Carrabelle, Apalachicola, Alligator Point, Florida 

The World’s Smallest Police Station is in Carrabelle. It is actually an old phone booth. The Police Department must have been out on call when we stopped by.      There is also a beautiful empty beach to take a morning (or anytime) walk.     This town of 1,200 locals maintains two museums. A history museum and Camp Gordon Johnston Museum which helps preserve the heritage of the location where all amphibious landing training for WWII took place. There are also photos, vehicles and artifacts from WWII.  Over 250,000 troops came through this small town. The history museum is not far away and is only about the town and its past. It celebrates local. 

A few blocks away from the museums, a local artist, Leon Wiesener, created a five sided glass bottle house with 6,000 bottles, a lighthouse and several other sculptures.  He said that he woke up one morning with a vision and it took him just one year to complete it. He is currently working on a series of geodesic domes. 

   
 

  


   
  
Apalachicola, Florida is not only fun to say, it is a cool town.  There are many interesting shops, art galleries and cafes (no chains) around the waterfront. Among the many historical sights in town, my favorite is a 2 room museum honoring the doctor who invented air conditioning. I dabbed my forehead with a hankie in thanks! It is the  John Gorrie Museum and State Park.  He was attempting to make yellow fever patients comfortable and believed cool air would cure the fever. A byproduct of this invention, was another invention, the ice machine.  I thank you Dr. Gorrie. 

  Apalachicola is also known for its oysters. It is in fact oyster season. Aw shucks, we had to try a few. Yum!   

   
 Alligator Point, named for the shape of the land and thankfully not for its inhabitants, is another area we explored. Bald Point State Park is unique because it is where Ochlockonee Bay meets Apalachee Bay. There are coastal marshes, pine flatwoods, and oak thickets. We saw many horseshoe crabs on the beach. Unfortunately our visit did not coincide with either the bald eagle or the monarch butterfly migration schedule, maybe next time.