It's hard to find places in the U.S. that feel like they did 50 years ago, where the guy who shucks the oysters chats with the lady who owns the donut shop because they used to go fishing as kids on the local river. But the Florida Panhandle, a magnificent stretch of white-sand beaches and sleepy fishing villages, remains unchanged in the best possible way. In four days of exploring, you'll be hard-pressed to find a chain store or designer coffee, and the shrimp boats and cypress swamps will remind you that you really are in the Deep South. Best of all, this trip is a throwback to the way families used to vacation, and as you drive from retro aquarium to sandy state park—stopping along the way at an all-you-can-eat crab-legs stand—you'll remember why.

Day 1

Tallahassee to Apalachicola

From Tallahassee, drive south on Route 363 toward Wakulla Springs State Park, stopping along the way at Hamaknockers BBQ (3123 Crawfordville Hwy., 850-926-4737) to pick up delicious pulled-pork sandwiches for lunch. At the park, jump onto one of the glass-bottomed boats. The 30-minute ride glides through the old-growth, alligator-filled swamp where several of the early Tarzan movies were filmed; more than 180 species of birds fly overhead. Before leaving, check out the oversize fireplace and painted ceiling at the 1930s-era Wakulla Springs Lodge.

Get on U.S. 98 and drive southwest toward Carrabelle Public Beach, a pristine spot that was the site of the amphibious training for D-day. Continue west to Carrabelle, home to the world's smallest police station—housed in a phone booth—and a great snack spot, Carrabelle Junction (88 Tallahassee St., 850-697-9550). Order a turkey BLT and a chocolate-banana milk shake for the kids.

Drive 30 minutes southwest—over a four-mile-long bridge that spans Apalachicola Bay—to St. George Island. The state park here is a great place to sift for sand dollars and scallop shells.

Continue west to Apalachicola. Book two nights at the Gibson Inn, an old-fashioned clapboard hotel with sweeping wraparound porches, so you can explore locally the next day. The inn has an excellent seafood restaurant, Avenue Sea.

Next Page: Apalachicola and Port St. Joe