The Panhandle has much to offer families besides miles of dazzling white beaches. This was where the Spanish first attempted to colonize Florida, and the region is rich in Spanish and Native American history. This northwest area, bordering the states of Georgia and Alabama, is also more Old South in spirit, with charm galore in cities such as Tallahassee and Pensacola, along with museums and aquariums for rainy days.
Left The Blue Angels flight demonstration team performing over Pensacola Beach Above right Suwannee cooters sunning themselves on a log in Wakulla Springs State Park, Tallahassee
The oldest town on the South Walton, the lanes here are paved with oyster shells and lined with historic cottages and modern beach homes (see Grayton Beach).
Admire pastel-colored cottages with picket fences in the town that was the film location for The Truman Show (see Seaside).
This museum, in Pensacola’s Naval Air Station, traces aviation history with exhibits and hands-on training sessions (see National Naval Aviation Museum).
Pick a spot to sunbathe on this 150-mile (240-km) paradise of pristine beach and dunes that can be accessed from Pensacola or Fort Walton (see Pensacola).
A mission dating to the 1600s is brought to life by re-enacters at this site that was shared by the Spanish and the Apalachee Indians (see Mission San Luis).
Take a riverboat tour or stand on the observation platform at this park, which has one of the world’s deepest springs (see Wakulla Springs State Park).