The largest concentrations of marinas are found in Carrabelle and Apalachicola.  Carrabelle is well-known as a deep water port and the only safe harbor between Tampa and Port St. Joe.  Here, boaters will find four full-service marinas located on the Carrabelle River.  Many marinas have earned the "Clean Marina" designation from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, meeting both state and federal environmental regulations

The Franklin County Tourist Development Council (TDC) website: www.anaturalescape.com has a comprehensive list of Franklin County marinas, boat ramps as well as links to both the Carrabelle Chamber, Apalachicola Bay Chamber and St. George Island Visitor Center for individual charter boat captains and tour boat operators.

Annual SGI Mullet Toss
The fish will be flying June 9 on St. George Island at the annual St. George Island Annual SGI Mullet. This quirky annual island event is a kid pleaser. A $10 donation gets you a tee shirt and two mullet tosses. The event is held on the public beach in front of a popular beachfront restaurant and features men, women and children divisions. Folks line up and pay a small entry fee that goes to charity for the privilege of flinging a fish for distance and prizes. To participate, just show up Saturday morning June 9 between ten and eleven to register. Fish start flying at eleven.  It's fun for the whole family with all kinds of things going on. For more information, contact: St. George Island Visitor Center www.seestgeorgeisland.com

Beach fun is at the top of everybody's vacation must-do list. The Franklin County TDC  has a comprehensive list of vacation beach rental accommodations to fit every budget. To learn more, please visit: www.anaturalescape.com

Veterans Memorial Dedication Set

Dedication ceremonies for a National Veterans Memorial Park in Apalachicola will be held in mid July.  The culmination of the seven year million dollar effort will feature a bronze replica sculpture of the Three Servicemen Statue - the original of which stands on the National Mall in Washington's Constitution Gardens. When officially complete, the park will be managed by the Florida State Park system and is expected to draw thousands of visitors annually from across the country.

The focal point of the Apalachicola-based memorial is the statue itself. Known as the Three Servicemen Statue, the memorial was designed by the late Frederick Hart, a renowned American sculptor who envisioned replicas to be located throughout the United States as a nationwide tribute to Vietnam veterans.  Apalachicola is the only city in the US, other than Washington, to feature the bronze sculpture.

The sculpture depicts a realistic image of Vietnam servicemen, and is a symbol of their courage and devotion to their country. The three men represent various ethnic backgrounds.

Three Servicemen Statue South, Inc., a non-profit organization,  obtained permission from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) more than seven years ago to bring a bronze sculpture of the famed Three Servicemen Statue to Apalachicola, Florida.  Funded in part through the Franklin County Tourist Development (TDC) Council, the project will honor Vietnam Veterans and veterans of all American wars.

As Apalachicola prepares to welcome a home-grown tribute to the men and women who went off to war from the many towns and hamlets throughout the southeastern United States, organizers are finalizing dedication plans which may include a military flyover, nationally-recognized dignitaries and entertainment. For more information about the dedication ceremony or the Three Servicemen Statue South effort, please visit www.threeservicemenstatuesouth.org.

Summer Getaway Plans?

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Calendar of Events

June 13-15 Carrabelle

Annual Fishing Tournament is oneof the largest in the region. Three days of fishing excitement and entertainment.

SGI Mullet Toss

June 9 St. George Island

Annual beachfront frolic featuring flying fish and loads of fun

Veterans Memorial

July,  Apalachicola 

Official dedication of the Three Servicemen Statue South Veterans Memorial. Military exhibitions, dignitaries and entertainment.

Take a Video Tour of Area and  Festivals

The Franklin County TDC has produced a thirty minute television program that features the three visitor centers (Apalachicola, St. George Island and Carrabelle), as well as some of the annual events in the area.  The program runs twice daily on Forgotten Coast TV which is Channel 3 on Mediacom and Channel 9 on St. George Cable. To see the schedule visit www.forgottencoasttv.com. The video is also available to view online at www.anaturalescape.com.

Please visit the website www.anaturalescape.com to learn more about Florida's Forgotten Coast and the unique communities of the area. 

Click here to learn more about the area

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Raney House Museum

A Glimpse into Yesteryear

In the Apalachicola of 1828,  steamboats churned the river waters between Apalachicola and Columbus, Georgia carrying goods to upriver towns and plantations and returning with cotton destined for mills in New England and Europe.  It was a time known as Apalachicola's Cotton Era - and it is the era that you'll visit when you step inside the historic Raney House Museum - located in the heart of Apalachicola's Historic District.

Revenues from the cotton trade built several fine mansions in pre-civil war Apalachicola, including this Greek-Revival Raney House, completed in 1838 by David Greenway Raney. This cotton-era mansion is a perfect glimpse into yesteryear with exhibits of furniture, documents and artifacts of the 19th century.
The Raney House Museum is at 128 Market Street at the corner of Avenue F in historic downtown Apalachicola. The Museum is operated by the Apalachicola Area Historical Society and supported by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.  Contact: (850) 653-1700 or
www.ApalachicolaHistory.org  for more information. Admission to the Museum is free, but tax-free donations are encouraged.  Visiting hours are Tuesday - Friday 1-4 p.m. and Saturday 9-5 p.m.

History abounds in Apalachicola and throughout Franklin County. Visit www.anaturalescape.com for museums and information about the area history and historic places to visit.