A good reason for visiting this part of the country is Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, dedicated to sheltering and rehabilitating native wildlife including the West Indian mana- tee. Schiller was director of the Felburn Foundation, and through her efforts the foundation contributed to the park’s new black bear exhibit, roseate spoonbill avi- ary, red wolf habitat and improvements to the exhibition of Florida panthers, birds of prey, foxes and otters. This is one of the only places you can see manatees up close 365 days a year. The floating fishbowl observatory is the center of attention with underwater viewing directly over the wellhead of the springs that gives the park—and the
On the right of the boat ramp is Homosassa Riverside Resort, site of the Florida Gulf Coast Dulcimer Retreat, our reason for being in the area at the end of January and beginning of Febru- ary. The resort is large enough to hold a big party and includes the Riverside Crab House, Monkey Bar and Yardarm Lounge, all of which provide great views of Monkey Island. Monkey Island was unwittingly cre- ated when property owner G.A. Fur-
drooling over the recollection of our skewered shrimp stuffed with crabmeat. Behind the resort is Riversport Kayaks where you can rent kayaks or board a boat for a guided tour and a swim with the manatees. Snorkel gear and wet suits are provided. To the left of the ramp at the end of Cherokee Drive is MacRae’s of Homo- sassa, a motel and biker hangout, circa 1914. The Shed, MacRae’s riverfront tiki bar, is the place for events such as the
gason had a dragline o p e r a t o r add dirt to a pile of rocks in the middle of the channel
Red, White and Blue Beer Belly Contest. If it’s noisy, lively and amus- ing, it’s happening here. MacRae’s also rents
boats and has live bait for those who want to fish. We heard about the Freezer bar and restaurant from various folks as a good place to eat. A freezer? To eat? But the scuttlebutt con-
town—its name. From this submarine viewing
area, you can see manatees and a variety of saltwater and freshwater fish that wave lazily in the springs’ 72-degree water. Paved walkways wander through the 210-acre park with various staging areas for interpretive talks by naturalists. There are several ways to enter the Wildlife Park. From the main visitor center on Highway 19 in Homosassa Springs, take the pontoon boat ride down Pepper Creek and disembark at the west entrance to the park on Fish- bowl Drive. The alternatives are to walk the waterside trail or drive to the west entrance and pay your admission there. Bicycling to town from the camp- ground is a 10-minute ride along two- lane roads with sidewalks. We wheeled through historic Old Homosassa, circa 1835, which begins where Fishbowl joins Yulee Drive, turns past the elemen- tary school, then becomes Cherokee Drive and runs smack into the water via a boat ramp. The Gulf of Mexico is 8 miles away through a slough of water- ways down the Homosassa River.
that was c h ew i n g up boats’ out-drives.
A naturalist friend had New World mon- keys nearby that were breaking out and creating mayhem, so “Furgy” designed a sort of Alcatraz that keeps the spider and squirrel monkeys out of trouble. Today this prehensile-tailed group is fed twice a day and examined regularly by a primate veterinarian. Nautical buildings, including a lighthouse, and playground equipment, keep Ralph, the alpha male, Sassy and child Ebony, and Eve and Emily busy, and likewise amuse the boaters that stream by and the stool- warmers at the Riverside Crab House and Yardarm Lounge. Homosassa Riverside Resort offers river tours, dinner cruises, and pontoon and jon boat rentals. The Riverside Crab House serves excellent blue crab platters, crab and artichoke fondue and portabello mushrooms stuffed with lump crabmeat. We can hardly write about this without
tinued, so we cycled over to the Cedar Key Fish House and entered the Freezer through a plastic curtain. At 5 p.m. the place was packed with people on stools, all hoisting a cool one and raising the noise level to a friendly riot. We retreated and came back on a less crowded weekday night, and were pleasantly surprised. Buckets of buttered shrimp arrived with beer, homemade bread and tossed salad. It was terrific, and as we filled up, boats arrived with fresh fish. There was little doubt we were eat- ing the day’s catch. So why would you whiz past Homo- sassa when there’s an excellent place to park the RV, wonderful restaurants waiting to be sampled and so much to see and do? (See “What’s Happening in Homosassa” on page 11.) We’ll be back next year for January’s Florida Gulf Coast Dulcimer Retreat. Join us.
10 COAST TO COAST spring 2014
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker