Candid Florida

On my way home from Pensacola, I had to stop in Bagdad to visit Florida’s last real Stuckeys.  When I was a kid and my family did road trips to Florida down the East Coast every year, we’d always stop at Stuckeys.  The distinctive yellow-roofed shops were filled with treats, had clean restrooms, and often included a snack bar, in later years typically a Dairy Queen where I could indulge in my favorite, chili dog! I’d save my allowance so I could buy pralines, which at the time were 3 for $1.

Did you know that in the 1970s, Stuckeys had the first real email system for travelers? I still have the brochure. It was a computer where you could leave a message for a friend and they’d stop into any Stuckeys, type in their secret code, and get the message. But over the years, the interstates crowded out the US highways and Stuckeys vanished, converted into less-glamorous uses.  There are only two “real” Stuckeys left in Florida – I don’t count the Stuckeys name slapped on a gas station to sell candy to be the same – and of those two, the one that still shows the genuine hospitality, cleanliness, and friendly spirit I remember from the 1960s is the Stuckeys at the Bagdad / Milton exit along I-10. It’s loaded with goodies and nostalgia items, and has a Dairy Queen to boot.  Do stop in when you’re on a road trip!

After a lunch with my brother-in-law Jeff, I headed to the Pensacola Bluffs to see what the fuss was all about. Jeff had strongly recommended the bluffs as a potential site to include in my hiking guides, and after a few moments scramble, I found out why. The trail is only a mile or so long, and it’s mostly boardwalk, but what a boardwalk! Caught up in a dense forest of live oaks, it zigzags up and down the steep slope, with long staircases, straightaways, and steps to drop you down into the forest so you can duck through it, cross the railroad tracks, and head for the tiny beach along the bay. While I only had time for a sample, it’s on my list to examine more fully on my next trip so I can add it to Florida Hikes!

During a long morning of hiking on the breezy, open trails of Big Lagoon State Park with my brother-in-law Jeff,  we made it out to the famed observation tower at Big Lagoon.  This prominent structure offers a sweeping view of the park, the lagoon, the Gulf of Mexico, parts of Gulf Islands National Seashore, Perdido Key, and the surrounding shorelines.  Quite the panorama! Big Lagoon State Park is a gateway to the Great Florida Birding Trail and we saw no lack of birds here, from bluebirds to osprey, stilts to blue-winged teals. While the hurricanes of 2004-2006 did a number on the tall trees, especially those shading the campground and trails, it’s still a pleasant destination.  Enjoy scenic views? Here’s an article I wrote about observation towers around the state.

Years ago, when I first started looking for great places to hike in Northwest Florida, I discovered Tarkiln Bayou State Park. It’s a fabulous place to see pitcher plants in bloom, and right now is prime time: thousands of them in the bogs along the bayou in wet pine flatwoods. While the main trail is a combo of pavement and boardwalk, I discovered on my recent visit that there’s a new trail in the park that leads you on a 7.5- mile wander that you used to have to guess your way around. Also known as the “Perdido Pitcher Plant Prairie.” this is a soggy, boggy place you’ll love if, like me, you enjoy carniverous plants and birdwatching. Go check it out!

Just realized this eve that I have nearly a month’s worth of camera raw images to process, dating back from travels that started the first weekend of March out to Pensacola and points beyond. It’s tough playing catch-up, but I’ll try.  Here are the places I visited in March for research … I’ll have something to say about delights in each very soon, as soon as I finish processing these photos!

Tallahassee, Blountstown, Freeport, Niceville, Milton, Pensacola, Bagdad, Chipley, Bradenton, Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda, Babcock Ranch, Leesburg, Minneola, Clermont, Dunnellon, Crystal River.  The image above is from the rooftop of the Wyvern Hotel in Punta Gorda, one of the more luxe accommodations in my recent travels … and one heck of a view!

Once settled in Pensacola (a month ago today or so) for the eve, I called my brother-in-law Jeff, newly residing in Pensacola,  and made plans to go out on the town. He consulted his brother, a long-time Pensacola resident, and came up with two options: a popular Irish pub or the Pensacola Fish House. It didn’t take long to decide: when on the water, fish is best!

Right along the bay downtown, the Pensacola Fish House is a hopping place, especially on a Friday night. It took a little while to get a seat, and we had to eat outdoors.  We both ordered seafood, of course, mine a spicy shrimp dish. The chef’s into Asian fusion, so there were a lot of funky tastes with the sauces and accompaniments, but it worked. I wasn’t so pleased with the Lemon Drop martini, however, as it wasn’t tart like the ones I’ve had elsewhere. And I drink so infrequently, it was a little disappointing.  But the tasty meal was well worth pushing through the swinging Friday eve crowd to ask for a seat on the deck — a bit chilly with the breeze off the water.