The Fountain of Youth

"Us" (well, sorta)

As I compose this blog post, Valentines Day is fast-approaching. We don't like to get into the gridlock of highway traffic (or city traffic, for that matter!) on the weekends, so mid-week we celebrated this holiday of love at a state park about 90 minutes southeast of our home.

posted in one of the gift shops

Perhaps you remember that the famous explorer of past days, Ponce de Leon, was in search of the Fountain of Youth, said to be located in what is now Florida. 

De Leon Spring

I have heard that more than one place in Florida claims to host that "fountain of youth." For our Valentine outing, we decided to check out one of them.

entrance into De Leon Spring

Located southeast of our home via about a 90-minute drive, De Leon Springs State Park has a very inviting pool of water fed by natural springs some 35 feet at the bottom. While we did not see any signs proclaiming this pool to be our hoped-for source of renewed youth, it did look inviting. 

the Spring is to the left, with a waterfall
into a large lake on the right

There were two women swimming in the 72-degree water (I touched the spring water to verify its warmth). the actual air temperature that day was edging toward 60. 

bridge/dam separating the spring from the lake

After paying $6 for parking (the fee is based on the number of occupants in the vehicle), we found clean restrooms, walked past the Sugar Mill Pancake House (more about that later), and went across the dam to buy tickets for a boat tour on the lake.

Tour Boat

Tickets for seniors like us were about $18 each. We had arrived early, so to pass the time we visited the gift shop, where I bought a magnet for our refrigerator (per my usual habit). 

Along with the expected T-shirts and assorted tourist-type memorabilia, there was a display in the gift shop of historical information and artifacts.

a sign by the lake

Back outside, the signs gave appropriate warnings. It is widely known among Floridians that any body of water the size of a bathtub or larger has the potential of harboring a gator. We are to ASSUME there were no gators in the spring, but one must always be cautious just the same.

manatees

There was this, too, which is a big draw for coming to this park (besides that fountain of youth...). There were no manatees in the spring where the women were swimming.

We boarded the boat and listened to the obligatory messages about marine safety. This is good but we were told the lake water is only 2-3 feet deep.

Gary

I chose to sit beside the cute guy wearing the United States Air Force Veteran hat. The boat holds maybe as many as 50 people. On this day it was just Gary and me, the boat pilot/tour guide, and his apprentice. The scarcity of passengers was surely a benefit of going on a school day, mid-week. 

the dam with waterfall and spring in the distance

Although the lake is not deep, we were advised to not try to walk in the lake because the muddy bottom will suck your shoes off and behave much like quick sand! (and as stated earlier, there's the matter of the gators ....)

our first manatee siting

Exiting the boat into the lake was not our intention, so we followed the pilot's pointed finger to see our first manatee of the morning. They come up for air every so often and then submerge again. That white spot out in the water is the back of a manatee. We quickly learned how to spot these huge creatures all around us without our guide having to point them out to us.

State park people fly a drone above the lake about once a week to take pictures of the manatees from the air, which is a much easier way to see them. On this particular day we were told there were about 25 manatees and 4 calves (babies) in this area.

plants growing out of the lake bottom

One way we know the shallow depth of the lake is that these plants, anchored to the lake's muddy bottom, only grow about 3 feet tall.

Snowy Egret?

I'll be frank in telling you I can't begin to remember the names of all the birds we saw on this boat trip -- there were many! They are all beautiful and so peaceful to watch.

Something of interest our guide told us is that the Snowy Egret has the white feathered body with black legs and bright yellow feet. This bird uses his feet to catch the attention of prey, and then grabs the fish for dinner! 

a blue bird 

Not only did we see a lot of birds, but we got pretty good at spying them out. Nature has created them to blend in well with their surroundings, for protection purposes, of course.

Our guide pointed out birds, and a couple of alligators (of which I was not able to get a good snapshot), and then went on to talk about the plants and trees.

Much of the forested area was still in winter clothing (yes, even here in Florida, trees lose their leaves), but the Maples were putting out red buds that will become green for summer and then go back to red in the fall. 

We learned the value of so many Cypress trees that help to prevent erosion of the soil. Spanish Moss draped from branches was in abundance, too. This moss has a beautiful grace when the breeze wafts through it. 

hurricane leftovers

These trees with the horizontal markings show how high the water flooded during a hurricane a couple of years ago. 

airboat

The engine on our tour boat was relatively quiet but our peace was invaded by the very noisy yellow airboat speeding past us. 

Our boat tour was an hour long, very informative, comfortable, and the guide with his apprentice not only gave us a lot of information but were very pleasant in answering our questions.

Once deposited on land, we made our way across the dam to the Old Sugar Mill Pancake House.

Old Sugar Mill Pancake House

Note the large paddlewheel, which is turning. I intended to take another snapshot up close, but I forgot. It is so big, however, that this may be the best distance for capturing it anyway.

reading the menu with coffee

Inside this rustic setting one can order both breakfast and lunch fare, but this place is best known for its pancakes that guests cook for themselves at large cast iron griddles imbedded in the center of every table. 

can you tell that my mouth is full?

When Gary took this picture, we were cooking our second helpings of the pancakes (which we took home in a box to enjoy later). After the waitress took our order, she turned on the griddle and gave us each our own spatula. We ordered a side of bacon and then a tall pitcher of pancake batter was brought to the table. The rest was up to us!

the Fountain of Youth (hmmm.....)

Now to (finally) get to the "hook" that grabbed you to read this post (especially if you're a senior like me), after our pancake lunch, we walked over to the Fountain of Youth.

After we got home, somebody asked Gary about this fountain. His reply was something like, "Well, it didn't do me any good, but Barbara looks pretty good!"

He has referred to himself many times over our years together as "an old geezer." While it's true that he was in kindergarten the day I was born, I always say with absolute sincerity, "I love a mature man!"

sign beside the Fountain of Youth

Here's the deal. I know you can't read this sign beside the fountain (and neither can I), so here is what the Internet has to say about it:

De Leon Springs State Park is often confused with Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park in St. Augustine, Florida. (click on the name of each park for the website of that park)

Following the Civil War, the area known as Spring Garden was renamed "Ponce de Leon Springs" to boost tourism, with locals promoting it as the legendary fountain.

Long before European arrivals, indigenous people recognized the spring for its 20 million gallon daily flow and supposedly healing properties.

The real Spanish explorer, Ponce de Leon, did explore Florida in 1513, but there is no evidence he ever visited this specific spring. 

The spring's power was used for a sugar cane mill and a grist mill in the 1800s.

Today, the site is a state park where visitors can swim in the 72-degree, 60 foot diameter, mineral-rich spring and take boat tours to learn about the area's history.

Wow. Now we know the truth! In spite of the confusion about this "fountain of youth," we had a very enjoyable day at a place neither of us had visited before. It was a fun way for two seniors to spend both quantity and quality time together, and especially as Valentine's Day approaches. 

May it be a sweet day for you spent with those you love, be it a romance, family, friends, or even pets.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,

forbearance, kindness, goodness, 

faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

Against such things there is no law. 

Galatians 5:22-23

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara