Maritime Tourism Trail Overview This route hugs the coast, offering wonderful views of Apalachee Bay, St. George Sound, and the Apalachicola River, passing lighthouses, beaches where WWII troops trained for the historic D- Day invasion of Normandy, historic homes, and working waterfronts with shrimp and oyster boats. Route: Coastal Highway ( US Highway 98). Minimum time: The route can be driven in one day, but allow two days to enjoy the sites. Distance: 49 miles including side trips. Accommodations: Camping is available in Carrabelle and St. George Island State Park. A variety of lodging is available in Carrabelle, St. George Island, and Apalachicola. Restaurants: Restaurants cooking the freshest local seafood as well as other fare are located in St. Teresa, Carrabelle, St. George Island, and Apalachicola. Reservations: For information, go to www.apalachicolabay.org and www.carrabelle.org Stop #1: St. James Island
Facilities: S hopping, grocery store, gas stations, Post Office, restaurants, lodging, waterfront dock and pavilion, interpretive information, Marine Laboratory, World War II Museum, charter boats, marine supplies. Minimum time: One-two hours. History: In 1942 St. James Island was commandeered to serve as the amphibious landing training site for the invasion of Normandy. Camp Gordon Johnston, originally named Camp Carrabelle, was home to 30,000 military personnel, training an estimated 250,000 troops for the invasion. The camp stretched from Alligator Point to Carrabelle and included Lanark, St. Teresa, Dog Island, and St. George Island. It was the second largest military installation in Florida. By 1948 most of the buildings had been demolished and the lands transferred back to private ownership. The former officers’ family quarters are in the Lanark Village retirement community. Army Generals George Patton & Mark Clark are reported to have planned the Normandy Invasion on the island. Leonard’s Landing Directions: Crossing the Ochlockonee Bay Bridge from Wakulla to Franklin County, drive west on US 98, the Coastal Highway. You will begin to catch glimpses of Alligator Harbor on your left. Stop at the small waterside pull-off and boat launch. Description: There is a nice kiosk with information on clam farming and seagrass beds. The tall stakes you will see in the water are aquaculture sites. Clam farming is increasing in importance in this area and seems to offer a promising alternative to other seafood harvesting practices that are in decline. Florida State University Marine Laboratory Directions: Continue west on US 98, through St. Teresa, a traditional seaside community adjacent to Alligator Harbor (the homes in St. Teresa are almost totally invisible from the road except for mailbox signs). You will pass numerous lily-clad ponds. The Marine Laboratory is approximately 7 miles west from Leonard’s Landing. Description: The FSU Marine Lab, constructed in 1968 is devoted to the study of the coastal environment. Facilities include laboratories, classrooms, a modest library, housing, a fleet of small boats, a 47-foot multi-purpose research vessel, diving technology, and other equipment for education and research in the marine environment. The Laboratory is open year-round. Its facilities are available for use by Florida State University faculty, staff, and students as well as (by prior arrangement) investigators and educational groups from outside the university. Contact: www.marinelab.fsu.edu Lanark Village Directions: Continue west on US 98 from the Marine Lab for approximately 4 miles. Description: Currently a retirement community, Lanark incorporates many of the homes that were originally officers’ quarters for Camp Gordon Johnston during World War II. Lanark once also boasted a mineral springs and a luxurious resort, the Lanark Springs Hotel. Reportedly, the springs became plugged and locals decided to clear it out with dynamite. Instead of opening the springs, the blast unfortunately collapsed the source. The hotel later burned down. Camp Gordon Johnston Museum Directions: 302 Marine Street in Carrabelle Description: Dedicated to the heritage of soldiers of World War II, this museum focuses in particular on those who trained for the D-Day amphibious landings at Camp Gordon Johnston. It includes extensive history of these units as well as a photographic display of the area and life as it existed at the camp. Artifacts are displayed in six rooms: Barracks, Equipment, War, Home Front, Camp Gordon Johnston, and Franklin County Veterans. Docents available for interpretation, with 2500 square feet of exhibit space, plus a gift shop. Hours: 1:00-4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Fee: No. Contact: 850/697-8587; www.campgordonjohnston.com The City of Carrabelle Directions: US 98 serves as Carrabelle’s main street. Description: Incorporated in 1893, Carrabelle flourished during the early part of the 1900s when the lumber and turpentine industries were at their height. The town boasts an attractive waterfront area with pavilions. Today tourists visit the area to fish, swim, dive, scallop, and just relax. The area’s identification as an active base for shrimping is changing to waterfront residential development. Turn right on Tallahassee Street for one block to the Old Carrabelle Hotel, a small but tastefully renovated structure dating from the late 1800s. The property once was used as a railroad hotel serving the line from Tallahassee. Stop #2: St. George Sound and Island Facilities: Public restrooms, covered picnic areas, lodging, restaurants, seafood markets, beaches, lighthouses, interpretive material, and working waterfront s for oyster harvesting. Minimum time: Three hours for the following stops.
