Florida Outdoor Getaways 2008 - (Page 5) outdoor getaways the FM radio station in Apalachicola is WOYS, 100.5. Apalachicola Bay produces 90 percent of the state’s oysters, which is why the locals have named their fair city Oystertown, and the state of Florida has made the preservation of the oyster beds a priority. Floridians love the tasty little mollusks, fried, baked, broiled, steamed or hand-picked out out of the Gulf raw. Oystering hasn’t changed much in over 100 years, and the oystermen, or “tongers” as they are sometimes called, still harvest the shellfish with large tongs, like their forefathers did before them. Oysters are not hard to find. The Boss Oyster at 123 Water St. is my (and a local) favorite for real Florida seafood. Located next to the Apalachicola River Inn, this bright-green eatery made Coastal Living’s top 10 list in 2004. It looks the part too, as it’s situated on the river. Try the Oyster Rockerfella with sauteed spinach, onions, garlic and Parmesan cheese, or the Oyster Bienville with chopped shrimp, mushrooms, garlic and cheddar cheese. Other favorites include the Oyster Captain Jack with bacon, jalapeño peppers, colby cheese and hot sauce and the Oyster St. George with asparagus, garlic, shallots and colby cheese. Also worth a try: Tamara’s Café Floridita at 17 Avenue E. Located in the middle of the historic district, this little restaurant is popular with visitors and locals alike. It’s all about local crab cakes, oyster stew and seafood bisque with a Venezuelan spin. This town is like a chilled oyster with cocktail sauce and pinch of horseradish. You have to try it at least once. Above, Porter House. Below, The Raney House. Photos courtesy of The Apalachicola Bay Chamber. Here, a portrait of Dr. John Gorrie, who is a sort of patron saint of Apalachicola. Visit his namesake museum and town square. Image courtesy Florida Memory Project,Florida State LIbrary and Archives. the city. (It’s easy — most of the streets are numbered, and the cross streets are letters.) They will certainly direct you to see the home of Dr. John Gorrie, who built an icemaking machine to help keep his yellow-fever patients cool. While mostly forgotten, Gorrie is considered to be the father of modern air conditioning and malaria control (his statue is in the U.S. Capitol). The Gorrie House Museum, at 46 Sixth St., houses a model of his original contraption and has exhibits on local history, including the cotton warehouses that once lined the banks of the river. He is buried in the town’s Gorrie Square. At the time of Gorrie’s arrival in 1833, the town was booming, crowded with steamboats that carried cotton from the interior to be sent abroad. During the Civil War, Union troops blocked the port and put an end to the cotton trade. After the war, timber became the river’s top commodity. Through it all, the town had oysters. Even today, Make it a Night Stay over in Apalachicola Don’t miss the Raney House, the stately antebellum residence of Apalachicola’s two-time former mayor, David Raney. It is now a house museum, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1838, this Greek Revival house at 46 Avenue F is the oldest structure in the city. The adjacent guest cottage is believed to have been built earlier, and is available for overnight stays. One of the best-known landmarks of the town is also a hotel and restaurant. The Gibson Inn (at 51 Avenue C) is an impressive wooden structure and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1907, the inn is reported to have at least one haunted room, so it is understandable why murder mystery enthusiasts gather here several times a year for weekend events. Inside is a history exhibit on the region. The inn’s Nola Grill is the place to be on Friday nights when locals gather and sing. Another option is the Coombs House Inn, 80 Sixth St., which was built in 1905 out of exotic lumber that owner James N. Coombs had gathered from around the world. Coombs, a timber tycoon, was a close friend of Teddy Roosevelt and is said to have turned down both the vice presidency and the governorship of Florida. When You Go The Boss Oyster, 850-653-9364. Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce has traveler information, including galleries and restaurants. See 850-653-9419 or visit www.apalachicolabay.org Coombs House Inn, 850-653-9199 or www.coombshouseinn.com. Gibson Inn, 850-653-2191 or www.gibsoninn.com. Gorrie House Museum, 46 Sixth Street, 850-6539347 or floridastateparks.org/johngorriemuseum Tamara’s Café Floridita, 850-653-4111 or www.tamarascafe.com Raney House (850) 653-9749 To learn more about Apalachicola (including a video tour of the town and listings) see VISITFLORIDA.com/apalachicola. Outdoor Getaways 5 http://www.gibsoninn.com http://floridastateparks.org/johngorriemuseum http://www.apalachicolabay.org http://www.tamarascafe.com http://www.coombshouseinn.com http://VISITFLORIDA.com/apalachicola
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