Salt Springs Nat’l Recreation Area…beautiful!

  OK…I will keep this brief..and that may be a first for me. I have zero cell phone service here and am not sure if this blog will even publish until we leave Thursday..We traveled over 400 miles Sunday from Pensacola Beach to here…That is hopefully not going to happen again…Waaaay to long at our extended years, and, though he didn’t complain, MacGyver was pretty tired when we arrived.  It is my fault, as I am the one who plans the route (an old travel agent doesn’t die, they just wander off point!)..Never the less, this place was well worth it. We have a nice campsite , and today we walked down to the natural springs….

“The waters of Salt Springs rise from vertical fissures (cracks) from deep within the earth. The spring gets its name from the presence of potassium, magnesium and sodium salts in the water.  Salt Springs consists of several spring vents in a large shallow spring pool, which forms the headwater of the 4-mile long Salt Springs Run. Sidewalks and concrete walls line most of the spring pool, allowing easy access to the 74° Fahrenheit water for swimming or snorkeling. Motorized boats can travel up the Salt Spring Run from Lake George, but are prohibited in the spring pool. Fishing is also prohibited in the spring pool, but is allowed along the spring run.” That will be my only Geology lesson of the day…You can go back to scribbling funny faces on your assignment.

This water is so clear and beautiful, you can see fish …and …some of them continually JUMP out of the water and fly through the air..I believe they are Mullet, and no, I couldn’t get a photo of one…they were just too fast.

Left…they have built beautiful steps into the spring, and you can swim there. I guess divers and snorkelers frequent this place, but this morning no one was around except Dennis and me…and some very noisy flying fish…You could see fish swimming beneath …Some of these are catfish, according to ace fisherman Dennis..Can you see the fish in this next photo?

 

They do warn the public of other visitors that frequent this area too…

Yes, Black Bear apparently just LOVE this place…Check out those “bear proof” garbage cans.  When we checked in, the office person told us NOT to leave our cooler outside and keep any food things in your camper…and they warn you not to run if you see one…SAY WHAAAT???..There is a huge primitive tent area here…I cannot imagine tent camping where there are bears… This campground is very nice.  We are in the full hook up area..no primitive stuff for this diva…(not with Yogi and BooBoo watching for us to drop a potato chip!!)  Camping where we are is $29 a night, but when you are OLDER THAN DIRT, you get half price…Also, there is a little istsy, teeny weeny “mall” across Rt. 19 that has a laundry…and a Dollar General! Even though it seems we are in “Deliverance”, I guess we aren’t!

We will be here until Thursday.  Then we drive a short 200 miles to Ortona Army Corps campground near LaBelle, FL…In the mean time, this will be my only blog from “Cell Phone Hell”...no surprise, I’m sure…We shall see if I can even publish it…(OK>>>I HEARD THOSE SIGHS OF RELIEF!)