Hey, Y’all! There were only two weeks between our trip to Port St. Joe and our Christmas week trip. For the second year in a row, we chose to spend the week leading up to Christmas on the Nature Coast. On previous visits to the area we have stayed in local hotels in both Crystal River and Spring Hill, Florida. This time, of course, it was going to be a completely different type of trip since we would be camping. Unfortunately, there aren’t any Florida State Park campgrounds nearby so I had to find a privately-owned campground for our 3-day visit. However, since we would be breaking up the driving into two days, I was able to secure us a night’s stay in a FSP campground in the Northwestern part of Florida. So, I’ll start there.
We typically do not like to drive any more than 10 hours in a single day, preferably 8-9, but 10 is the maximum. Knowing this, I knew I needed to find something in the northern portion of the Panhandle for the first night’s stay. This search perimeter lead me to find Falling Waters State Park in Chipley, Florida. https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/falling-waters-state-park The campground is small, with only 24 sites, so we were quite fortunate to find a site available on the date we needed.
Once again, we left out early on a Sunday morning. Since we had just driven through Georgia on our previous trip, we took the route through the beautiful state of Alabama….happily avoiding the craziness that can be the traffic in and around Atlanta! The weather was rather dreary that day, raining off and on all day.
We arrived at the Campground by late afternoon, early enough to get everything setup before dark but not early enough to check out the Park, itself. That would have to wait until morning. Instead, we headed into the town of Chipley to see what we could of the area (we are always curious about the area we stay in) and grab something to eat. The town was super cute, and felt “small town” and very historic, especially with its town square decorated so beautifully for Christmas. The small town feel was great, except that it appeared they had very limited restaurants open on Sunday night at Christmastime. We ended up with the choice between two Mexican restaurants or something fast food. Not feeling the desire to eat fast food, we chose a small authentic Mexican restaurant in a strip mall. We both ordered fajitas and when our plates came out, it became abundantly clear we really only needed to make one order! We were pleased with our meal and took the leftovers with us, which we ended up making two more meals out of. Yep, it was THAT much food!
Since we had another full day of driving ahead of us, we got up early the next morning to make sure we had enough time to check out what the Park was all about. We were fortunate to have the site closest to the trail that lead over to the main attraction within the Park…the waterfall! Well, it’s not so much of what you think of as a traditional “waterfall” in the sense that there’s a constant rush of water that falls over the rocks. The water that falls over the rocks is actually falling into a large sinkhole, something that Florida is abundant with. This particular sinkhole is 100 feet deep and 20 feet wide, and is where you will see the water fall. The amount of rain they have had or are having directly effects the amount of water you will see falling while visiting. Little did we know that the rain we’d driven through the day before would actually turn into a positive as we got to see a rather decent “waterfall” on our visit.
Even though the water falling into the sinkhole was interesting, I found the boardwalks among the hardwood hammock, in and amongst the various sinkholes just as appealing. Possibly more so. Once again, the natural and untouched underbrush gave me a feeling of what an undeveloped Florida would look like….minus the boardwalk, of course.
Closer to the campground area, before we came to the waterfall, is a 2-acre lake with a small white sand beach. I could definitely see that this would be a major draw in the warmer months, whether someone was wanting to swim, fish or just sunbathe.
After checking everything out at the Park that we wanted to, it was time to get the fifth wheel ready to hook back up and head on down the road to our ultimate destination, Homosassa Springs! But, first let me tell you about our site…as can be seen below, it was what we would consider to be a sizeable site in our experience. With this site being the last one, we only had one neighbor, whom we never even saw while we were there. If we were to ever visit this park again in the future, I would certainly be interested in this exact site. As for the park, itself, it was rather quiet and serene. I’m certain during the warmer months an abundance of activity would make it a little more exciting. Regardless, we liked the size and the simple layout of the campground area.
