Florida's Forgotten Coast

· animals · exploring · food · map · museum · park · shopping · town

While staying at Ho-Hum RV Park, we did a few drives along the Forgotten Coast, in the panhandle of Florida. Amongst other things, we saw all four of the lighthouses on the coast.

A pamphlet for the lighthouse driving tour, with information about each lighthouse:

Lighthouse driving tour pamphlet
Lighthouse driving tour pamphlet

The first drive was west of the RV park, with lunch at the Blue Parrot Ocean Front Cafe (they have a live cam you can view, too), then St George Island Lighthouse.

Here’s the route on an interactive map:

Bridge to St George Island:

Bridge to St George Island

Blue Parrot for lunch:

Blue Parrot
Blue Parrot
Blue Parrot
Blue Parrot
Blue Parrot
Blue Parrot
Blue Parrot

St George Island Lighthouse; unfortunately the museum was closed when we visited:

St George Island Lighthouse
St George Island Lighthouse

St George Island beach:

St George Island beach

Further west, the Cape San Blas Lighthouse in Port St Joe:

Cape San Blas Lighthouse

The second drive was east of the RV park, to St Marks National Wildlife Refuge, St Mark’s Lighthouse, and Publix groceries on the way back.

Here’s the route on an interactive map:

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge:

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

The refuge visitor center, with info about the lighthouse too:

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge visitor center
St Marks National Wildlife Refuge visitor center
St Marks National Wildlife Refuge visitor center

The wildlife refuge:

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge
St Marks National Wildlife Refuge
St Marks National Wildlife Refuge
St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

St Marks Lighthouse:

St Marks Lighthouse
St Marks Lighthouse
St Marks Lighthouse
St Marks Lighthouse
St Marks Lighthouse
St Marks Lighthouse

The third drive was to have lunch at The Fisherman’s Wife restaurant in Carrabelle, then visit the nearby Crooked River Lighthouse.

Here’s the route on an interactive map:

The Fisherman's Wife; we wanted to eat here last year, but they were closed for the holidays. They were closed again most of the time we were at Ho-Hum this time too, but opened a few days before our departure:

The Fisherman's Wife
The Fisherman's Wife
The Fisherman's Wife
The Fisherman's Wife
The Fisherman's Wife

Crooked River Lighthouse, the tallest of the four:

Crooked River Lighthouse

The old lighthouse keeper’s house, now a small free museum:

Crooked River Lighthouse
Crooked River Lighthouse museum
Crooked River Lighthouse museum
Crooked River Lighthouse museum
Crooked River Lighthouse museum
Crooked River Lighthouse museum
Crooked River Lighthouse museum
Crooked River Lighthouse museum
Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Fascinating stuff. We really enjoy this area of Florida; much more laid-back than the more touristy and populated parts.