Rainbow Springs - Dunnellon, FL

The kids and I went tubing down the Rainbow river but we got shuttled back before we reached the actual springs themselves.  When a few friends and I went to kayak the Weeki Wachee we ended up staying at a bed & breakfast in Dunnellon and drove past the sign for the Rainbow Springs State Park.  We decided to go in and check it out.  The entrance fee was only $2/per person and there was no charge for parking.  We arrived just as they were cleaning up to close up for the day so we didn't get to do swimming or kayaking but we were able to walk around a little and check it out.  We were told by the park ranger that there was a lot of history at this state park and it didn't become a state park until 1996 when the citizens of Dunnellon wanted to slow down the rate of development.  Apparently this park used to have a zoo, rodeo and air trams that have been shut down but some of their remnants have stayed behind.  There were three waterfalls that were man made but that definitely did not take away from their beauty.  You can come to swim in the spring, which is always a brisk 72.4 degrees or take a ride on a kayak or canoe.  Prices are just $10/hour no matter if you are a single or have 3 people in a canoe. Unlike most of the parks that I have been to this had quite a bit of things to see and explore away from the river such as a nature trail and butterfly gardens.Rainbow Springs is the fourth largest springs in the state of Florida and I would suggest coming here to explore if you have a few hours to kill.  The kids and I will be back to kayak through this beautiful area.

Seminole Falls

Rainbow Falls

For more information check out their website - http://www.floridastateparks.org/rainbowsprings/default.cfm

Kayaking & Mermaid Show at Weeki Wachee - Spring Hill, FL

A few friends of mine were planning a trip to go kayaking at Weeki Wachee and invited me to come along.  I left the house around 7:30 am so that I could make the hour and a half trip (without rushing) to Weeki Wachee so that we could be on the river by 10 am.  We had made reservations ahead of time so the check in process was really easy.  The 7 mile float would take about 3 - 4 hours and then they would shuttle us back to the cars, which made us extremely happy because the thought of fighting the 5 mph current back was not something that I wanted to do.  I took with me a cooler of water and gatorade and we packed a few snacks and we were off.  The first thing that I noticed was just how clear the water was.  You were able to easily see the bottom of the river and there were schools of fish everywhere.  The current was pretty steady and there wasn't much paddling to do except when you got to the curves in the river.  The river seemed to be pretty windy and allowed for much shade and plenty of places for the animals to hide.  The majority of the river was about 4 to 5 foot deep but there were plenty of spots that it would drop off to 15 to 20 feet easily.  There were many people out on the river that day so we didn't see as much wildlife as I had hoped, but we did see a lot people taking advantage of the rope swings that seemed to pop out of nowhere.  Going along one section of the river there were houses that butted right up and I was surprised at how many had slides attached to their docks so that you could climb up and slide on in.  During the ending of our trip we spotted a dolphin who seemed to be lost.  The prices for kayaking were $30/single - $35/tandem - $35/canoe.  The shuttle times back to the park were 12:00, 1:00, 2:00 & 3:00.  You are allowed to bring your own as well.

showing how clear the water was

one of the houses along the riverblue heronmister dolphin

Once we were done with kayaking we headed over the state park for the Mermaid show.  Apparently the mermaid shows have been going on right there for over 60 years and they do the show in the actual aquifer while the audience sits below the ground.  I also found out that more than 198 million gallons of water flow from the Weeki Wachee spring daily.  The price into the park was $13/adults & $5/children.  If you also want to go to Bucaneer Bay Water Park the price is $26/adult (includes the park) & $12/children.

The show that we went to was called Fish Tails and it was a behind the scenes look at how the mermaids operate.  Apparently in order to first call yourself a mermaid you must pass a test.  The girls must swim down 117 ft (approx height of a 12 story building) with the air tubes that they use.  Once down there they tug on the tube twice and the diver above pulls the air hose up.  The mermaid must now stay there for at least one minute and then swim back to the top with only the air in her lungs.  The girl that demonstrated for us held her breath for over 2 minutes.  I don't think I could last even a minute down there.  We also learned that so they are not seen by the viewers they enter the aquifer from a 60 foot tube that runs under the viewing area.  The show was interesting and watching the girls take breaths from the hose underwater was quite impressive.

After the show we decided to take the Wildlife boat cruise.  It was about a 15 minute cruise that took you down the Weeki Wachee river and explained a little about the park, the mermaid show and the wildlife you may see. 

