The innkeepers at the Gibson Inn in the old fishing village of Apalachicola love to tell their guests that the hotel has a haunted room, but, then again, just about every Old Florida hotel has
a ghost tale or two that will spook the most gullible. What sets this inn apart from the others is that it actually has a designated place for such storytelling. It’s called the front porch. Folks while away the hours in rocking chairs on the Gibson’s wraparound veranda, telling not only ghost stories, but catching up on the latest gossip and even debating who has the freshest oysters. Old-fashioned in the loveliest sense, the Cracker-style inn is the first thing travelers see as they drive the John Gorrie Memorial Bridge across the mouth of the Apalachicola River to arrive in Apalach (as the locals call it). Consider it a welcome sign to this charming small town in Northwest Florida. Apalachicola is surrounded by its namesake river to the north and east and its bay to the south. The importance of the water is palpable. You can practically feel the sea salt in the air, see it on weathered waterfront buildings and fishing boats docked at Riverside Park and even hear it in the locals’ voices.
Stroll from the inn through the historic downtown district. An ancient-looking Greek boat “parked” next to a red-brick industrial building marks the heart of the area. Two blocks over is Downtown Books & Purl (850.653.1290), a bookstore and knitting shop, and peppered throughout are these surprisingly copious art galleries, featuring original surrealist paintings and classical-style sculptures by local and national artists. Gallery 75 mixes in the practical by also selling boat slips for long-term and overnight docking.
In these surroundings, the Gibson Inn is right at home. One of the oldest — and still most striking — landmarks, the three-story inn was built in 1907, when the town was the second-busiest port on the Gulf, next to New Orleans. At the time, its Victorian architecture (crowned with a cupola and widow’s walk), wraparound balconies and advanced steam-heating system made it the most luxurious hotel between Jacksonville and Pensacola. The inn really struggled through a weakening local economy until sisters Annie and Mary Ella “Sunshine” Gibson bought the property in 1923. The newly dubbed Gibson Inn stayed under family ownership until 1942, when Uncle Sam turned it into an officer’s club and barracks. A restoration in the 1980s modernized the hotel again.
A stay at the inn means you’ll sleep in a generous four-poster bed — with regal curves and claw-foot legs — carved out of dark wood. Bathrooms have deep, vintage claw-foot tubs that you’ll want to soak in for hours. Beadboard walls, chair rails and classic wallpaper all give the rooms and lobby a touch of yesteryear. After sunset, bursts of wild laughter can be heard in the lobby as hardworking residents belly up to a heavily lacquered wooden bar to quaff a cold beer at their favorite hangout. Spot hotel guests by their tall glasses of the rum-based Gibson Breeze, the inn’s signature cocktail. The crowd eventually spills out onto the porch, where talk of the workday continues.
Come morning, though, many of these locals are out on the river just east of the inn. Apalach’s sea dogs hit the water in everything from simple skiffs to multirig trawlers to haul in boatloads of shrimp, fish and Apalachicola Bay oysters. You can walk to both Up the Creek Raw Bar and Boss Oyster (850.653.9364), where the sweet, meaty bivalves are prepared 20 different ways (and counting), from raw to baked with blue crab and artichoke. More than 90 percent of the oysters eaten in Florida come from this corner of the Gulf coast, but nowhere else are they literally right off the boat. From nearby St. George Island you can try your own hand at oystering. Journeys of St. George Island takes boats into the bay, where you can hog oysters using giant tongs.
More Great Rustic Inns
Destin
Spend a night at the Henderson Park Inn and wake up steps from the sand to the sounds of seabirds and lapping waves. Situated at the edge of Henderson Beach State Park (the quieter end of Destin), the inn has Victorian-furnished rooms with Gulf views.
Fernandina Beach
Opened in 1857, the Florida House Inn is the state’s oldest operating hotel. Renowned for its South- ern hospitality, the inn’s 16 rooms (and English-style pub) have housed guests with names like Ford, Rockefeller and Carnegie.
Mount Dora
Stepping into Mount Dora feels like the calendar has flipped back a few decades, and the Old South- style Lakeside Inn fits in perfectly. Sip coffee or a mint julep in a rocking chair on the veranda over- looking Lake Dora, then shop the charming downtown for antiques.
Pine Island
Soak in the Old Florida charm at Pine Island’s Tarpon Lodge. Stay in the historic lodge or at the stilt- style Island House. In the morning, head into PI ne Island Sound for some of the best tarpon fishing.
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