| Date: | Wednesday, September 3, 2003 |
| Today's Route: | Sun Harbor Marina, Panama City, FL to Apalachicola, FL |
| Today's Mileage: | 112 |
| Total Mileage: | 1489 |
| Hours for the day: 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM | 5 Hours |
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On the way, we ran into a school of dolphin/porpoise. |
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| We pulled into this marina for fuel and then parked next door at the Apalachicola River Inpalachicola. |
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| This machine is used for cleaning oysters. You dump the bag in, turn the water and motor on, and the oysters spin in the tumbler. It washes off lots of the crud on the oysters and will separate oysters stuck together. This guy sells his oysters to the Boss Oyster Bar and Restaurant next to the Apalachicola River Inn. | Apalachicola Bay accounts for 90 percent of Florida's oyster harvest and 10 percent nationally. |
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Historic Apalachicola is located where
the Apalachicola River spills into Apalachicola Bay and it is this
precise mixture of fresh and salt water that creates the ideal
environment for the growth of the famous Apalachicola oyster. Approximately
80% of Florida's succulent oysters are produced right here in our
beautiful bay. The oysters are processed here and across the
bay in Eastpoint where they are then shipped to restaurants, oyster bars
and food stores throughout the United States.
The little city of Apalachicola is like a
cat with 9 lives. Several events in its history would have made
ghost towns of communities with fewer resources. In the
1800's the town was a booming cotton port. Cotton produced in
Georgia and Alabama came to this port city by wagon and then was loaded
on sailing vessels and shipped all over the world. The advent of
rail roads put and end to the Apalachicola cotton shipping economy.
Instead of rolling over and dying the city began to develop a
lumber economy. Cypress trees along the Apalachicola River and the
nearby swamps were cut and floated down the river to sawmills and the
resulting lumber was loaded on ships and sent throughout the world.
Eventually there were not enough Cypress trees to sustain the industry
and the saw mills closed. Again the city refused to die.
A seafood industry was born. That industry is very active even
today and is, in fact, a mainstay of the local economy.
Boats leave daily to harvest oysters and shrimp in the bay and offshore
they catch Grouper, Snapper and other fish which they return to the
local seafood processing houses. Fresh seafood is available
locally in the processing establishments as well as local restaurants.
In recent years "Apalach", as
it is fondly referred to, has been experiencing a wonderful
revitalization of its downtown area and many of the historic old homes
are being restored. Visitors from all over the world come to see
the old homes and restored buildings in the downtown area where many
quaint shops now thrive. We invite you to come and enjoy this
charming little town, walk the water front, go in the shops, enjoy fresh
seafood in one of the many excellent restaurants.
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The cleaned oysters come out the other end. |