Places Visited:
Florida: Ochlocknee River SP, Wakulla Springs, Panacea, Manatee
Springs SP, Perry, Cedar Key, Crystal River, Homosassa Springs
SP.

Sunday, January 27, 2002
Ochlocknee River State Park south of Tallahassee and near the
metropolis of Sopchoppy

The high-pressure system evaporated! There was cloud cover this
morning that delivered drizzling rain all afternoon and night. Joyce
and I headed to Wakulla Springs State Park and Lodge. We always like
to wander through the Lodge just to view the opulence. Wakulla
Springs Lodge was the vision of Edward Ball's back in the 1930's. It
is a unique retreat complete with wrought iron, Tennessee marble, and
hand made ceramic imported tile. The gigantic lobby is decorated with
hand-painted cypress beams, massive fireplace, elegant arched windows
and marble floors. The ceiling beams are decorated with colorful
"Florida scenes" flowers, birds, animals and plants. In the lobby
rests "Old Joe" the legendary guardian of Wakulla Springs. Said to be
over 200 years old at his death this eleven foot two inch alligator
watched over the spring from his spot on the far side. Shot by unknown
poachers in 1966 "Old Joe" was preserved and put on display for all to
enjoy. The snack bar in the lodge is said to be the world's longest
marble counter.

Enough about the Lodge, Wakulla Springs is what this place is
about.
Wakulla Spring is one of the world's largest and deepest freshwater
springs. An average of nearly 400,000 gallons a minute flow from the
spring's huge opening. Cave diving teams have explored the massive
cave system feeding the spring. Swimming 180 feet down to the spring
opening, then back into the labyrinth of underground tunnels that come
together to form the Wakulla Spring. These divers have descended
many, many miles back into the system, underground, underwater, in the
dark, sometimes at depths of 360 feet. These underwater explorers
have not come anywhere near the end of this gigantic system.

We hovered over the spring in a glass bottom boat operated by the
State Park System. As we drift over the 185' deep spring a variety of
fresh and saltwater fish swim into view. For a few minutes we are
able to view huge mastodon bones through the glass bottom (enough
mastodon bones have been recovered from deep within the spring to
completely reconstruct three mastodons). In addition to the mastodon
bones fossilized bones of giant Sloth, giant Armadillos, Camels and
other ancients litter the floor of the underwater caverns that feed
the spring.

Drifting over the spring in a glass bottom boat was exciting but not
nearly as exciting as the river cruise. On the river cruise we motor
down the river created by the spring. We view numerous sunning &
swimming alligators, turtles and myriad ducks, herons, egrets and
other wading birds. None of the wildlife was afraid of the boat. We
got within mere feet of the alligators and birds. Nowhere have we
ever been able to view wildlife at such close range. Alligators, in
other places, generally slip underwater anytime you get close to them.
The alligators here do not seem to care how close the boat gets.
Herons have learned to eat in the prop-wash. This really makes for
close viewing.

Our next adventure was the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory in
Panacea.
The marine laboratory is a non-profit organization that maintains a
wide variety of live marine creatures for viewing. This is a unique
place that many individuals were enjoying. Larger aquariums around
the country feature a variety of large fish. This place concentrates
on shellfish, sponges, corals, anemones, sand dollars, starfish,
octopus, sea stars, sea cucumbers, blowfish, sea urchins and other
small creatures. One of the unique things about this place is the way
marine life is displayed. Many display aquariums are only 2" to 10"
deep yet are on legs so that they are at countertop level. These
aquariums hold small shellfish, crabs and mollusk that are easy to
view. Larger tanks hold fish and turtles.

Constant rain spoiled the remainder of the day.

Monday, January 28, 2002
Manatee Springs State Park, near Chiefland, Florida on the banks of
the Suwannee River.

We are moving 150-miles today. That is longer than we are used
to,
its tough but we have to do it. When we are going to drive so far we
have to find a way to break up the trip. Accordingly, we stop in
Sopchoppy 11-miles up the road to purchase some wild "Mayhaw Jelly"
and "Tupelo Honey" from a roadside vendor. Both of these products are
indigenous to this part of Florida and possibly nowhere else on earth.
Tupelo trees primarily grow in the flood plain of the Apalachicola
River. Tupelos bear tiny greenish-white flowers and berrylike fruits.
The fruits provide food for migrating birds. Bees collect nectar
from the flowers of tupelo trees to make the famous tupelo honey.
Beekeepers clean existing honey from hives then place the hives on
barges and transport them up the Apalachicola River for the 6-week
blooming cycle of the tupelo tree. Tupelo honey has a distinctive
taste. Also it is different from other honeys in that it does not
crystallize. Those that know say tupelo honey has a different
chemical composition.

