Ginnie Springs Camping

Ginnie Springs Campground may be one of the most fun in Florida but also the loudest.  We arrived for our camping trip around midnight and by the sound of it, the party had just started.  We found a campsite in the Beaver Landing area and set up our tents.  After the humidity soaked us through we walked down to the springs for a little night dip.  Ginnie Springs is also the only spring that I know of that actually keeps a lights on at night for swimming.  This is one of those private, anything goes kind of places.

For the next two days we enjoyed swimming, floating down the river, and hanging by the campsite.  The mosquitoes weren't too bad and the heat of the day was spent in the cool 70 degree waters to cool us down.  If you're looking for a camping destination in summer while in Florida, I believe the only place that is bearable are the springs.

Even with the large crowds were found bits of natural encounters.  Damselflies of all kinds would ride the rafts with us down river.  And the snorkeling is easy in these clear waters.  We saw bass, catfish, and sunfish of all kinds.  We also woke up each morning to a cacophany of bird calls from the Fish Crows roosting above our campsite. 

I highly recommend a trip to Ginnie Springs, even if its just a day trip.  Floating down the Santa Fe River is so relaxing and then swimming in one of the parks six springs is also a nice way to unwind from a hard work week.  I will definitely be returning to this little piece of Florida heaven.  Maybe next time I'll try on a less busy weekend.

Adventures at Blue Spring State Park

Blue Spring State Park has one of my favorite springs in Florida. Blue Spring is also the largest spring on the St. John's River. Camping in Florida during the summer is not for the faint of heart but if you're near one of these cool refreshing springs in Central Florida you will find that camping is perfect this time of year. The weekend of June 18-20th myself and five friends loaded up the cars and headed up near Orange City, FL where Blue Spring State Park is located. After a late night set-up, complete with a fire, we hit the tents for a big day at the park.

The camping group staring out over the spring fed river.

Blue Springs was littered with families and by mid-day it was a river full of people but near the springs wasn't as crowded and as we drifted from the spring head down to the recreation area there were times with little crowds. One of the great things about the springs was that most of the people were at the dock jumping in. The current was kinda strong so most of the people didn't linger on the river. This was perfect if you wanted to explore the shallow banks for fish. We found nice schools of sunfish, bass, and Florida Gar like the ones seen below.

Those dark slender shapes are Florida Gar, Lepisosteus platyrhincus. This fish is found in east and south penisula Florida.

The springs are known for being 72 degrees year around and in the winter are a refuge for manatees. The swimming area is only open during the warm season. It's great for snorkeling and scuba diving due the clear waters. The spring is 120 feet deep and can be accessed by cave divers. We brought the snorkeling gear along and gave the river a try.

Kim snorkeling near the bank. Notice the clear water.

Mo and Kim adjusting the snorkel gear.

Kim and I trying out the underwater feature of my camera.

Our camping trip to Blue Springs was a lot fun. We spent most of the day by the springs, cooling off when needed. Some other highlights were seeing a Florida Scrub Jay in the campground and jumping into the springs at night. Don't worry, we didn't stay along, just a dip to cool off. Alligators are not common around the springs during the day due to the heavy traffic of people but I am sure they may wander up there at night.

Blue Spring Cave

The shots above show you the opening to the springs. In that second photo you can see the blue fin of a diver. This opening was about 15 feet from the surface. I snorkeled down to the log but didn't go farther. Some people went quite a ways down the spring by holding their breathe but I mostly just swam above it and enjoyed the scenery.

Mo and Kim posing for a photo op near the spring head.

The other great thing about this park are the Live Oaks and palm trees that line the bank. It really gives you a authentic Florida atmosphere. The famous naturalist John Bartram visited this area in the 1776 and I imagine it doesn't look much different than it does today.

One word of caution about the springs, the rocky bottom does cause your feet to get a little sore. I didn't understand why so many people were swimming with water shoes but that became evident fairly quickly. If I could go back I would try a trip during the week, perhaps less crowds. But even with the kids screaming near the dock and the tubes floating down the river, I really enjoyed the camping trip. If you want a real Florida experience you should definitely try out the springs in Central Florida.

Sanibel Island Treasures

For those that have seen the beautiful Gulf of Mexico and swam in the waters you know too well the tradegy that has befallen our environment with the oil spill. Instead of focusing on the negative this post is in honor of all the good things that can be found in the Gulf. A couple of weeks ago I spent a weekend with my mom and friend Kim near Sanibel and Naples, Florida.

We spent the majority of the time swimming, snorkeling, walking the beach, and lounging in the hot Florida sunshine. Along the way we found some beautiful seaside treasures.

The quiet waters were home to many hermit crabs and whelks. For those that don't know a hermit crab doesn't make its own shell, it must find one that a mollusk has abandoned and when it grows larger it must find a new replacement shell. Many visitors to Florida take these beautiful creatures home without even checking the shells to see if anything is alive.

We also had really good luck finding these Keyhole Urchins or commonly known as Sand Dollars. These are also a major victim of many beachgoers that take them home and kill them. Our stash was returned after a few snapshots to the sandy bottom of the Gulf.

Watching the news lately about the oil spill is depressing. I hate to think that these very creatures in my hands will one day be covered in pollution or dead. I certainly hope that the destruction doesn't spread throughout the whole Gulf Coast. Only time will tell. Until then, I celebrate my time there with my family and I hope I have the opportunity to go back to such a pristine place.