A Visit to the Villages and Silver Springs

 2.28.2024 and 2.29.2024

Last night we enjoyed time in The Villages with Rick and Jeanine.  We drove in golf carts to one of the squares to see the band Blond Ambition.  The band was super!  In between sets we had dinner.

It was a very fun night!  Always great to spend time with them!  We are super excited they are looking at RVs!  Always happy to welcome more to the lifestyle!

Today we visited Silver Springs State Park and took a ride on the famous glass bottom boats.  We both did this as kids so it was fun to go out and enjoy the crystal clear water again.

We didn't book early enough so we ended up on the 30 minute ride instead of the 90 minute one which books 3 weeks in advance.

It was amazing to see the fish in the clear water.

There are many different vents where water comes from the underground aquifer.  We learned that the output has decreased by 1/3 since the 1950s with the amount of development in Florida and the number of people using the same water source.

Can you see the baby alligator on the log?

This is a canoe created by Native Americans over 500 years ago.

A large Cyprus tree  thought to be over 200 years old.

Many movies have been filmed here these statues were left behind.  

Movies filmed at Silver Springs[edit]

• Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)
• Tarzan and His Mate (1934)
• The Yearling (1946)
• Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
• Underwater! (1955)
• Rebel Without A Cause (1955)
• Revenge of the Creature (1955)
• Sea Hunt, television series (1958-1961)
• Thunderball (1965)
• Blindfold (1966)
• Moonraker (1979)
• Never Say Never Again (1983)
• Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983)
• Legend (1985)^[6]

After we were back on dry land we walked along the trails in the park.

Once we were back at the visitor's center we saw a ranger letting this Florida King Snake exercise on the grass.

It was fun watching all of the kayakers.  We are definitely going that way during our next visit!  Tomorrow we start to the Panhandle.  

More Mayers and The Withlacoochee Bay Trail

 2.26 and 27.2024

Monday brought Rick and Jeanine Mayer by to check-out our rig and to have a little dinner.  They are actively looking at Class Cs.  We're always excited to share our experiences and welcome others to the RV life.  It's such a great way to travel.

Afterwards we went to Mojo's for dinner.

On Tuesday we drove to Crystal River to the Withlacoochee Bay Trail.  It was one of the best we have ridden.  The trail was wide and paved with many covered stops with benches and picnic tables along the way.  We rode a little over 5 miles to the Gulf of Mexico and back.  Once there we could see the splashes of dolphins in the distance.  

This trail is what remains of a failed project to create a canal from the Gulf to the Atlantic Ocean.  The canal is now used recreationally.  It ran along side the trail.  

The decommissioned Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant.

Many of these covered areas were along the trail.  Most were being utilized by fishermen.

After our ride we went to Blackwater Grill.  The food was OK, but we had a cool view of this alligator during lunch.

Crystal River State Park was along our route home so we made a brief stop.  Not a lot to see, but the view is pretty.