Nature's Theme Park

One of Lee's favorite TV shows when he was a kid was Sea Hunt, with Lloyd Bridges.  Remember that one?  I think I am giving away his age.  Oops.

At any rate, Silver Springs State Park sits just west of Ocala National Forest, in north central Florida.  I love Florida's springs, they are so clear and beautiful.  But it turns out that Silver Springs is far more than the eight springs of which it is comprised.  What is this all leading to, you ask?

Silver Springs, it turns out, was Florida's first major tourist destination, starting in 1878 with the invention of the first ever glass bottom boat.

Then, because of the crystal clear waters, it became a popular location for underwater filming.  The underwater scenes of at least 100 episodes of Sea Hunt were filmed at Silver Springs between 1958 and 1961, and the Tarzon movies where filmed here in the 1930's through the 1950's.  Even portions of Creature of the Black Lagoon were filmed here.  Many advances in underwater filming were made here during that time.  Lee says he is now going to watch old episodes of Sea Hunt to see if he can recognize the springs.

Silver Springs were big business, and Silver River was one of the biggest theme parks of its time.

Then, in 1971, Disney World opened.  Places like Silver Springs struggled, not able to compete with Disney.  In 1978, an adjacent water park was opened, and then a zoo.  The park actually exchanged hands several times after that, without enough commercial success to remain in operation, and in October of 2013, the Florida state park system took over. 

There is so much more to tell!

But lets start with the springs.  As I said, they are crystal clear, although I have heard they were even clearer before the region became so developed.  The blue color, created by limestone crystals, make the springs even more beautiful.

There are eight springs within a half mile that serve as the headwaters of the Silver River, which feeds into the Oklawaha River and eventually into St. John's River.  St. John's empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Jacksonville.

The water is so clear, you can easily see fish and turtles swimming:

You might note in the photo above the algae growing on the eel grass.  The algae will eventually kill the grass, creating a major change in the ecology of the springs.  The algae is nourished by nitrates from agricultural, lawn, asphalt, and golf course runoff.  It was not so pervasive in the past as it is today, and it will became more pervasive as development continues unless changes are made and human awareness raised. We are watering too many lawns, and eating too much beef.  (Yes, these are all connected.)

 

The views of the river are beautiful.  Swimming is not allowed, but there were kayaks and small boats on the river.  It looked so refreshing on one of the first hot days we have encountered - 89 degrees!

Mammoth Spring, at the headwaters and in the photo above, is the largest of the Silver Springs.   It releases 500,000 million gallons of water a day into the Silver River.  Can you imagine?  It is the largest artesian spring in the world.  

As you may know, rain water seeps into the ground through the limestone cracks and crevices that make up the greater part of the geology of northern and central Florida.  The Florida aquifer is being depleted faster than it can be replenished, which results in sinkholes that swallow homes and people (I am not kidding); and may also result in greater salination of the fresh water as sea water seeps in.  As Florida's population swells and as the water is used even faster, there will be more sinkholes.  We need to slow consumption, by using more xeriscaping (native plants) for example.

We discovered other surprises at the springs.  In the bottom of one is a native American canoe over 1,000 years old!!  It looks like a long plank, but what do you expect after 1,000 years under water?

Further down the river, in another of the eight springs, is yet another artifact.  It is a small boat with brass on the bow.  It is believed to be Spanish, from the 1500's.  (Ignore the object on the right.  It think it is part reflection, and part underwater tree.)  The boat is the thing that looks like a shoe in the center of the photo.   I was surprised by all the history here!

When the state park system took over last year, employees of the commercial organization were kept on.  Some of the glass bottom boat tour guides had worked in the park for 50 years or more.  Our tour guide looked 90 years old, and spoke as if he had said the same spiel millions of times, which was probably the case.  He was charming none the less.  His talk focused on the history and film industry of the springs, with an occasional mention of some of the wildlife.  He did not, however, breach the topic of environmental impacts.  I am sure that as the culture of the state park system seeps in, so will the environmental side of the story.

