Continue southeast on U.S. Hwy. 98 to the pulpwood and paper-mill town of Port St. Joe. In 1838-39, the state's first Constitutional Convention was held in the then-bustling seaport exporting cotton, bricks and lumber to northern states and Europe. The Constitution Convention State Museum (200 Allen Memorial Way; 850-229-8029) commemorates the work of those who drafted Florida's first constitution. Also in Port St. Joe is the Historic Port Theater (312 Reid St.). For more information, call the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce (850-227-2151). About 10 miles down the highway, the old Cape San Blas Lighthouse barely survives after more than 160 years guiding ships. It was deactivated in 1996 and its German-made Fresnel lens removed. The lighthouse was built in the 1840s, destroyed in the Great Storm of 1856, rebuilt and burned by Confederates during the Civil War. It was eventually relighted only to be smashed by a hurricane in 1882. A sixth reconstruction of the often-moved structure in 1918 had to be moved 1,850 feet from water's edge due to erosion. Today, only the grounds are open to visitors.

Tour's end comes at Apalachicola, once the third biggest shipper on the Gulf, sending cotton, timber and oysters all over the world. Located at the mouth of the Apalachicola River, the town has a two-square-mile historic district, including the Raney House, built by commission merchant David G. Raney in 1838; the Coombs House Inn (80 Sixth St.; 850-653-9199), a 1905 Victorian mansion now converted to a bed and breakfast; Trinity Episcopal Church (79 Sixth St.), a Greek-revival structure dating to 1836; and the Gibson Inn (57 Market St.; 850-653-2191), a rambling, two-story, Victorian-era hotel with 31 moderately priced rooms and one of the best restaurants in town.

The John Gorrie State Museum (Sixth St. off U.S. Hwy. 98; 850-653-9347) features a replica of his 1880's ice-making machine. Gorrie's cooling machine laid the groundwork for modern refrigeration and air-conditioning.

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