Homosassa Springs, Florida

Come with me and you'll discover one of the most wonderful hidden treasures along Florida's Gulf Coast: Homosassa Springs, Florida. A friendly town just two hours north of Tampa and Orlando, Homosassa Springs offers something for everyone - young and old alike.

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. I think that one of the greatest ways to see animals is in their natural habitat, and Homosassa delivers! Here, you'll discover playful otter, cougars, white-tailed deer, bears, and other Florida natives in their own environment, not confined to metal cages.

Stay for daily educational programs on these creatures, and you'll learn why we must do everything on our part to protect them. Three of the most popular programs are:

Manatee Programs: An informative program on the West Indian manatees and the park's manatee rehabilitation program, this is the most popular program at the park. Many visitors, mostly female, think that the manatees are cute and even cuddly. I don't think so. However, I do find them to be very fascinating. Anyway, daily show times are 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.

Wildlife Encounters Programs: This is an educational program on Florida's wildlife, including snakes, turtles, possums, and gopher tortoises. Visitors seem to get a little squeamish around the snakes, but the rest of the program is designed for all ages and anxiety levels. Daily show times are at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Alligator Program: This is an educational program on American alligators, with show times scheduled for 12:30 p.m. daily.

My children enjoyed the Children's Educational Center, a place where volunteers share information about animals without talking over their heads. This also gives mom and dad a needed break, as the park has over 180 acres to explore.

Make sure you bring your binoculars, as the Homosassa Springs Wildlife Animal Park is great for bird watching. My father could spend hours on end watching all the birds in their natural habitat and never get bored. That's great if you have the patience, but an impatient soul like me prefers the boat tour.

Included in your admission, the boat tour in Pepper Creek begins at the park's visitor center of the park and ends at the west entrance. Along the way, a friendly park ranger (usually) points out the interesting wildlife. My youngest son could do this all day, suggesting this "ride' is more fun than the "boat ride" (otherwise known as "It's A Small World After All") at Disney World.

However, you haven't seen anything until you drop by the "Fish Bowl", the park's underwater observatory and main attraction. Here, you'll go "underwater" and visit manatees, one of the state's most unique and endangered species. Many parents, including this one, slowly ran with their children around the aquarium to follow the manatees wherever they went. Take my word for it: Don't do it. Not only could it be dangerous, as you could fall with your precious child, but you will - I assure you - be met by scowling faces. However, take my word for it: You'll love this special site!

Sometime during the day, you'll be hungry. The park offers two places to eat for your dining pleasure: The Remember When Restaurant and The Manatee Café.

Most visitors, including this one, prefer the Remember When Restaurant due to the hours of operation. Located above the visitor center on U.S. 19, the casual restaurant is open from 7 days a week. Hours Monday through Thursday are 9AM until 8PM. and 9AM until 9PM on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Breakfast hours are 9AM until 11AM with lunch service starting promptly at 11AM. Call the restaurant at (352) 628-1717.

The Manatee Café is located at the park's west entrance. Hours are from 9 AM to 5 PM. For more information, call (352) 628-3180.

Homosassa Springs Wildlife Animal Park is open from 9AM until 5:30PM, seven days a week. Call (352) 628-5343 for more information.

Oh, by the way: Make sure you bring the camera. You'll want to take plenty of photos of you and the animals.