Here's yet another strange but true story about Silver Springs.  Back in 1938, when the Tarzan movies were so popular, tour boat operator Colonel Tooey placed three pairs of rhesus monkeys on a small island in the park to enhance his Jungle Cruise ride.  The monkeys, of course, swam across the river and had a grand time.  Duh.  Today there are more than 1,000 of the descendants of these monkeys.  They have been sighted from Tampa on Florida's west coast to Jacksonville on the east.  The monkeys have tested positive for the Herpes B virus, and are considered a public health hazard. Fooling with Mother Nature results in such ironic situations.

We didn't see any of the monkeys.  We were told they have moved away from the river because of recent construction.  For your entertainment and edification, here is a picture of a Silver River rhesus monkey from Wikipedia:

Lee shot this photo of an anhinga.  The anhinga is closely related to the cormorant, but differs in some ways.  It has a long pointed bill rather than hooked; it has a skinnier neck; and it moves through the water with only its neck exposed.  The tour guide called it a "snake bird".  It does resemble a snake as it moves its neck and head around in funny gyrations as it searches for fish.

Which reminds me, we saw a baby anhinga in its nest on Sanibel Island.  The chick was so large it filled the nest, but did not yet have feathers - it was still coated in down.  It would move it's head around in funny ways, practicing, I guess, for snake-like moves in the water, before it even knew what water was!

 The father was nearby:

A female sat on a second nest a few feet away.  Notice that her neck is much lighter in color than the male's.

I just have to include one more photo, of one of my favorite ducks, the ruddy duck.  This duck is found throughout North America, and lives year round in Florida.  There were several pairs in a pond on Sanibel.  I had been looking for this duck all across the country in full breeding plumage (which in the male is a dramatic change from non-breeding plumage - even its bill changes color!), and finally found it here.  I love this duck!!  I have a wooden carving of this bird on my fireplace mantel at home, that I purchased at the Academy of Natural Sciences gift shop several years ago.

HOW CUTE IS THAT!?!  How could you not love this duck?!?

Here he is on the water with his much more modest mate.  Look at that tail!!  Despite its diminutive size, the ruddy duck has ATTEETUDE!  I love it.  (Happy smile : )

Signing off for now,

Eileen

Over-ripe Bananas

We have had very comfortable weather all the way across the country.  Cold weather stayed later than usual in Texas and the east, but this week, finally, summer has arrived.  We are currently in Ocala National Forest in north central Florida, and it is 89 degrees here.  The temperatures have been inching up, one degree or more each day.

Here's the thing.  As it has gotten warmer, our bananas have been ripening faster than we can eat them.  Horrors!  I have a rule that I don't bake in the motorhome, mostly because I have limited counter space and limited pantry space for the storage of baking ingredients. But, as I was mulling over what to do with over-ripe bananas a week ago, a hand-out at a campground had a very simple recipe for banana oatmeal nut cookies.  Yay!  I decided to try it.  I borrowed the photo below, because Lee and I ate the cookies too fast for our own photo : )

 
These cookies are super healthy, and can be eaten as a breakfast food if you like.  Here is the recipe:

Mash 2 medium over-ripe bananas in 1 cup of uncooked quick oats.

Add 1/4 cup chopped walnuts**

Coat cookie sheet with non-stick spray or butter.

Drop a tablespoon of cookie dough onto cookie sheet for each cookie.

Cook for 15 minutes in 350 degree pre-heated oven.


** Walnuts can be substituted with chocolate chips, raisins, sweetened cranberries, pecans, or whatever your imagination comes up with. 


Tasty, easy, and healthy!

Next, the Nature Coast

Our next stop after the Forgotten Coast was the Nature Coast.  We stayed in the small town of Inglis, just north of Crystal River, which is north of Tampa Bay.