We were hooked back up and headed down the road by 8am, just as I’d hoped we would be. But, before we got too far from the Park’s entrance, we noticed a small critter scurry across the road in front of us, stopping in the grass on my side of the truck. It looked like a squirrel, but not any type of squirrel either of us had ever seen before. This squirrel had the face of a monkey. Yes, a MONKEY! I was kicking myself for not having snapped a pic, but it all happened so quickly and I was taking it all in for myself and just really trying to figure out what kind of critter we’d just seen. A quick Google search for “monkey face squirrel”, and I found the little dude!! They are native to Florida, and are commonly mistaken for monkeys but are actually a type of fox squirrel. The Sherman’s Fox Squirrel, to be specific. They are rather reclusive animals who like to live in areas with oak hammocks and longleaf pines, which is why we saw this little guy where we did. The Falling Waters State Park is the perfect habitat for such an animal. It was a real treat to come across one, and I sure hope we do again when I’m better prepared to snap a picture!
We decided to stay away from the Interstate as much as we could, instead choosing Hwy 98/19 since it has less traffic. Taking this route, we were expecting to arrive in Homosassa Springs by 2:30pm, ET. Along the way we saw some beautiful countryside as well as numerous small towns, which we never would have had we chosen to take I-75S. Not only is the Interstate more dangerous with the larger number of vehicles traveling it, but we have found that we miss out on so much of the journey by zooming right past towns we would otherwise never see.
The town of Homosassa Springs is located about 90 minutes North of Tampa. The campground, Nature’s Resort, http://naturesresortfla.com/ , is located on the Halls River which is a tributary of the Homosassa River. Of course, since they had waterfront sites it was a given that I would seek to reserve one. I was successful!
After running into road construction just outside of Homosassa Springs, it became obvious we would be arriving at Nature’s Resort later than we hoped we would. With the temperatures in the upper 60’s & the sun shining brightly, we rolled down the windows to let that beautiful Florida warmth and fresh air in and settled into the slow moving traffic. We knew we’d have plenty of afternoon left to get settled on our site, unhooked and back out to grab an early supper so there was no need to get antsy…nor could we do anything to change the situation. However, once we checked into the campground the task of finding our site ended up being quite an achievement within itself. With the large size/crazy layout of the park, the vast number of tightly packed-in campers, and poorly marked site numbers, it was not the easiest chore. But, we finally found our site. The next hurdle was getting our 34′ Montana High Country backed into this tight site. Luckily, the folks to the right of us were not there so Tom didn’t have to worry with their vehicle being a potential obstacle. However, he did have to worry with all of the vehicles parked across the very narrow street at the opposing “tiny houses”. Thankfully, Tom is a farm boy and quite comfortable backing up trailers, so he was able to successfully maneuver the RV into our site with only a few attempts. Needless to say, we weren’t initially impressed with the accommodations I’d reserved. BUT! We were there, we had a nice waterfront view on a canal of the Halls River and we were ready to make the most of our stay…even if we had already made the decision we would NEVER be staying in this campground again. (We later found out from a fellow camper this campground catered towards those who were there on more of a “permanent” or “snowbird” basis versus a short-term basis like we were there for…which explained the massive permanent looking setups at most sites, and possibly the incredible tightness in the size of each site.)
For supper, we took a VERY short drive (across the street from the campground, essentially) over to Margherita’s Grill where we ate out on the deck with a waterfront view of Hall’s River. I had the Grouper fish basket and Tom had the pan-cooked Triggerfish. We’d never heard of Triggerfish before, but both meals were very good!! After that, it was back to the camper to relax before a full day of activities.
Up and at ’em early, I fixed breakfast, we ate and then I grabbed my camera to head down the docks to see if I could snap any sunrise pictures. The fog was hanging over the river, and with the sun coming up it really did make for a beautiful sight as the pinks and oranges from the sunrise reflected on the water below me. About to head back to the camper, I heard this blowing noise. Instantly knowing what it was coming from, I started searching the water for the source of the sound. Scanning….scanning….scanning….there it was!! A MANATEE!! It was coming down Halls River towards Homosassa River, and I can only assume headed towards Homosassa Springs to spend the day. Without a doubt, I knew this was a sign of good luck for what I’d planned for the day, which was driving up to Crystal River to spend the morning among the manatees (aka sea cow) that would most likely be huddled together in Three Sisters Springs!
