Canoeing & Swimming at Wekiwa Springs

There’s an expression in Orlando. It’s called “Old Florida”. Old Florida refers to the age before Disney came to town. An age where time stood still. The pace was slow, life was simple and people enjoyed good ‘ole fashion fun. That’s the kind of fun we had. Brian wanted to surprise me with something different. We had talked for a long time about going canoeing at Wekiwa Springs State Park, but we never made it a priority. It happens to all of us; we say we’re going to go somewhere, but we never do. This year is all about doing the things we always said we did. You might want to consider that too. There’s still time in 2010.

Renting a canoe is easy. Hand over your ID and credit card and you’re off. The starting cost is about $16.00 for two hours per canoe. After a short walk down the path, we picked up our canoe and away we went.

If you’re looking to escape the frantic pace of life, a canoeing or kayaking trip down the river is just what the doctor ordered. Civilization seems to have drifted away, replaced by trees, turtles, birds and nature.

We canoed for about 2 hours, weaving in an out of tree stumps, hanging branches and other canoes and kayaks. We turned around and attempted to canoe towards Rock Springs but turned back after being told it was several miles away. This trip was all about relaxing and enjoying nature. There was no desire to work up a sweat.

When we returned to shore I had to take a swim in Wekiwa Springs. It looked so inviting, I couldn’t resist.

No matter the time of the year, the water is always a comfortable and refreshing 72 degrees. Fed from the underground spring, the water is crystal clear. It’s just like what you’d see in the movies.

A quick dip is the perfect way to end a morning of canoeing. I could easily have spent the whole day. In fact, that’s what most people do. Next time I visit, I’m going to pack a lunch, lay my towel out on the hill and enjoy this hidden secret only 20 minutes from Downtown Orlando.

If you’d like to visit Wekiwa Springs, be sure to arrive early. Parking is $6.00 per car and the place fills up fast. If you arrive late, you’ll be waiting in a long line to get in – once space becomes available of course.

I’ve uploaded some more photos of wildlife, canoeing and swimming at Wekiwa Springs to my Facebook Fan Page. You can view them here. If you’d like to connect with Florida State Parks online, you can follow them on Twitter.

Are there any “Old (Insert your state/city name here)” attractions in your community? Share your favorite by commenting.

I’ll see you out there…!