4C BBQ in Ponce De Leon is most excellent....it's just a few miles away from Vortex, and has awesome barbeque. Sally's Restaurant is also fantastic, and they have great breakfasts. The seafood is pretty good, too.
As far as hotels go, the only one that I've stayed at is Ponce De Leon Motor Lodge. A room was $50 a night, and it was kind of...well...what you'd expect for $50 a night. Clean (for the most part), though.
If you drive 10 miles up I-10, there is a much better hotel selection in DeFuniak Springs. I stayed at America's Best Value Inn a couple of weeks ago. Only $50, and had clean rooms, key-card entry, and coffee makers!
If you stay in Defuniak Springs, there's a Mexican restaurant just up the road that's pretty good (great margaritas).
Vortex itself is fun to dive, but when compared to a bigger place like ABWA in Pelham, AL...well, it's on the small side. If you get there early, visibility is fantastic, but it rapidly gets stirred up on the weekends and reduced to 30-40 feet vis. Water temp is always 68 degrees, which is why it gets used a lot in the winter for OW certification dives (ABWA in Pelham falls to the low 50's....brrrrr). Vortex is a fresh water spring with a cave entrance....be sure to stay in open water, and don't wander into the cave. If you look up and see rock, you've gone too far.
There's some stuff to look at in the water...a metal talk box at 20 feet, in which you can duck your head inside, and there's a small air space inside (enough to be able to pull out your reg and talk to your buddy). There's a concrete pad at about 20 feet, in which a lot of the instructors will have there students gather and perform skills. There's also a deeper area that goes to about 40-50 feet. At around 20-30 feet, there's a large artificial "training cave" (a man-made monstrosity that was designed to provide a training place for cave diving instruction). Essentially, it's a big swimthrough with a gravel floor.
The entryway into the spring is easy...they've got steps leading to the water.
There's a large covered area in which to get out of the rain, and there's picnic tables there to set up your gear.
The driveway leading into Vortex can be a bit tricky...if you have a teeny-tiny small car, take it slow.
That's all I can think of. Feel free to PM me with any further questions
