Crystal River area, Florida
Apr 12th, 2015, 09:12 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 186
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Crystal River area, Florida
Crystal River area (north of Tampa), Florida, Feb. 27-March 2, 2015
This was a “local” nature trip with several friends, only a 6 hour drive to Crystal River, Florida, from Georgia home:
Arrived at Rainbow Springs River outfitter about noon, where our group rented kayaks. The Rainbow River was beautiful, clear, very calm, for which I was thankful since it was my first time in a kayak. We saw lots of birds (herons, ibis, anginhas, cormorants, etc.) and one motionless alligator, also turtles. I did okay on this river, there were not strong currents, narrow places, wind or motorized boats going by and a lot of it was just floating back down, to get back to the outfitter. We were on the river for between 2-3 hours and it was lovely. Outfitter waiting for us at his little dock and pulled us out, so easy first kayaking trip. We saw the occasional canoe and kayak on this river, also people along the shore, but all in all, it was very peaceful. We were told during the summer that it is a full river, with a lot of people tubing. End of Feburary weather very nice; high for day was 68.
It was only 4:00 at this time so we decided to drive on a few miles to the Rainbow Springs State Park, to see the springs that fed the river. This was the most beautiful place I saw in Florida. The spring was huge and in a glade, at the bottom of a small hill (unusual in Florida), very lush vegetation around it, the water a lovely clear blue so that you could see to the bottom.
Park has a swimming hole and even though outside temperature was only about 60 by this time, with a breeze and cloudy skies, there were a couple of people in the water. We went down to nearby Yankeetown’s gulf jetty, the local sunset watching place, and sat for a while, eating snacks. It was too cloudy to see a sunset and chilly by this time to me so I was glad when we went on to eat at the local Yankeetown restaurant right on the river.
We got to our Chassahowitzka River Lodge cabin about 8:30, in the dark. I had been worried exactly what this place would be like since my share for 3 nights was only $63 but it was fine. Very clean and a decent sized bathroom, good kitchen facilities. Sheets on the bed were so thin as to be almost see through but that was okay. We unpacked and were pretty much done for.
Next morning got up & took a walk – our “river lodge” rented canoes and kayaks but so did a small park & campground about 1/4th of a mile away so checked them out, then set out for what would be a bike ride for two of our party and our day of hiking for me and others. It was gray and you could feel moisture in the air; it started sprinkling by the time we reached the bike trailhead and was soon raining steadily. Others and I left to head for hiking trail near the bike pick-up. It was about a 30 mile drive and the rain kept getting harder and harder. We went by pastures and through tiny little towns, the most charming one was named Floral City and its road had the live oaks meeting overhead.
Visited Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve on a dirt road, ate lunch in the car and tried walking around a bit, but it was very squishy and wet, with rain still coming down and honestly not a good hiking spot. We retraced our route, found the pickup spot for bikers and then did find a hiking trail that gave us a few glimpse of the Withlacoochee River. We stopped at a fruit stand on the way back to cabin and I bought, for an expensive price, the best oranges I’ve ever had, honey bells. We had picked up yard oranges on the ground at our first kayak rental and those were sour, seedy oranges; these were like eating sugar. Drove into the town of Crystal River for excellent dinner.
Next day (Sunday), we rented kayaks and a little after 8:00 a.m., set off on the Chassahowitzka River. Kayaks cost $20 for entire day, no pick-up since it was a paddle in and out. This kayak adventure was much harder to me than the float down Rainbow River. Our first stop was in a little cove where manatees were reported and this moment was worth it all – there were probably 8 or 9 of them, including a baby, and they were friendly, coming up alongside the kayaks, swimming up under the kayak, with the baby (a 50 pounder, at least) letting us touch him. We could see motor boat scars on some. They are called “sea cows” because they just eat vegetation, lots of it.
We paddled more down river, getting out on sandy bank for lunch and bathroom. Paddled more and came to a great bird watching place where we saw wood storks (a rare bird) up close. One friend and I turned back soon after lunch, got out on shore again, just took our time returning. I was having trouble getting a sense of how to paddle to make kayak go where I wanted it to go. There were motor boats in the river so had to stay out of their way. We stopped back at the manatee spot which now had many other kayakers there but still so fun to be very close to the manatee.
Next morning we hustled packing up and headed out, taking a detour to Cedar Key, Florida, an old Florida town that is now a low key tourist area. My husband and I had visited there a couple of times in the 1980s; I remembered all the pelicans that line the docks, the restaurants out over the ocean, the island in the distance that can be reached by canoes and kayaks. We had rented a little power boat on one trip and visited several of the wildlife refuge islands around Cedar Key; great for birdwatching and shelling.
So . . . bittersweet to revisit this place that had really “built up” and gone more upscale than when we were there. Visited the outdoor exhibits at the Cedar Key museum – John Muir spent several months in Cedar Key so we had to check out the markers for him. Had tasty, drippy fish tacos at restaurant overlooking a still foggy bay; then headed home. Definitely would like to explore more of the canoeing and hiking trails in this area and think February and early March are good times to avoid the bugs.