The "Mayhaw" jelly is made from the fruit of a small hawthorn
common
in the southern United States. I will let you know if it is anything
special.

An hour later, in Perry, Florida, we pull into a K-Mart parking lot
and unhook the Saturn so we can go to the Forest Capital Museum &
state park. The museum celebrates the timber that built Florida.
Major emphasis is placed on longleaf pines, which grow on the museum
grounds. Each exhibit case is made of a different native wood. The
most unique exhibit in the museum is a wooden map of the state of
Florida. Each of the 67 counties in the state is shaped from a
different species of native tree. Florida has 314 known species of
trees growing in the state. This exhibit features a few of the least
known such as the rare Torreya and gumbo-limbo. An elaborate diorama
depicted the entire turpentine harvest and production process. Other
dioramas of life-size cypress swamp and hardwood hammock habitats
feature preserved birds and other animals that inhabit each.

Adjacent to the museum is a "Cracker Homestead" interpretive site. The
homestead is typical of those that once dotted the pinewoods of north
Florida at the turn-of-the-century. The term "cracker" refers to the
settlers who lived in the rural areas. They may have acquired this
name from the early Floridians who cracked their whips to drive cattle
and oxen. Like fences out west these split-rail fences were used to
keep range cattle and wild hogs out of garden plots. Yards around
cracker homes have no grass and are swept clean to help avoid fires,
which were common in the pinewoods. The "cracker" house is a
distinctive "dogtrot" home found throughout the south and west in that
era. A breezeway, or dogtrot, actually separates the two, single
rooms. Porches were added to the more elaborate dogtrots to provide
additional living and working areas sheltered from the hot sun. Like
in the swamps of Louisiana large cypress piers keep the house off the
ground to prevent rot. Out west, where rocks are plentiful, houses
were constructed off the ground on rock piers. The orientation of
these "cracker" houses was also very important. Most of them were
constructed on a north-south axis to allow sunlight on three sides.
This helped to keep the logs dry, preventing decay. Back then the
windows did not have screens to keep mosquitoes out. Each bed has a
mosquito net that hangs from the ceiling. The kitchen is separate
from house because of the chance of fire.

The 4th weekend in October the state park turns the homestead into a
demonstration complete with a mule powered sugar cane mill. A large
iron kettle and fireplace stand ready to cook the cane juice to make
syrup. It looks like a fun time to visit.

After touring the museum we head to the Chaparral Steak House
recommended by locals. We were told about the buffet featuring
home
cooking. They were serving southern vegetables like only a good
southern cook can provide. The deserts were also out of this world.
We will stop by the Chaparral Steak House the next time we pass
through Perry.

Seventy-miles later we pull into Manatee Springs State Park and
take a
long walk to the springs and the Suwannee River. Part of our walk was
on an elevated walkway that meandered through the swamp and ended at
the Suwannee River. A group of individuals are swimming and
skin-diving in the spring. Unlike Wakulla Springs this place does not
have wildlife. The spring produces around 100 million gallons of
crystal clear water daily. A swamp of cypress, gum, ash and maple
trees surrounds the spring. Water from the spring flows into the
Suwannee River several hundred yards away. Twenty-three miles
downstream the Suwannee empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The spring
is named for the West Indian Manatee that frequents the spring during
cold weather to get protection in the constant 70-degree water flowing
from the spring. Temperatures reached 83-degrees today so Manatees
were not in the spring.

Tuesday, January 29, 2002
Manatee Springs State Park, near Chiefland, Florida on the banks of
the Suwannee River.

Joyce and I headed for Cedar Key this morning. On the way we
decided
to explore the National Wildlife Refuge along the Suwannee River. Just
before we got to Cedar Key we stumbled across Shell Mound County
RV-Park. This was a really neat park. How does $5.00 per night for
water and 30-amps sound? In addition it is located on the water and
is 5-miles from Cedar Key just off CR-347. Next time we will be
staying in this park. Less than a mile away is a 28-foot Kitchen
Midden or shell pile made up of shells of oysters and other mollusks
eaten by prehistoric Indians living by the Gulf. The shell mound area
is heavily wooded with well maintained hiking trails plus a fishing
pier. Trails lead across the marsh on boardwalks, through uplands
with live oaks and longleaf pine then back to cedar and cabbage palms.

Cedar Key is a place steeped in history. It has evolved from the
earliest Indian inhabitants, through the eras of pirates, Seminole
Wars, Civil War, cedar mills, tidal waves, hurricanes, oyster and
mullet fishing to the current clam farming industry. A few years ago
Florida passed a constitutional amendment severely restricting the use
of gill nets. Commercial net fishermen used gill nets at the time.
This meant that commercial fishermen had to change methods of
harvesting.

