Snorkeling at Manatee Springs

We continued our journey along the Gulf driving through "The Forgotten Coast" most of the day. This part of Florida is definitely off the beaten path and not touristy or populated by people or kitsch. We drove through towns with names such as Panacea, which were anything but. Ironically, I really enjoyed this stretch. The well worn rustic houses built on stilts abutting a cypress laden coast line seemed timeless. The temperature was not only hotter, but the air was thick with humidity. At 8 am the temperature read a scooch higher than 80. We stopped at a roadside BBQ joint for lunch and enjoyed the usual southern plate of a meat with two sides. Mercifully, I actually managed to get steamed broccoli for one of the sides, unheard of, but a nice break from the usual coleslaw, fried something or other, and mac n cheese. Today's destination was Manatee Springs, one of Florida's fresh water springs. It feeds into the Suwannee River and is the winter refuge for West Indian Manatees. After setting up camp in a Magnolia and Palmetto grove, we couldn't wait to check out the springs. We heard it was a great place to snorkel, so were well prepared with suits and snorkel gear. What we weren't prepared for was how stunningly beautiful it was. The deep part of the spring is 22 feet and it's a vivid turquoise color. Before we began swimming we saw snakes and turtles in the water. Really! And yet we still swam. The water is 72 degrees year round, which seems cold, but because it was so darn hot and humid it felt refreshing. We had the springs to ourselves for awhile and then were joined by scuba divers and a couple of families. We spent most of the afternoon swimming, snorkeling and floating around. After a late afternoon nap in the hammock, we took a walk along the boardwalk out to the Suwannee River and watched huge sturgeon jump into the air and smack into the water. It was quite the sight to see. Ned wanted to cool off again so he took a dip in the springs. Quite the way to end the day, having a swim all to yourself in these exotic springs. Today is our 7th Anniversary and I can't think of a more romantic setting than camping under Magnolias along the Suwannee River. What a lucky girl I am to be sharing this journey with my Ned. today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Manatee Springs State Park, FL