Amelia Island is also well known for its Victorian Silk Stocking District. Consisting of fifty blocks of Victorian homes and buildings, the Silk Stocking District is an architecture lover’s dream come true. Cobblestone walks lined with gas lamps and wrought iron benches beg visitors to explore Victorian homes and colorful brick buildings that have been converted into bed and breakfast inns, quaint book stores and antique shops. Following an afternoon of exploring , visitors will want to quench their thirst at the oldest saloon in Florida, build around 1878 on Amelia Island. The saloon, which features a 40 ft hand carved mahogany bar, is still in operation today. Top off your visit to this charming seaport town with a stop at Amelia Island lighthouse, built in 1839 and sitting atop the highest elevation in Florida, at 107 feet above sea level. Still operational, visitors can gaze 19 miles out to see from the lighthouse’s vantage point.
The area located between the central Gulf Coast and the Everglades on the southern tip of Florida has been home to Seminole and Miccosukee tribes for more than 12,000 years. Descendents of these early Floridians still live in this area today and many have worked to build appropriate memorials to further the understanding of their people. Evidence of the early mound building society can be seen nearly
Crystal River on US 19. The Crystal River State Archeological Site now features burial and temple mounds as well as a museum and interpretive exhibits. At Big Cypress Indian Reservation south of
Naples, visitors can tour a living Seminole village, view a movie about the history of the Seminole people in the
Everglades, take a swamp buggy tour through the lush beauty of the
Everglades and end their visit by sampling some traditional Native American cuisine at the Swamp Water Café.
Along the central east coast, visitors who enjoy diving will want to check out the underwater archeological sites which are available for recreational wreck divers to explore. Throughout the history of Florida, numerous ships, including Spanish treasure galleons, wrecked off the coasts of Florida and many of them are now preserved for those who want to take a refreshing dive beneath the sea to explore the wrecks.
Conclude your tour of the magnificent and impressive historical sites in Florida, with a stop in Southern Florida, where you can explore the rich Cuban history of Little Havanna in Miami and tour the Bahama Village in Key West where you can sample Bahamaian fare.