Clam farming is a new seafood industry in the Cedar Key area.
Currently, the new industry now supports more than 200 clam grow out
operations on over 650 acres of state owned submerged lands off the
Coast of Levy County. The area's warm waters and high natural
productivity levels create a superb environment for growing clams. In
less than a decade, Cedar Key has become the leading producer of
cultured clams in the state of Florida. Over 65% of the statewide
production is associated with this area. Sales (dockside value) of
cultured clams produced by Cedar Key growers were estimated at $10
million in 1999. Clam farming has brought economic revitalization to
Cedar Key and has allowed its citizens to continue to make a living
off the water.

A local entrepreneur on the city waterfront confided to me that
commercial fishermen that turned to clam farming were doing much
better than they were pre-net ban. She laughed and said that they
were all driving new trucks now. She told how her neighbor, a former
net fisherman, was making double what he was back when he was a mullet
netter.

A number of restaurants line the waterfront in downtown Cedar Key.
They cater to tourist. As always we try to avoid the tourist traps
and dine with locals. Annie's Café on the corner of highway 24 & 6th
street was that place. The food was great. If you want to eat with
locals you should try Annie's when you visit Cedar Key.

Wednesday, January 30, 2002
Manatee Springs State Park, near Chiefland, Florida on the banks of
the Suwannee River.

We are having difficulty making contact with several of the
individuals we are planning to visit while in this part of Florida and
there are more things that we want to see and do around here so we
have decided to stay for two extra days. We had a good time in Cedar
Key yesterday and want to return plus we have not explored Fanning
Springs State Park just 8-miles north of Chiefland. Joyce (you know
she is boss) decided we would visit Fanning Springs today. The
springs offer a good swimming area that was being utilized by a group
of local teens. Fanning springs is located where highway-19 crosses
the historic Suwannee River. The springs are only about 300-yards
from the river. This natural spring delivers 50 million gallons of
crystal clear water per-day from deep within limestone caverns.
Fanning Springs State Park features an upland hardwood hammock as well
as many acres of river bottomland bordering the river. Old growth
oaks and longleaf pine dominate the higher ground while maples,
cypress, sweet gum, cabbage palm and a variety of gum trees make up
the bottomland.

The Suwannee River originates in the Okeefenokee Swamp around
Waycross
in South Georgia. It meanders some 260 nautical miles through
north
Florida before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico around Cedar Key.
Fanning springs is about 36-miles from where the Suwannee empties into
the Gulf. Lyrics in the song "way down upon the Suwannee River" has
made the Suwannee a household name even though most would have trouble
finding it on a map.

Thursday, January 31, 2002
Manatee Springs State Park, near Chiefland, Florida on the banks of
the Suwannee River.

We headed back to Cedar Key today. This time we went to the
Cedar Key
State Museum that is part of the State Park system. Most of the
museum is the lifetime collection of St. Clair Whitman. During his
lifetime he managed to assemble one of the most complete shell
collections ever assembled. The cedar industry was explained. The
cedar growing in the area flourished where limestone was very near the
surface. Cedar was used in the manufacture of pencils. Literature
from the time described the cedars in the area as limitless. However,
in less than 50 years they were completely eradicated with no though
as to a second crop. Cedar logs were transported to a nearby island
where cedar boards ½ the thickness of a pencil were produced. These
thin cedar boards were transported to New York where the remaining
manufacturing process was completed.

During the Civil War, blockade runners' hauled cotton, lumber and
naval stores to foreign ports and brought food and war material for
the Confederacy. Salt, needed by Southern armies, was made locally by
boiling and evaporating seawater in large iron containers. Salt was
important in those days as a preservative for meat and fish. To say
the least Cedar Key was an important port. Because of it's importance
to the war effort Union forces in 1862, attacked by sea and captured
Cedar Key. This deprived the confederacy of a valuable seaport and
rail terminal.

After the war lumbering again let to prosperity until all the pine and
cypress were cut as well as the cedar. The remaining population
turned to the sea and the bountiful oyster and scallops in the area.
In short order this resource lost its value as a result of over
harvest also. Then came the years when gigantic green turtles that
grazed on the sea-grass were captured and shipped via railroad to New
Your. As with every other resource before it the green turtle was
also harvested to near extinction. Finally, Cedar Key's last
flirtation with industry, which involved the manufacture of brushes
and brooms from palm fiber, ended with the discovery of plastics.

