Silver Springs, FL
Today we visited Silver Springs, Florida, home to the glass-bottomed river boats and plenty of alligators. Right next door to the resort was a water park. First we ate breakfast at Bageland, my aunt and uncle's shop, where I got to see my cousins. Age is no barrier for us - we talked and caught up and reminisced just like family should.
Silver Springs was hot, but just gorgeous. 60's style big-band/orchestra music spilled out of the entrance and across the parking lot, and even before entering the gate I found myself wanting to dance along (okay, I confess: I actually did!). Before entering the gates we were greeted by two resplendent macaws in colorful plumage, and a pretty fountain with streams of water that met in the center of a circle. We could see the aluminum river boats docked ahead, as we walked in and headed up a path to one of the islands. Then... we caught our first glimpse of alligators, lounging in the water and bathing in the sun. [Later we learned that alligators get 85% of their energy from the sun, storing it within scales on their backs. They hibernate during winter months and don't eat because they don't get enough energy from the sun to digest physical food!] Some were quite large and plump-looking.
Cockatrices, flamingos, egrets, deer, turkey vultures, and several species of fish were spotted along the way. The lavender-crowned macaw was taking a nap by the Fort King River landing, but my big brother decided to wake it up. Due to lightning, boat rides were postponed, so we caught a couple of "creature feature" shows: Snakes (red and yellow rat snakes, corn snakes), tarantulas, fruit bats, an albino skunk, scorpions and cockroaches, all up close and personal.
In the meantime, we were getting soaked in a rainstorm. Then we ate our delicious sandwiches that my uncle packed for us. The sun dried us off, and we made it back for a cruise on the open river, and finally the Fort King boat ride. I really enjoyed the first cruise because we could see so much, underwater, through the window in the bottom of the boat. We were riding the Chief Micanopy with Captain David, who was humming to himself the whole way. He spoke with that beautiful Southern inflection and down-home charm, chuckling every now and then. He reminded me both of the man singing on the Savannah, GA riverfront, and the older gentleman in Chris Young's music video for "The Man I Want to Be." As we putt-putted through the crystal-clear waters, he pointed out birds, turtles and other local wildlife, as well as ledges, caves, and crevices deep beneath the surface. We passed a cypress tree over 500 years old; a Native American canoe and a rowboat dated from the 1500s were also easily visible at the bottom of the river. Stone statues rested at the mouth of Silver Springs, anchored by billows of green algae. Schools of fish swam through gaps in the sea-grass. The deepest point in the river was 81 feet, down a dark hole; at the mouth of the river it was 65 feet wide and 55 feet deep.
Captain Fred took us on a historical journey on the Peregrine, through the winding bends of the Silver. Supposedly there are 999 riverbends (Pocahontas, watch out)! A farm boy in his youth, Cap'n Fred told us about what it would have been like, growing up in the 1800s. We saw an original Discovery Expedition boat that was used in archaeological digs after somebody found a Wooly Mammoth in the river, a reconstructed fort, trading post, Seminole village and typical homestead (complete with crescent-moon-cut outhouse and breezeway). We also saw white alligators, a boa, a couple crocodiles, wood ducks and pretty blue dragonflies. We finally left at closing time, and got caught in another crazy rain storm on the drive back.
To be continued... soon, I promise - because life is too short to die!
No comments:
Post a Comment