Late Summer Getaway!
There's no better way to send summer packing than with a late summer getaway road trip. Many lodging providers are pulling out the stops to offer getaway packages.
ST GEORGE ISLAND 
Enjoy End of Summer Savings at Collins Vacation Rentals.  Book 4 Nights and Get the 5th Night FREE on participating properties for the Fall and Winter 2014 season.
Resort Vacation Properties. Stay the minimum number of nights in a participating home between September 1 and January 4, 2015 and take 15% off when the advertised rate for your chosen dates is greater than $2,000. Repeat Renters can take an additional 5% off the adjusted rate, as well! New reservations only.
APALACHICOLA
The Gibson Inn is offering a special through the end of September on a three night stay. Reserve two nights and we give you the 3rd night absolutely FREE! The Coombs House Inn is celebrating 20 years of operation by offering a 20% discount on all rooms through the end of the year.
CARRABELLE AREA
St. James Bay Golf Resort

is offering a Stay & Play package which include accommodations at the Residences Condominiums, plus unlimited rounds of golf on our perfectly manicured 18-hole championship course. Harbor Point Vacation Rentals  is offering any remaining 2014 peak weeks for the off-peak rate. Points to View is offering discounts on 2 or more weeks and/or 2 or more months of rental and pets stay free!
Save up to 50% when you book a stay of 2 nights or more with Pickett’s Landing Rentals in Carrabelle. Sandy Beach Properties is offering 10% discount for guests returning to the same property more than once in any calendar year plus a substantial discount on monthly rentals if rented 3 consecutive months or more during the fall/winter seasons. 
UPCOMING EVENTS
Golf Tournament Oct. 8
Tee up with business members from around the Franklin, Gulf, Leon, and Wakulla County areas at the 11th Annual Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament on Wednesday, October 8th, 2014. Click here for details.
Blues in The Lot Oct. 11
This annual downtown Apalachicola music event will feature five great blues acts starting at noon until 8:00 pm. Click here for details.
Ghostwalk Oct. 25
Hauntings will abound at Apalachicola's Chestnut Street Cemetery when local history enthusiasts don the garb and take on the persona of the cemetery's more notable inhabitants to tell their tale of life in Apalachicola more than 100 years ago. Click here for details.
Florida Seafood Festival
Oct 31-Nov. 1

Come celebrate the 51st year of the Florida Seafood Festival, Florida's oldest maritime festival. This two-day celebration offers the best in fresh quality seafood that annually draws thousands of visitors to the historic town of Apalachicola.  Click here for details.
Oyster Roast Oct. 31
Love oysters? Don't miss the 10th annual Downtown Oyster Roast on October 31st,  6-9 pm in  Apalachicola. Event will feature roasted oysters, oysters on the half shell, creamy artichoke, oyster and thyme soup, fresh local shrimp, blue crabs, salad greens and fantastic desserts. Details, click here.
Lighthouse Lantern Fest
The Crooked River Lighthouse will host the 2014 Lantern Fest on Oct. 25 in Carrabelle Beach. The two-day event will feature a lantern making workshop and evening lantern display, music, dance presentations, storytelling and craft exhibits. 
Run For the Bay Marathon Oct. 26
Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K & Ultra Marathon 50K. Click here for details.
 
SGI Charity Concert  Sept. 25-27
St. George Island and surrounding communities will host the annual Rock by the Sea, Charity Concert and Golf event Sept. 25-27. The event, hosted annually at Harry A's on St. George Island and at the St. James Bay Golf Resort, is dedicated to raising money to assist deserving charities who provide direct services to those in need. 
Rock By The Sea 2014 will feature a golf tournament, 5k run and three nights of music at Harry A's in St. George Island.  Artists include renowned Nashville singer and songwriter Chuck Cannon, as well as MELODIME, Radio Birds, Tim Brantley, Steve Everett, The Roosevelts, Brian Collins Band, and W2.
Cape St. George Lighthouse Features Full Moon Climb
Watch the sun set and full moon rise from the top of the Cape St. George Lighthouse on Tuesday, September 9  from 8-9:30pm. Tickets are $15.00 per person, or $10.00 for St. George Lighthouse Association members, and include light hors d'oeuvres and a sparkling cider toast to the Full Moon.  After sunset, additional climbers are welcome at the top for a view of the Full Moon, as time and space permit. Reservations are recommended. Click here for more information. 
Estuaries Day Sept. 26
The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR) celebrates the annual National Estuaries Day at its Research and Visitor Center in Eastpoint on September 26. The festivities will run from 1:30-6 p.m. and will feature family-friendly activities and exhibits.  The Visitor Center is located near the St. George Island Bridge at 108 Island Drive, Eastpoint.
Feeling like doing more for the environment? Join your neighbors Sept. 20 for Franklin County's annual Coastal Cleanup. There are cleanup locations throughout the county. 
Bald Point State Park Hosts Crab Program
Gather along the shoreline at Alligator Point's Bald Point State Park September 6 and learn about crabs. The 10-11 a.m. program is hosted by the Bald Point State Park rangers and is geared particularly to children who want to learn fascinating facts about hermit crabs, ghost crabs and fiddler crabs. Click here to learn more.
New Bike/Walk Path Opens in Carrabelle
A new half-mile multi-modal paved path opened this summer at Carrabelle Beach to provide scenic coastal bike and walking opportunities. The path connects the Crooked River Lighthouse and the Carrabelle Beach RV Resort which is across Highway 98 from the Franklin County Carrabelle Beach Park. The multi-modal path closes a gap in the Florida Greenways and Trails System’s Land Trail Priority Network 
The path is another pearl in the necklace of county bike/walking paths. Franklin County already features a 6.3-mile path on St. George island.  That path passes the Cape St. George Light and connects to the Dr. JulianG. Bruce St. George Island State Park. 

It's Fall! Go Fish!
Fall means fishing and September is generally recognized as the month that shrimp migrations begin with the young ones moving to deeper bay waters and mature shrimp migrating out the passes to the open gulf to spawn. It's a shrimp feast for the fish and a fish feast for the fishermen! 
Snook Season Opens Sept. 1
The recreational harvest of Gulf of Mexico snook opens Sept. 1. The harvest of snook in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters has been closed since early 2010. When the Gulf recreational harvest reopens Sept. 1, all bag limits, size limits, gear restrictions and closed seasons will be in effect. Click here to learn more.
Fish Salty For Free Sept. 6
Residents and visitors will enjoy one of the State's saltwater license-free fishing day September 6. On this day, Florida residents and visitors can experience Florida’s unique saltwater fishing opportunities first hand without being required to have a recreational saltwater fishing license. Click here for Franklin County  boat launch, rental, guide and marina information.
Camp Gordon Johnston Museum Day Sept. 27
Camp Gordon Johnston celebrates Museum Day on Saturday, Sept. 27. The event marks the eighth year that Camp Gordon Johnston has been asked to participate in the Smithsonian Magazine's Annual National Museum Day.
 The museum is located in the Carrabelle Municipal Complex, at 1001 Gray Ave., Carrabelle, Florida. Volunteers will be welcoming visitors from 10 A.M. until 4 P.M. Come view their ever-growing exhibits.  Hear live music and enjoy free refreshments.
As always, admission is by donation. You can learn more about the Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum and download directions at CampGordonJohnston.com
Painting with Lori Putnam Sept. 11-14 
Spend 4 days working en plein air with American Impressionist Lori Putnam, capturing the culture and history of Apalachicola. This workshop includes lectures and demonstrations, individual painting time, personal instruction, and group critiques to promote your progress. Class at the Apalachicola Center for History, Culture and Art. 
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