Silver Springs State Park

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Silver Springs State Park, Ocala, FL



I arrived in this park on Thursday afternoon and here it is Sat night and almost time to leave. I have had a great time hiking, flee marketing and attending a knap-in.

This is another jewel in the crown of the state parks in FL. I am so grateful that our fore fathers had enough insight to preserve these natural wonders for generations to come. This park is another natural spring that flows into the St John River that eventually flows through Jacksonville and into the Atlantic Ocean. It flow north.

This spring discharges 516 million gallons of water per day and creates it’s own river. It is a preserved area so the water is pristine and the jungle a fabulous habitat for all wildlife including monkeys, yes monkeys. Kat and I were at the river yesterday when a couple docked their canoe and as we talked they spoke of monkeys they had seen. I thought they were joking until they showed us the pictures they took. It seems that somehow monkeys were turned loose on an island and flourished. It doesn’t seem to be a problem right now but I’m sure someday it will if they overpopulate the area and drive out the native critters as this is a state park and they like to keep things natural.

I did go to a flea market on my own free will and I actually enjoyed it. I got some produce but a couple of little things that are practical. I got a neat small plastic drain strainer for my kitchen sink, and 2 decorative cup coasters for the van and a windshield cleaning pad with handle for the inside of the windshield. It was fun to look at all the things they had for sale, almost anything you could imagine. The biggest hit was a loaf of pretzel bread with cheese on top. It was really crusty, salty and very soft inside and we couldn’t stop eating it. The whole loaf was gone before we got home.

Then it was a mile hike to the river to just look at it and a mile back. The dogs enjoyed the adventure as did we.

Kat made dinner last night with a little of this and a little of that from each camper and it was delicious. I had some ham and bow tie noodles, she had cheese, milk and bread crumbs and an oven, what a combination….

Today was knap-in day at the park. It was a stone tool making and stone age arts festival that was right up my alley. If I had more energy I could have stayed there all day. I made oatmeal pancakes for us for breakfast then we headed up to the festival just up the road. There were so many people knapping that I didn’t know where to look first. Stone knapping is the art of chipping flint into usable instruments such as arrow heads, knives, spear points and tools for tanning leather. Of course you could take lessons and buy almost everything you saw. There were arrows, spears, knives with antler handles, leather goods, jewelry, food, and other related items.

There were demonstrations on how to use an adladl to throw a spear, hatchet throwing, pottery making and of course knapping.

There is a museum on the grounds with an extensive collection of artifacts found in the spring run including a mastodon skeleton and a saber tooth tiger bones. We could have stayed in the museum most of the day.

It was great fun but after several hours I had to go home to let Oscar out and rest in the sun while it was out. The temperature this morning was 44 and it didn’t warm up to more than 55 all day with a stiff breeze that made it feel cooler. Tonight is supposed to be much cooler, frost warnings, so I’m hoping it warms up again as I am heading for the beach on the pan handle tomorrow.

Anyway, it is Kat and my last day together so we went out for dinner tonight to Fat Boys Bar B Q. It is a local place that has been here for 47 years and I could see why. I had a rib dinner with cole slaw, baked beans, garlic bread and French fries, all for $8.65. How can you go wrong and it was delicious too.

I have spent the night getting caught up on the blog so I can start fresh tomorrow night and be current. See you then……

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Photos

our campsite
this was a pull-thru site where you didn't have to back in at all

super clear water
those are fish swimming around

spear throwing useing an adladl
this little boy hit the target first time

Comments

[NanaKat]

Great pictures
Se wonderful shots !!!