Silver Springs State Park - Florida

   Silver Springs State Park is home to glass bottom boats, which do 30 or 90 minute tours of the area, including a group of springs considered to be one of Florida's largest first magnitude springs.  It got its start as a steamboat destination. In the 1860's Hubbard Hart purchased a steamboat which he used to bring tourists from Paloka to Silver Springs.  The steamboat offered a 24 hour trip, but was safer and faster than the roads.  Hart was key in developing Silver Springs, attracting a railroad depot there for connecting trips and building a hotel at the springs.  Considered one of Florida's first tourist attractions, the park has offered glass bottom boats rides since the late 1870's. 
    Like many early attractions, it is now a state park.  Over the years Silver Springs was used as the backdrop for early Tarzan movies, and also appeared in Creature from the Black Lagoon, among other films. The park has many other components; a camping area, an outdoor stage, a reconstructed village (open on weekends only) the boat tours and smaller museums.  Also off to the side is a canoe/kayak rental and launch.  The launch (and the boat tours) are an additional fee to the park entrance.
 

   The launch is in a corner of the parking lot, away from the main entrance.  It leads on to a small channel, like that shown above.  (This picture was taking coming back along a connecting channel.)  Spanish moss dripping from live oak, adds a certain serenity to the trip.

    Because we were there when the park opened, the boats were not yet at their docking stations, and we could glide over the various springs, admiring the depths and water life.

    Another picture showing how still and quiet the park was, and how clear the water is.
   We paddled by a variety of springs, some are known for their depth, or for their use in movies or TV scenes; one has a boat sunk into it, others are known for attracting turtles.

  In the 1930's the park offered "jungle cruises."  In an effort to enhance the experience, Colonel Tooey placed some rhesus monkeys on an island.  According to the woman at the entrance gate, Colonel Tooey had been told monkeys did not swim, and would be confined there.  By the next morning the monkeys were gone and now can be found from the Carolinas to the Keys.  There are still several troops on the ground, each with their own personality.  We didn't happen to spy any, but I did learn that anhingas have a cry very similar to squirrels, and sort of like a monkey.
   We did see lots of turtles and fish though.

   And several birds, including these ibis.

   We were a little worried either that the current from the springs would be fairly strong, or that the back channel behind the springs would be too shallow for the nine inch fins of our paddleboards, but neither was the case.

   The back channel was also filled with interesting sights and a fair number of animals.  At one point, Mark heard a splash and saw a three foot long alligator, fish in mouth, take off in the river.  The alligator swam by my boat, a dark shadow moving quickly.  We didn't manage to capture it on film, but let's pretend Mark is observing the alligator above.

   The back channel also passes by another sunken boat, a reconstructed "cracker" village, fort and steamboat landing, so there was plenty to entertain us on our journey back.
    The loop we did was just under two miles, pretty short, but considering we got to travel over several springs (in many parks the more active springs are roped off for swimming),  see all sorts of scenery and wildlife, plus enjoy a shady paddle, it felt like a great deal.  Those seeking longer paddles can head down Silver Springs River.  Though you may not be able to get all the way to Palotka anymore, you can certainly paddle a number of miles. 

Links:
Wikipedia Silver Springs Park
Map of Florida Springs
Florida State Parks information about Silver Springs

Summary:  Entrance to the park $8, launch fee $4 per boat, kayak and canoe rental's available.  Portapotty by boat ramp, flush toilets in the park.  Glass bottom boat tours are an additional fee.  Displays, and food available in the park.  The park sometimes shuts early for concert events.  Two mile loop with gentle current, longer trips available down the river. 

Florida Road Trip! Visit with Durhamblogger! Carl and the important rhyme!

  About two weeks ago we packed our van with towels and paddles and life jackets and way too many clothes and a few too many guidebooks and just two iSUPs and headed south!
  Why no kayaks?   Because we weren't planning any big trips and having kayaks with us meant always keeping them on the roof.  Besides our kayaks are meant for big water and we were headed for shallow bays and narrow springs.
  We drove as fast as was comfortable to Florida, spent some time there and drove back a little slower and more randomly.  Which was grea,t because that gave us a chance to meet Durhamblogger; Mike and his lovely wife, Rachel!

  If you read his blog regularly, you know he is very safety conscious and also has many how-to posts and gear reviews.  It's obvious that he is an avid kayaker, but you might not guess that it was his wife, Rachel, who talked him into getting that first kayak.  It was a terrific visit!

   Now we're back home and in the midst of catching up on all sorts of miscellaneous work/house chores.  We've got all our pictures stored on the computer, so I just need to sort out what to report from the thirteen paddle adventures and  200 plus photos.

   Tonight I'll just post one more picture:  a portrait of Carl the venomous Coral Snake:

   For years and years a part of my brain has been dedicated to this rhyme:
      "Red touch yellow; kill a fellow"
  (There may be more to it than that, but it didn't seem as important.)
  Finally it's proved useful!  Without that rhyme I surely would have picked up and cuddled Carl, but because I had it memorized, I just kept my distance and let him go his own way!

Mount Hope Cemetery Animals

 More animal shots gathered off the water, this time from Bangor's Mount Hope Cemetery.    There are entrances off State St and Mount Hope Avenue.  The State Street Gate is open more hours.

"I'm flying"

Mount Hope is the second oldest garden cemetery in the United States.  (The oldest is Mount Auburn, Cambridge, MA.)   It has a stream running through the middle which widens into several ponds and a seperate turtle pond by the main office.  The water, and the banning of dogs, makes this a great place to find animals.

    Groundhogs are especially common, as are squirrels.  Unfortunately, by October, all the groundhogs are hibernating.

     In the spring and summer, uskrats are frequently seen in the ponds, or on nearby banks.  This one is just a baby.

    Less rarely seen are chipmunks.  And just once this summer were we able to spot a fox or mink.

Eastern Bluebird

  A variety of birds show up through the season.  For awhile Merlins were nesting in a tree.

    But this Cooper's Hawk just showed up recently.

There are an abundance of frogs, and tadpoles in season.  Surprisingly, herons and kingfishers are not there every day.
    But there are lots of mallards.  These ducks are hoping for some food.

   I hope you're having some wonderful fall adventures!

Essex Woods Animals

Green heron

   This may not surprise you, but it's a lot easier to get pictures when you're not in a kayak.  This is especially true if not being in a kayak means you can use a camera you wouldn't dare take on the water because it's not particularly waterproof. 

Solitary Sandpiper

  But there's a second reason it's harder to get pictures while kayaking.  Kayaking takes us to many wild areas where animals are not acclimated to people.  Walking, on the other hand, takes us along trails frequented by many other residents.

Cedar Waxwing

  These pictures are from Essex Woods, a 70 acre park tucked beside I-95 and situated between developments.   Featuring a path around a 40 acre shallow swamp, the park does not overwhelm with beauty, but it attracts an amazing variety of wildlife.  Essex Woods is one of several Bangor parks, accessible from either Watchmaker St (off Essex) or Garden Way (off Stillwater.)  Visiting is a great reminder of the discovery and wonder which can be found in local parks.

Cormorant- just noticed the ripples line up with some ruffled neck feathers

Green-winged teal

Flicker

Sora

These are just some of the animals we've seen there.  It's not unusual for us to see more than 20 species in a day.  Experts probably see many more.   And there are also, lots and lots of mallards there.

Essex Woods is near the Bangor Dog Park, so in addition to runners, walkers and birders, expect to see lots of dog walkers.   You might even meet John and Kelley, of Hiking in Maine with Kelley, who provides this nice map with his posting.