Panhandle Pioneer Settlement

However buried in the past you get, you'll be glad to know that it's a 10-minute drive to the modern amenities of Blountstown, with shops, supermarkets, bars and eateries of all sorts. If you fancy a change from the slow pace of pioneer life, race over to the Tri-State Off-Road Park (20 minutes' drive) to watch and experience for yourself the joys of driving vehicles of various sizes through mud holes and round dirt tracks at speed; maybe bring a change of clothes for when you've finished the messy mayhem. More tranquil pursuits can be found among the forested bluffs of Torreya State Park (half an hour), hiking the trails, visiting the old plantation house and looking out for salamanders and black bears. For a more watery wilderness, Lake Talquin and its surrounding park is a 40-minute drive away, full of bass, perch and catfish, canoes and kayaks to traverse the quiet waters and walking paths through the ravines. Both reachable within an hour and 10 minutes, Crooked Island and Shell Island State Park offer clear waters where you can swim and snorkel spotting sea turtles and dolphin pods and white sand beaches studded with pretty shells. Make time for Tallahassee, too, a similar distance away, for museums, galleries, tip-top Southern food and a sizzling live music scene.