I probably should have been showing maps all along, but I must admit I was feeling lazy about it.  At any rate, the farthest green marker to the left on the map above shows Pensacola, part of the Emerald Coast; the purple markers show the Forgotten Coast; and the green markers to the right show the Nature Coast. 

To be honest, I was disappointed in this area.  The big draw is manatees, because of the hundreds of freshwater springs.  During the winter, manatees hang out in the springs, because the water is a constant 72 degrees.  As surrounding waters warm during the spring and summer, the manatees will wander farther out.

What I did not like is that all the vendors offer the opportunity to "swim with the manatees", and people do, in large crowds.  In my estimation, wild animals should not be habituated to people.  Some people are trustworthy, and some people are not.  Some people harm without a second thought.  It is better that manatees not learn to trust people.

There is one company that says it is best to go early before the crowds arrive.  People on this tour are instructed to rest quietly in the water (with snorkel and face mask), and wait for the manatees to approach.  These people have been touched and even hugged by manatees, and say it is an incredible experience.  I don't doubt it.  Unfortunately, the crowds later in the day include loud, unruly, noisy, splashing, excited children and adults who invade the manatees' resting places.

Much as I love animals, I decided it just isn't right to invade the privacy of these gentle creatures.  So Lee and I went on a boat trip launched from a small town north of Crystal River, on the Withlacoochee River.   It was a very pleasant ride, although not nearly as thrilling as the trip we took at Wakulla Springs two years ago.  (I will put a link to my post on Wakulla Springs at the end of this post, for those who would like to revisit it.  Wakulla Springs is north of Crystal River, closer to Tallahassee, and is a place I still remember with great fondness.)

We boarded a flat-bottomed boat in Yankeetown, just 10 minutes west of Inglis.  Yankeetown is small, quiet and charming, very unlike the noisier Crystal River.  I had to borrow a photo of the boat from their web site, because Lee and I both forgot to take a picture:

It turns out this was a very busy river 150 years ago.  A company was founded in the area that excavated phosphate, and barges were constantly on the river transporting it to the port on the gulf.  It was big business.  The mining went from boom to bust, and today the port on the gulf no longer exists.  From inside the boat, looking down the river:

 
Today, Yankeetown is a small fishing town, with a few boats and small docks along the river:

The Withlacoochee River is very picturesque:

 

We saw many birds, like this young male red-breasted merganser:

And several pairs of osprey.  These birds have made a strong comeback in Florida, and seem to be flourishing.  We have seen them all along the Gulf of Mexico, from Texas to Florida, in great numbers.

We saw our manatees, but I am sorry, no pics.  We saw a cow and her calf, and a male swam under the boat.  If a manatee swims under the boat, it is required that the boat shut off the engine until the manatee comes out on the other side, which is what we did.  We also saw alligators.  Here's a big guy.  Lee and I have discussed kayaking, but we are both kind of afraid of the 'gators.  They are stealthy creatures, and incredibly fast and strong.  Those eyes are always watching.  I have a great deal of respect for these guys!

We watched a bald eagle soar for a long time, and finally land:

My goal this trip is to get close to spoonbills.  So far, no such luck.  They are shy, and are good at keeping their distance from people.  Apparently, this area gets a couple of hundred spoonbills as the weather warms, but Florida was cold this winter, like the rest of the east coast, and the spoonbills have been slow to arrive.

Lee took this great closeup of a double-crested cormorant:

I enjoyed the boat trip, it was relaxing and pleasurable, and the guides were knowledgeable about local history.

Our next stop was Sarasota, were we spent time with a close friend and her family, then on to Sanibel Island.  I have not yet decided if I will do posts on these two stops, since we had visited both locations two years ago and I posted then.

I said I would leave a link to my post on Wakulla Springs from two years ago. The water was crystal clear, and we saw baby alligators there!  A truly magical place.  Here is the link:

http://eileenscrosscountrytrip.blogspot.com/2012/04/wakulla-springs.html

Happy Serendipity and Forgotten Places

We had planned to drive to Tallahassee after Pensacola, purely for convenience.  But the campground there was full, so we decided to change routes, following Highway 98 along the "Forgotten Coast".  I am so glad we did, because we found there one of my favorite spots so far.

