The Official 2009 RVers Guide to Florida

REGION 5 different flags that have flown over the city - Spain, France, Britain, United States and the Confederate States of America. Families can meander through Seville Square, where many of the Creole and Victorian homes, dating from the 1780s to the 1800s, have been restored and converted into charming shops and restaurants. Nearby, the T.T. Wentworth Jr. Florida State Museum, Civil War Soldiers Museum and the Pensacola Museum of Art offer additional entertainment. For a look at Pensacola’s more recent history, visitors can “take off” to explore two aviation museums on nearby military bases. The National Museum of Naval Aviation spans a century of military flying, from the first flight in a wood-and-fabric biplane to today’s space travels with a Skylab command module. Kids will love strapping into jet trainers for motion-based simulator rides and the dramatic aviation films at the new seven-story IMAX theater. Have a blast at nearby Eglin Air Force Base, where the U.S. Air Force Armament Museum showcases various fighter planes, as well as guns, rockets and “smart bombs.” Another great stop is The Zoo Northwest Florida, located near the small town of Gulf Breeze. Everything at this special park is designed to give visitors a close-up view of more than 700 animals. Beach lovers will enjoy Pensacola Beach and nearby Perdido Key for their more than 40 miles of Gulf shoreline, more than half preserved in federal and state parks. Nearby Milton, dubbed the “Canoe Capital of Florida,” offers opportunities for canoeing, kayaking and tubing along its crystal-clear, spring-fed waters. Many families choose to vacation year after year on the sparkling beaches of Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island, part of Florida’s “Emerald Coast.” Signature emerald-green water and brilliant white sands provide the perfect backdrop for fun. With more than 100 festivals and events held annually, a good time is always close at hand. In Fort Walton Beach, the Gulfarium’s live exhibits and performances display a panorama of sea life. At the Indian Temple Mound Museum, also in Fort Walton Beach, visitors can journey through exhibits depicting 10,000 years of Gulf Coast Indian history. The museum’s 15thcentury Indian mound is the largest to be discovered along saltwater. Strung together along Scenic County Road 30A, a collection of 18 beach communities, the Beaches of South Walton, remain wonderfully secluded. Stretching for 26 mesmerizing miles between Destin and Panama City, these beaches are continually ranked among the best in the United States. Unique villages are sprinkled along the sugar white sand. In the nouveau-Victorian town of Seaside, pastel-hued Victorian cottages with tin roofs and whimsical names like Serendipity and Bit O’ Heaven line red brick streets leading to exclusive beaches. In the century-old community of Grayton Beach, with its sand streets and wooden houses made of weathered cypress, adventurous wanderers will discover places like Patrone’s, a working artist colony, and The Monet House, a spectacular re-creation of Claude Monet’s home and garden in Giverny, France. Twenty-seven miles of white sand beaches and a wide variety of entertainment make Panama City a family favorite. There’s Shipwreck Island, a six-acre water park; Gulf World, a marine showcase; and Zoo World. In Okaloosa County, visitors can walk the same trails traversed by Florida’s legendary Seminole Indians. During the Seminole Wars of the 1850s, Chief Billy Bowlegs led some 200 members of the tribe into hiding in the Florida wilderness. Florida’s eastern Panhandle, otherwise known as the “Capital Region,” has more in common with its neighbors Alabama and Georgia than most of the rest of Florida. The area is a mix of subtropical delights and antebellum charm. Off-the-beaten-path destinations in the Panhandle include quiet Mexico Beach, the fishing community of Port St. Joe with its summertime scalloping, and Apalachicola, famous for its oysters. For a bird-watcher’s haven, travel to St. Vincent’s Wildlife Refuge. Explore the fort held by Native Americans and runaway slaves against U.S. forces at Fort Gadsden State Historic Site or view the lighthouse at Cape St. George. Tallahassee, Florida’s capital city, is geographically closer to Atlanta than Miami. It exudes the charm of a small Southern city with its oak-lined canopy roads, colorful azaleas and rolling hills. Visiting RVers will enjoy touring the seat of state government, including the Old Capitol, restored to its 1902 American Renaissance splendor with red candy-striped awnings and stained-glass dome. Behind the historic capitol towers is the modern-era New Capitol, complete with a 22nd-floor observation deck, offering a breathtaking view of the area, including, on a clear day, the shimmering Gulf of Mexico can be seen many miles to the south. West of town, red wolves, Florida panthers and river otters make their home in a 55-acre natural habitat at the Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science. Families can make a splash and beat the heat in the cool spring waters at nearby Wakulla Springs State Park, one of the world’s deepest freshwater springs. South of Tallahassee, visitors can hop on a bike and head down the popular 16-mile Tallahassee St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail, which cuts through dense pine forests and small rural communities before ending in coastal marshlands near the Gulf. 70 2009 FRVTA RVers GUIDE TO FLORIDA

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Official 2009 RVers Guide to Florida

The Official 2009 RVers Guide to Florida Contents RV Friendly Logos Meet Roadie Behind the Wheel Region 1 - Southwest Florida Region 2 - Southeast Florida Region 3 - Tampa Bay Area Region 4 - Orlando & Space Coast RV Rentals Region 5 - Florida Panhandle Financing Your RV Region 6 - Northeast Florida Region 7 - North Central Florida Florida Regional Shows Region 10 - Out of State Members Indian Mounds in Florida Springs in Florida What’s Your Type? Lighthouse Tour Insurance, Who Needs It?

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