Longleaf Pine Forest

Florida has many habitats. One of my favorites–one featured in my Florida Folk Magic Series–is the Longleaf Pine forest. This “Florida Memory” photo was taken in the Apalachicola National Forest near Bristol in West Florida:

Apalachicola River

Wikipedia Description: The river is formed on the state line between Florida and Georgia, near the town of Chattahoochee, Florida, approximately 60 miles (97 km) northeast of Panama City, by the confluence of the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers. The actual confluence is contained within the Lake Seminole reservoir formed by the Jim Woodruff Dam. It flows generally south through the forests of the Florida Panhandle, past Bristol. In northern Gulf County, it receives the Chipola River from the west. It flows into Apalachicola Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, at Apalachicola. The lower 30 mi (48 km) of the river is surrounded by extensive swamps and wetlands, except at the coast.

This “Florida Memory” photo shows the kind scene visible from the bluffs near Torreya State Park”

Torreya State Park

This park, on the Apalachicola River, is named for the rare and endangered Torreya Tree, found only in Florida.  This “Florida Memory” photo shows hikers on a trail near Rock Bluff:

Here’s a stone bridge at Torreya State Park built by the CCC in the 193os:

I was drawn to Liberty County as a setting for my four folk magic novels because I saw it often while growing up on family day trips and Scouting expeditions. As of the most recent census, it was the least populous county in Florida.

It was a wonderful setting for my fictional town of Torreya and my folk magic series.

—Malcolm

If you read Kindle books, you can save money on my Florida Folk Magic Series by purchasing all four novels together in one book.