In Florida, they have “Manatee Season”, which runs from November 15 – March 31 each year. Unlike the deer, turkey, duck & goose seasons we have here in Kentucky, Manatee Season is for the protection of these gentle and slow-moving mammals where the springs become a sanctuary for them. Although by looking at a manatee they may appear to be “fat”, they actually do not have a sufficient layer of blubber to insulate them during the winter months when the oceans, rivers and coastal waterway temperatures drop below 68 degrees. A manatee can go into shock from hypothermia if exposed to water temperatures below 68 degrees for too long, so they head into the springs during the winter months where there is a constant water temperature of 72-74 degrees. Because of this, the optimal time to see manatees…one might even say a guaranteed time…is during Manatee Season in one of Florida’s many springs. The spring of choice for me is definitely the Three Sisters Springs.
During the winter months, you can find well over a hundred manatees in and around the springs at Three Sisters. This was our second time to visit during Manatee Season, and I was astonished at the number we saw on that beautiful, warm morning. According to a volunteer, at last count there were 175 manatee in the springs that morning! (Side note: as of 2019, there are only an estimated 6500 in and around the U.S. waters of Florida and Puerto Rico, according to http://swimmingwiththemanatees.com )
With its crystal clear, blue water Three Sisters is beautiful in its own right, but when it’s crammed full with those beautiful (yes, to me they are very much beautiful!) manatees I turn to complete mush! Bless my sweet husband for allowing me to “ooh”, “ahh” and take a RIDUCULOUS amount of pictures. Y’all!!! I am not exaggerating in the least. I obviously didn’t pay any attention to the number of pics I took, because I was too busy snapping them. But, when I got home and loaded them onto my computer, I couldn’t help but giggle to myself when I was it was close to 100! And, I regret not a one of them!
We walked the boardwalk along the perimeter of the springs, me in complete awe of the number of manatee. When we came to the end of the boardwalk, we took the footpath trail that goes on around the outskirts of the refuge. Now, when we were there in 2019 it was a dreary, cool and drizzly day so we forewent taking this path so it was quite a surprise to find even more manatee in what appeared to be a residential area on a canal, but is actually Magnolia Springs. I couldn’t believe my eyes nor could I imagine living in one of those houses right there on the canal, the residents able to just look out and see all of those beauties. As amazing as I think that would be, I also realize that waterways that attract large numbers of manatees during the winter months are also shut down to boat traffic. Yep! It’s my understanding that even if you live there, you are not allowed to use your boat in order to protect the manatees. I can respect that since boat strikes from propellers are one of the leading causes of death to manatee. In fact, many of the manatee we saw had scars from surviving such occurrences.
After spending the morning around Three Sisters, it was time to catch the trolley and head back into town. Once there, we took a stroll through the historic downtown area. In this area you can find several small, local restaurants, an AMAZING coffee shop (Cattle Dog Coffee Roasters), several great art galleries, gift shops, as well as a “swim with the manatee” guide service or two. While we were there, a local artist was painting this beautiful mural on the side of one of the historic buildings near the newly-finished town square. I can’t wait to see the finished product on our next visit to the area.
Once we’d finished our stroll around the historic downtown area, it was time for lunch at one of our favorite Crystal River restaurants, Crackers, where we ate on the deck overlooking Kings Bay. Afterwards, I was on a mission to take more pictures. You’d think I would’ve gotten my fill during my morning manatee photo shoot, but you’d be wrong. So, we drove out towards Fort Island Beach and found a birding trail sign…those signs are everywhere! Anyhow, we pulled in, parked and took off down this well-used trail towards what?!, we had no idea! Sadly, it was a bit of a bust. The tide had gone out by the time we got there, so we only saw two birds. One was Double-crested Cormorant, which I got a great shot of and the other was an Anhinga, who had his wings spread open, sunning. He was a good bit away from us. Regardless, it was a nice hike through an area we’d never seen before and only made me want to find even more birding trails to check out. But, not on this day. It was time to head back to our site, fix supper and chill for the evening.
The next morning was much like the previous…up early, breakfast and then down the docks to see what kind of sunrise I’d be blessed with seeing. As you can see in the picture above, I was not disappointed! There was less fog hanging over the river this morning, making the colors more vibrant.
