This Thanksgiving season we had the opportunity to jump into the trailer and travel down south to the sunshine state with some friends and family. We got to introduce our friends and family to the Grand Design trailer lifestyle, as well as show off some of our favorite locations in Florida, and even check out a couple new spots.
First on the checklist was to head to Rainbow Springs state park. This was honestly one of our primary reasons to head down south, and one of our favorite places to paddle and explore in Florida. Our first day there was a bit on the chilly side as a cold front blew in, so we walked around the state park for the afternoon exploring and checking out some of the waterfalls. As it got later we decided to get a camp site at the Rainbow Springs Campground, and lucky for us my wife had already pre-booked us a reservation. We set up camp, enjoyed a bonfire and some bocce ball as the sunset. The camp ground was great, and sat along the river giving us great access for paddling and swimming in the springs. The next morning we woke up, and made one of my favorite breakfasts, French Toast. After breakfast we geared up and headed for the river.
The Rainbow Springs were magnificent. The water is crystal clear, with up to 250 ft visibility underwater. We started by paddling upstream near the source of the springs, were it was the clearest, and then took our time drifting back to out launch point. We saw many fish, birds and turtles, and thankfully no alligators, which was a highlight for the kids. Everyone seemed a little worried about the alligator warning signs at the launch point. We played around in the water for the whole afternoon, though once we started swimming I didn’t want to get out. The clear water was mesmerizing. It was like entering a different world that you could only now see. As the afternoon got late, and the kids got tired we decided it was time to head back.
The next day we decided to check out Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. This was quite the experience for the kids, as it has a very zoo like experience, with tons of different animals. There were tons of reptiles like alligators, snakes, and turtles, and more different types of birds than I could list, though some included cranes, flamingos, red tailed hawks, and both golden and bald eagles. The park even had a resident Florida Black Bear and a the oldest lining Hippopotamus in North America. We loved walking around the trails and checking out all of the creatures, though our main reason to visit the park was to see the Manatees. The Park has both wild manatees that swim into the springs during cold weather, as well as three manatees that are residents of the park.
After we had explored a couple state parks we decided to venture down to Orlando and check out some of the excitement there. After much discussion about what to do, we chose to check out the Medical Times, which was a show non of us had seen, and something our kids would be interested in as well. The show was amazing, with incredible horses, a princess, some knights battling, and a crowned winner. It made for a great dinner side show, and we could tell who had more fun watching, the kids or the adults.
Our trip was now coming to an end, as we had to say goodbye to our friends and family, and dropped them off at the Orlando airport. Emily, Parker, Tucker and I then got back into the truck and headed home, as it was time to get ready for more holiday season with Christmas coming around the corner.
