A Day at Wekiva Island

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One of our favorite spots in Central Florida to rent kayaks for a day exploring Florida wildlife, Wekiva Island is located in Longwood near Wekiwa Springs State Park. In fact, we try to get to Wekiva Island as early as possible, rent our kayak(s) and paddle down the Wekiva River to Wekiwa Springs. Then we disembark and swim around in the springs for a little while before paddling back to Wekiva Island for lunch and a craft beer at the Tooting Otter. It’s a great place to take visitors to give them a true taste of “natural” Florida.

Circle B Bar Reserve

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After hearing great things about Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland, we finally got the opportunity to visit and enjoy just a small sampling of this amazing wildlife habitat. A former cattle ranch on the shore of Lake Hancock, Circle B Bar Reserve encompasses 1,267 acres and contains a diversity of great hiking trails. We saw several alligators and the reserve was also teeming with various bird species. We will definitely return soon to explore other areas of Circle B Bar Reserve. Highly recommended!

Devil’s Chair

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I finally made it back to Cassadaga in search of the haunted landmark known as the “Devil’s Chair,” which can be found at Lake Helen-Cassadaga Cemetery. According to urban legend, if you sit in the immense brick chair at midnight, the Devil will pay you a visit. Furthermore, if you place an unopened can of (preferably cheap) brew on the Devil’s Chair at midnight, you will be greeted with an empty can the next morning. However, the most likely explanation for the Devil’s Chair is that it once served as a so-called “mourning chair” for an elderly gentleman visiting his wife’s grave. The legend is much more interesting, don’t you think?

Black Point Wildlife Drive

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Part of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, the 7-mile, one-way Black Point Wildlife Drive allows you to view wildlife in its natural habitat such as alligators, snakes, river otters, bobcats, wading birds, waterfowl (in season), raptors and shorebirds without exactly roughing it. The cost is $10 per vehicle and the drive takes approximately 40 minutes (there are frequent stops along the way). Don’t miss it!

Withlacoochee River Park

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We discovered a great outdoor oasis way off the beaten path at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City. Several scenic trails meander through the park, including a portion of the Florida Trail. Don’t miss the opportunity to climb the Observation Tower for a great view of the surrounding area. Oh yeah, make sure to pack some mosquito repellent because we got eaten alive on this outing – but it was well worth it! Other stops during this adventure included a visit to the charming 1922 Richloam General Store in Webster and an outstanding lunch at Kafe Kokopelli in downtown Dade City.

Boat Drinks – St. Augustine

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During last Saturday’s torrential storm in St. Augustine, we ducked into a funky, Florida Keys-type eatery in the heart of St. George Street called Boat Drinks, which lives up to its billing as “a nautical tropical bar with frozen cocktails, a rum selection that would sink most ships and a bounty of fresh seafood.” Since it was early and we weren’t prepared for a full-blown meal, we opted to sample a couple of appetizers, including the Crispy Fish Bites (very good) and Plantain Chips ‘n Dips (outstanding). As you might expect, Boat Drinks specializes in an amazing selection of frozen drinks and rum punches, as well as rotating Florida craft beers. We had a great time at Boat Drinks and will definitely return soon! Oh yeah, we also hit one of our all-time favorite St. Augustine spots, Milltop Tavern. All in all, a very rewarding barhop in the “Ancient City” despite the awful weather.

 

Sweetwater Wetlands Park

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If your travels take you to Gainesville and you want to view some wildlife, make sure you add Sweetwater Wetlands Park to your travel itinerary. A thriving habitat, Sweetwater features 125 acres of wetlands and ponds teeming with wildlife such as alligators, birds and even Florida cracker horses (although we didn’t see any during our most recent outing). Wander through 3.5 miles of crushed gravel trails and boardwalks at this serene nature sanctuary just minutes from downtown Gainesville.

Trimble Park Revisited

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Nestled between Lake Beauclair and Lake Carlton, scenic Trimble Park never fails when it comes to wildlife viewing. The past two times I have viewed two different alligators sunning on the same log (see above). Also, if you are going for a hike, make sure you visit the boardwalk toward the back of the park. Very cool!