A natural escape…to Franklin County, Fla.

Franklin County includes St. George Island, Apalachicola, Carrabelle, Alligator Point, Dog Island and Eastpoint. Each corner of the county offers something unique from the outdoor adventures to charming stores, historical building, working waterfronts dotted with shrimp and oyster boats and scrumptious dining options.

For bird-lovers, Franklin County offers a wonderful chance to see a wide range of rare and unusual species. Whether you take a special birding tour or take time to look for birds as you travel through the island, you will see plenty of variety. Prime birding areas are St. George Island State Park, St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge, Tate’s Hell State Forest, the Apalachicola National Forest and the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Among the boating opportunities are fishing, sunset cruises, shelling tours, kayaking and canoeing. Franklin County is known for its fresh and saltwater fishing opportunities. The Apalachicola River Basin is home to 186 species of fish and the bay system serves as a critical nursery are for more than 95 percent of all species harvested commercially and 85 percent of all species harvested recreationally in the Gulf of Mexico. Seventeen local marinas are located throughout the county. Professional guide service and charter boat rentals are offered throughout the county.

Journeys of St. George Island has been providing ecotours of the area for 16 years. Jeannie McMillan founded the operation in 1991, and it is now overseen by her son, Justin. Journeys offers guided kayak, canoe and boat tours. They also rent sailboats, powerboats, kayaks and canoes.

For more information on Journeys of St. George Island, located at 240 E. Third Street, go to www.sgislandjourneys.com or call 1-850-927-3259.

For some beach time, go to St. George Island State Park, located at 1900 E. Gulf Beach Drive. Among the things that make the park so special are the secluded, pristine beaches, nature trails, camping and youth camps. The nine-mile beach is located on 2,000 acres. Last year, 180,000 people visited the park, and more are expected this year.

For more information on St. George State Park, go to www.floridastateparks.org/stgeorgeisland or call 1-850-927-2111.

OTHER THINGS TO DO

Outdoor adventures aren’t all that you will find in Franklin County, Fla. Other stops worth some of your time include:

•Dixie Theatre, 21 Avenue E, Apalachicola, Fla., www.dixietheatre.com or 1-850-653-3200. Be sure to check out the schedule when you’re in the area. We were lucky enough to catch “Nashville Does Dixie.” This evening featured songwriters performing some of the hits they wrote that were made famous by such top stars as Alan Jackson, George Straight and Rascal Flatts. Steve Bogard, Charlie Black and Dana Hunt Black were the featured songwriters. Charley opened up the night by telling the audience about the songs to be performed. “Some of them are big hits,” he said. “You will recognize them. Some of them ought to be big hits. They are in our hearts.” It’s really special to hear the stories behind the hit songs from the person who wrote the words.

•Camp Gordon Johnston World War II Museum, Carrabelle, Fla., www.campgordonjohnston.com or 1-850-697-3395. This museum is dedicated to the Amphibious World War II soldiers who trained at Camp Gordon Johnston.

•Crooked Creek Lighthouse, Carrabelle, Fla., www.crookedriverlighthouse.org or 1-850-697-9790. This restored lighthouse is surrounded by forest and located near covered picnic shelters and a playground. It’s a great place for a family to stop during their visit to Franklin County.

•John Gorrie Museum State Park, Apalachicola, Fla., www.floridastateparks.org/johngorriemuseum or 1-850-653-9347. Gorrie developed an ice machine used to cool his yellow fever patients room. It led to Dr. Gorrie receiving the first U.S. patent for mechanical refrigeration in 1851.

•Orman House State Park, 177 5th Avenue, Apalachicola, www.floridastateparks.org/ormanhouse or 1-850-653-1209. This 1838 Greek Revival home overlooks the Apalachicola River and was built by Thomas Orman, a cotton merchant.

SHOPPING

Natural sponges, beachwear, home décor and jewelry are some of the items you will find in the charming and unique shops in Franklin County. A few must stops include:

•Avenue E in Apalachicola has “old Florida attitude with fresh new style.” Antiques, interior decor and more are found at this store located at the corner of Commerce Street and Avenue E in the historic Zingarelli Building.

•Blue in Apalachicola has tons of unique items for the beach and home. It’s located at 31 Avenue E.

•Apalachicola Sponge Company has natural sponges, handmade olive oil and goats milk soap.

•Riverlily, a “shop for your senses,” has a huge variety of bath products, perfume and other fun personal products. It’s located at 78 Commerce Street in Apalachicola.

•Southern Sage, located at 82 Market Street in Apalachicola, has antiques, local products and some great T-shirts with advertising from Bay City Packing Company.

