When the perfect vacation consists merely of a book and a beach, the ideal location is necessarily defined by way of negation. Such a place would not have crowds, noise or congestion; it would not have nearby attractions that demand inordinate time and attention; it would not require unusual effort in travel or expense. If this destination could not be found on some maps (which is sometimes true of Palm Coast, incorporated in 1999) this last negative attribute would be best of all.

What we found was a perfectly manicured and landscaped collection of gated resort communities. Like so many of Florida’s planned communities, it imposes a perfection on nature reminiscent of Seaside, made famous by the Truman Show. It’s an attempt at perfection that has the advantage of keeping your reading time quiet and the view beyond your pages unspoiled.

Our single complaint might be that this beach consists of coarse sand and a periodically exposed coquina reef. So if beach swimming or sugar sand is your preference, you’ll want to look elsewhere. But for us, the opportunity to enjoy Spring Break away from the crowds far outweighs any concerns about the diameter of sand grains.

Things to Do (or Not to Do)

If you begin to feel restless, you’ll find several good options for day trips near Palm Coast. None are so compelling that they’ll induce guilt if you pass them by.

St. Augustine: America’s oldest continuously inhabited city, just a half hour north, is an outstanding destination if you’re interested in old Florida history, shopping, and art. Highlights include the Castillo de San Marcos and the nearby historic district which dates back to the 16th century. Also check out the Lightner Museum, originally Henry Flagler’s Alcazar Hotel, which offers a vivid glimpse into St. Augustine’s opulent Victorian era. Kids will enjoy the evening ghost walks and the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! museum. For an old world dining experience, try the Columbia Restaurant (the original Tampa location is Florida’s oldest family owned restaurant).

Ft. Matanzas National Monument: The rather small Spanish fortress at the mouth of the Matanzas River dates from the 16th century.  The outpost guarded St. Augustine from British attacks from the  south. Although surrounded by natural beauty, the place gets its name from the Spanish word for “slaughters.” It was at Matanzas that Spanish colonials murdered 250 French Huguenots in 1564. From the park headquarters, a free boat ride transports you to the fort for a brief tour.

Washington Oaks Gardens: Worth visiting? Sure, why not. Kids will be bored senseless, but if you’d enjoy a manicured garden and a little taste of Florida’s Civil-War era plantation history, by all means stop in for an hour or two.

Marineland: One of Florida’s original tourist attractions is just a few minutes north (combine it with the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine and you’d have a two-fer of old Florida tourist attractions.) As I understand it, Marineland is now mostly devoted to marine research with the University of Florida. You can also swim with dolphins and check out some early Florida film history. It’s a place we pass by frequently, and keep telling ourselves we need to stop in and see what’s going on. So far, we’ve managed to put it off. Maybe this summer.

Bings Landing Park: The site of another Civil War-era plantation is also a good point of departure for a kayaking adventure in scenic nearby estuaries. This year we lugged along a kayak to explore the salt marshes and do a little fishing. In just a few minutes on the other side of the Intracoastal Waterway there’s a wonderful network of scenic salt creeks. Check out Tropical Kayaks for details.

Local Dining: You’ll find plenty of good chain restaurants in Palm Coast — Outback, Cracker Barrel, Sonny’s BBQ. Local’s seem to like Thai by Thai for Asian Cuisine and we enjoy the hamburger stand across from Bing’s Landing as much for the signage as for ice cream and burgers.

[View with PicLens]

The earliest review of Blue Spring gave the place an 18th-century version of thumbs down. Naturalist John Bartram visited Blue Spring in January of 1766, and found a “surprising fountain … the colour of the sea, [that] smelled like bilge water, tasting sweetish and loathsome.”

Fortunately for modern travelers, the chemistry of the spring has changed in the last 200 years. “It no longer has that sulfurous odor,” said Dr. Joe Kenner, during the time he served as park biologist in the early 90s. “It would be more appropriately called Green Spring.” One of Florida’s first- magnitude springs, it produces up to 100 million gallons of water a day.

Blue Springs State Park was established in 1972 to protect the  St. Johns River manatees. Before then it was a crowded fish camp  that was inhospitable to the animals. In the early 1970s, only six or eight manatees visited the spring, Kenner explained. Now about 75 manatees visit Blue Springs in the winter.

