Hunt for Manatees

    The goal for Wednesday was to find some manatees. We couldn't decide if we should go to a refuge near the beach or a state park north of us and then come back to use the hotel pool. Ultimately, we decided the pool would be easier. So we formed a caravan with the Levines and headed to Blue Spring state park.

She can be cute when she wants

    The spring that gives the park its name pumps out warm water that the manatees use during the winter months, but someone told us as we got there that the manatees were gone. We went in anyway because Florida Scrub-Jays call the park home as well. A very nice elevated boardwalk took us through the woods and along the river to the spring. The waters were so clear that we could see all of the fish floating below. Once we got to the spring everyone agreed that it would be an amazing place to swim, but no manatees were present.

Blue Spring

    Steve helped elevate the mood by spotting a Northern Bobwhite; a lifer for me. All of the kids had binoculars and had fun searching out lizards and spiders. Occasionally, a bird was focused on. We made our way out to the headwaters of the spring where lots of turtles were sunning. And it wasn't long before someone spotted a group of manatees in the water. They were pretty boring, but I guess animals that are also called sea cows wouldn't be too energetic.

    I made one last attempt at finding the Scrub-Jays while everyone else stayed in the car and watched a show. The scrubby habitat that they call home doesn't provide any shade and it was really hot out there. But after a few minutes of wandering around a bird popped up to see what I was doing and then another joined it. Both Scrub-Jays stayed put long enough for me to get back to the car and get everyone out to see the birds. It was a great end to a fun park visit.

Florida Scrub-Jay

    We hit the pool in the afternoon and then went out to dinner in Downtown Disney. The kids liked all the shops and it was a cool atmosphere, but we were happy to head back after a long day. All three kids fell asleep in the car again and had to be carried into bed. Just one day of Florida left!