Three Sisters Springs

We were awake a little after 5 but waited until close to 6 so we wouldn’t wake Mark and Cindy. The temperature was in the 50s and cooler than the previous days. We had a snack of bagels then took the dogs on a walk around the Mason Creek neighborhood for a little over an hour. There was no wind, and the sun was warming the area up by the time we returned from the walk.

The kayaks and gear were loaded into the pickup to drive the short distance to Hunter Springs Park in Crystal River. The launch area was a nice sand ramp, and we were able to get into the water quickly. Many people were in rental kayaks and paddleboards, and there were also pontoon boats with tour groups in the area. Since the air has been cooler, we saw hundreds of manatees of all sizes that have come inland to springs. We especially enjoyed seeing the mothers and calves. We paddled from the park where we launched towards Three Sisters Springs. In addition, we saw several large fish and some turtles as we paddled. The area was very crowded with kayakers, paddleboarders, snorkelers and tourists on tour boats to see manatees. Once we paddled upstream from the swimming area, there were far fewer people. There weren’t as many manatees either but we saw more fish and other life in the crystal clear water. Like at Rainbow River, it is impossible to judge the depth of the water since it is so clear. We could see several places where water was pushing up into the river from high volume springs below. As we were starting back to the truck, Cindy had a call from the girl who will be dog sitting while we are on the Atlantic Coast tomorrow and Friday. We left Three Sisters around 1:30 and met the dog sitter at the house at 2 pm.

Once at the house, the kayaks were unloaded and put out on the dock to rinse the sand away. We ate a sandwich and chips lunch before relaxing a bit, then Mark and I set a pinfish trap off the dock in the backyard and hoped to catch some baitfish to go out fishing next week. I practiced throwing the cast net into the canal. I think if we toss some crackers in the water, we may be able to attract some mullet or other baitfish to catch in the cast net.

The dogs enjoyed their usual walk through the neighborhood. Mark says that huskies like to have a job with a routine. At home in Idaho, Jade does a perimeter check of the property every morning and evening. Here in Florida, she likes to have a walk around the Mason Creek area as her route. Mark and Cindy carry biodegradable bags for the doggie waste to put in the garbage can once back at the house.

Dinner was lasagna rolls with a garden salad and garlic all of which were very good. We watched an episode of Monsieur Spade on Acorn TV then went up to bed.