Carrabelle Beach Direction: 1.5 miles west of Carrabelle on US 98. Description: A marker identifies the beach as a training ground for WWII amphibious troops. A nice stop for a picnic, the beach is also good for shelling, surf fishing, and sunbathing. Crooked River Lighthouse Directions: Continue west 1.9 miles on US 98 and watch for the sign to the lighthouse on your right. Description: Constructed in 1895 to replace the Dog Island Lighthouse. The lighthouse has a steel skeletal tower constructed of cement and iron. It is 103 feet high with 138 steps. The original fourth-order bivalve revolving lens was built in 1894 by Henri-LaPaute in Paris. It was lighted on October 28, 1895, deactivated on May 24, 1994, and is currently inactive. The ownership of the tower was transferred to the City of Carrabelle, and subsequently leased to the Carrabelle Lighthouse Association. The grounds are under development as a park and are open to the public. Town of Eastpoint Directions: Approximately 20 miles west of Carrabelle on US Highway 98. Description: A commercial fishing town with processing plants, docks, seafood markets, and restaurants stretching the length of town along St. George Sound. Unfortunately, several of the structures were damaged by Hurricane Dennis in 2005. Eastpoint today is in transition, but remains one of the most authentic fishing towns on the Heritage Trail. Large piles of oyster shells attest to the main activity. History: Oystermen harvest oysters from more than 7,000 acres of public oyster bars and 600 acres of private leased bars in Apalachicola Bay. Public bars are divided into “winter” bars, which are harvested from October through June, and “summer” bars, harvested from July through September. There are more than 1,000 people employed by the oyster industry along this part of the Byway. Tongers (traditionally called “oystermen”) harvest the oysters today in the same manner they have for a century. From small wooden boats 20-23 feet long, using tongs that look somewhat like two rakes attached scissor-style, the oystermen haul the oysters to the surface. In 2000 approximately $3.5 million dollars worth of oysters (2.3 million pounds) were shucked in local seafood houses. Historically, Franklin County has supplied more than 90% of Florida’s oysters and 10% of the nationwide supply. St. George Island and Lighthouse Directions: At the entrance to Eastpoint, bear left off US 98 onto SR 30 and continue along the water past several old seafood houses and the Marion Millender Park, until the roadway intersects with SR 300 (once on the island, this road becomes CR 300). Turn left (south) over the newly constructed Bryant Patton Bridge to St. George Island. The water views are wonderful from the bridge and provide a great opportunity to watch oystermen in their boats “tonging” for oysters. The lighthouse is at the main intersection on the island. Description: The lighthouse was originally constructed by Edward Bowden on Little St. George Island in 1848. The conical tower is constructed of brick and iron, and is 74 feet high. The original lens, comprising fifteen fixed Lewis lamps with sixteen-inch reflectors, was built by Winslow Lewis in 1843. That lens was replaced in 1857 by a third-order fixed Fresnel lens, which was built in Paris by Henry-LePaute. It was lighted in 1850, and deactivated in mid-1994. The tower collapsed following Hurricane Dennis in 2005. Volunteers from the St. George Lighthouse Association have reconstructed the lighthouse in its original form on St. George Island for public viewing. St. George Island State Park Directions: Turn east (left) on Gulf Beach Drive (CR 300) and travel 4.5 miles to St. George Island State Park. The park road ends in 4 miles. Description: With 1,962 acres of long, narrow barrier island, including miles of undeveloped beaches, dunes, and emerald waters, the park provides the perfect setting for a day on the Heritage Trail. Notice the historic marker at the park entrance describing the infamous William Augustus Bowles, the self-proclaimed Director-General of the "independent and sovereign" Creek Indian Nation of Muskogee. Bowles, supported by the British government, used native warriors to conduct land and naval attacks on Spanish Florida. The English war schooner Fox set sail from Nassau to the Apalachee region of Florida on September 4, 1799 with Bowles on board. Caught in a storm very near its destination, the Fox ran aground between St. George and Dog Islands, losing most of its cargo of supplies and munitions for Bowles' native supporters. There is also a small interpretive display of an oyster boat at the boat launch facility. Few parks offer better opportunities for Gulf Coast shelling. Anglers can fish for flounder, redfish, sea trout, pompano, whiting, and spanish mackerel. Excellent spot for spring bird migrations. Sea turtles nest along the park beaches, with loggerhead turtles being the most common. Fee: Yes. Hours: 8 a.m. until sundown 365 days a year. Contact: 850/927-2111; www.floridastateparks.org/stgeorgeisland Stop #3: Apalachicola
