Travel around Florida #1: ☀️Silver Springs ☀️
If you’re lucky enough to visit Orlando (or live there), be sure to take time away from Disney and Universal for a more leisurely “natures theme park”. Silver Springs is located near Ocala, FL about 1 hr 30 mins drive north from Orlando in the Silver Springs State Park.
Part of 5,000 acres, Silver Springs is one of the largest artesian springs ever discovered, and was one of Florida’s first tourist attractions, drawing visitors even before the Civil War and Native American settlers in the 1500s called it home.
Officially founded in 1852 Silver Springs attracts visitors from all over the US. The complex initially had an amusement park with stage, carousel and small zoo to complement their famous glass bottom boat tours, which first started in the late 1870s.
Many movies were filmed here with the earliest one being in 1916. Some classics including, six Tarzan (1930-40) movies, The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) and later, James Bond movies Moonraker (1979) and Never Say Never Again (1983) were all filmed here either entirely or in part. The monkeys used in the Tarzan movies remain and have claimed the park for their own.
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Over the years, the number of visitors dropped and in 2013 the amusement park and zoo closed, however the boat rides and exhibitions remain. You can also take kayak and canoe trips to see the springs splendor and inhabitants.
When we lived in FL, we visited here many times. On this particular visit, the sky was blue and the air was hot. A perfect day to visit the Springs. These photos are from a few years ago and I’m reminded how much the kids have grown since then! Our daughter is now 5’6”!
We begin by exploring the entrance and its fora with the kids running around, burning off steam.
We make our way down to the glass bottom boats, pay for our tickets and await time to depart. Tours run ever 30 mins and last for 45-90 mins.
Whilst we were waiting to depart we used the time to explore the exhibits.
And sample the ice-cream from Paradise Treats.
Glass Bottom Boats and the Tour Begins
The pontoon style boats measure 31 feet long by 12 feet wide, weigh 40,000-pounds and are powered by silent electric motors using two banks of batteries producing 36 volts per bank. The enclosed boats have bench seats facing the bottom viewing panels, large windows and 12 portholes along each side. They also have canvas-top boats primarily used on “jungle cruise" tours.
From the antique boats, you get the perfect view of the natural beauty of the springs, its inhabitants, historical & cultural artifacts, together with props from the movies both below and above the waterline.
Looking through the glass bottom. Dugout Canoe can be seen below the water, bottom left photo.
American Alligators
Remember when I said it was perfect weather… look at the sky now
Remember when I mentioned the canvas topped boats... Yes, that's what we were in...
It began to pour, thunder boomed and lightning flashed… There we were in a metal boat surrounded by ALLIGATORS in the middle of a lightning storm… exciting to say the least!
Despite the weather or maybe because of it, we had a wonderful time here as always.
The park is open from 8 am to 6 pm, 7 days a week, 365-days per/year including all holidays and the Glass Bottom Boat Tours operate from 10 am to 5 pm with the last boat departing at is 5 pm. Bring a picnic or purchase food from the Spring Side Café and plan to stay a while.
If you’re in the area, be sure to take time to visit – you won’t be disappointed.
Original content by @redwellies
Looks like a fun day out @redwellies. As one of the editors for @steemitworldmap’s daily #traveldigest, I would love to see this post pop up on http://steemitworldmap.com. If you're interested, simply go to the website, search for your location, click on code (down the bottom) and add a short description. It will then generate the code you need to copy and paste into your post (not the comments) to have it show up on steemit worldmap. Done, your post is on the map now! There’s also a FAQ section if you need it.
@choogirl it certainly is worth a visit if you're in the area :) Thank you for letting me know about the Steemit World Map - how cool is that! Hopefully I did it correctly. I was expecting something to show on the post, but in receiving the message below I'm thinking I did it right?
Yep, you're all good with the map.
It is a beautiful area. I have been camping at silver springs and went canoeing there.
It truly is a treasure and I'm not sure how many locals get there. Thank you for mentioning the camping in the park there. How was that with all the alligators?
It was fine. You have to be aware of your suroundings and practice safty measures.
Looks like a great family destination. First learned about it from an Instagram picture of a friend who visited as well. Will put it on my Florida to do list!
It really is good ol' fashioned fun for the whole family! If you go, be sure to let me know what you think about it :)
I'll probably write a blog or I'll vlog about it :). Will take a couple of years, because I do want to combine it with an Orlando trip, so want my children to be old enough to remember it.
That would be a great idea! I wish I'd been blogging when we lived there :) and yes it's a good idea to wait until the kids are old enough to enjoy and remember. We loved living in Orlando - there is so much to do and the weather... well, even in the summer it was perfect :)
I'm sure there is so much to see in the Orlando area that doesn't involve Disney World, so thank you for sharing one of these places. It looks incredible - from the safety of the boat that is. Not sure I would be game to travel those waters in an inflatable. And so many great photos.
I love your son's ice cream eating style. :)
I'm with you there! Some of the alligators are really quite big, although living in FL you do get used to them even being where you'd not expect them to be, however I'd not risk it lol. And yes, our son does have a certain style lol... he's the same one who's covered in paint here.
And being from Australia as I am, we have crocodiles (okay nowhere near the part I live in) and they aren't in anyway gentle. So I find it hard to not equate the two, even if they do behave differently.
And your son appears to be an artist who needs no canvas to work on. He already has one.
Australia, how cool! I'm originally from England :)
Love that! My daughter @vixxen is an amazing artist and has been known to use her brothers as a canvas lol
So your daughter is the artist, and your son is her muse, perhaps? When inspiration hits an artist just has to do what they have to do!
What a beautiful spot. We live not too far from there, need to take a road trip! Cruisin' the coast is such a nice drive for us 'Bama kids. :)
If you get the chance, you absolutely should go. It's a great day out everyone... just check the weather first 👍🏻
Heard! Thank you for the heads-up. Right now it is too dang cold, lol.
You think you're cold lol ⛄️❄️
Hahahaha
Ohhh, when I was young, I would always love to sit boat rides like this. Hope to see more travel posts from you. :)
The boat ride was great, even with getting absolutely soaked at the end :) and thank you, I have a few more travel posts I'm working on.
Wow, I can't believe I've never heard of this! I've only been to Florida once, on a long road trip down the east coast (Boston to Miami!). This is just the kind of peculiar old Americana I love, vestiges of a different world tucked away but still chugging along...it's on my list now!
It really is a hidden gem that's for sure. I would've loved to see it in it's heyday, but even now it still has a certain "je ne sais quoi" and hopefully will be around for many future generations. If you ever find yourself back in FL, check it out :)
Amazing nature and interesting adventures - I think your kids had a lot of fun that day.
Thank you, with us, it's never a dull moment lol... Good ol' clean fun :)
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