Since the weather has turned extremely hot out I wanted to do something that was in the water but also had a little excersize and nature involved, so I immediately thought of kayaking. There are so many beautiful areas in Florida to kayak at but I also wanted to stay relatively close so I chose Wekiwa Springs in Apopka. Only a 30 minute drive and it was well worth it. Miki, Cody and I got to the park around 9am and the line had already started forming, if you go to any of the springs remember, once the parking lot is full they close the gates so get there as early as you can. It was only $6.00 for the 3 of us to enter the park. We immediately went to the concession stand to rent us our kayaks. Miki rented a single one and Cody and I were in a double. Good thing we got there when we did because they only have a few and the line behind us to get one started to get pretty long. Once we rented them we went down to the dock area and our adventrue begin. We had the pleasure of being one of the few people on the water at that time so it was very peaceful and serene. We saw a large gator hanging out in the water, but he submerged as we passed. There were many birds and dragon flys zipping around as the river is teaming with fish and insects for them to enjoy. We kayaked up to an area known as Wekiwa Island (which I found out that you can also get to by land) that had chairs lined up along the banks, a tiki bar, and picnic tables. We found out that this is a pet friendly area and your dogs can come hang out with you and take a dip if they want. They also rent kayaks here, but by either a full day or half day, unlike the state park which rents them out for 2 hour minimum and then and upcharge for each hour after that. Since we only had 2 hours and it took us about an hour to get the island, we turned around and started heading back. We saw a few baby alligators hanging out on a dead log soaking up the sun. After our excursion we decided to take a dip in the swimming hole. The water here remember is spring fed so it is always a constant 72 degrees. It is a little bit of a shock to the system when you first get in, but after a few minutes you get used to the frigidness of the water. You are allowed to bring picnics, canopys, etc and make an all day adventure if you want. All in all, we had a great time and the kayaks were only $15/single and $22/double and they offer canoe rental as well. I would suggest this to anyone that wants to get away from it all for at least just a few hours.
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