What Tallahassee is known for

The St. George Island Destination is home to St. George Island, along with various cities, including Tallahassee. The destination also has the Apalachee Bay, Aucilla Wildlife Management Area, and Tate's Hell State Forest. All of these cities and attractions—as well as the St. George Island Destination as a whole—are located exclusively in the state of Florida. On St. George Island itself, there is an assortment of things to do. Some of these activities include the Saint George Island State Park, Bob Sikes Cut, Sea Oats Art Gallery, and the Saint George Island Lighthouse, Gift Shop, and Museum. 

The Saint George Island State Park includes trails, beaches, and forests, with various activities available in each. The trails go through woods, making it possible to see wild animals. While at the beaches, people can play in the water or on the sand. The forests are home to many different kinds of animals, most of which include deer and various species of birds. Bob Sikes Cut is a historical site with multiple beaches that people can go to. The Sea Oats Art Gallery has many art pieces, including pictures, paintings, and crafts. The artwork inside the gallery is from a variety of different sources and years. 

The Saint George Island Lighthouse, Gift Shop, and Museum has a lighthouse that people can go in, a gift shop with multiple things up for purchase, and a museum that gives facts about the lighthouse. From the top of the lighthouse, beaches, houses, and a bridge are visible, along with various other buildings.[3] Things to do in Tallahassee include St. Marks National Wildlife Refugee, the Tallahassee Antique Car Museum, Florida State University, Tallahassee Museum, and the Museum of Florida History. St. Marks National Wildlife Refugee houses many types of animals. 

People who visit the refugee have the opportunity to look for some of these animals. Types of animals in the area include alligators, birds, deer, and snakes. The Tallahassee Antique Car Museum has many cars that people can look at, most of which are older and aren't usually seen on the road. Other exhibits in the museum include a Native American exhibit, a golfing exhibit, and a motor exhibit. Florida State University can be toured and viewed, and there are usually classes going on within the building. Tallahassee Museum has trails that go through forests and swamplands. It also has historical buildings that can be explored, along with a ropes course. There are also animals kept in fenced areas that people can see. Another feature of the museum is the multiple dinosaur sculptures around the property. 

The Museum of Florida History has many exhibits on the history of Florida's first inhabitants. There are car displays, animal displays, and displays on what houses were like for the first people living in Florida.[4] The Aucilla Wildlife Management Area has multiple trails and rivers within the property. People can go canoeing on the rivers. The trails go through forests, where wild animals can be seen.[8] 

Tate's Hell State Forest has multiple trails for people to go on, and there are many creeks and rivers in the area. While on the property, people can go fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and boating. Tate's Hell State Forest has a legend. According to the legend, a man named Cebe Tate went into the swamp with only a shotgun and his hunting dogs to find a panther that was killing his livestock. Tate was lost in the swamp for seven days and nights and ended up getting bit by a snake and having to drink from the murky water to quench his thirst. He came to a clearing near Carrabelle and died after saying, "My name is Cebe Tate, and I just came from Hell." His adventure took place in 1875. Ever since then, the swamp has been known as Tate's Hell.

Geography

The St. George Island Destination is made up of part of Florida, including St. George Island. The north end of the border follows the state line between Flordia, Alabama, and Georgia, while the south end of the border goes just past Saint George Island, Apalachee Bay, Alligator Point, Cape San Blas, Port St. Joe, and Panama City Beach. The east side of the border goes down in a straight line just past Greenville, Shady Grove, and Perry. The west side of the border curves around Bonifay, Vernon, Greenhead, and Panama City Beach. 

Weather in the destination has a wide range, with an average high of around 83 degrees Fahrenheit and an average low of about 54 degrees. Rain is more likely to fall from July to September. It never snows in the area. The most popular months to visit the region are June, July, and October. Because of the weather, the best time to visit the zone is from mid-February to the end of May or from the beginning of October to the end of December.[5] 

Animals in the destination consist of many different species and types. There are many birds in the area, including hawks and falcons. Other birds in the area include tanagers, buntings, warblers, egrets, osprey, and herons. There are also many different reptiles in the area, such as snakes, lizards, and salamanders. Other animals include many different types of turtles in the area. Within the area, there are many mammals. Some of these include bats, deer, mice, rats, raccoons, and manatees. There are also various kinds of fish in the area, both freshwater and ocean.[6] Plants that are in the region include centella asiatica, fuirena scirpoidea, paspalum distichum, and smilax auriculata.[7]

History

St. George Island's first inhabitants were the Muscogee people, who lived there between the 10th and 15th centuries. They were later killed off by disease. When European colonists came to the area, it became a struggle for control. The Creek Indians ceded a large tract of land to John Forbes and his company, called Forbes Grant, in 1803. Part of this land included St. George Island. John Lee Williams sought refuge on the island in 1823. Because of the shortage of food, his crew depended on the oysters and crabs the island had. The island experienced high levels of trading activities soon after. Most of the trades happened along the Apalachicola River. 

The Cape St. George Lighthouse was built on the island in 1833 to help guide boats at night to the trading areas. Later, from 1847-1848, the lighthouse was torn down and rebuilt two miles away. In 1851 the lighthouse was destroyed by a hurricane and was reconstructed. During the American Civil War, it was taken out of service. After the war, it was used as a navigational tool for incoming ships. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1994. The tower was undermined because of hurricanes in 1995 and 1998. Despite the new foundation that was constructed under the tower, it collapsed in 2005. Since then, it has been rebuilt. 

The island's pine forest was used for turpentine production in most naval stores during the early and mid-20th centuries. During World War II, the island served as a practice range for bombers from Apalachicola. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed a ship channel in 1954. That ship channel is known as the Bob Sikes Cut across St. George Island. The channel created Cape St. George Island, also known as "Little St. George Island." The Apalachicola fishing fleet uses the cut and provides access to the Gulf waters.[1]