
Ok so it like 5:30 am on Saturday morning and its the start of my surprise birthday weekend which my wife put together for us. The excitement was growing as we loaded the car long before any kids were up and about. but we gathered up everything hopped into the car and took off and that started my day, my surprise birthday weekend.
First Stop: DeLeon Springs State Recreation Area, we pull up to the front gate early in the morning about 7:10 or so and the park didn’t open until 8:00 so we pull up and park behind other people waiting to get in as well. Tabitha was starting to tell me all about the park and what would we would be doing and seeing and i was so excited because i like to explore new places and photograph them as well.
But there was something more to this place then just a natural Spring which stays at 72 degrees year round. Ok walk with me for a moment as i deviate from the story for just a moment. now i have been in Florida for a long long time and i have gotten hot very hot before but what i have relearned is that 72 degrees is damn cold water and i don’t care how hot you are when you step your toe in that water things start to seize up and (for us men shrink up) something for which I don’t like to be party of so don’t let anybody tell you 72 degrees is not cold it is. Ok back to the story, so as she continued to tell me what we were going to see she told me we would be eating breakfast here which was good because i was starting to get hungry. but we were at a state park so that means crappy park food. but I was wrong, see there is this place in there called Old Spanish Sugar Mill grill and griddle house. As we walked up to this old Mill it was beautiful and set nicely in it surroundings but I was getting Hungary so I was ready to enter and eat. The lady meet us at the door and sets us up at a nice small table. but this table had a griddle build right smack in the middle of it. So now the lady walks up get our drinks and we order our breakfast which included pancakes and bacon and eggs. Now here come that lady again with a smile on her face as she had each time she came to the table which i thought odd at that time of the morning and having to be at work on the weekend but hay each to their own what ever makes the lady happy. but she brings our drinks, plates and two pitcher of
batter and starts to explain how we are going to cook our own pancakes and eggs that she would handle the bacon. now i know why she was smiling we have to cook our own meals and she really only cooks the bacon i guess i would smile to. so there we are getting our griddle warmed up and with a handy generic can of pam Tabitha sprays down the griddle and pours some batter for her pancakes on one side and I follow and pour my batter on the other and we both watch as the pancake start to become breakfast. Well I must say for my first time cooking a pancake on a griddle in a strange place with people who would usually cook my meal but didn’t and left it up to me to do i was rather impressed as it was one of the most tasty pancakes I have ever had. We both cooked up another batch and made our eggs and the lady brought us the bacon that she had to cook and we ate this wonderful meal until we were full. Now all kidding aside this place was amazing for a place to be in the middle of a state park. I now know the reason why at 7:00am an hour before the park opens that people were lined up to get in, it was for breakfast.
Now I know this place is good as i got to taste it first had but if you need further proof then let me introduce you to MR. Fitpitcher, Yes as we were leaving the Sugar Mill and headed to the spring there was a Man with his wife and two kids standing at a bench next to a tree. As we were walking by we over heard the following take place.
Mr. fitpitcher to his wife: I have tried calling him twice now and he know where to come but look, look at all the people going in now we will never get a table. I have called 3 times now and he won’t answer his phone.
Wife replies: Its ok honey they will be here soon.
Mr. Fitpitcher screams back: NO IT’S NOT OK, THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE ANY TABLES LEFT AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE COMING.
Then it happened the man actually in his fit of rage kicked the tree. yep he did stomped his foot and kicked the tree. I could not believe it the man kicked a tree and stomped his feet as if he was 2 /12 years old. his daughter looked up and said it’s ok daddy it will be ok. he just stomped off and went into sugar mill to do god knows what. But really kicking a tree as a grown adult give me a break its only the best pancakes i have every had and he will miss out because his brother was late and the place would be full but such is life.
So onward we went we walked around and took some photos of the surrounding and read that all about the sugar mill and the spring and all its history which was neat. the spring is now more like a public beach/pool area for the locals and as time passed more and more people came and started playing in the water. Well we decided to go walking on a trail or two and took more pictures and we were getting hot and thought we would head back put on our swim suits and jump in that refreshing water. that 72 degree water ya ok so we two brave souls walk to the steps and touch our toes in and it felt like somebody sliced it off with the coldest knife ever.