This was a “local” nature trip with several friends, only a 6 hour drive to Crystal River, Florida, from Georgia home:
Arrived at Rainbow Springs River outfitter about noon, where our group rented kayaks. The Rainbow River was beautiful, clear, very calm, for which I was thankful since it was my first time in a kayak. We saw lots of birds (herons, ibis, anginhas, cormorants, etc.) and one motionless alligator, also turtles. I did okay on this river, there were not strong currents, narrow places, wind or motorized boats going by and a lot of it was just floating back down, to get back to the outfitter. We were on the river for between 2-3 hours and it was lovely. Outfitter waiting for us at his little dock and pulled us out, so easy first kayaking trip. We saw the occasional canoe and kayak on this river, also people along the shore, but all in all, it was very peaceful. We were told during the summer that it is a full river, with a lot of people tubing. End of Feburary weather very nice; high for day was 68.
It was only 4:00 at this time so we decided to drive on a few miles to the Rainbow Springs State Park, to see the springs that fed the river. This was the most beautiful place I saw in Florida. The spring was huge and in a glade, at the bottom of a small hill (unusual in Florida), very lush vegetation around it, the water a lovely clear blue so that you could see to the bottom.
Park has a swimming hole and even though outside temperature was only about 60 by this time, with a breeze and cloudy skies, there were a couple of people in the water. We went down to nearby Yankeetown’s gulf jetty, the local sunset watching place, and sat for a while, eating snacks. It was too cloudy to see a sunset and chilly by this time to me so I was glad when we went on to eat at the local Yankeetown restaurant right on the river.
We got to our Chassahowitzka River Lodge cabin about 8:30, in the dark. I had been worried exactly what this place would be like since my share for 3 nights was only $63 but it was fine. Very clean and a decent sized bathroom, good kitchen facilities. Sheets on the bed were so thin as to be almost see through but that was okay. We unpacked and were pretty much done for.
Next morning got up & took a walk – our “river lodge” rented canoes and kayaks but so did a small park & campground about 1/4th of a mile away so checked them out, then set out for what would be a bike ride for two of our party and our day of hiking for me and others. It was gray and you could feel moisture in the air; it started sprinkling by the time we reached the bike trailhead and was soon raining steadily. Others and I left to head for hiking trail near the bike pick-up. It was about a 30 mile drive and the rain kept getting harder and harder. We went by pastures and through tiny little towns, the most charming one was named Floral City and its road had the live oaks meeting overhead.
Visited Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve on a dirt road, ate lunch in the car and tried walking around a bit, but it was very squishy and wet, with rain still coming down and honestly not a good hiking spot. We retraced our route, found the pickup spot for bikers and then did find a hiking trail that gave us a few glimpse of the Withlacoochee River. We stopped at a fruit stand on the way back to cabin and I bought, for an expensive price, the best oranges I’ve ever had, honey bells. We had picked up yard oranges on the ground at our first kayak rental and those were sour, seedy oranges; these were like eating sugar. Drove into the town of Crystal River for excellent dinner.
Next day (Sunday), we rented kayaks and a little after 8:00 a.m., set off on the Chassahowitzka River. Kayaks cost $20 for entire day, no pick-up since it was a paddle in and out. This kayak adventure was much harder to me than the float down Rainbow River. Our first stop was in a little cove where manatees were reported and this moment was worth it all – there were probably 8 or 9 of them, including a baby, and they were friendly, coming up alongside the kayaks, swimming up under the kayak, with the baby (a 50 pounder, at least) letting us touch him. We could see motor boat scars on some. They are called “sea cows” because they just eat vegetation, lots of it.
We paddled more down river, getting out on sandy bank for lunch and bathroom. Paddled more and came to a great bird watching place where we saw wood storks (a rare bird) up close. One friend and I turned back soon after lunch, got out on shore again, just took our time returning. I was having trouble getting a sense of how to paddle to make kayak go where I wanted it to go. There were motor boats in the river so had to stay out of their way. We stopped back at the manatee spot which now had many other kayakers there but still so fun to be very close to the manatee.
Next morning we hustled packing up and headed out, taking a detour to Cedar Key, Florida, an old Florida town that is now a low key tourist area. My husband and I had visited there a couple of times in the 1980s; I remembered all the pelicans that line the docks, the restaurants out over the ocean, the island in the distance that can be reached by canoes and kayaks. We had rented a little power boat on one trip and visited several of the wildlife refuge islands around Cedar Key; great for birdwatching and shelling.
So . . . bittersweet to revisit this place that had really “built up” and gone more upscale than when we were there. Visited the outdoor exhibits at the Cedar Key museum – John Muir spent several months in Cedar Key so we had to check out the markers for him. Had tasty, drippy fish tacos at restaurant overlooking a still foggy bay; then headed home. Definitely would like to explore more of the canoeing and hiking trails in this area and think February and early March are good times to avoid the bugs.
Apr 13th, 2015, 08:58 AM
#2
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nice trip report. Was particularly interested in your comments about Cedar Key. I was there perhaps 20 years ago for just a day and was impressed by how low-key it was compared to other parts of Florida. I've always thought about going back to stay for a while and wondered if it had been developed. Sounds like it's followed the well traveled road that most waterfront locations suffer: bought up, built up, and no longer distinguishable from any other waterfront community. Too bad.
Apr 13th, 2015, 03:54 PM
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 186
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nephine,
I would say Cedar Key is not as bad as other places in FL as far as build-up goes but it is not as relaxed and quiet and uncrowded as I wished for. The construction looks pretty high end to me; we stayed in an inexpensive motel all those years ago and nothing looked inexpensive anymore.
I would say Cedar Key is not as bad as other places in FL as far as build-up goes but it is not as relaxed and quiet and uncrowded as I wished for. The construction looks pretty high end to me; we stayed in an inexpensive motel all those years ago and nothing looked inexpensive anymore.