Next we took a two-hour boat ride around several of the neighboring
islands. Islands in the vicinity are either owned by the Federal or
State Government. Sea Horse Key had enormous dunes with an abandoned
lighthouse. The captain/narrator on our boat told us that the 52'
dunes made it the highest ground on the Gulf Coast all the way from
Texas. I think we have heard that claim before but can't remember
where else made that claim. Sea Horse Key, owned by the Federal
Government, is a major rookery. Our captain told us that no one was
allowed on the island during the nesting season. Many of the pelicans
in the area utilize the island, as do herons, bald eagles, ospreys,
terns and skimmers. This would be an exciting place to visit when all
these birds were rearing their young.

Ospreys in the Pensacola area as well as Apalachicola area migrate
during the winter and return in the spring to nest and rear their
chicks. However, here in Cedar Key Osprey are year round residents.

After the fabulous boat ride we headed to the "Cedar Key Historical
Society Museum". This was another good museum that concentrated on
explaining oyster farming, clam farming, turpentine production, lumber
industry (pine & cypress), the red cedar pencil industry and the
manufacture of brushes & brooms from palmetto bushes. Each time we
study the exhibits in a museum the better we understand the subject.

Friday, February1, 2002
Rock Crusher RV-Resort: Crystal River, Florida (Near Homosassa
Springs)

We arrived in Crystal River around noon and settled in. In short
order our friends, Chuck and Mary Ann, arrived in their new motor
coach. Chuck left his tow car at home and brought his golf cart
instead. We toured the facilities in the golf cart then headed back
to their palace to grab a bite and reminisce about the past summer. We
met Chuck and Mary Ann last summer in Kanab, Utah where we enjoyed
Zion National Park together. They headed to California, Oregon,
Washington and an Alaska cruise before heading home. It was exciting
discussing the places we had visited.

Rock Crusher RV-Resort offered a Buffet & Dance Band in an
adjoining
pavilion. Around 6:15 Chuck and Mary Ann stopped by in the golf cart
and took us to the dance. The Big Apple Show Band started playing
halfway through dinner and continued until 10:00. How could it get
any better? Dining with good friends and dancing the night away with
your honey

Saturday, February 2, 2002
Rock Crusher RV-Resort: Crystal River, Florida (Near Homosassa
Springs)

We spent time with Chuck and Mary Ann before they headed back
to
Spring Hill. Then Joyce and I headed to lunch at Kibbie's Dockside
Restaurant on the Homosassa River about 9-miles from the Gulf. We
dined on a dock under the shade of a huge Spanish moss draped live oak
tree watching a parade of boats slowly cruising up and down the river.
A band was playing just behind us. What more can you ask for
lunch?
The food was fine and everything else out of this world. In addition
to boats parading up and down the river an otter joined the crowd and
cruised right past us. We stayed as long as possible before leaving
for Homosassa Springs State Park.

Homosassa Springs SP has two entrances, one you drive up to the
SP the
other you ride a boat several miles down the river to the SP. We
chose to ride the boat. Homosassa Springs SP is a class act. They
were feeding some captive manatees as we arrived. That was an
interesting show. The park provides a walkway that leads to an
underwater viewing room with 360-degrees of windows. From these
windows we are able to view a surprisingly large variety of saltwater
fish milling around the spring. Jack crevelle, redfish, sheep head,
snook, black drum and mullet seemed at home in the fresh water spring.
I have read about these saltwater fish frequenting freshwater
springs
but seeing is believing. The Jacks were 20-pounders like the ones
that crash schools of baitfish up and down the coast. Several large
snook were making a group of anglers hyperventilate.

Farther into the State Park we watched the lone hippopotamus
lumber
around a small holding pond. Next to the Hippo's pond was the
gator
pond. A group of big gators were sunning themselves. As big and ugly
as the gators were some wise guy remarked that they were better
looking than the ones Florida raised over in Gainesville. The crowd
got a good laugh out of that. (If you are not from Florida you might
not understand that dig).

Another hour or so of being treated to virtually every bird and animal
life in this part of Florida we exited the park.

On the other side of Homosassa River we stopped and toured ruins of
the Yulee Sugar Mill historic State Park. More than 100 years ago,
this mill was a thriving sugar mill and sugar cane plantation. In
1851, the sugar mill and plantation had 1,000 workers. Unlike most
sugar mills of the time this one used steam power to turn the
squeezing rollers. The raw cane juice was heated in a series of large
iron kettles. Eventually most of the water evaporates. What remains
is a stiff mass of syrup and crystals called massecuite. The
massecuite is placed in barrels with tiny holes in the bottom. The
liquid will seep through these holes, leaving sugar crystals inside
the barrels. This liquid is molasses. By the way, this sugar is not
white it is brown. To get white sugar it has to go through more
processing. Now you know all I know about producing sugar at the
Yulee Sugar Mill back in the 1850's.

Mike & Joyce Hendrix