The first thing that hits you when you fly into northwestern Florida is the Smell. If you're used to the beachy smell in other parts of the country -- part fish, part gasoline, part cocoa butter -- you will be surprised.

Here in the Panhandle, the smell is pine. Clean and inviting. Even though the area has become a bit overdeveloped in the past 20 years, there's still that pristine, back-woods sort of smell that, to me, speaks of hot Summer days cooking, shopping, swimming and laughing with friends and family.

All tinged with the lilting Southern accent of scrub pine.