I yanked my foot back and looked at her and she touched hers and said you go first. ok so now what, that was some damn cold water and my toe was trying to tell the rest of me that this was a bad idea. Did i listen of course not we headed to the shallow end because we just knew the 72 degree year round water would be warmer over there for some reason. but you guessed it, nope it was cold as hell to but we moved forth and got our feet in, then the legs and knees and then the most important parts of all the family jewels. so there it was the water teetering on the brink of touching the neater region and me trying to stand on my tippy toes in this freaking cold water but it was time to dunk myself down and get completely wet so i took that next step to total and complete shrinkage. yep no sign of life down there anymore its MIA. but we forged on and she go to her areas introduced to the 72 Degree year round water as well. so we swam some and frolic in the water and got out after about 20 minutes.
Ok now getting out of this 72 degree water year round thing has an affect that i have never felt before. as you walked up the stairs the water left your body and it was as if you got warmer from the inside out and rapidly, it was the strangest feeling i think i have ever felt when it comes to water. its really hard to explain what it felt like but just the same it was strange. we changed back into our cloths and headed on ward to my next surprise.
Second Stop: Woodruff Lake, wow i didn’t know there was such a place a lake with my last name in it. I was looking forward to seeing how pretty it was and taking some
amazing pictures. we drove the mile an a half to get to the road and as we pulled up to the gate it started to rain. yep on my special the summer rain had to creep in and mess things up. so we decided to drive around a bit and take in the sites around the town until the rain passed. about an hour or so later we head back and we pull up and park then grab the cameras and stuff and head down the path to Woodruff lake all wide eyed and excited. Well let just say we didn’t see it, nope we saw the sign that said it was there but no where to be found all we saw were like water canals. canals with cattails and people fishing. we looked around and looked at each other confused and then read the sigh again. oh we get it now Woodruff lake that is another 5 miles away which you could not drive. so when the guy at the natural spring park we just left was telling us it was about 3 mile to canoe to lake Woodruff he was really telling us it was the shortest way and quit possibly the only way we would see it. so i photographed the cattails and that was that disappointing for sure but onward we go.
Third Stop: Cassadaga Hotel and our final stop for day one. So on the way to this place Tabitha then tells me that there is more to this place then just a bed. that Cassadaga does not allow children under the age of 18 because it’s haunted. yes a real haunted hotel now how freaking cool is that. we get to sleep in a real haunted hotel that is haunted by children. as the lady tells us that the halls can be heard with children laughter and foot steps and other playful things to always have the camera ready for orbs and other haunting spectacles. so i was like hell ya let go and get there and so we did. We decided to walk around the area after looking over our room and making sure it was good to go. there were a lot of palm reader shops on this street so if we really wanted to know our fortune we could get it from many sources. after a shot wander around the local sites we decided to head out to that place where all things needed are readily available. yep you guessed it the Wal-Mart the super Wal-Mart where I was in need of a fan. being that i am hot natured and this Old haunted hotel was lacking in the very cold AC department I felt a need to help push the cold air around the room. speaking of which how would i know if any ghost were to visit being i could not feel the cold spots. Oh well they will just have to manifest themselves to us.
We got our fan and ate some dinner nothing fancy just a local eatery and headed back to the ghost hotel for an evening of haunting. So we settle in with a bit of excitement and wandering eyes and we pull out the laptop to watch a movie before we lay our heads down for the night. Well morning comes and all i can remember about anything strange was some moaning and headboard banging around, oh wait that was us never mind so onward. the next day was a trip to the local breakfast house and then a nice relaxing scenic drive home.
So in closing I had a wonder birthday weekend. we had some alone time and got to see and do many wonderful things. I know my Sweetie work to make this a very special birthday and she succeeded. Thank you Sweetie and I love you so much.