Well, we had to take a break from construction, so you get to as well!
We refused to get on an airplane during the holidays this year, so we loaded up the car (two seater, so not much room to load stuff) and headed northwest. A friend who is a Florida native suggested we visit Cedar Key if we wanted a quick getaway from it all, so that is where we went. It is a very small, quaint town (emphasis on very small) a little over 2 hours from central Florida. They did actually have a few bars and restaurants open on Christmas, so that was great. The next day, we had lunch at Frog's Landing Restaurant, where we met Spike, a very tame white heron (or some call him a snowy egret). They feed him fish from kitchen, so he hangs out there quite a bit. Sort of reminded us of a dog - staring in the window until someone fed him! Oh, and the food at the restaurant was very, very good. Wonderful, fresh seafood.
The lump in his throat is actually food he just ate from the restaurant!
From Cedar Key, we headed south to Homosassa Springs. The manatee hang out near the springs there because the water is warmer. We really wanted to see the manatee, but weren't willing to go snorkeling or diving (the water may be warmer for the manatees, but for us it is cold). There is a state park where they have 6 manatee in captivity that they rescued from boating accidents. These guys are HUGE and extremely docile. A typical manatee eats over 100 lbs of plant material every day, but these guys are very spoiled (i.e. I think they are a bit oversized - fat - due to their comfy surroundings). Below are some photos. I loved their noses when they came up for air. Their heads are tiny compared with the large bodies. If you look closely you can see their eyes as well.
This photo was taken from the underwater observation area. The manatee are happy to show off for the crowds - actually, they are probably oblivious...
Photos from above were difficult due to the glare from the sunlight on the water. I used a UV filter, but did not have my polarizing filter with me, which would have helped with the glare, but you can get some idea of their size (and tiny head). This guy was about 6 to 8 feet long.
After the manatee encounter, we headed on south and stopped in Clearwater Beach for the night. We got there just in time for sunset, which was beautiful.
Happy Holidays everyone! Back to construction tomorrow....
Fla Remodel Gal
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