“When this was privately owned, half the spring run was covered over with boat houses, extending almost up to the spring,” he said. “The few manatees that did show up here were harassed. There was just so much commotion that manatees didn’t stay.”

Blue Spring near Orange City, Florida. Photo by Michael Warren.

Now it’s hard to imagine the area as anything but wild. Raised boardwalks follow the spring run through primeval-looking hammocks. The spring itself is crystal clear and framed by lush vegetation. But the natural beauty of the area has only recently been reclaimed. “With people just wandering between the river and the spring you can imagine what it had done to the vegetation. It was crushed and beaten down. Erosion would wash dirt into the spring. All the trees had been cut down.  It was all bare.”

Park officials tore down the boathouses, moved a camping area away from the spring run and created a designated swimming area. Power boats were banned in the spring run, and canoes are prohibited in the winter.

“We made it more comfortable and pleasant for manatees to come in here,” Dr. Kenner said. “And we’ve had almost a steady increase
in manatees using the area ever since.”

Blue Springs also has 350,000 human visitors a year, most of them during the manatee season. “It’s one of very few places you
can depend on seeing manatees from the shore. You’re virtually right over them.”

Blue Springs was originally a Timucuan Indian village. The east end of the spring run near the St. Johns River is an enormous mound of snail shells. “It’s believed that they intentionally piled shell up to make their houses safe from seasonal flooding. The shells were accumulated over 3,000 years.”

Obviously snails were a popular meal. “They had them at every meal,” Dr. Kenner said. “There was always a pot of snails cooking.” This part of the St. Johns River was colonized soon after the Seminole Indians were driven away, Dr. Kenner said. And after the Civil War, the region became an important source of lumber for rebuilding cities destroyed by the war. “Since cotton had never been a popular crop in Florida we still had a lot of virgin pine forests in the late 1800s,” Dr. Kenner said.

“So in came the lumber interests establishing the saw mills along the St. Johns.” The pine and cypress was hauled 150 miles to Jacksonville by steamboat. “This was a shipping point, a staging area. The whole place was pretty rowdy. In the steamboat era you’re talking about frontier Florida. This was pretty wild country down here at that time.”

Thursby House at Blue Spring State Park. Michael Warren Photo.

When the lumber ran out, settlers planted citrus. That’s where the Thursby’s came in. The built a large frame home overlooking the St. Johns River in 1872. You can still get a peak inside the house, but the place has been closed to tours for three years because of
financial problems.

In addition to swimming, picnicking and canoeing, Blue Springs also has a four-mile hiking trail that meanders through flatwoods,
scrub and hammock.

Alternate Trip: Rent a pontoon boat in Sanford, Florida and cruise up the St. John’s River to Blue Spring. For more information, visit Fun Maritime Academy on Lake Monroe.

***

If you go:

Directions: Take exit 114 off Interstate 4 and follow the signs. Go south on 17/92 to Orange City, about 2.5 miles. Make a right onto West French Avenue.

Admission: $5.00 per vehicle.
Camping: $20.00 per night.
Cabins: $85.00 per night

Contact:

Blue Spring State Park
2100 West French Avenue
Orange City, Florida 32763
Phone: 386-775-3663

More Information:

• Blue Spring State Park
• Friends of Blue Spring
• Uptake Vacation Blog: Blue Spring
• Cold Weather Brings Manatees in Record Numbers

Hollow Earth Globe

If the dream of Dr. Cyrus Teed had come true, the capital of the world would be located just south of Fort Myers, Florida. A century later, the fascinating remains of Teed’s failed utopia are preserved at the Koreshan State Historic Site.

The story began in 1869 when Teed, a 30-year-old Chicago physician, had a revelation that he was the Messiah. He changed his name to Koresh (the Hebrew form of ‘Cyrus’), and in 1894 he  lead his wealthy followers into the muggy wilderness of Estero, where they founded a commune called the Koreshan Unity.

“They wanted to recreate the Garden of Eden, and they knew they couldn’t do it in Chicago,” said Chet Perry, a volunteer docent. Estero was supposed to become the New Jerusalem, with a population of 10 million. During its heyday at the turn of the century, only about 200 people made their home here.

But for a while, Teed’s seemed to be coming true: From the bug-infested swamps, the Koreshans had carved out a thriving, economically independent community. Manicured gardens lined carefully planned streets. A bakery produced up to 600 fresh loaves a day. Recreational opportunities included tennis, baseball and boating. Arts and crafts flourished.