Facilities: Live theater, lodgings and B&Bs, restaurants, gas stations, grocery store, Post Office, marina and marine supplies, public docks, parks, outfitters and guides, seafood houses, and fast food chains. Minimum time: Three hours. Contact: Visit the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center at 122 Commerce Street for brochures and walking maps. City of Apalachicola Directions: On US 98 continue west from Eastpoint, crossing the Apalachicola River on the John Gorrie Bridge. Description: Apalachicola has an exceptionally rich history and its maritime culture reflects the area’s bountiful natural resources. Visitors can stroll past beautiful Victorian homes, watch shrimp boats ply the area waters, sample the famous Apalachicola oysters, visit a museum, or browse through unique galleries and antique shops. Over 900 homes and buildings are listed in Apalachicola’s National Register District, dating as far back as the 1830s. A scenic walking tour of the town acquaints visitors with sites such as cotton warehouses, which supported the City’s once prosperous cotton export trade during the 1800s, a sponge exchange, and Victorian homes nestled amid moss-draped Live Oak trees. The Chestnut Street Cemetery Directions: On US Highway 98 between 6th and 8th Streets. Description: The most significant cemetery on the Maritime Heritage Trail. Established in 1831, the cemetery’s stones tell the history of Apalachicola. Funerary art reflects the ethnic diversity of the community. Raney House Museum Directions: Located on Market Street at the corner of Avenue F. Description: Owned by the city of Apalachicola and listed on the National Register of Historic Homes, this furnished 1838 home provides a glimpse into the life of cotton commission merchant and community leader David Greenway Raney. Hours: The Apalachicola Area Historical Society has furnished the 1838 home and offers tours to the public from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Fee: Donations welcome. Contact: 850/653-4321 or www.apalachicolahistory.org John Gorrie State Park Directions: 6th Street and Avenue D. Description: Celebrates the local doctor who pioneered the development of artificial ice-making, refrigeration, and air conditioning. The facility contains a replica of the first ice machine created by Dr. Gorrie in an attempt to cool his yellow fever patients. Hours: Open Thursday-Monday 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Fee: Yes. Contact: 850-653-9347 or www.floridastateparks.org/johngorriemuseum Orman House Directions: Follow signs on North Market Street to 177 5th Street. Description: Built in 1838 by Thomas Orman. The wood for this two-story home was cut to measure near Syracuse, New York and shipped to Apalachicola by sailing vessel around the Florida Keys, then assembled on the bluff overlooking the broad estuary and bay of the Apalachicola River. This restored two-story home, combining Federal and Greek Revival styles, projects the genteel aura and warmth of the past. Hours: Guided tours of the house are conducted hourly 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Fee: Yes Contact: 850/653-1209 or www.floridastateparks.org/ormanhouse Apalachicola Maritime Museum Directions: Located at 103 Water Street. Description: The Maritime Museum celebrates the maritime history of Apalachicola with displays, an active sailing program, boat building and restoration, and educational programs. Collectively, the activities of the AMM provide a vision into the rich history of the Gulf coastal region and river systems that come together to form the Apalachicola, the largest river in Florida. The museum’s centerpiece is the Heritage of Apalachicola, a 58' wooden ketch designed by L. Francis Herreschoff. Hours: Open Monday – Saturday from 10: 00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. Fee: No Contact: 850/653-2500 or www.ammfl.org Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve Directions: Located at the north end of Market Street. Description: Encompassing over 246,000 acres in Apalachicola Bay , this is the 2nd largest Estuarine Research Reserve system in the nation. The facility includes a Nature Center with exhibits on the flora and fauna of the area, a nature trail, and an aquarium facility featuring a variety of local fish and turtles. Hours: Open Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm. Fee: No Contact: 850-653-8063 or www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/apalachicola |
||||
|
© Florida Foresight All rights reserved. |
Franklin County Maritime Heritage Sites
