Visiting Small-Town Florida

by Bruce Hunt

This completely revised and updated edition of a popular guide leads you to Florida's most charming and historic towns, places with names like Bagdad, Sopchoppy, Ozello, and Two Egg. It's a guidebook, a travelogue, and a sort of a history book, all told in the author's easygoing chat-on-the-porch style. His "small town" criteria 10,000 population or less (with a few notable and important exceptions, like Fernandina Beach); remoteness and distinctness from large metropolitan areas; a compelling story in the town's history; and, importantly, no speed traps.

-Havana, a revitalized ghost-town turned bustling-site of antiques shops, art galleries, and cafes now luring visitors from across the South

-Cedar Key, with its unhurried pace, offbeat character, local artists cooperative and galleries, and the source of the original Hearts of Palm salad

-Islamorada, home of the pioneer "Conchs," with a horrific hurricane history, and the jumping off point to explore the only living coral reef in the continental United States

Once again, writer/photographer Bruce Hunt provides his readers with a treasure trove of information on Florida's small townsùhistoric districts, galleries, antiques shops, local eateries, and the local characters who bring them to life. He includes directions, special events, and a comprehensive appendix with addresses, phone numbers, and websites.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

164 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1997

Reviews

[Jacqui H. Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband and I are road-trippers. To us, the journey, rather than the destination, is the best part of any trip... the off-the-beaten-path sites, eateries, and lodgings we have found, sometimes quite literally at the end of the road.
This book is not for the tourists looking for the theme parks and party/resort cities of Florida, but rather for the road-trippers like us, looking for the heart and history of places on the 2-lane roads far off the interstates. The author has researched these places extensively.
Even if you're not planning a road trip, this is still a very interesting read (especially if you are a native Floridian) with photos of many of the places reviewed.

[Aggie D. (Agnieszka) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good resource if you want to visit old authentic Florida (very small towns) off the beaten path. This is for the traveler, not for the tourist. Some parts may be a bit strange to most, nevertheless there is very interesting history there I think. It's has a certain specific atmosphere.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me want to pack a bag and head south with the top down. Great resource for seeing the treasures of Florida most people don't have a clue about.