The Forgotten Coast is one of the least populated areas along the Floridian Gulf of Mexico.  It stretches from Mexico Beach to St. Marks on the Florida panhandle.  In the 1990's, the official brochure for Florida tourism accidentally left out this region, hence the label Forgotten.  It is an apt description however, since very few tourists visit this area.

We stayed just outside the small town of Eastpoint, which has a population of 2,300.  I loved the park we stayed in.  It was flanked by high pine trees on both sides, and our RV looked out over a small, shallow, but very productive estuary.

 The RV park had its own pier, and I discovered it to be a heavenly place.  I could sit out there for a couple of hours at a time, feeling the  breeze, enjoying the sun and water, and watching birds of various kinds fly by.  It was one of the few places on our trip so far where we were content to spend time at and appreciate the campground and its surroundings.  I shouldn't say that - I enjoyed the beach at Perdido Cove, but Perdido was a much busier place.  Eastpoint was very quiet, peaceful, and very relaxing.

   
The main industry of Eastpoint is harvesting oysters from the estuary.  This area provides 10% of the oysters of North America.  They are good, very mild.  I don't usually eat oysters, but decided to try them here because they are the region's specialty, after all.  Yum!  They were delicious, prepared baked with encrusted breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.

In the evenings we actually sat outside our motorhome and watched for birds in the trees.  These included a couple of bald eagles, eastern bluebirds, a brown-headed nuthatch, and a bright red summer tanager.  The bald eagles sometimes perched in the trees to rest, and sometimes fished by swooping down or actually standing in the water and waiting for a fish to swim by!  (Or perhaps admiring its reflection in the water??)

Here is the tanager, as Lee captured it:

A few miles west of Eastpoint is another small town, Apalachicola (the natives call it Apalach for short).  Believe it or not, at one time Apalachicola was the third largest port on the Gulf of Mexico.  Hundreds of thousands of bales of cotton passed through this port, headed for Boston and other northern ports, and Europe.  There was an especially spirited trade with France. 

We visited the Orman House, now a state park, to learn more about the history of the area.  The home was built in 1837 by Thomas Orman, who quickly became the wealthiest resident of the region because of his business acumen.  After the Civil War the cotton industry collapsed, and it wasn't long before the family lost all their land and owned only the house.  The last descendant gave up the house in 1994, almost in ruins, and it was eventually acquired and restored by the state of Florida.

Some of the stores of Apalach were once cotton warehouses, back in the day. 

Across the way from Eastpoint, on a barrier island, is the community of St. George.  It is primarily a tourist community, for those who know of it.  It is a very casual, informal place for beach goers.  Town ordinances do not allow highrises.  While we were there, spring break was in full swing and there were many families with kids of all ages.

Towards the end of the island is a large state park.  The beach was crowded with people, which we had not expected.  But it was, after all, ranked #4 of top 10 beaches of America by Dr. Beach in 2012 (drbeach.org)

I especially loved the fine white sand - beautiful.

This next section is for my museum colleagues.  In Eastpoint is the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, which includes a nature center and small museum of sorts.  Many specimens were on display in jars:

 

Open shelves were filled with objects for handling:

Two microscopes were available for observing small objects of many kinds:

I enjoyed the tanks of local estauarine animals and the large wall mural.  The center is small, but very attractive and informative.

Here is a mishmash of my favorite of Lee's photos of life in Eastpoint.  The first one is of a great blue heron ready to take flight.

Shrimp boat:

Osprey:

An almost full moon:

A singing mocking bird:

I loved Eastpoint.  I wouldn't want to live there, since making a living is not easy and it is the type of place where everyone knows everyone, but it is a fabulous place to visit.  It is like going back in time to a place where life moves at a much slower pace, and is in concert and harmony with nature.