Springin' in Florida

Since exploring the Sunshine State 🌞 over the last few years, I have come to love the Springs of Florida! I have mainly adventured to those centrally located but they all have something unique to offer. Here we go!

Juniper Springs - Located in Ocala National Forest will definitely give you all the tropical feels. There is swimming, picnic areas, campgrounds, hiking trails, boardwalks, and kayaking. The water is a refreshing 72 degrees all year long. The boardwalk will take you through the forest where you will witness wildlife, boiling salt springs, and crystal clear water.

Three Sisters Springs at Crystal River - Amazing springs, manatees, birds, and a boardwalk to take it all in. Close by is the Crystal River Wildlife Refuge where you can paddle, snorkel, and swim with the manatees. You can launch a kayak at Kings Bay or Hunter Springs to get to Three Sisters Springs if you are wanting to explore by way of water (note: there is no water access from the springs to the refuge). The manatees love Three Sisters and the refuge! Snorkeling here with these gentle giants is a must-do!

 

Silver Springs State Park - From glass bottom boats to kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards ... there are many ways to explore this state park. We opted for kayaking and made our way through the clear waters of the spring to the entrance of the river and back to the springs. You can skip the river (turning around where it starts) as it can be more of a strenuous paddle to return to the spring area, but well worth the views. We saw a few manatees here plus an alligator sunning himself.

Weeki Wachee Springs - My most favorite paddle yet. The waters of the Weeki Wachee are unreal! From the launch site you will make your way for 3 miles through some of the most beautiful waters I have ever seen in Florida. There are several sand-bars along the way which is great to stop for lunch or for getting out to take a dip in the water. If you are lucky, you may even spot manatee's floating beneath your kayak.

Rainbow Springs State Park - Whether you take a swim, a paddle, or just enjoy the beautiful and serene gardens filled with colorful flowers and waterfalls, Rainbow Springs is a great place to spend the day. The entrance fee is $2 and gives you access to the whole park. Kayaks and canoes can be rented on site. Camping is also allowed just a few minutes drive from the head springs!

Rock Springs/Kelly Park - Kelly Park is the perfect day trip destination! Between the 7 miles of hiking trails, picnic areas, and swimming (when allowed), I am certain you will love the beauty of this park. It's also known as Bear Country so be on the lookout Nearby Camp Joy offers a place for you to launch your kayak or canoe and gives you access to the Emerald Cut, noted as one of the most beautiful sections of Rock Springs Run. If you launch at Camp Joy, you can either paddle back or arrange for a pick up at Wekiva Island.

The Chaz - A river with many surprises! One of the prettiest springs known as the Seven Sisters Spring is within minutes of you launching into the river and yes you can stop and swim here! Don't skip it! As you paddle on, you will come to Baird Creek, a tributary of the Chaz. Paddle as far as you can, park the kayak, and begin to wade in the ankle deep water towards the secret swimming hole known as The Crack. Don't be surprised to spot many different birds, otters, turtles, and maybe even a manatee here! The river, after about 2.5 miles, will turn into the Wildlife Refuge and this will continue for miles, but this is where we turned around.

 

Silver Glen Springs - The turquoise blue waters of Silver Glen are located in Ocala National Forest. A busy place in the summers as houseboats line the spring run and people enjoy swimming in the warm, clear waters. There are two trails around the park; Spring Boils Trail and Lake George Trail. Canoes are available for rent or bring your own to launch for no fee. The main Spring Boil pumps 72 million gallons of water per day down to Lake George and is a first magnitude spring. The second spring known as the Natural Well attracts many fish to it's depths. This is a short but fun paddle! We saw manatees, many fish, and even crabs!

Kings Landing - Paddling here was so fun!  Once you get out of the canal, go right! That'll lead you to the area known as the Emerald Cut and it is gorgeous! The water is shallow, crystal clear, and the palms are beautiful! Once you head back toward the canal, keep going toward the river!  This is where we saw many turtles, three alligators and tons of fish!  

Now, it's time to get out there and explore the Springs!

Shona

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Viva La Mexico 🌴

Mexico, it took me almost 38 years to get to you...but now I am already planning my next adventure back!  I'll be honest, it was never a country on my top to-visit list, but I was not disappointed.  I was a little skeptical when we booked Cancun as the city to visit, all that came to mind was "spring-break" and even though it isn't spring break season, I usually avoid those areas at any month.  But, Cancun, I loved you and all that you had to offer!

