Sunny Saturday

Saturday started off like most Summer Saturdays when we’re home…DW mowed the grass and I did a few things around the house. When he came in from outside, he said, “lets go do something…”

Since it was already almost noon, it had to be something close.

We thought. And thought. And thought.

Finally, one of us suggested going to the Rainbow Springs State Park. I’ve always wanted to check it out, but we never do when we are down there. DW’s spent a week every summer of his life at the river house, yet he’d never been there either…well, not exactly. He said when they were kids, they’d take the boat up the river and paddle in the park and look around. He said he can remember climbing on the waterfalls. He also said he remembered seeing monkeys in cages. After that, I was REAL excited to see what this place was all about… WATERFALLS and MONKEYS? IN FLORIDA???

The drive in was really pretty. But I didn’t see any waterfalls or monkeys.

When we made it to the parking lots, there were more people and foam noodles than I could count making their way through into the park.

$4.00 later, we were in the park, too.

It was so crazy to see the river from the opposite end.

Everyone had the foam noodles, because no inflatable floats are allowed in the spring. The actual swimming spot is SO beautiful. Crystal clear water…

See the sign in this picture?

When we’re at Blue Run, that’s where we drive the boat to, anchor, jump in and swim, and then head back to the house… It’s as far as boats with motors can go. But one time, DW and I were at the river house for our anniversary and we pulled the canoe up with us, and paddled farther down to the head and actually saw the State Park pavilion from the river. Like I said, it was really neat to see it from the opposite side.

Once you got into the park, there were concrete and brick trails through the whole place.There were gazebos and benches and lookouts scattered all throughout the park, that lead to the different “waterfalls.”

It was totally worth our $4.00 just to walk around and see everything!

DW remembered right about the waterfalls…

But, we hadn’t seen anything about any monkeys…

UNTIL we saw this…

My first thought was that some Godzilla sized monkey had escaped and was waiting for us on the trail…

Nah… it was just some rundown fence…but we did see this

and I am guessing that’s where the monkeys used to be??? or maybe DW’s memory isn’t what it used to be. (He DOES have another birthday coming up in August…) ha…

It was neat to do something neither of us had ever done before, and especially considering it was so close to home!

After walking around the park, we hit up the Sonic. Lucky for us, it was 2:00!

AB had her first slush, and ya’ll be the judge…think she loved it?!?!

It was a great sunny-Saturday!

~amw~