There’s one place on your entire planet the place one can snorkel, kayak and take a dip with West Indies Manatees, and it’s proper right here in Florida.
by Wallace White There’s a line in Kenny Chesney’s traditional tune “Summertime” that completely sums up what each true Floridian is searching for this time of 12 months, and it’s not a yard pool. No, as an alternative it’s a “swimmin’ gap that’s good and chilly.” In case you are among the many adventure-seeking few who yearn for a singular “Previous Florida” escape, then pack a bag and make the journey to Citrus County.
This lovely a part of the state is tucked away on a stretch of Florida’s West Coast and is residence to crystal clear springs, manatees, and infinite methods to take pleasure in crisp, clear, and delightfully chilly water. Crystal River, often known as the manatee Mecca of the world, is a secure haven for tons of of the light giants. Whereas “sea cow” excessive season runs from November via March, many can nonetheless be discovered on this lovely physique of water year-round.
Reserving a manatee meet-and-greet is a should. Waterfront Adventures: Swimming With the Manatess gives a wide range of packages that embrace passage on a pontoon boat, moist fits and private guides that can assist you navigate the Crystal River Wildlife Refuge. The guides, half crocodile hunters, half manatee whisperers, half river keepers, navigate the labyrinth of channels with ease and deal with the river and its inhabitants with due reverence and respect. Go early within the morning to make the most of the quiet waters and be sure you go to Three Sisters Springs, a trio of blissful blue holes accessible to “swim in” from the river. With the experience of your information, you would possibly even come head to head with a mama manatee and her child.
For a little bit of kitsch, stroll round downtown Crystal River to buy and eat. You gained’t have the ability to miss the enduring water tower. Stroll slightly nearer and also you’ll discover a super-cute splash pad at its base the place little ones can play and funky off.
The city of Homosassa is only a hop, skip, and a soar away, however is to not be missed. Stroll underwater in Nature’s Big Fishbowl at Ellie Schiller State Park, then head a number of miles up the street to see a tiny island the place three swinging monkeys have lived in luxurious because the Nineteen Sixties. Whilst you’re there, take pleasure in a scoop of ice cream from a classic airstream, or take pleasure in a chilly one at The Florida Cracker Monkey Bar. To spherical out your Orange County expertise go to the stunning city of Inverness.
Crammed with lovely exterior areas and a downtown that’s proper out of Stars Hole. Catch a play or film on the Valerie, a superbly restored theatre, and don’t miss the courthouse the place the King himself (Elvis, not Charles) filmed Comply with that Dream in the summertime of 1961. Wrap up, with all of the Previous Florida feels, by taking an airboat experience at Wild Invoice’s Airboat Adventures! Come on, you realize you’ve seen the indicators on I-75 and have puzzled. Ask for Hazard Dave and hold on to your hat.
Many components of Citrus County are reminders of a Florida solely present in classic postcards, and this brings us again to that Kenny Chesney tune—the extra issues change the extra they keep the identical. And that’s the coronary heart of this heavenly piece of our state. The pure magnificence, the little city appeal, but it’s a lot greater than that. It’s a fantastic marriage of the previous and new, and a singular mix of wildlife, journey, and timeless enjoyable within the solar.
The place to Keep:
Paddle Tail Lodge is simply steps away from the Crystal River and floor zero for all of the water actions you’ll be able to think about together with paddle boarding, kayaking, manatee treks, sundown cruises, and fishing excursions. The Lodge has comfy rooms and is strolling distance to the waterfront and several other eating choices
The Cove Resort and Pub is positioned on the banks of a seemingly prehistoric waterfront within the backwaters of Tsala Apopka Lake. The property is superb—rustic however in a satisfying method. Select from 4 enjoyable and superbly adorned Airbnb cabins. With names like Love Shack and Tin Roof Rusted, you’re certain to have a blast. RV websites are additionally out there.
The place to Eat:
Bayside Craft Kitchen is an upscale eatery that gives to-die-for entrées and impressed cocktails. Begin issues off their signature libation, The Bayside Breeze, after which dive into the shrimp and grits (pimento cheese provides it an ideal spicy kick), chilly water oysters on the half shell, or the Florida fried grouper. You gained’t be upset.
Kane’s Cattle Firm is traditional steak home with a recent perspective and menu. Surf & Turf, hand minimize steaks, scrumptious burgers, superb sandwiches and mashed potatoes that can carry tears of pleasure to your eyes. Close to the door, search for the marker on the wall displaying how excessive flood waters have been following Hurricane Irma in 2017.
The Cove Resort and Pub is understood largely to locals, and some guests within the know. This one-time fish camp gives all the pub fare you’ll anticipate however delivered in recent and scrumptious methods. Count on wraps, salads, burgers, and hen wings. Order something that comes slathered with the Debbie Sauce. It’s delish.
Swimming Holes:
Three Sisters Springs is simply what it feels like—a trio of recent water springs spilling out from the Florida aquifer that move into the Crystal River. On foot, one can attain it by a boardwalk positioned at 917 Three Sisters Springs Path. Kayakers, paddleboarders and swimmers can enter on the level the place it meets the river. Direct entry to Crystal River will be discovered at Kings Bay Park or Hunter Springs Park. At Kings Bay, pack a picnic, carry old style interior tube and soar in. Get there early. Parking is restricted.
As water temperatures drop within the Gulf of Mexico, tons of of West Indian Manatees will make their technique to the hotter waters round Crystal River, notably from the center of November until the tip of March. The annual inflow of the beloved marine mammal makes the spring-fed waters right here a terrific place to find out about these curious creatures—as soon as believed to be mermaides—of their pure habitat.
The fascination with mermaids is centuries previous, fueled partly by tales that sailors mistook manatees for the legendary creatures. In Crystal River, the “Manatee Capital of the World.” it’s only becoming to rejoice the legendary mermaid. One attraction distinctive to the area is Mertailor’s Mermaid Aquarium Encounter, the place visitors can work together with a wide range of sea creatures in contact tanks and catch a every day mermaid present staged in a 15,000-gallon saltwater aquarium. Additionally, guests can take a mono fin swim lesson from Crystal River Watersports, the place aspiring divers can learn the way stay and transfer like a mermaid.
Throughout manatee season, seven manatee sanctuaries throughout the Crystal River Nationwide Wildlife Refuge are off limits to human exercise, giving the animals protected secure zones. Refuge managers have the authority to increase sanctuary areas when manatee exercise is excessive on account of chilly waters within the Gulf, which may ebb and move every day. Swimmers and paddlers are usually not permitted to cross into these protected areas however can nonetheless observe from a distance or from above through boardwalks.
With tens of 1000’s of acres of protected state parks, forests and wildlife refuges, guests can discover miles of bicycling, strolling, birding and mountaineering trails to expertise this wild slice of Florida. The central Gulf Coast is overflowing with swimmable springs and a community of rivers, lakes, marshlands and mangroves, making the area supreme for kayaking, paddle boarding, boating, fishing, tubing, scalloping and snorkeling. Have to be why the manatees like it a lot.