WHERE TO EAT

Seafood lovers will be delighted with the opportunities in Franklin County. Those wonderful Apalachicola Bay Oysters are reason enough to visit the area. I made sure to have some oyster dish each meal, with oyster soup, fried oyster sandwiches and raw oysters among the selections I tried. I even had a fresh oyster just after it was pulled from the water on an oyster boat. That was certainly a tasty treat. The Apalachicola oysters are sweeter than other oysters.

Be sure to try the following restaurants:

•That Place on 98, 500 US Hwy. 98, Eastpoint, Fla., www.thatplaceon98.net or 1-850-670-9898. This fun, friendly restaurant is casual and comfortable, and offers amazing scenery and wonderful food. Located on the shores of St. George Bay, it has a sweeping bay view from a large outdoor deck. The specialties are the fried grouper and crab cakes. I decided to try everything oyster — oyster appetizers, oyster stew and a fried oyster sandwich. It was all great! Dessert offerings include homemade pies. You can’t go wrong with the chocolate mousse pie.

•Eddy Teachs’ Raw Bar, 240 East Third Street, St. George Island, Fla., www.eddyteachs.com or 1-850-927-5050. This is the spot for some amazing oyster choices, including Dirty Humphry’s (raw oysters and sour cream topped with caviar). Another one to try is Donovan Chapman’s Tastes Like Chicken Oyster, which has asiago, jalapenos, garlic and Cajun seasoning on the steamed oysters. It’s an small informal spot where locals and visitors alike gather.

•Harry A’s Restaurant & Bar, 28 West Bayshore Drive, St. George Island, Fla., www.harryasrestaurant.com or 1-850-927-3400. I really enjoyed the ahi tuna with plantains. They have a huge menu and karaoke is featured in the lively restaurant.

•Pirate’s Tiki Hut in Carrabelle features waterfront dining on the scenic Carrabelle River. For more information, call 850-697-4331. The large, open dining room has glass windows that provide a great view. They have great hushpuppies and the grilled oyster dinner was wonderful.

•Tamara’s Café Floridita, 17 E Avenue, Apalachicola, Fla., www.tamarascafe.com or 1-850-653-4111. This is fine dining that offers dishes that are as visually appealing as they are tasty. South American and Caribbean dishes are featured. I had the seafood salad, which had sautéed oysters, shrimp and scallops in a bed of mixed greens with black beans. It’s a wonderful combination.

•Carrabelle Junction, 88 Tallahassee Street, Carrabelle, Fla., 1-850-697-9550. This is an old-fashioned soda fountain that has some wonderful sandwich choices, as well as a blue plate special that is actually served on a blue plate! The tuna melt made a great lunch.

•Café Con Leche, 32 Avenue D, Apalachicola, Fla., 850-653-2233. Grab a cup of coffee, sweet treat and check your e-mail or people watch in this prime downtown location.

•Chef Eddie’s Magnolia Grill, located on 99th Street in Apalachicola has some wonderful seafood selections and scrumptious desserts. For more information, call 850-653-8000. Among the highlights on the menu are the shrimp gumbo, chateau briand, butter pecan snapper, greek style yellow edge grouper, and, for dessert, the toffee crusted strawberry cheesecake, chocolate almond crème pie and the chef’s famous apple pie.

WHERE TO STAY

Whether you want a beach front home, new waterfront condo or cozy bed and breakfast, you will find it in Franklin County.
I stayed at Casa De Chill, a huge, luxurious beachfront home offered by Resort Vacation Properties. It has three stores facing the ocean with a huge bedroom on the third floor. Nothing says vacation better than waking up facing the ocean as the sun rises.

The home has four bedrooms, a huge living room and kitchen and a screened in porch facing the ocean. It’s a great location for a family gathering. There’s plenty of room for everyone to have their own space. A little rain didn’t even dampen my visit. I enjoyed chilling out at my very own Casa De Chill in my living room facing the ocean. A book, a board game or even a nap make for a perfect afternoon.

The home also has an elevator, boardwalk to the beach and huge Jacuzzi tub in the master bedroom that faces the ocean. Free long distance calls are also offered.

For more information, go to Resort Vacation Properties of St. George Island, resortvacationproperties.com or 1-866-927-2322.

Other accommodation options include the following:

•Collins Vacation Rentals, collinsvacationrentals.com or 1-866-723-9460.

•Gibson Inn, www.gibsoninn.com or 1-850-653-2191.

•Sandy Beach Properties, www.mysandybeach.com or 1-850-697-5300.

•Water Street Hotel & Marina, www.waterstreethotel.com or 1-850-633-3700.

Franklin County is located 80 miles southwest of Tallahassee and 85 miles southeast of Panama City. For more information on visiting Franklin County, Fla., contact the Franklin County Tourist Development Council at www.anaturalescape.com or by calling 1-866-914-2068 (toll free).