Manatees at Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River
Saturday was the last open house at Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River for this manatee season.
And we were there because it is such a great spot to see manatees and it was free! The park is usually only open to one tour operator but three times a year there is an open house and we try to make it to a couple of the events. We went to the open house in October and took son Darin and his fiancée Kathryn. This time our little 4-year-old grandson Jack reluctantly went along. (He really just wanted to go fishing with Grandpa off of our dock.)
After a week of chilly temperatures, Saturday was a pleasant spring day. Such a nice change. We arrived at the parking area about 10:30 am and there were already a couple of dozen people in line for the bus. But the buses run non-stop so it wasn’t long before we were at the boardwalk.
There were a LOT of other manatee lovers at the park!
Usually the sanctuary is open to swimmers but it was closed due to the cold weather and the high number of manatees so paddlers and swimmers were limited to the area outside the buoys.That dark blob on the right of the photo is dozens of manatees.
This narrow section is where the manatees can go in and out of Three Sisters Springs. When the spring is open to the public, swimmers also use this inlet.An example of the bank erosion.
There were a few tents set up. Not as many as the October Open House.One of the many buses that provided transport.And this is the line that greeted us when we got off of our bus!Grandpa, can we go home now?
It’s ch-ch-ch-illy here. So chilly I was shaking when I took that picture yesterday. Brrrrr!
Now I have to talk about the Old Homosassa sidewalks. Sorry, I’m possibly a bit obsessed with the subject.
Since I never received a response from Jeff Rogers regarding my email from last week, I emailed everyone again.
To Randy Oliver, County Administrator, Ron Kitchen, County Commissioner, Walt Eastmond, Transportation Project Manager, and Jeff Rodgers, Public Works Director.
I did not hear from Mr. Rogers as referenced in the attached email.
I would like to follow up on the email I sent you last week regarding the sidewalks in Old Homosassa. I have a suggestion. Could the sidewalk run behind the Sugarmill Ruins? There appears to be room there. And that would eliminate the dangerous sidewalk crossing on Yulee Drive. I have been down to Sugarmill Ruins twice on beautiful days in the last two weeks and both days the traffic was non-stop. Plus the cars do not stop at the two crosswalks from the parking area to the ruins. Taking the sidewalk across Yulee Drive then back again past the Old Mill Tavern will be very dangerous for pedestrians.
I took these pictures on Monday afternoon. I did not attach them to the email but in retrospect, I should have because they illustrate my point.
The cross walk will be in the area where the first car is.Here’s the existing sidewalk behind the Sugarmill Ruins.View from the other side.
I received two responses…
From Jeff Rogers,
We have provided this information to the engineer that is designing the project. We will forward their response when we obtain it, and we can have further discussions.
Thank you for your thoughts.
And Randy Oliver,
I will check with Jeff. Who owns the property behind Sugarmill Ruins as the County would need an easement to use the property?
And my response to Mr. Oliver,
The Sugarmill Ruins is a state park so I believe the state owns it.
I’m wondering if any of our county representatives that I’m emailing have actually been to Old Homosassa and looked at the section of Yulee drive that they propose installing a cross walk.
Okay. On to other subjects.
What’s going on this weekend?
It will be a sunny beautiful warm weekend. Yeah!
We are headed to the Open House at Three Sisters Springs on Saturday. Catching a bus at Kings Bay Plaza with two of our grandkids. There will be pictures on Monday!
This is Elvis Presley Weekend in Inverness. Starting with Friday Night Thunder classic car cruise in with an Elvis impersonator and continues with Elvis themed events through the weekend.
There’s a Healthy Living Show at the Crystal River Mall on Saturday.
On a quest to understand the water issues in the state, Terry and I will be attending a presentation on Wednesday at 6 pm at the Plantation Resort in Crystal River. Two retired scientists, Carl Wolfe and Rae Ellen Syverson will present a study from data collected from a 30-day period during this winter’s tourist season.
For me, roughing it is staying at La Quinta and getting dinner at the Wendy’s drive through. Which we do because we travel with a 13 pound pouch who has complete control over our life.
But I think the idea of hiking is wonderful.
Until I start planning on getting some hiking boots, tucking my pants into those boots so I don’t get ticks, putting that wide brimmed hat on so nothing falls in my hair and then there’s all those creepy crawly and biting creatures that can’t be avoided.
But last week we headed to Shamrock Pub with some friends for some wonderfully “bad” food and on the way back our host decided to make a little detour to the Withlacoochee State Forest Mutual Mine Recreation Area. Since we were driving right by it anyhow.
And It was a gorgeous sunny day in the high 60s which was perfect for a little stroll.
And it was quite beautiful so I should probably actually do some hiking. Someday. When I get hiking boots.
And since I just happened to have a camera with me, here’s some photos…
I’m not a camper. 
