The resort’s intimate chapel is popular for weddings, providing seating for up to 125.

A Resort of a Different Sort

Story and Photos By David Monforton

At this resort, there is no “kids’ camp” sending parents and children on their separate ways for the day, but there is a petting zoo with goats, chickens and rabbits that instead unites the family for a valuable bonding vacation. There is no large hotel with hundreds of rooms, but there are individual cottages nestled amid moss-draped oaks and towering pines.

Located three miles from the gulf on its namesake river in north central Florida, Steinhatchee Landing Resort is not a conventional “Florida resort,” but is instead an “Old Florida resort,” reflecting the way things were more than a century ago.

Only 20 years old, the resort was conceived and developed by Dean Fowler, who saw the potential of this 35-acre tract of land in a vast undeveloped region of Florida that no one else did. Guests come to Steinhatchee (pronounced STEEN-ha-chee) to get away from their busy lives for the resort’s charming Victorian and Florida Cracker cottages, and outdoor activities that range from fishing and hiking to canoeing, kayaking and cycling.

Intimate weddings are frequently held at the resort’s chapel, and larger weddings can be held outside in full view of Mother Nature’s best work.

The peaceful and relaxing environment is created by details such as this fountain sculpture in a koi pond.

One of the main draws to the resort begins on July 1, when the local scalloping season begins. (It runs through Sept. 10.) A popular activity for families, scalloping best resembles snorkeling, but with the simple addition of a mesh bag for storing the harvest. Many guests also take advantage of fishing excursions that the resort can arrange right from its docks on the Steinhatchee River.

More than anything else, though, Steinhatchee Landing Resort is a place to escape, unwind and enjoy nature with family and friends. Among those who’ve discovered and taken advantage of its unique setting is former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, who’ve stayed at the resort three times over the years.

Redefine what a Florida vacation is, and come to Steinhatchee for an “Old Florida” vacation.

To learn more about Steinhatchee Landing Resort, call or stop by your local AAA office or visit AAA.com.