Hello Friends,
Rain has really been cramping our style lately but I guess thats the norm for Fall in the South. Our latest adventure took place in Crystal River Florida. Sadly we only had a few “dry” days, but we still had a lot of fun! It rained really hard for a couple of days.…. so not much to do but wait it out! Along with the rain were colder temps so swimming at the pool or beach time were not ideal activities...brrrr!
We stayed at the Crystal Isles RV Resort which is a large RV park. This park has great amenities and is close to town. The staff are super nice and so are the more “long-term” residents in the park. We were surprised that the park had some major flooding problems with all of the rain they received but thankfully our site was on the higher side of the park, so we stayed dry and didn’t have to swim to our vehicle. The doggies loved the park with lots of squirrel action and places to get their walks on.
There are so many things to do in Crystal River. There are parks and trails for hiking and biking. There is only one main beach because most of the coast here is tidal marsh and wetlands. The bird watching and fishing are fun activities swimming or kayaking with the Manatees is a main attraction and a "must do." The best time to see the manatees up close is "Manatee season" (late Oct – Mar.) Even if the manatees are not around, there are splendid opportunities for kayaks and paddleboards.
The first day before the rain, we were able to do some off-road biking at Crystal River Preserve State Park. This is a beautiful state park. There is a seven-mile hiking/biking loop that goes through the forest and there is a mix of diverse plant life and habitats. We saw many birds and a one ugly snake. We kept our eyes peeled for alligators but no such luck. Unfortunately, pets are not allowed so if you go, leave the poochies at the camper. There are several other trails around the area, but due to the intense rain, hiking or off-road biking was pretty much out of the question for the rest of the week.
Y'all know we have to talk about food! We ate at Crackers Bar and Grill several times! We fell in love with this place. The Peel n Eat Shrimp served with a spicy hot sauce was muy bueno!! The shrimp were boiled just right and for a price of $13 for a whole pound of shrimp we were hooked. Everything else we tried on their menu was great and they have a cute Tiki Bar in the back of the restaurant that looks out over the bay. Great place to go anytime, we enjoyed the sunsets. If you are in Crystal River, stop by and grab a cocktail and a bite to eat. Note – they are closed on Sundays.
On Thursday we went on a kayak tour with Get Up and Go Kayak Tours of Crystal River. Our guide was Lacey, and she did a great job. Lacey knows her stuff when it comes to the marine life that was around us. We kayaked in a clear kayak which was kind of weird. I felt like I was floating in a plastic bowl LOL! The kayak was a two-seater and Ned sat in the back and I was in the front. Note: I was not allowed to paddle because Ned said I was "out of sync" with his paddling. Anyway….... I sat back and enjoyed the ride. 😊
Along the way we saw many birds and several manatees. Since manatees only come to the surface about every 3 to 5 minutes to breathe….it was difficult to get a picture. Here is a picture of the nose of one of the baby manatees that I snapped when it surfaced.
And below is a picture of a "man-in-a-tee" which is so funny! LOL!! Ned did not think it was funny :)
Here are some pics of Three Sisters Springs. This place was breathtaking and just happened to be on my "bucket list." There are three undergrounds springs here that account for the beautiful blue-green color of the water and it is a constant 72 degrees. A large population of manatees come to the springs in November and stay till March when they go back out into the gulf. The park is closed to swimmers and water craft from mid November through March and it becomes a sanctuary for the manatee. Unfortunately the manatees had not yet entered the springs when we were there. I bet that would have made for some great pictures!
Well, that’s about it for now. Our next stop will be Lake Kissimmee State Park where we hope to take an airboat tour and see some gators! So I guess it is appropriate to say..…..”see ya later alligator!!!”
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