Once again, as I was about to go back to the camper to get ready to head out for the day, something stopped me. In the water, I saw this trail of small bubbles coming towards me from out in the river. I’d never seen anything like that before, so I was quite curious what was making those bubbles. I stood there watching when suddenly, RIGHT below me this little face pops up out of the water. It was a RIVER OTTER!!! I’d only ever seen an otter on TV, and now I was staring this adorable guy (or gal) right in the face! Not wanting to spook it, but hoping to snap a picture to prove this even happened, I very slowly tilted my camera (thankfully, I’d left it turned on) out towards what I hope was right over the otter’s head. I pressed the button and hoped for the best, because as soon as it heard the camera go off (stupid shutter!) back under the water it dove. Sadly, I didn’t tilt the camera out far enough so I got nothing but a story!!
That day’s adventure took us to Weeki Wachee, which is about 35 minutes south of Homosassa Springs. There you can find another set of beautiful springs, Weeki Wachee Springs. But, we weren’t headed there. I had planned for us to take a hike, hopeful for some photo ops. Sadly, the hiking trail I had in mind was closed so we drove over past Weeki Wachee Gardens to the Linda Pederson Park located on Shoal Line Blvd. As we came around the corner, headed towards the back of the Park where there is a beachy-type area, we were greeted by a couple dozen Wood Storks! This was another first for me, having never seen any in person. What odd looking birds, with their “old man” facial features, and long/skinny legs that look more like they’d topple over just trying to carry their body. They were completely oblivious to us as I took my pictures. I got the shots I wanted so we went on a little further where we saw some Ibis, Egrets and a few more Wood Storks wading in some water.
But, the most exciting shot of the day was captured as we were leaving the park. Out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of something sitting on a post. I told Tom to back the truck up…likely after a “WHOAAAAA!!!!”…and, there it sat on top of a road sign. A Red Shouldered Hawk, sitting atop a road sign, scanning the ground and water below for whatever prey he could swoop down on. It was so cool, y’all!
With this being our last evening and it being such a beautiful & warm afternoon, we chose to head back to our site to sit out by the water and relax instead of finding more hiking trails. Little did we know that such a decision would lead to an amazing evening!
As we sat on the dock behind our camper, enjoying the 70 degree weather and warm sunshine, a lady comes down the canal in an inflatable kayak. Since we’d been considering purchasing one for our out-of-state travels, I started quizzing her about it. While this is going on, the couple two sites down from us come up donning Santa Claus hats and asking if I’d mind taking their picture to send to their children & grandchildren back home. Well, of course I was happy to oblige! From there, we struck up a small conversation that ended with the fella asking if we’d mind them joining us. I, of course, welcomed them to and so began an evening we have yet to stop talking about! Tom and I both hit it off with this couple, who we found out are from Iowa. He, Dan, is a farmer and she, Mary, is a retired high school teacher and a two-time breast cancer survivor.
Mary, in particular, made quite an impact on me. Many times since the evening we spent together I have recalled our conversations, wishing she were in my immediate area so that I could continue to soak up her wealth of knowledge and energy like a little sponge! I truly wish I had someone like her in my everyday life. I can honestly say that until we met this fine couple, I had never had a desire to visit Iowa. But, now, the desire is overwhelming! We have plans to travel west and you better bet we will be making our way through Rolfe, IA just to see Dan and Mary!
It is such a God thing to continually have folks who feed my mind, heart and/or soul brought into my life when its needed the most. You just never know who He will bring down your path to meet you, but there are always lessons to be learned in some degree from each of them. And, regardless of those lessons, I am grateful for each one…for they have molded me into the person I am today. I know Mary hasn’t a clue how she influenced me, a gal from Kentucky she only spent a few hours with. But, I also know a lady like that has influenced many in her lifetime. There’s no way I could be convinced otherwise.
The following morning we hooked the Montana back up and were heading up the road towards home by 8am. Even though the campground wasn’t what we’d hoped it would be, it ended up being a really amazing and full trip. It just goes to show that although a situation may initially appear to be less than ideal, it can certainly end up being a precious memory.
Be sure to scroll down and make a comment to let me know you stopped by! Thank you so much for your continued support!
~xoxo, T
As always an inspiration to the mind and soul. The pictures help to bring me into the moment. I need to see more Manatee. Bring me more Manatee!!!!
Great read! Makes me want to by a camper and hit the road. Your descriptions of the places and wildlife are so good. Keep writing my friend.
Thank you so much for your continued support, Sharon!!!