Follow That Dream: Elvis on Florida’s Sleepy Gulf Coast

In 1961, Elvis Presley brought his guitar and his grin to a quiet stretch of the Florida Gulf coast. The result was Follow That Dream, a sweet, sunny comedy filmed around Yankeetown and Inverness that locals still talk about with pride.

The lighthearted story follows the Kwimper family, who homestead on an undeveloped patch of Florida beach and cheerfully defy the bureaucrats and con men who try to move them along. Elvis plays the good-natured Toby, charming his way through the misadventures and singing the catchy title tune along the way.

What makes the film special for Floridians is the scenery. The production used real local roads, bridges, and shoreline, capturing the unhurried Old Florida of the early 1960s. The little town of Yankeetown still cherishes its brush with the King, and a stretch of highway there carries the movie’s name.

It is gentle, funny, and full of Gulf coast sunshine, a perfect pick for a relaxed afternoon. Look for Follow That Dream and enjoy a postcard of Florida as it was.