A printing shop produce a weekly newspaper. A power plant provided electricity. In the evenings, the community enjoyed classical music and Shakespearean dramas in their elegant Art Hall. Fine oil paintings by community members decorated the walls.

The sciences also flourished here–or at least Teed’s own peculiar brand of science called “cellular cosmogony.” Teed believed that the earth was a hollow orb containing continents and oceans on the inside. The sun, moon and stars were reflections in the ball of gas that comprised the earth’s core.

In 1989, the Teed conducted an experiment on Naples Beach  that showed the horizon curved up eight inches every mile, thus “proving” that the horizon was concave, not convex. The rectilineater he used for the experiment can be seen in the Art Hall, along with a hollow globe.

“Supposedly, Hitler was also intrigued by this thought,” Perry said. “He thought if he built a powerful enough telescope he could see FDR over in the White House and watch what he was doing there.”

In addition to his contributions to science, Teed founded Koreshanity, a religion which was to supersede Christianity. Many of the women became followers because Teed taught equality of the sexes and races well in advance of the rest of the country. Koreshanity also taught celibacy. Men and women lived separately, and children were raised communally.

“He thought the act of celibacy would create immortality,” Perry said. “Of course, it shot holes in that theory when he died,” Perry said.

Teed died three days before Christmas in 1908. His followers propped him up in a tin bath on the Art Hall stage, assuming he would resurrect himself after the customary three days and nights. Several days after Christmas, the Koreshans still remained hopeful.

“Finally, the county health inspector said they had to do something,” Perry said. So the Koreshans placed Teed’s body in a mausoleum by the beach. “They still thought he’d come back–he was just being stubborn,” Perry said. “They kept a 24 hour vigil at the mausoleum so somebody would be there to greet him.” The Koreshans didn’t abandon hope of their leader’s return until 13 years later, when Cyrus Teed’s body was washed to see by a hurricane.

During the Great Depression, the community sold off the larger portion of its 7,500 acres. Advances in science, two world wars and the effects of celibacy gradually took their toll on the Koreshan Unity. In 1962, two members who remained deeded the land to the state. The last Koreshan, Hedwig Michel, died in 1982.

* * *

More Information:

• Koreshan State Park
• Koreshan Unity on Wikipedia
• Unofficial Koreshan Homepage

If you’ve got trouble in Carrabelle, Florida, just dial 3691. That’s the number for a blue phone booth on the main drag that is the world’s smallest police station. The phone booth is shaded by a shiny berry tree, and there’s a park bench in front where policemen can keep an eye on the town of Carrabelle (population 1,800).

The phone booth was installed in 1963 to keep policemen out of the rain. “They used to have a phone on the wall across the street,” said Police Chief Jesse Smith. “But every time it rained, the man who answered it would get wet.”

At the time, the single police officer walked a beat and didn’t have a patrol car, Smith said. The department has grown to three officers since then, but little else has changed.

“I love it here,” said Smith, who had worked for the station for 22 years. “It’s just like any other place. You have the same things, you just don’t have as much. Some days you’ll come and you won’t get a call all day, other days they’ll keep you running.”

When he’s not patrolling, Smith parks by the phone booth. “We just sit here because there’s a little shade and it’s right in the middle of town. We can see everything that’s going on. And if people need to get a hold of us they call it and we answer the phone.”

Smith said visitors come from “all over the world” to see his police station. “They want us to stand around and take pictures with them and we do it.” (The town now has another one-room police office, but it doesn’t attract visitors.)

In 1991, Smith was a guest on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. “I enjoyed the trip, it was real nice. They carried us all over the place in a limo. Johnny just asked about the police station.”

Smith has also been featured in a commercial for the police program “In the Heat of the Night.” But Carrabelle doesn’t get the program, and “I ain’t never seen it,” Smith said.

Be sure to wave the next time you drive through Carrabelle. Or better yet, stop and chat a while.

At Wakulla Springs, Florida’s mysterious, primordial beauty has been preserved in a rustic, 1940s-era setting. The place has always been a tourist attraction, but commercialism is kept a minimum. Financier Edward Ball built a Spanish-style lodge and resort here in 1937, and the state took over control just a few years ago. All along, the emphasis has been on conservation.

