by his nearby grave site states fittingly, "A pioneer who devoted his talents to the benefit of mankind."

Franklin County is a real gem and a great respite from our cold winter or any other season. It offers the goodness of Old Florida and a warm, hospitable local population to match its temperatures. It's a great place, but hey, let's try to keep it a secret.

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