FLORIDA FAVOURITES
Winsome beach towns
I’ve been lucky enough to make it to Florida almost every year for the past couple of decades and have been up and down and all around the state. Here are four of my favourite corners:
VENICE: This is a bit of a hidden beach town, just south of cultured Sarasota. It was very much a society spot back in the day, with stars such as Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison making their way south for sun and sand.
The beach is famous for shark teeth and there’s a pretty pier with a colourful, waterfront restaurant called Sharky’s. Try the macadamia nut-crusted grouper and shrimp and be prepared for huge portions, even by American standards. More discerning diners might aim for the Crow’s Nest, located on a pretty marina with excellent seafood. Better yet, grab an ice cream or a chocolate pretzel at Kilwin’s Chocolate on Venice Avenue and watch the passersby. The Inn at the Beach is right across the road from a fine stretch of sand. (innatthebeach.com) There’s a nice, spacious Hampton Inn and Suites just a few minutes away that’s ideal for a small family.
APALACHICOLA: This might be the funkiest town I’ve found yet in Florida, a way off-the-beatentrack city that’s east of Panama City Beach on the Florida Panhandle. It’s not quite the city that time forgot, but parts of it look and feel that way.
Gibson Inn (gibsoninn.com) is a fine old hotel with a massive porch that just begs for a cold, frosty glass of lemonade. Hole in the Wall serves massive oysters and other seafood, while Up the Creek Raw Bar has a nice patio with fine views of the Apalachicola River.
You’ll find great kayaking and solitude galore at nearby St. Vincent Island National Wildlife Refuge (fws.gov/saintvincent), just west of town.
AMELIA ISLAND: One of my favourite spots in Florida, with old-time charm oozing out of oldtime brick buildings on the main street in Fernandina Beach. The Palace Saloon (thepalacesaloon.com) in Fernandina is billed as the oldest in Florida, with glorious tin ceilings and a fantastic wooden bar with all the trimmings.
There’s a fun fort at the northern tip of the island called Fort Clinch (floridastateparks.org/ park/Fort-Clinch) that’s great for kids or history buffs and there’s a cool museum that explains how the island has flourished under the flags of eight “nations” over the centuries. Luxury lovers will find plenty to like at the Ritz-Carlton, (ritzcarlton.com/ en/Properties/AmeliaIsland/ Default.htm) including tasty Salt restaurant and wonderful pools.
Families should check out the Summer Beach condos (summerbeach.com), which are on a great stretch of sand.
There’s also an Omni Resort, and a couple of Florida’s best golf courses.
The folks at Kayak Amelia (kayakamelia.com) can take you out on the water or on a Segway tour of cool Florida forests with oak trees dripping with Spanish moss.
DELRAY BEACH: This is a town that doesn’t get a lot of press, sandwiched by Miami and Fort Lauderdale to the south and posh Palm Beach to the north.
Located in the refurbished Pineapple Grove Arts District, the Gallery Arts Garage features lively displays you might expect in a large city. The Delray Center for the Arts at Old School Square (delraycenterforthearts. org) features a theatre complex, art school and museum, partly housed in a beautiful old school dating back 90 years. Morikami Gardens: (morikami.org) is a Japanese centre with lovely trees and plants and lakes that also tells heartbreaking stories of settlers from Japan who tried to make a go of it here. The Seagate Hotel (theseagatehotel.com) is a gorgeous, old-style spot close to the beach. Folks on more of a budget should try the spiffy Hyatt Place (delraybeach.place.hyatt.com/ en/hotel/home.html) in the thick of the downtown shopping area.