We’ve been at Manatee Springs State Park before but it’s been a long time ago – and it was cold then! I remember walking out on the long narrow boardwalk that snaked its way thru the cypress swamp that had more ”knees” than a bunch of old ladies lined up along the hallway of a nursing home. Or a circle of centipedes!! This long wooden path eventually ends up on a dock out on the Suwannee River, which feeds, into the Gulf of Mexico just down the way.
This time we donned our wetsuits and swam out in the deep blue clear water of one of Florida’s first magnitude springs which is circled by cypress trees and pretty yellow wildflowers. Besides the fish and turtles this spring had 2 BIG brown water snakes curled up on the shore, watching the swimmers and trying to stay incognito mid the stumps and grasses.
The campground is woodsy but only the main roadway into the park is paved and all the rest are soft very dusty sand. Not much bike riding here! We took an evening walk thru the camp loops instead and startled several deer and their 2 fawns. We saw 9 all together! As we were returning from our showers after dark – there were 2 more deer and a raccoon right behind our trailer!
There is a very nice young couple from Clinton Mississippi camping next to us with their daughter CJ who is 4 and a half years old. Not 4, but 4 and a half!! I got my Grandma fix! We read her new book about Ann Lee the Manatee, blew bubbles and swapped stories about the Tampa zoo and riding camels!
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