The state park, located 12 miles south of Tallahassee, surrounds one of the world’s largest natural springs. The lodge overlooks an expansive lawn and swimming area, complete with a diving and observation platform.

The enormous spring covers three acres and fans out into a delightful garden of cypress trees that looks as though it was carefully planned at the beginning of time to serve a primarily decorative function.

The spring’s name comes from a Seminole word that most likely means, “Mysteries of Strange Water.” The place had been enjoyed by native Americans for thousands of years before the Europeans arrived.

Ponce De Leon twice visited the site, perhaps hoping it would prove to be the Fountain of Youth. On his second trip, in 1521, he discovered quite the opposite. A battle with the local Indians ensued, and De Leon was hit by an arrow that would cost him his life.

Two boat tours operate daily, and both are worthwhile. The 2-mile Wakulla River tour is far more scenic than comparable rides at Silver Springs or Weeki Wachee. You’ll see an abundance of wildlife, including a host of birds and alligators. During the winter, the spring becomes a prime spot for bird watching as thousands of migrating species pass through.

Some of the scenery here will probably look familiar, since it was the backdrop for several movies. Wakulla was the other-worldly setting for “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” “Tarzan and the Leopard Lady” and even part of “Airport ‘77.”

The glass-bottom boat tour operates when the water is clear, and offers visitors a glimpse into the 185-foot depths of the spring. Wakulla is one of the world’s largest freshwater springs, and back in 1973 it produced more than a billion gallons of water a day.

The network of caves here have been explored to depths of 300 feet and to a distance of almost a mile. Many Ice Age fossils have been found in the cavern, and mastodon bones can be seen from the glass bottom boat.

After the boat ride, the park still offers many diversions. Though the water is a chilly 70 degrees, there is an excellent swimming area. If you’d like to wander the forest on foot, there’s a 6-mile hiking trail. There are also ample picnic grounds.

The formal Azalea Dining Room in the lodge is well known for its Deep South cuisine and seafood. Meals are moderately priced, and the dining room is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Where to Meet a Manatee

Florida’s manatees may be endangered, but they’re not difficult to find. Here are several ways to see a sea cow in central Florida:

CRYSTAL RIVER

About 200 manatees (about 10 percent of the total manatee population) spend the winter in Crystal River. Here you will find the largest concentration of manatees in a natural setting, according to the Save the Manatee Club.

Between September and March, the manatees seek the warm, 72- degree springs of King’s Bay. Several companies offer snorkeling tours that allow people to swim with the manatees.

“People come from all over to see the manatees–from Europe, Alaska, Japan,” said Bon Ray, the manager of American Pro Dive in Crystal River.

But when the weather is warm, there are no guarantees that visitors will find what they’ve come to see. “We do our best to find them for folks,” Ray said, “but they’re wild animals.”

Dive shops require snorkelers to follow strict rules about manatee encounters. Nevertheless, Save the Manatee Club doesn’t recommend snorkeling with the manatees because too many people can stress the animals.

“We emphasize education,” Ray said. “I tell folks if you don’t obey the rules, you’re out of the water. If the choice is between not seeing manatees and swimming after them (which is considered harassment), we’re not going to see them.”

“Manatees are the most important things in this bay,” Ray said. “We’re here to make money, but not at the expense of the thing that’s going to make us money.”

American Pro Dive offers 3 hour snorkeling tours of King’s Bay for $25 per person, equipment not included. Homosassa River Tours cost $35 per person and include fins, snorkel, mask and wetsuit. Reservations are usually necessary. And call ahead to find out whether manatee sightings are likely: (904) 563-0041.

Bay Point Dive Center requires snorkelers to take a 40- minute class in manatee awareness before taking a 3-hour snorkeling tour. The tour includes equipment, and costs $35 per person.

Reservations are necessary. Call (904) 563-1040.

Crystal Lodge Dive Shop offers 2 1/2 hour tours of King’s Bay for $15 per person, excluding snorkeling equipment. For information, call (904) 795-6798.

Plantation Inn Dive Shop offers 2 hour snorkel tours for $15 per person, excluding equipment. One-hour boat tours cost $8 per person. Boat rentals also available. Call (904) 795-5797.

For a free look at the manatees at King’s Bay, stop at the Spring Run Bridge. From Highway 19 going south, turn right (west) on King’s Bay Drive at Barnett Bank. Follow King’s Bay Drive to the bridge.

