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Roads near Blountstown, Florida – Lightning Drone Imagery\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Florida Panhandle coastline can make you feel as if you’ve stepped right into the tropics. Some of the Gulf Coast region’s balmy\u00a0beach towns could certainly pass for the Caribbean<\/a>, with their swaying palm trees, lapping\u00a0emerald-green waters, and soft white sands. However, the popular coastal spots (think Pensacola Beach, Destin, Panama City\u00a0Beach, etc.)\u00a0tend to get rather\u00a0crowded,\u00a0not to mention more expensive, especially during the peak warmer months when families and single tourists alike busy up the beaches and resorts. You can find a quieter side to Northwest Florida further inland in Blountstown.<\/p>\n The\u00a0little\u00a0rural city lies along the winding Apalachicola River, less than an hour away from the coast, so you\u00a0can still pack your shades and sunblock.\u00a0Just be ready to slow down and soak up the\u00a0city’s historic charm and Old Florida views. “If you like small town communities, then this is the place for you,” one local shared on Niche<\/a>. “The hometown feel is just amazing,” another<\/a> penned.<\/p>\n Blountstown, which\u00a0serves as the Calhoun County seat, sits right in between\u00a0Panama City Beach and Tallahassee, which is home to the\u00a0Tallahassee International Airport (TLH),\u00a0America’s most expensive airport<\/a>.\u00a0You won’t have to break the bank in Blountstown, though.\u00a0If you’re looking for budget-friendly places to stay, the retro-themed Calhoun Roadside Motor Lodge has\u00a0nightly rates starting\u00a0at $100, at the time of writing. “What a quaint & cozy gem of a place!” one Google<\/a> review reads. “The decor and attention to detail was amazing.”<\/p>\n Read more: 25 Gorgeous Islands For Vacationing That Won’t Break The Bank<\/a><\/p>\n Stroll back in time in Blountstown, Florida Old Calhoun County Courthouse in Blountstown, Florida – Tim Ross \/ Wikimedia Commons Public Domain<\/p>\n Blountstown may not be the oldest community in Florida, but its settlement roots still stretch back to the early 1800s. Traces of the city’s past are scattered throughout\u00a0the historic downtown district, where several heritage buildings still stand\u00a0today. If admiring period architecture is your thing, you’ll definitely want to check out the\u00a0Old Calhoun County Courthouse. According to the\u00a0Florida Natural Areas Inventory<\/a>, the stately red-brick building\u00a0\u2014 which was built in 1904 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places\u00a0\u2014 is one of the last surviving Romanesque Revival-style courthouses in the entire state.<\/p>\n Remnants of\u00a0Florida’s shortest railway,\u00a0the now-defunct\u00a0Marianna and Blountstown Railroad, can be found just steps away in M&B Railroad\u00a0Park, where you can see\u00a0an old steam locomotive on display. “Happened to be passing through here so I thought I would check it out. It’s definitely worth a stop […] It is cool to see how things used to be,” one Google<\/a> review reads.\u00a0The M&B Railroad\u00a0Depot Museum is right across the street. No admission fee is listed online, and the museum is usually open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays through Saturdays.\u00a0Due to\u00a0the limited hours, you may want to try calling ahead before heading over, just to be safe.<\/p>\n Budget-friendly things to do around Blountstown, Florida Sam Atkins Park in Blountstown, Florida – Rick Webb \/ Facebook<\/p>\n You can explore more of Blountstown’s history at the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement.\u00a0The living history museum features more than a dozen historical structures dating back to the 1820s. Take a self-guided tour of the grounds for just $5, at the time of writing, or splurge on a guided tour, which currently costs\u00a0$9 or $12, depending on your age.<\/p>\n Sam Atkins Park is nearby and has playgrounds and plenty of spots to picnic. You should bring along a pair of binoculars, because plenty of bird species have been spotted in the area. If you want to do more birding in the state, check out\u00a0the best birdwatching destinations in Florida<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can stretch your legs or do a bit of cycling along the\u00a0Blountstown Greenway Bike Path, which sets off from the park. The paved, multi-use pathway serves as a tiny section of the\u00a0sprawling 1,500-mile Florida National Scenic Trail, stretching across\u00a0the little Panhandle city for 3.4 miles. The rail-trail drops off\u00a0at Neal Landing, right\u00a0along\u00a0the Apalachicola River. There, you’ll find a\u00a0public boat ramp, if you want to take your watercraft out to roam the waters.<\/p>\n Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter<\/a> and add us as a preferred search source<\/a> for access to the world’s best-kept travel secrets.<\/p>\n![\"\ufeffOld](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/71da29e8232c0936f673d0accc039ed6.jpeg\"\/)
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