BLUE SPRING STATE PARK (Day 1)

We drove out to Blue Spring State Natural Park. Florida has over 600 springs which originate in deep underground rivers and limestone caverns and can produce millions of gallons of water per day.

We wandered past giant oak trees covered with long grey Spanish moss. Just as we arrived at where the spring enters the St. John’s River, three manatees (also called sea cows) came gliding past. The spring is a constant 72 degrees Fahrenheit, so the manatees come here in winter when the river is too cold.

We continued down the length of spring. On average, the water is about 7 feet deep. Eventually we arrived at the source, which appeared as a long dark crack. Around 104 million gallons of water pour out of Blue Spring each day from a depth of 120 feet. There is no oxygen in the water that flows from the crevice, so no plants or animals live near the source.

As we walked back, an alligator swam slowly past a manatee but did not attack it. The manatee's only enemy is man (mostly in the form of high speed motorboats).

We drove to Daytona Beach with its Sunglow Pier, but the weather was chilly, windy and rainy... not exactly the best beach weather.

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