HOMOSASSA SPRINGS STATE PARK

Homosassa Springs offers a great way to see manatees in a near natural setting. The underwater observatory floats above the main spring boil, and manatees frequently approach the glass to greet visitors.

“We call it the Peoplebowl,” said Susan Dougherty, the park spokeswoman. “They’re looking at us just like we’re looking at them. It just depends on what side of the glass you’re on.”

The state park serves as a halfway home for sick and injured manatees, many of which will eventually be released into the wild. There are currently 12 manatees in the park.

Homosassa Springs also provides a home to a variety of native wildlife, including a variety of birds, black bears, alligators, crocodiles and snakes. Animal shows are scheduled throughout the day. Manatee programs are offered daily at 11:30, 1:45 and 4:15.

The park will sponsor a manatee awareness day on March 12. Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park is located at 9225 W. Fishbowl Drive, 3/4 mile west of U.S. 19 in Homosassa Springs. From Ocala, take Hwy. 200 south to 491 south to 490 west. The park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The entrance fee is $6.95 for adults, $3.95 for children ages 3-12). For information, call (904) 628-2311.

MANATEE SPRINGS STATE PARK

Manatee Springs is the first feeding area for manatees coming up the Suwannee River from the Gulf of Mexico. More than 200 manatee sightings were recorded at the park last year, most of them during winter and spring.

When a manatee arrives, no one is allowed to swim in the spring run. “It turns into full sanctuary,” said Ranger Phillip Gerhardt. “We want to give them a calm, peaceful place. Because of that, some of the manatees that aren’t used to people come and visit us.”

Manatee Springs State Park is located just north of Chiefland on US 19. From Ocala, take Highway 27 north to Alt 27 north. 100 campsites are available. Ranger-led programs include hikes, wagon rides and video presentations. The park is open 8 a.m. until sundown. Entrance fees is $3.25 per vehicle. Campsites cost $10 per site, $12 for a site with electricity. Canoes cost $4.50 for one-hour, $9 for overnight rentals to campers. For information, call (904) 493-6072.

BLUE SPRING STATE PARK

Blue Spring State Park was established in 1972 to protect the St. Johns River manatees. In the early 1970s, only six or eight manatees visited the spring, according to park officials. Now about 75 manatees visit in the winter.

Blue Spring is one of Florida’s first-magnitude springs, and it produces up to 100 million gallons of water a day. Raised boardwalks follow the spring run and offer a good view of the animals. The spring itself is crystal clear and framed by lush vegetation.

Power boats are banned in the spring run, and canoes are also prohibited in the winter. Swimming with the manatees is not allowed.

Blue Spring State Park is located near Orange City. From Ocala, take Highway 40 to Barberville, then Highway 17 south to Orange City. The park is open 8 a.m. to sundown. Entrance fee is $3.25 per vehicle. Overnight cabins cost $55 a night. Forty-five campsites are also available. For information, call (904) 775-3663.

SEA WORLD

To years ago, Sea World opened a unique 3 1/2-acre manatee habitat called “Manatees: The Last Generation?” The educational program is probably the best in Florida, and it offers both above and below-the-water views of the manatees.

Seven animals are currently on display in the 300,000-gallon aquarium. The animals here are being rehabilitated, and the number varies as recuperated animals are released into the wild.

A “Behind the Scenes” tour (an additional $5.95 for adults and $4.95 for children) takes visitors through Sea World’s rehabilitation center for injured and orphaned manatees. More than a dozen manatees are usually in the program, including several calves. The tour also includes a look at rehabilitating birds, dolphins and sea turtles.

Sea World is located at the junction of I-4 and SR 528 in Orlando. General admission is $31.95, and $27.95 for children ages 3-9. For information, call (904) 351-3600

OTHER POSSIBILITIES

Manatees can be seen in both shallow and deep-water habitats at the Lowry Park Zoo. It’s located at 7530 North Blvd. in Tampa. Admission is $5.50 for adults and $3.50 for children ages 4-12.

Tampa Electric Company’s Big Bend Manatee Walk is a free boardwalk viewing area open to the public during the winter. It’s located south of Tampa off Interstate 75 and US 41 near Apollo Beach. For information, call (813) 228-4289.

Epcot Center’s Living Seas shows off manatees year-round. Tickets cost $35.90 for adults and $28.50 for children ages 3-9. For information, call (407) 560-6365.