Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Around Tallahassee
You'll find historic sites, natural wonders and an abundance of antiquing opportunities in
the fascinatingly diverse area surrounding Florida's capital.
Wakulla Springs State Park
Glowing an otherworldly aqua and overhung with Spanish moss, the natural spring at the
center of the 6000-acre
Wakulla Springs State Park
( 850-561-7276;
www.floridastateparks.org/wakullasprings
;
550 Wakulla Park Dr; vehicle/pedestrian $6/2; 8am-
sunset)
feels like something from the set of an exotic adventure movie, and indeed parts of
Tarzan
and
The Creature from the Black Lagoon
were filmed here
.
Gushing 1.2 billion
gallons of water daily, the spring is deep and ancient: the remains of at least 10 ice-age
mammals have been found.
You can swim in the deep, gin-clear waters or dive off the elevated platform. But don't
miss the chance to take a 40-minute guided
boat tour
(adult/child $8/5; 11am-3pm)
,
which glides under moss-draped bald cypress trees and past an array of creatures, includ-
ing precious manatees (in season), alligators, tribes of red-bellied turtles and graceful wad-
ing birds.
Time has stood still at the faded 1937
Wakulla Springs Lodge
( 850-421-2000;
www.wakullaspringslodge.com
; 465 Wakulla Park Dr; r $85-125)
, a charming Spanish-style build-
ing with an enormous faux-stone fireplace in the lobby. Its 27 basic, scruffy rooms have
original marble floors, walk-in wardrobes and no TVs. The lodge's grandiose
Ball Room
Restaurant
( 850-421-2000; Wakulla Springs Lodge; mains $14-27; 7:30am-2pm & 5-9pm)
,
named for financier Edward Ball, who built the lodge, is a favorite dining spot with Talla-
hassee locals - try the fried chicken and the famous bean soup.
St Marks National Wildlife Refuge
About 25 miles southeast of Tallahassee you'll find the
St Marks National Wildlife
Refuge
( 850-925-6121;
www.fws.gov/saintmarks
; 1255 Lighthouse Rd, St Marks; 8am-sun-
set)
, established in 1931 to provide a winter habitat for migratory birds. It spans a whop-
ping 70,000 acres and has approximately 43 miles of gulf shoreline along its coastal
