Silver Springs State Park, Silver Springs, Florida
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ~ James 3:9-10
It’s moving day, but since we’re only traveling about 30 miles, we didn’t have to leave until 1:00pm. Once we got everything ready to go, we walked back down to the campground dock to see what we could see. There was nothing there except a couple of people. The couple was from International Falls, Minnesota where it was -26 degrees today! There was a local guy there who was taking a break from his kayak. He was really talkative! We heard all about the ‘Pre-State Park’ days of Silver Springs and how the State got the people’s approval by saying they’d keep everything as it was – – and then changing everything. He said there used to be quite a few wild boar here, but now they’re all gone because the State took them all out, and now, even though he talked to some doctors who tested the monkeys and they found nothing, the State is claiming they carry HIV and Hep B and are a danger to the public. So who knows what will happen? Will there be monkeys when/if we return someday?
Driving today was pretty scary! Just going through the town of Ocala, no less than six people pulled out or turned right in front of us! Blaine had to be hypervigilant to dodge all those bullets! And despite all that vigilance, there were still a couple of times he had to slam the brakes. One such incident provided an amazing anecdote. There was a sound of something hitting and the map light above Blaine’s head came on. The toggle switch is on the console in front of him. You’ll be shocked at what happened!
An acorn the size of my fingernail flew off the top of the slide and hit that switch, turning it on! Unbelievable! First – that the velocity of that tiny thing could be so high, and second – that switch is no push-over! It’s hard to believe, but it’s true!
I don’t have a picture, but we saw something new as we were driving through the Ocala area; a ‘police’ car that was labeled “Citizen Patrol’. The reason I don’t have a picture is because they were driving too fast. And they didn’t use their signal when they changed lanes – right in front of us – just like all the other drivers. Blaine queried if we should make a citizen’s arrest. 😊
Rainbow Springs State Park, Dunnellon, Florida
We made it – 30 miles and about an hour later, without a scratch. Whew!
The Ranger working when we checked in was kinda chatty and we learned that the water in the Rainbow River Spring Head was recently tested and it’s even more clear than that of the Silver River and Spring Head. The clarity measured at 220’ versus 200’. She also told us that the ‘Bear Aware’ sign we passed on the way in was on its way out because there’d not been a bear sighting since sometime before she started working here in 2002. In its place will be an information sign about prescribed fires.
We also learned that you can snorkel here! We have the equipment, now all we need is warm air!
I’m guessing there aren’t any alligators . . . . .
This is information I found on the State Park’s website:
Snorkeling the headsprings of the Rainbow River is a favorite activity but is only allowed in the buoyed swimming area. However, it is allowed from the campground or from boats once you are outside of the headsprings.
The Rainbow River is an Aquatic Preserve.
The walkways pass by three man-made waterfalls and a native plant garden.
While historically unique and offering great views of both river and gardens, the pathways were constructed prior to ADA guidelines and are steep and uneven in places. A native garden, which is a special attraction to butterflies and hummingbirds, lies behind the cultural gardens.
A nature trail winds back behind the gardens through natural oak hammock and sandhill communities. This trail offers both river and phosphate pit overlooks and is approximately 2.5 miles long from the Visitors’ Center.
Ornamental gardens, man-made waterfalls and sloping hills are visible reminders of the springs’ more recent past, when the land was home to a mining operation and a privately-owned tourist attraction. Take a walk through lush, mossy hammocks and then cool off in the springs—it’s a time-honored tradition.
Visitors may feel that the waters truly do have healing properties after a dip in the cool 72-degree waters. Since the water stays at this temperature year-round, it is perfect for swimming in the hot summer months. The depth of the spring pool varies from 5 to 18 feet, and the remarkable clarity of the water means that snorkelers have ample opportunity to spot fish, turtles and other aquatic wildlife.
This first-magnitude spring is actually a series of small vents, but they collectively pump out more than 400 million gallons of water a day.
We took a walk around the campground area and stopped back in the check-in building where they have a myriad of things about the history of the area – mostly old advertisements for various activities that lured tourists here over the years. This area actually closed in the 1970’s due to lack of visitors because of the popularity of other large amusement parks (aka Disney World, etc.). The state acquired it in the 1990’s, cleaned it up and now they stay pretty busy all year.
Later, Blaine went out in search of the sunset. I didn’t go. Boy, he sure goes out a lot by himself these days! Am I really that lazy? Or still recuperating? I’m down to 2-3 Ricolas a day now!