Florida Gulf Coast

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

Scott and I discovered something about Florida State Parks today; they often purchased or were given  someone's dream.  This park is a roadside tourist attraction from the 1950's that's been updated and is now run by the parks service. The park showcases native Florida wildlife, including manatees.  We went to see the manatees but it's been too warm so they were out in the gulf feeding.  

Manatees

Homosassa Springs is a rehabilitation center for injured and orphaned manatees so the manatees seen in these pictures are being fed and cared for until they can be returned to the wild.

The Fish Bowl was built in the 1940s.  The park also housed the Ivan Tors Animal Actors, the most famous being Buck the Bear, a stand-in for TVs Gentle Ben.  The only animal remaining from that era is Lu, the hippo.  He weighed too much to move and will celebrate his 54th birthday this year in the park.

Lu

Snook as seen from the Fish Bowl.

Snook have yellow fins and a black line along their side.

Pepper Creek Boat Tour

Alligator and turtle sharing a log dock together!

Wood duck nesting boxes were all along the Pepper Creek.  The mothers push their fluffy babies out the door and it's sink or swim!

Wood Duck pair

Bald Eagle, can you locate the nest at the bottom of the photo?

Alligator

Turtles

Great Blue Heron and turtles!

I took this picture of a River Cooter Turtle but discovered there was a Wood Duck hidden in the bushes after I downloaded it!

Roadside Florida

Gimme ice cream!

We stopped for gas and this store was next to the gas station.  Inside... free fresh squeezed orange juice!  Delicious!

This orange tree was growing next to The Yearling Restaurant in Cross Creek.

The Yearling Restaurant 

Willie Green, Delta-style Bluesman, played during our lunch.

Sour Orange Pie - this was very yummy, kinda like a cross between an orange Creamsicle  and Key Lime pie.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Home

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park is the homestead where visitors can experience the farm life and Florida landscape that inspired Rawlings to write Cross Creek and The Yearling.  Rawlings moved from New York City to the farm in 1928 to write.  The Cross Creek farmhouse was assembled over the previous 40 years from three separate buildings.

Marjorie wrote her Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Yearling, at this table on the front porch.  I reread 

The Yearling on this trip and it's still a great read.  Check it out at the library!  

1940 Oldsmobile

Doors to Marjorie's bedroom and the guest bedroom.  

Marjorie added indoor plumbing with money she earned from an early story.  To celebrate she invited her neighbors.  The tub was filled with ice and soda, a tray of glasses on the sink and red roses in the toilet made it a "gala social event."  Later Rawlings added another bathroom off her bedroom stating, "nothing is more tangible for one's money than plumbing."

This handmade bed is the oldest piece of furniture in the house.  Among the many famous people who slept here were poet Robert Frost, authors Margaret Mitchell and Thornton Wilder, artist N.C. Wyeth, and actor Gregory Peck.

Cross Creek Cookery written by Rawlings is on display in the kitchen.

Cornhusk Broom

Wash tubs out in back of the house.

Outhouse with signal flag (displayed when in use).

The tentant house sits behind the family home between the woods and the orange grove.

Tenant house front porch looks very inviting... stop and sit a spell.