Bud, my husband, and I attended Bob and Sue Sippey’s 4th Annual After Christmas Paddle near Ocala, Florida. Bob and Sue graciously allowed paddlers to camp in the grassy areas among the trees on their 20 acres of land near Ft McCoy. A few folks like ourselves were from Macon’s Georgia Wilderness Society but most were from the Florida Sports Paddling Club. Over 50 people attended over a 10 day period. It was great to paddle and chat around the fire with old and new outdoor friends. Many had wonderful stories about their travels in America and around the world.
We paddled a different part of the river each day. Springs and rivers included Juniper, Alexander and Silver Springs and sections of the Oklawaha River.
The Silver River’s crystal clear blue four-mile stretch is my favorite. Its abundance of birds, alligators and troupes of wild rhesus monkeys remind me of Africa. We took a ton of pictures. Because the animals are used to people photographers can get close enough to take stunning pictures. It’s not unusual to see an osprey flying overhead with a mullet in its talons, a 7-ft alligator lounging on a log, a river otter circling the boat or a troupe of monkeys frolicking among the trees. Manatees frequent some of the springs like Homosassa and Weeki Wachee.
The Silver Springs Park at the headwaters offers glass-bottom boat rides to view the seven major springs. Mammoth a first-magnitude 550 million-gallon-a-day gusher is one of the largest in the world. Glass bottom boats were invented in Silver Springs in the 1870s and the tours remain a popular attraction. The water is so deep and clear boats look as if they are floating on air. The spring-fed pools are surrounded by tunnels of trees that form breath-taking oases.
Florida has more than 700 of the world’s largest and plentiful crystalline springs. They’re not found at the beach, they hide in forests and secret places. Some people believe they are The Sunshine State’s fountain of youth. The water beneath the boat is so clear you can see the bright silver fish, iridescent green weeds and the white sandy bottom. The springs have one or more gushers that form the headwaters of the run. The springs 68 to 72-degree temperatures provide refreshing year round swimming, tubing, snorkeling and kayaking.
