Back in some of the earliest days of our RV adventures in 2007, we had our first encounter with some of Florida's freshwater springs, starting with Troy Springs.
We have since visited a number of other such springs, including several in the vicinity of Salt Springs where we spent the early part of November. We have discovered that there are in excess of 900 of these springs in Florida, with some located offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and some producing a flow in excess of 65 million gallons of water per day. It is also interesting to note that there are at least 14 "something Springs" towns in the state.
As we traveled South to our current location in Frostproof, passing lake after lake along the way, we wondered just how many lakes there might be, especially since there are several surrounding us here. The answer is an astounding 30,000, give or take a few, ranging in size from what we might call a large pond, to the 730 square miles of Lake Okeechobee which is located not too far to our South.
Finally, another major feature of this area is mile upon mile of orange groves. There are about 8,000 citrus growers in the state working 550,000 acres which include over 74 million orange trees.
Yesterday we were pleased to share a Thanksgiving dinner with other folks here at the Lakemont Ridge RV Park in Frostproof, FL. With the many contributions by other guests as well as the staff and management of the park, we were able to enjoy a wide variety of foods, including some that we might not usually associate with this day.
We've only been here about two weeks at this point, but so far Frostproof has lived up to the name; however, it has been very wet and not quite the sunny Florida we usually expect. We'll see how the reputation holds up when Winter actually arrives.
Two amazing features of this area: Orange groves that go on and on (for miles and to the horizon in some areas) and lakes of all shapes and sizes covering most of the area that is not populated by orange trees.
Just a few photos to share right now including (1) a trail that I attempted on our last day at Salt Springs, but I was defeated by swarms of mosquitos (2) a few shots of one of the local lakes and (3) a sunset we observed as we drove from Lake Wales to Frostproof on Thanksgiving Eve. I would normally limit the number of sunset photos, but I was just so amazed by the vivid colors and unusual textures that I had to share more of them. This is the photo link.
Today we invite you to join us on the trails at Silver Glen Springs. Located just 12 or so miles to our SE, this first magnitude spring, with a flow of about 65 million gallons of water per day, flows eventually into Lake George, the second largest lake in Florida.
Hiking the trails of this area, the inspiration for the first chapter of M. K. Rawlings' 1938 classic "The Yearling", is as close to a jungle trek as we've ever experienced. Compared with Salt Springs' walkways, retaining walls, etc., this area is maintained in pretty much a more natural state, with the exception of the nice trails, without which, it would be nearly impossible to explore the area. As you view the photos, be assured that the colors at the spring are real and are the deepest blue-green we've ever seen in such waters.
Of particular note is the presence of Sand Boils which, over thousands of years, evolve into the springs we've been exploring. I'm attaching some movie files to convey the activity at these boils and other photos of the semi-tropical scenery, not found in any other national forest in the continental U.S., can be found here.
Sand Boil 1
Sand Boil 2
As reported in our recent blog entry, we are currently in Salt Springs, Florida, and today we are pleased to share some photos we've accumulated as we explore the area.
The first photos you will see were taken just near the edge of the campground at the Salt Springs where the water is a constant 72 degrees. There is a very nicely constructed retaining wall and walkway that surrounds the area where the springs rise to the surface and while you would not know it from these photos, the waters are filled with people escaping the heat at other times of the year.
The next series of pictures begins with a shot of Deb and our neighbors at the RV park, Susan and Janet, along with Captain Erika aboard a pontoon boat as we begin a tour of a section of the Ocklawaha River that is located about 12 miles away from Salt Springs. In a future blog, I hope to pass along some information that Erika shared with us about the history of the area, but for now, we hope you enjoy seeing some of the sites along the tour, including the birds, turtles and 'gators. Just in case you are wondering about the last shot; we were too slow with the camera to capture a mother and two baby Black Bears that crossed the road in front of us as we were on the return trip from the river.
Click this link to see our photographs.
From 01 to 15 November, 2014, we are located at the Salt Springs Recreation Area in the Ocala National Forest, about 30 miles East of Ocala, Florida. The RV Park/Campground is just excellent with paved roads and sites, many mature trees and lots of room between sites. The park is very well cared for by a friendly and helpful on-site crew. At the moment, we have very few neighbors since the place is probably less than 10% occupied, but this is not the case in the high seasons (Summer and Winter) or on weekends. Cities and towns of any size are 30 to 40 miles distant, depending on direction, and our connection to the outside world is tenuous. We are fortunate to have a grocery store, hardware store, and a few (very small) eating establishments in town, but little more than that. We're including a few photos of the park here and will have more to share as we explore the area.
