Old Wooden Bridge got whacked by Hurricane Irma in 2017, but has bounced back. With most cabins destroyed, the owner added 13 houseboats. This waterfront outpost feels like a place from a bygone era.
Historic
Florida Rambler is always on the lookout for places that capture the Florida that is being lost to expressways and development. We include historic destinations, Florida landmarks and places where the past lives on in big and small ways. Here’s a scene from Micanopy, located right off I-75 near Gainesville.
Stephen Foster State Park: Glorious Suwannee river; great cabins, odd old museum
This state park has superior cabins and is a great base for kayaking the Suwannee and hiking. It’s also home to an oddly dated museum on Stephen Foster. (We considered it a funky Florida find.)
Fort Gadsden, ‘Negro Fort’ history buried in Apalachicola National Forest
One of Florida’s least accessible historic sites, Fort Gadsden, also known as “The Negro Fort”, is a tale of war — and the deadliest cannonball in American history.
St. Augustine Alligator Farm: Superb bird rookery at historic attraction
This original Florida roadside attraction still thrills, especially in the spring and early summer when its rookery fills with hundreds of nesting birds. The gators and crocs are well-presented with lots of information as well as entertainment.
Kayaking Virginia Key: Miami skyline views plus surprising natural splendor
A Virginia Key kayak outing offers an amazing combo – views of the Miami skyline rising out of Biscayne Bay in one direction, mangrove lagoons with shore birds in the other. An extra treat: It’s the best way to see the old Miami Marine Stadium.
Gamble Mansion: Civil War history near Sarasota
The Gamble Mansion has white columns to rival Tara and was the site of a dramatic Civil War event. It’s the only antebellum mansion left in South Florida.
Secret Kennedy Bunker on Peanut Island: Hidden treasure closed for now
The Kennedy Bunker, a Cold War fallout shelter build for JFK in 1961, is closed to the public. Palm Beach County has not determined the future of the facility.
Baby alligators for sale: When gators were souvenirs
Alligators have always fascinated us; never more than in the early days of Florida tourism, when thousands of baby gators and alligator items were sold. Here’s an excerpt from a new book by Doug Alderson, “America’s Alligator: A Popular History of Our Most Celebrated Reptile.” which is being published April 1 by Lyons Press
St. Augustine fort: Castillo de San Marcos makes history fascinating
The don’t-miss experience when visiting St. Augustine is touring the Castillo de San Marcos — the historic Spanish fort.
Ochopee: Cutest, smallest post office in the US
A scenic road through Everglades National Park also brings you past a cute little roadside stop: the smallest post office in the US. In an era where post offices are being closed to save money, this little outpost dating to 1953 is a survivor.