Weather: low 79 degrees, high 98 degrees, clear skies and high humidity early, then late afternoon showers
The humidity was awful again this morning, and was so bad it affected my respiratory problem to the point that I had to cut my morning walk short. At least we're getting the afternoon showers, which is helping keep things bearable later in the evening.
We had planned to do our laundry today, but decided to put it off another day or two. Instead, we decided to drive out to see how Salt Springs has changed since we were last there about 35 years ago. The route we took out to Salt Springs went through the little spot in the road in the Ocala National Forest where I was born a long time ago. Just to prove that there is a Scrambletown, here's a picture of the sign by the road.
Salt Springs is about 35 miles from Ocala, and is located in the Ocala National Forest. Before we moved away from Ocala, my family, including the extended family of uncles, aunts, and cousins used to have family get togethers at the springs in the summer. The last year we got together at that location was 1975 (wow, has it been that long?). Little did we know that the family would start scattering as they followed jobs and careers. Those were good times that we still remember with fondness.
Over the years, the Forest Service has upgraded Salt Springs, which is a flowing spring that puts out about 52,000,000 gallons of water a day. The water is clear and cold, and there are several species of fish that can be seen, including bass, mullet, bream, catfish, and others. When water is present in Florida, there's a good chance that alligators are there, also, and this area is no different.
The last time we were there, there were not any improvements at all. Now, there are primitive camping areas, as well as an RV campground with about 100 sites. A boat can be launched and paddled downstream to Lake George, about four miles away.
Outside the park, there is a small grocery store, as well as a convenience store. A small shopping area has a hardware store and a small restaurant, as well as a laundry. The businesses I'm talking about are not very big, but keep in mind that 35 years ago, there were not any businesses except for a small convenience store. If you didn't bring what you wanted when visiting, you couldn't buy it.
Just another blast from the past, and in this case, all of the change is not bad.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Miami, Florida: Cocaine Capital Of America
Not all who wander are lost.
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