On our last adventure we visited Homosassa and the Wildlife Park. Today we travel to the Clear Waters of Crystal River, Florida. Crystal River is known for its crystal clear waters which originate from all the nearby freshwater springs. The springs are a popular destination for tourists and locals, who enjoy swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and fishing. Plus, its the only place in the state where you can legally swim with manatees. That is, if you find any.
But First Coffee
Today we plan on visiting Three Sisters Springs, the Crystal River Archeaological State Park and explore some of the cute shops in downtown Crystal River. First stop. Cattle Dog Coffee Company. This local coffee roaster has been at it for over a decade. They have a lovely cafe inside and a nice porch outside for enjoying your java. Keith tried the hummingbird cake which has bananas, pineapple, pecans, and spices. I had the Iced Mocha Royal Mudslide Latte with Chocolate, Coffee Liquor.
Morning at Three Sisters Springs
To make a quick trip out of entire morning plans – this is what we saw when entering Three Sisters Springs. Now, given the fact that the charge is $20 per person. We decided to try again later.
Crystal River Archaeological State Park
Plan B took us to the Crystal River Archaeological State Park. This park is where Native Americans who lived here until about 500 years ago built the ceremonial mound complex here at Crystal River. The Temple Mound is the largest mound composed of refuse and shell. Archaeologists predict this mounds construction began near AD400 and continued to AD600. It is so large, you need a flight of stairs to reach the top.
Once at the top, we were treated to an beautiful view of Crystal River.
Crystal River Archaeological State Park 3400 N Museum Point, Crystal River, FL 34429
Lunch at St. Johns Tavern
St. John Tavern is a classic tavern in the heart of downtown. Restored to its original beauty, St. Johns Tavern offers a full menu of appetizers, sandwiches, and burgers next to a full liquor bar. I had the Smash Burger, and Keith ate the Cowboy BBQ burger.
572 N Citrus Ave, Crystal River, FL
Savannah represent a town full of friendly folks that we met during our stay in Citrus County. Everyone from the host of our rental, to the rangers in the parks who were all happy to answer questions and point us in the right direction.
Downtown Crystal River
After lunch at St. Johns Tavern, we walked around Historic Downtown Crystal River to see what was the town had to offer. Most of what we found was small town charm.
Colorful murals celebrate nature, history and heritage across Crystal River. These might be the only manatees we see today.
As we toured the downtown area, we were taking note of where to have dinner tonight. Vintage on 5th is a restaurant in the historic downtown area of Crystal River in an old renovated church built in 1940.
Heritage Village
Heritage Village consists of many unique gift and specialty shops, all nestled among the canopied oaks in Crystal River’s historic downtown.
We stopped to look at this Custom V8 Trike parked in front of one of the manatee murals in downtown Crystal River. I think Keith is ready to start building one.
Afternoon: Three Sisters Springs
OK, one more try to see manatees. We decided to check out Three Sisters Springs one more time to see if the manatee count changed from zero to a higher number. This time the sign read 12. So, we paid the admission price and hiked in.
Three Sisters Springs is part of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge and is the place to go in winter if you want to see manatees. When I say winter, I mean cold temperatures. When the weather turns warmer, they high tail it back to the ocean in search of food. There is a shuttle that will take you to the springs, but we walked the river path because they had spotted some of the sea cows in the river which we saw in the distance. The water is 71 degrees all year, so the manatees flock here in the winter to stay warm.
The bright blue waters and lush, hanging greenery transports you to another world and is the most magical experience.
601 Three Sisters Springs Trail, Crystal River, FL 34429
Dinner at Marguerita Grill
For dinner, we headed back towards our home rental in Homosassa and had dinner at the Marguerita Grill. Just a word of advice. Most restaurants in the area close by 9pm, at least on weekdays. I had the fish tacos which did not disappoint. They have a porch that sits on the river with live music which is very popular. We sat inside because there were no available tables outside.
That’s a wrap!
More Florida Springs:
Silver Springs is one of the prettiest state parks in Florida, but walking through the park brought back almost ghostly memories of Silver Springs in its heyday as one of the most popular tourist attractions in Florida.
Juniper Springs is one of the oldest recreation areas on the East Coast. It is an oasis in the middle of the Ocala National Forest.
