MANATEE SPRINGS - Yes, even I managed to get in!
Now that we’re back in Florida, we plan to head west before we head back to ON. Time to travel to some new places, see some new things. First stop on the trip was Yellow Jacket RV Resort on the Suwannee River (yes the one the song is about), in Old Town, FL. It’s It about a 3 1/2 hour drive NW from Orlando which is about the longest drive we try to do in a day.
It was great find! A very clean and well maintained park that had full hookups (WIFI and cable included) and a heated pool and hot tub...all for just $17/night (with the Passport America discount). It cooled off quite a bit when it got dark so we made good use of the hot tub...God it felt good! Nice to get somewhere and relax after the repair work!
Turns out this place was only 30 mins away from Manatee Springs state park so we did a day trip there. $6 to get in and it was worth seeing. The spring (72F year round) is crystal clear and a beautiful blue /green colour when the sun is out. Last January, when it was so bloody cold in FL (remember fish & manatees dying!) the manatees flock here for the warm water. They had stats posted saying there were 441 manatee sightings there last January compared to only 34 this year. No manatees in the spring or the river the day we went, the park rangers say they haven’t seen them much lately because the ocean is already warmed up enough for them.
And yes, both Dave and I swam in the spring...it was refreshing, especially since the air temperature wasn’t all that much warmer than 72F that day. I can only imagine how cool it would be to swim with the manatee when they’re there!
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