Welcome to CoveBear.com! - S.E. Travel Destinations: Florida's Gulf Coast

Apalachicola began as a trading post long ago, and later was the third busiest seaport on the Gulf of Mexico. The top export from Florida there was sponges. Also, cotton was shipped down the Apalachicola River from western Georgia and eastern Alabama to Apalachicola by steamboat. At Apalachicola, the cotton was baled and shipped out to large mills in New England and Europe. Today, Apalachicola's main products are oysters and shrimp. It's main annual event is the Florida Seafood Festival, hosted on the first weekend in November. Normal high temperatures in this area in the winter are 60's, in the spring and fall are 70's, and in the summer are high 80's.

> Apalachicola http://www.apalachicolabay.org/index.cfm/pageid/29

> St. George Island http://www.apalachicolabay.org/index.cfm/pageid/31

> St. George Island State Park http://www.floridastateparks.org/stgeorgeisland/

> Cape St. George Lighthouse http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=592

> St. Vincent Island National Wildlife Refugehttp://www.fws.gov/saintvincent/ and http://www.fws.gov/Refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=41650 and http://myfwc.com/viewing/sites/site-nw08.html and http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/chekbird/r4/vincent.htm

> St. Joseph Peninsula State Park

http://www.floridastateparks.org/stjoseph/

> St. Joe Wildlife Sanctuary

http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/wildlife/rehabilitators/florida-rehabilitators.html

> Apalachicola National Forest http://apalachicolanationalforest.com/ and http://www.wakullacounty.org/wakulla-6.htm and

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide/regions/panhandleeast/trails/apalachicola.htm

> Tate's Hell State Forest http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tate's_Hell_State_Forest and http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1216547

> Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve http://nerrs.noaa.gov/Apalachicola/ and http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/apalachicola/

Sarasota Area

As early as the late 1800's a Scotsman named Gillespie tried to promote the area as a wonderful vacation spot. Sarasota County was known for its winter lure for wealthy folks up north at the turn of the century. John Ringling built his mansion, Ca d'Zan, there, and nearby Venice was the winter residence for his circus. His estate faced Sarasota Bay. Ringling also developed the Sarasota Keys. St. Armand's Circle on Lido Key was built by Ringling and many of the statues he placed there are seen today. Bertha Palmer, widow of Potter Palmer, a well-known developer from Chicago, had a huge 140,000 acre estate with a 40,000 acre ranch there. Her estate sat on old Spanish Point near Venice and faced the water, and her ranch extended to and included what is currently Myakka State Park. Venice has an ancient Indian mound at old Historic Point, and is the shark tooth capital of the world. You can easily seine for fossilized black shark teeth washing up on the beach there. Sarasota Bay has been named by Congress as an estuary of national significance. Flags that have flown in Sarasota have been Spanish, French, English, and American, and the area was Confederate during the War Between the States. Today, Sarasota and her islands are a laid-back but quietly exciting area to visit, with many places to view wildlife, swim, shop, and eat.

> Sarasota http://www.sarasotafl.org/ and http://www.sarasota.com/

> Myakka River State Park http://www.floridastateparks.org/myakkariver/

> Sarasota Jungle Gardens http://www.sarasotajunglegardens.com/index2.html

> Mote Marine Laboratory http://www.mote.org/

> Marie Selby Botanical Gardens http://www.selby.org/

> South Florida Museum http://www.southfloridamuseum.org/

> Parker Manatee Aquarium, S. Fla Museum http://www.southfloridamuseum.org/aquarium.asp

> Bishop Planetarium, S. Fla Museum

http://www.southfloridamuseum.org/planetarium/default.html

> Venice and Caspersan Beaches, Shark Tooth Capital http://www.venice-fla.com/ and

http://www.venice-fla.com/capital.htm

> Gulf Beaches at Longboat Key, Siesta Key, Anna Maria Island for Birders http://www.sarasotafl.org/cms/d/birding_sarasota.php

> John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and Ca d'Zan Mansion http://www.ringling.org/

> St. Armand's Circle http://www.visitstarmandscircle.com/

Ft. Myers Area

Although the southwest coast of Florida was visited by Spanish explorers many times, it continued to be a formidable jungle landscape, difficult to cross and impossible for most newcomers to live in. It was inhabited in areas by Indians. The Lee Island coastline appeared on maps created by the British in the 1700's, and it began to be frequented by pirates who were raiding cargo ships going to and from the port of New Orleans. The fort was built in the location of the present city after Florida became a U.S. territory in 1821. The southernmost battle of the Civil War was later fought here. Ft. Myers was a seaport that shipped local goods to Cuba and New Orleans, such as cattle, pineapples, tomatoes, and avocados. It became the second largest town in the area. Farming and logging were important occupations. Thomas Edison built his home and laboratory there.

> Ft. Myers and Barrier Islands (North Captiva, Gasparilla, Cayo Costa) http://www.fortmyers.org/fort_myers.htm and http://www.fortmyers-online.com/visitor.htm

> Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge http://www.fws.gov/dingdarling/

> Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary http://www.corkscrew.audubon.org/

> Six-Mile Slough Preserve http://www.leeparks.org/sixmile/

> Sanibel Island & Captiva Island http://www.sanibelisland.com/ and http://www.sanibel-captiva.org/

> Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium www.calusanature.com

> Edison and Ford Winter Home http://www.efwefla.org/

> Southwest Florida Museum of History http://www.cityftmyers.com/museum/index.aspx

> Imaginarium Hands-On Museum http://www.cityftmyers.com/attractions/imaginarium/programs.aspx

> Fleamaster's Fleamarket http://www.fleamall.com/

> Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre http://www.broadwaypalm.com/

> Seminole Casino http://www.seminolecoconutcreekcasino.com/

> Shopping for Shells: She Sells Sea Shells - 2422 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Island

> Searching for Shells: Sanibel and Captiva beaches are great for shelling!

The 100 barrier islands that make up the Lee Coast on the Gulf side of Florida is the best area in Florida for finding seashells.

SEARCHING FOR SEASHELLS:

Visit your favorite beach on hour before until one hour after low tide to search for shells.

It is best to search for seashells on a beach at these times:

> at low tide

> at full moon

> after a storm

Make sure that you do not collect any live specimens - this is against the law.

Try Captain Mike Fuery's boat rides to Cayo Costa and North Captiva Islands for serious shelling -

http://www.sanibel-online.com/fuery/

Click here to see Florida animal t-shirts!

Florida has black bears - click here for DVD!

Please reference CoveBear.com as a wonderful nature festival website!

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