The True Beauty of Florida is FREE !

I grew up on the Manatee River in Palmetto, Florida. During those days we made the long hike over the Green Bridge to the Palace Theatre, with our saved bottle caps, we gained free admission to the movie. The trip usually included a stop at the Shell Place across the street. This was our little daily stopping place to get our free guava juice, watch the baby alligator eggs hatch , smell the tropical fragrances , play with the seashells and feel cool a/c blowing on us as we walk through the open doors from the hot hotside, and then there was the smell of alligator hide from the purses and alligator heads on display. The biggest alligator often got out of his cage, and of course ,an alert in the neighborhood would quickly send us hiding in our bedroom, peaking out the window wondering where he might be found. During the hike across the Green Bridge, we experienced the true beauty of Florida, balmy weather, blue skies, manatees swimming along peacefully, and all the many colorful birds eating the fish left on the pier , a childs paradise!

Our days were spent along the banks of the river sitting in the old Grandfather oak with its huge arm hanging over the river ,we sat perched like baby birds in a nest just cuddled up watching all the activity below in the world of the water. We stuffed many jars with fiddler crabs, butterflies, caught baby birds, baby squirrels and lived a Charlie Brown life. I grew up with all of this beauty surrounding me for free, no internet, no television, just our imagination and nature.

Over the years living in Florida northerners come to visit and they always want to go to Disney World.
They spend enormous amounts of money and miss the most beautiful locations Florida has to offer ..FREE !
Few people ever see Itchtucknee Springs, north of Gainesville, an undiscovered natural spring lined with cypress trees and vegetation not seen at Disney. The state charges a minimal price to enter the park $4.00, you bring flotation devices, we usually bring a big inflatable boat and turn it upside down as the water is BRRR.... cold for Floridians and we float on top of the upside down boat like a bed.

Float down the river for hours and you are picked up at the end by a little trolley. There is one small concession stand selling hotdogs and hamburgers. For a truly econmical day out, bring your own food and cook it on the outdoor barbeque's provided in the park.

Itchtucknee Springs is a divers paradise, cave diving in Florida is a big passtime for many.
Rent a small cabin for $50.00 a day for four, or their are campsites as well.
The beauty is breathtaking and undescribable. At the end of the day, you have experienced true Florida unhampered by noise, traffic and introduced your children to one of the most rewarding part of a vacation, interactive fun.

Floridians like myself, do not disclose these wonders to most because we like to keep it as a secret paradise for ourselves, and when you visit, you will most likely see license tags that are all Florida.
Itchtucknee Springs is a must see location for any family or couple who would like to do something besides spend a week at Disney World. While at Itchtucknee Springs you may drive through a small old Florida town known as High Springs which offers antique shopping for those who must include shopping in their trip.

Their are many other springs in Florida although not my favorite but offer a multitude of wonders, Alexander Springs, Juniper Springs, Blue Springs, Ginnie Springs. You will see alligators in the wild along the banks in some of these locations and diving is offered at most of them.
In my next articles I will disclose many of the other hidden secrets of Florida.