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• Apalachicola: Trip tips

St. George Island: a gem along Panhandle's Forgotten Coast

It was late, the wine had been mostly dispatched, and the candles had begun to weep crazily across the patio table. It was end-of-the-party conversation, desultory and rambling, about our favorite places. Favorite place in Florida, my husband mused. That's easy, St. George Island. Everyone but me looked at him blankly.

Finishing each other's sentences, we painted the picture: Some of the darkest, most star-filled skies in the continental United States, partly because of light restrictions to aid the nesting loggerhead sea turtles. Paved bike paths the length of the island, a gorgeous and underpopulated state park beach, flounder fishing off the Bob Sikes Cut. There's the charming historic port of nearby Apalachicola, founded by 19th century cotton and lumber barons, with its Georgian and Victorian manses and its oyster bars. It was an idle comment: We should all go sometime.

Then the e-mails started. Were we serious? How expensive would it be? Could we find a house big enough for all of us?

Small-town charms: A half-dozen places that may steal your heart

B et 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.

It's prime time to visit our natural wonders

The rest of the nation may be shivering, but in Florida, even our coldest winter days are temperate.

For wildlife -- as for humans -- the Sunshine State is a refuge. Sandhill cranes, manatees, white pelicans, roseate spoonbills all come to Florida in winter. What isn't here: the swarms of mosquitoes that breed in standing water during the summer rainy season.

Add in balmy temps, and it's easy to see why this is prime time for visiting many of the state's parks and sanctuaries, including the following:

FDA to ban sale of raw oysters from Gulf of Mexico

Federal officials plan to ban sales of raw oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico unless the shellfish are treated to destroy potentially deadly bacteria - a requirement that opponents say could deprive diners of a delicacy cherished for generations.

The plan has also raised concern among oystermen that they could be pushed out of business.

The Gulf region supplies about two-thirds of U.S. oysters, and some people in the $500 million industry argue that the anti-bacterial procedures are too costly. They insist adequate measures are already being taken to battle germs, including increased refrigeration on oyster boats and warnings posted in restaurants.

Amelia Island: Old Florida charm

In those fresh and heady days of new romance, a getaway is something of a forbidden pleasure. Almost any place will do. Later, when the ink on the marriage announcement has long dried, romance becomes a matter of absence: Absence of kids, office politics, social commitments, bill-paying, the appointment with the Terminex man. But turning off the worry spigot isn't automatic. A place of ease - of unhurried moments, natural beauty, a graciously preserved past - can help slow the mind.

That is why The Husband and I headed for Amelia Island, a snappy 30-minute drive from the Jacksonville International Airport, itself a quick hop from South Florida.

Amelia is historic but modern, natural but convenient. This means options enough to please both partners, but few enough to forestall arguments. The major dilemmas: Where to stay (B&B, upscale resort, motel or cottage rental.) Where to dine: White tablecloth scene or a beachside burger. What to do: Kayaking, cycling, boat tour, horse riding on the