Umatilla And Eustis

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 68 degrees, high 91 degrees, partly cloudy skies

I'm feeling better since I'm able to sleep better, so when I got up this morning at almost 0800 hours (see, sleeping better), I asked Carolyn if she would like to take a little road trip. She asked where did I have in mind to go, and I said I don't know, but we'll figure it out.

So, we headed easy into the Ocala National Forest and ended up visiting the little towns of Umatilla and Eustis. We hadn't been there in about 40 years, and our impression of the growth was that the towns had aged gracefully. The growth doesn't seem to be overpowering, and the towns seem to have kept the small town flavor that we like so much.

Lake Eustis is a beautiful lake on the outskirts of Eustis. I stopped to take some pictures, and the first thing I noticed was this sign. They didn't have to worry about us feeding those boogers.



Here's a couple pictures of the lake. This lake is not unique to the area, as we saw several large lakes while there.





Check out the beautiful cypress trees on the shore of Lake Eustis.



The last time we were in the area, there were a lot of orange groves. Over the years, development and cold weather reduced the groves to a fraction of what they used to be. In fact, we did not expect to see the groves that we did, but it was nice to see that some of the old memories are still around. This is one of the groves that we saw.



One thing that both of us liked about the little trip today was that we saw a lot of the old style Florida houses that are standing the test of time very well.



We stopped at Alexander Springs on our way home to see what time had done to the springs. The springs were nice before, but we feel that they are even better now. The picnic area has been upgraded, and the springs are still great. It's a little out of the way, but well worth the visit.



Canoes can be rented to paddle down the run, and we think this run is even nicer than the run from Juniper Springs.



It felt good to get out, even if it wasn't new country we were seeing. Well, I shouldn't say it wasn't new country. It had been so long since we had been there, almost nothing looked familiar. Maybe I'll continue to feel better and we can get out and about more. Who knows where the trip will be to?

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Eustis, Florida: The City of Bright Tomorrows

Not all who wander are lost.