Bet you haven't run into a man who's never seen an airplane. But I can lead you to one.

This gentleman chats with tourists every working day at Fort Clinch at the northern tip of Florida, where he plays the costumed role of a Civil War soldier. Since there were no airplanes in the 1860s, he scoffs at talk about machines that fly. He doesn't even admit airplanes exist, even if you point out one in the sky.

This role-playing throwback to an earlier age is one of the more unusual experiences one can have when visiting Fernandina Beach, one of many interesting small towns in Florida.

Some of these communities have fascinating histories, some have contemporary attractions. They may possess desirable settings, be home to wonderful hostelries or other unique features.

Small-town folks, I have found, are generally more friendly and more relaxed than their big-city counterparts, and their accommodations are more reasonably priced. Plus, you won't have to fight crowds.

To be sure, many small towns are deadly dull, and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone except an enemy. So what follows is a selection of six small Florida towns I would gladly visit again.

FERNANDINA BEACH

Besides Fort Clinch, which lies a few miles north of town, Fernandina Beach is the hub city of Amelia Island, one of the state's great resort areas. Best known of the region's hostelries is Amelia Island Plantation, with inn and and villa accommodations, 72 holes of golf, 23 tennis courts, several restaurants and miles of beach.

The jewel of the island is the historic district of Fernandina, the only place in the United States that served under eight flags. A landmark building is the Palace Saloon, the state's oldest continuously operating drinking establishment, with floors of inlaid mosaic, a ceiling of embossed tin, and large murals depicting scenes from Shakespeare and Dickens.

Another venerable building downtown is the Florida House Inn, the state's oldest surviving hotel, which has played host to such guests as President Ulysses S. Grant, automaker Henry Ford, actress Mary Pickford and Cuban martyr Jose Marti. Dozens of graceful Victorian homes populate nearby blocks, and docks on the Amelia River host a fleet that still brings in most of Florida's shrimp.

Amelia Island Tourist Development Council, 800- 226-3542, www.ameliaisland.com or www.islandchamber.com.

ORMOND BEACH

There aren't many places where you can drive on the beach, but this is one of them. Driving on the hard-packed sand, with ocean surf pounding on one side and beachfront homes, hotels and condos on the other, costs $5.

In 1903, two automobile pioneers, Ransom E. Olds and Alexander Winton, squared off in the first timed automobile race on these sands. It was the start of a memorable era for Ormond Beach: All the greats of auto racing competed on the beach here, from Barney Oldfield and the Stanley brothers of Stanley Steamer days to Eddie Rickenbacker and Sir Malcolm Campbell.

Ormond Beach celebrates its vehicular heritage with special events every year, among them the Birthplace of Speed festival at Thanksgiving time, which draws as many as 200 antique cars.

Aside from auto racing, Ormond Beach is a quiet resort town that is much less frenetic than neighboring Daytona Beach, yet close enough to that city that visitors and residents can enjoy its attractions. In Ormond, the former home of John D. Rockefeller Sr., the Casements, is open to the public. Also of interest: The Loop, a 22-mile driving route that runs along the shore and through a tunnel of old-growth oaks.