Before leaving, we booked a private car through the Cancun airport; this is a must.  It is so worth it!  They were waiting for us when we arrived and we even had time to grab a beer before heading to our hotel. Within 40 minutes, we had arrived to our home for the next 5 days.  While waiting for our room, since we arrived a bit before check-in time, they held our bags and we were off to the beach restaurant to grab a cocktail and lunch.

We decided to stay at a smaller boutique hotel, the Hotel Nyx.  It gave you the option for all-inclusive or breakfast only, but I bet you can guess which option we chose.  I liked this resort because it was smaller, the infinity pool faced the ocean, and they had plenty of beach chairs surrounded by beautiful palm trees and those little palm sunshades.  Catch me here folks, fruity drinks in hand!  Did I mention the full-service beach bar?  They made certain to keep the drinks fresh and by the time we left, we didn't even have to ask for tequila shots.  The service was great!  We chose the Superior Suite room and it was perfect.  It had ocean views, you could watch the sunrise without even getting out of bed and hear the early morning waves crashing upon the shoreline.

Day one in Mexico was off to a good start.  After lunch, we hit the beach for a little rest and salt water swimming, followed by dinner and cocktails at the pool bar followed by more cocktails in the hotel bar.  Chuy was the hotel bartender the entire time we were there and we came to know him quite well.  He made the best cold brew coffee with irish creme and did I mention the Cosmopolitans? Sol is the main beer here so we made sure to support that tradition too.

Mexico, you are doing good!
Shona

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Juniper Springs and the National Forest

You shouldn't be surprised that I would make sure and visit any National Forest if I am near one.  In Florida, this is the Ocala National Forest.  Owning the title of the Southernmost forest,  Ocala is 673 square miles of protected sand pine scrub, includes three first-magnitude springs, over 600 hundred  lakes and ponds, hiking trails, camping, and recreation areas.  The springs allow visitors to swim, snorkel, and scuba year round.

For this adventure, I chose to visit Juniper Springs Recreation Area which is one of the oldest springs located on the East Coast.  As I made my way into the park, I stopped at the pay station to discuss hiking and swimming.  It's a $5 fee to enter but well worth the price.  The lady seemed surprised I was spending the day alone, when will people not be surprised by solo travelers? I gave her a big smile, hopped back in the car and made my way to start exploring!

It was late morning but already getting pretty warm, so I decided to take a dip in the springs.  Ice cold water, but crystal clear, and surrounded by some of the most beautiful Florida nature I have ever seen.  I quickly made friends with a girl named Becca. She was about 14 years old and was there for swimming lessons.  Ok Kansas, Florida gets a point for that!  We briefly discussed where we were from and then she said, "Do you want me to take your picture?" A girl after my own heart.

After cooling off, I decided to venture on to the Juniper Springs Nature Trail, an easy hike along the well-known boardwalk that would take me through the dense canopy of palms and oaks, ending at Fern Hammock Springs.  I made a quick stop at the Juniper Millhouse for a bit of history, learning this was built in the early 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps.  Along the way were hundreds of bubbling springs, both small and large, gushing out of crevices of the earth and known as Sandy Boils. It was an oasis in the middle of the desert like Big Scrub.

At Fern Hammock Springs and located under the footbridge that crosses here, is the largest sand-filled boil.  The bottom of the pool is filled with sand and aquatic grasses and the water has the most gorgeous blue-green color. This pool is kept in a more natural state surrounded by pine, palm, and hardwoods.  Swimming is not allowed here to protect the sand boils and natural character.  I did notice several turtles basking in the sun and a few fish swimming around. Alligators are often seen in the springs and in the surrounding areas.  Basically in Florida, if there is water, there are gators.  I will tell about my experience with a few of them in my next blog post, so be sure to follow along!

Before I left the park, I stopped one last time to take a dip in Juniper Springs.  Even though it was the coldest water I have ever felt, for some reason, it didn't bother me.  The beauty of the Springs was almost unreal.  As I drove away from the recreation area, I decided to leave the Forest heading out the opposite direction I came in.  I was on a mission to find a Ranger Station for more information.  I stopped at the Lake George Ranger Station and loaded up on maps and different areas of the forest to explore.  Camping here has now been added to my list!  Until next time Ocala, thank you for an amazing day!

Later Gator 🐊

Shona

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