June 26, 2019

I visited The Crystal River to Kayak and see if I could spot any manatees in June which is considered "off-season" since The manatees leave the spring for Kings Bay and other Gulf waters which warm up during the summer. Of course, I knew I'd be getting some much needed excersize so it would be a win either way!

My new friend, Luis, from Argentina joined me in a 2-person Kayak as we searched for manatees and gators. Well, I was searching for alligators while Luis questioned whether it was a good idea.

Our first stop would be at Three Sisters Springs where from Mid-November to Late-March you can swim with the Manatees. We paddled into the crystal blue waters which is the ONLY way you can enter these refreshing pools of water.

We just missed a manatee that swam through according to a young paddle boarder so we decided to take a swim before paddling over to Kings Bay to continue our search.

We paddled out to Kings Bay and continued to see many dragon flies, turtles and sea birds but no manatees or gators. We crossed the bay using the moored sailboats as a safe path. We decided to check the tall grasses surrounding a small island to see if we may find our elusive creatures.

We cautiously moved into a secluded cove only to find three of the largest multi-colored grasshoppers we've ever seen but no crocs or manatees! We did hear what sounded like a large cat attacking another animal on land nearby.

Does Florida have large cats?

It sure sounded like it as we made our escape back toward open water.

We circled the island and traveled back to Three Sisters Springs for one last swim break.

We gave it our best shot but it was time to return our Kayak since we were running on "sour cream and onion" chips and cookies as energy food and it was time to find a good meal.

The friendly staff at Crystal River Kayak Company and Dive Center recommended a couple of options. The "no brainer" was enjoying FRESH fish at a former crab processing plant which was now a seafood restaurant!

The Crab Plant.

I enjoyed fresh snapper and a crab cake while Luis dined on fresh salmon which he felt was one of the best he has tasted and he should know he would fish at Tortuga Alegre in Concordia, Entre Rios, Argentina.

HEADS UP: The Crab Plant is a CASH ONLY business.

June 29, 2019

I returned to The Crystal River area to visit Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park which would assure me a peek at manatees and gators. I convinced my 88-year old mother to join me for a walk. We enjoyed a slightly rainy boat ride to the wildlife park from the main visitor's entrance area. Once we entered the park, I suggested a wheelchair for stability, and if she felt like resting, I could move her along.

Our first animal encounter was with "Lu" The Hippo.

Right next door across the walkway were gators!

I discovered there are big cats in Florida ... bobcats!

Unfortunately, the bobcat (along with the bear) was moved due to an incoming storm. We managed to evade the thunderstorm until we were back in our car where we drove through a typical Florida rainstorm.

Of course, we did not leave until we visited the manatee feeding at 3:30pm which was just before the dark clouds began to rain on our parade.

There is a much cooler (and I'm talking 10 degrees or better) underwater viewing area at the manatee observatory. I highly recommend it. You get a much better view of these cows of the sea.

Within 10-minutes the rain was already much lighter. A little over an hour later we were sitting outside at The Lighthouse Point Bar & Grill enjoying fresh seafood back at The Villages where my mom has lived for thirty years.

The Boardwalk is a great place for a stroll and turtle viewing:

Kids of all ages love swimming with Manatees, spotting turtles and seeing gators in Florida. Here's a song celebrating the power of imagination written by "Super Luke" and "Matt Adore" when they were only seven years old:

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