Tupelo Honey

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Low-Key Hideaway Motel and RV Resort in Cedar Key, especially their tiki bar and amazing views of the sunsets from their pier.

 

We left last Friday and drove about 240-miles north along the gulf coast to Tyndall Air Force Base. We stayed at the Family Campground and had a nice, shady campsite.  

On Saturday, we drove about 25-miles east to the town of Wewahitchka, Florida to visit the L.L. Lanie & Sons Tupelo Honey family business, established in 1898. We were curious about Tupelo Honey and wanted to learn more about it.  

Here is some interesting information from the L.L. Lanie & Sons Tupelo Honey web site:

“Tupelo honey is produced from the tupelo gum tree which grows profusely along the Chipola and Apalachicola rivers of northwest Florida. Here in the river swamps, this honey is produced in a unique fashion. Bees are placed on elevated platforms along the river's edge, and they fan out through the surrounding Tupelo-blossom-laden swamps during April and May and return with their precious treasure. This river valley is the only place in the world where Tupelo Honey is produced commercially.”

“Real Tupelo honey is a light golden amber color with a greenish cast. The flavor is delicious, delicate and distinctive; a choice table grade honey. Good white tupelo, unmixed with other honeys, will not granulate.”

 “The Lanier family has been harvesting Tupelo honey from hives in the Apalachicola River swamps for three generations, with L.L. Lanier, Sr. beginning the tradition more than 110 years ago. L.L. Lanier, Jr. apprenticed with his father, and assumed the leadership role in the family business in the 1940's.”

We tried some tupelo honey this morning on some hot, out of the oven, bisquits and it was very, very good. The flavor was distinctive and as Van Morrison would say..."as sweet as Tupelo honey".

We left Tyndall AFB and Panama City on Sunday and drove 55-miles to Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Santa Rosa Beach to spend three nights. We’ve stayed at Topsail before, back in 2010.

We enjoyed our three days at Topsail, but leave Florida tomorrow, heading towards San Antonio. We’ve been living in Florida now for four months, since early January. We’ll be back…but not until fall 2017.   

Steve & Julie Cornelius