I'm not sure how or why I let the days escape me without visiting the blog.  I need to be better at that.  Advancing age isn't helping my memories at all, and not writing down our adventures is going to hurt my chances of remembering things!  Last I chatted with you all...I said there were lots of little green frogs at night.  You could hear them everywhere, their loud, cacophonous choir singing in the night, attempting to lure a new lover their way, but the all-time best hangout for them is around the bath house lights.  If you're not a frog person, approaching the bath house with eyes wide open is probably not advisable.  They gather around the lights like young executives pregnant with gossip around the water cooler at work.  If you don't mind frogs, they are so darn CUTE!  Especially that one in the upper left corner...first night with the new legs, I guess...and how about all the others looking at him... "Hey, what's up with FRED?" 

Anyway, that's just one of the inhabitants you can spot here...there are many if you keep your eyes peeled.  Speaking of peeling...we took the river ride on a tube.  You pay $11 bucks for a tram ride back (and a tube if you need one...or you can bring your own if it doesn't exceed 60 inches.)  Seems a bit pricey at first, but, it IS a nearly 3 (or more) hour "ride" down the river current.  It is lazy, meandering and it gives you lots of great sights and smells and sounds of the river.  From the gorgeous turquoise blue of the water, to the anhingas and cormorants swimming along with you, to the flowers in bloom along the way, you are treated to a sensory party.  The water is crystal clear, spring fed water.  The river bed is comprised of grasses that cover the floor of the river like a lush, green carpet.  Manatees munch on the grasses in the winter.  It's a great place to experience any time of the year.  If this majestic and magical place isn't on anyone’s "must do" or "most lovely spring" is should be.  Don't miss this one!  Even if you don't do any "day trips" away from the Rainbow River and the Headsprings, there is a lot to see and do here.  If you camp here, all other places (headsprings, tube pickup, trails, etc.) are free, except for the tram ride and tube rental.  They are run by outside vendors, but if you have an industrious young person with you who can drive, you can park your car in the "get out area" and ride back for free...but that industrious young person with a driver’s license must like to walk.  It is several miles from point A to point B.  I (a 45 year old, semi in shape woman) could easy do the jaunt (I did it, just for fun one night).

We did do several day trips from this park.  There are actually 5 day trips you can take from Rainbow Springs.  You can't camp at any of the 5 (which is what makes them nice day trips).  Each one of them has its own unique characteristics and is enjoyable.  Only one would be one you would combine with another day (Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins) because it's really a five minute look-see; unless you have a big all day picnics planned, and then it's a day trip for sure.  We spent a good amount of time at Homosassa Springs State Park (home of Lu...the only "native" hippo) and some manatees.  Yulee is close to that, so if you want to learn the history of the sugar cane industry in Florida, pop on by) and we went to Crystal River Preserve and Crystal River State Parks...unfortunately, they took the tour boat out of the water the day before we arrived (should have called ahead, I guess....) and lastly Fort Cooper State Park, which was amazing.  I'll tell you all about those adventures tomorrow....yes, I PROMISE. I won't put it off or forget.  REALLY!  Remember, I can't.  My memory just won't let me.  We hope you have a beautiful night, and we will chat again tomorrow.  Come back now, ya hear?