Cedar Key is a fun day trip from the Peach House. It is a small 2 mile island known for its artistic community. There are several restaurants on the water. You can bring some fishing poles and fish right off of their amazing, huge, concrete fishing pier. The pier is also a great place to catch a sunset. We like to check out the Artists’ Co-op gallery while we are there.
We have kayaked with Get up and Go Kayaking in Crystal River to see the manatees at Three Sisters Spring. It is a bit over an hour trip from the Peach House and so worth it! If you aren’t up for a kayak trip, there are trails that walk you out to the overlook. Feeling even more adventurous, there are snorkel tours that get you in the water with the manatees, but be warned it’s chilly!
Enjoying the quiet before our sleepy village wakes up for the Fiddler Crab Festival.
Valentine’s weekend each year, Steinhatchee welcomes 10,000 visitors to the Fiddler Crab Festival. A whole row of food vendors offering funnel cakes and burgers to alligator and filet mignon. Art vendors from throughout the region set up shop and you have a chance to race tour very own fiddler crab. Saturday morning starts out with a true small town
Thanks to Canyon Bay for the fantastic opportunity to see how these beautiful boats are made. We took a ride on Rob’s beautiful 24′ Canyon Bay. Even better, these fantastic boats are made right here in Perry, Florida.
Steinhatchee has joined in the painted rock fun. If you haven’t seen these around, someone paints a rock and then “hides” it where someone else could come across it. There is a Facebook group at Steinhatchee Rocks where you can take pics of the rocks before you hide them or when you find them. If you find a rock, you take your picture and then rehide it for someone else to find. Check out this cute one we found by our playground.
Fed by nine springs, the Ichetucknee River lets visitors experience the natural beauty of its blue-green waterways year-round. Let the gentle current of the bright turquoise river guide you on a relaxing retreat through shaded hammocks and forests of cypress, maple, oak and pine. Discover the splendor of nature from the clear waters below to the wildlife and flora along the shore. See turtles, otters, deer, birds of prey, wading birds, fish and maybe even manatees and beavers.
Rent tubes, rafts, kayaks, stand up paddleboards and canoes within the park or at several options just outside the park. We have used Ichetucknee Tubing Center
Tubing and Paddling Adventures Offered Year-round:
Tube or raft from South Entrance launch points throughout the year. Tram service is available daily 9 am to 4:45 pm. From Memorial Day (May 26) through Labor Day weekend (Sept. 3), tube from the North Entrance.
Two trip experiences are available for those kayaking or canoeing, from two to six hour excursions beginning at the North Entrance.
Swim, snorkel and scuba dive to experience the springs that feed the bright turquoise waters of the Ichetucknee River, including the 40-foot-deep Blue Hole Spring.
For more info check out the Ichetucknee Springs State Park site
Check out this Video of manatees at Ichetucknee!
Did you know that Florida has a class III rapids?
Thanks to https://www.naturalnorthflorida.com/ for sharing about Big Shoals State Park featuring the largest whitewater rapids in Florida! This 400 acre park is known for a number of things, including a towering bat house and its 28 miles of wooded trails that accommodate hikers and people on horseback. When the water level is just right (between 59-61 feet above sea level) the Big Shoals rapids flow at a Class III whitewater classification. Fresh water fishing opportunities are also available here, along with a picnic pavilion that seats up to 40 guests. Stop by and see for yourself, why this park is truly an amazing sight.
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/big-shoals-state-park