One of the things the guide pointed out was a huge Bald Eagle Nest that was built 3 years ago.  Apparently the Eagles have had no less than 2 eaglets a year for the past few years.

I had a great time and would definitely recommend taking a few hours out of your day and experiencing the springs of Weeki Wachee.

To get more information or reservations - http://www.weekiwachee.com/

Fort DeSoto - St. Petersburg, FL

Last year the family and I were supposed to go camping at Fort Desoto but life unfortunately got in the way and we were unable to go.  I called the campground and they said that my reservations could be used anytime within the next year without any additional fee, so I planned a girls trip to go camping for my friend and I.  A little time away from work, kids and life to just enjoy nature and relax.  It was about a 2 hour drive that was very pleasant and seemed like it flew by.  We arrived around 2:30 on Friday and registered then we were off to the site.  We were very happy to see that it was extremely shady and only 10ft or so away from the restrooms.

Once we got our site set up (which only took us about an hour) , we decided to hop in the car and go exploring.

We wanted to check out everything so we started at one end of the park and work our way back to the otherside.  We rounded the corner to see a bunch of kites in the air and upon closer inspection there were a bunch of guys kite boarding.  It looked like a lot of fun, but also a ton of work trying to keep yourself on the board and your kite up in the air.  I would have loved to try this at least once.  We were also able to see the Skybridge from this area.

After exploring the entire area by car we decided to get out and check out the old Fort.  It was pretty cool, not much of it still stands except for the area were the guns were held and you could climb up to the top of the Fort, which was beautiful to see the Gulf and the Pier.

After exploring the fort we made our way out onto the beach and the pier.  There was a small area that had a rock formation that blocked it from the current so the water was extremely warm and tranquil We were presently surprised to see all of the different birds and even a few dolphins playing around.  We sounded like a bunch of little girls giggling when the dolphins popped up, pointing and acting like the paparazzi!!

By this time I needed something to drink due to the heat and the fact that a blue raspberry snow cone sounded awesome.  We decided to stop and hang out for a little while watching the birds trying to get all of the fish. I ordered a medium and this is what I got, I would hate to see what there larges look like.

After our snow cones we decided to head back and eat some lunch and check on our site.  After lunch (which was like 6:00) by this point we just hung out and enjoyed the site and around 7:30 decided to head back to the pier for the sunset.  I am so glad we did because it was just amazing.

That evening we grilled out shish kabobs under the bright light of a Coleman latern and relaxed.  We decided to get to bed a little early because we knew we had a big day in the sun on Saturday.  We awoke on Saturday and made bacon and eggs on the grille (they were delicious) and decided to head out for a kayaking adventure in Mullet Key Bayou.  We arrived around 9:30 and decided to do a double kayak.  It was around $30 for two hours.We got in and we were off. 

It was so peaceful and relaxing and then out of nowhere we had dolphins jumping around us everywhere.  Off course everytime they came near I was kayaking and wasn't able to get to the camera in time.  I was able to get one pic of them when they were around 4 ft from the boat. 

The Mangrove trees were very interesting to look at and they made up little islands everywhere.  We eventually made our way out into the bay and continued to explore.  It was a lot of fun, but also quite a bit of work.  Especially when we were kayaking against the current.  Luckily for us we got into a groove and was able to speed along.  

After kayaking we went back to the campground and made lunch.  We grilled burgers and sauteed onions, mushrooms and peppers for them, had fruit and made asparagus.  It was just what I needed after the kayaking trip.  It was then decided we would head out to the beach and swim in the Gulf.  The warm was like bath water and was so relaxing.  The current outside of the rock area was exceptionally strong and if you didn't pay attention it would send you careening into the rocks.

We spent about 2.5 - 3 hours swimming and finally decided it was time to head back.  After we showered and got ready we decided to eat dinner out of the campground and headed toward Treasure Island to go to Caddy's Waterfront.  It was a nice restaraunt on the beach that had live music, good food, and reasonable priced drinks.  We found us a seat that we would be able to view the sunset from and had a fabulous time.

Sunday we woke up around 7:30am and broke down the site and was back on the round around 9:00am heading for home.  It was a wonderful time and I would strongly recommend this to everyone!!!!

Below is the link for the Fort DeSoto area.  You can look up the beaches, park and even the campground information all from this site.  The sites run around $30/night and all have water and electric hookups.

http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/05_ft_desoto.htm

Kayaking at Wekiwa Springs - Apopka, FL

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.