Movies

 

Several movies were filmed at Wakulla Springs and here are a few of them. These movie posters were hanging inside the building where we bought our tickets for the river boat tour. While we were on the tour, I kept trying to imagine Johnny Weissmuller standing on the river bank doing his famous Tarzan yell or the Creature from the Black Lagoon rising up out of the water near our boat!

Camera Critters

 

A mama wood duck with her babies near the banks of the Wakulla River. They seemed oblivious to the fact that there was an alligator floating on the water just a few feet away (Scroll down to my post from last Wednesday to see that gator. He's the one in the last picture of that post.) To see more fascinating critters from around the world, don't forget to visit Camera Critters.

Weekend Reflections

 

A few reflections taken on the river boat tour at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park last weekend. The first picture shows what our boat looked like. The second two pictures are reflections of a couple of the cypress trees that grow right out of the water in the Wakulla River. To see more beautiful reflections from around the world, be sure to visit James at Weekend Reflections.

SkyWatch Friday

 

An afternoon thunderstorm started rolling in while my grandson and I were about halfway through our Wakulla River boat tour at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park last weekend. I hate lightning and being out on the river in a mostly metal boat while lightning is popping all around me is not my idea of fun! Thankfully it blew over pretty quickly. To see more amazing skies from around the world, don't miss SkyWatch Friday.

Wakulla Springs Swimming Area

 

Just up the river from the alligators that I showed you yesterday is the swimming area at Wakulla Springs State Park. Don't worry, the alligators know they are not supposed to go past that rope you see floating on the water around the swimmers! The water coming up out of those springs stays at around 68-70 degrees year round, which is a little too cold for me, even on a hot summer day.

Watery Wednesday - Alligators

 

Alligators are really good at camouflaging themselves. There is an alligator in each one of these pictures I took while my grandson and I were riding on the river boat tour on the Wakulla River at the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park just south of Tallahassee. You can click on each picture to enlarge them and get a much better look. For more wonderful watery pictures, please visit Watery Wednesday.

Wakulla Springs Lodge

The Wakulla Springs Lodge was built in 1937 by wealthy financier Edward Ball. There are 27 guest rooms at the lodge and each one of them has a huge marble bathroom. The rooms are decorated with antiques and there are no televisions in the rooms, intentionally creating a relaxing and quiet stay and transporting guests back in time.


The lobby features an inviting fireplace, antique furniture and huge windows offering beautiful views of the springs and surrounding woods. There is also a big flat screen TV in one corner, just in case you can't stand not having a TV in your room!



One of the fun things to do when you are hanging out in the lobby is playing checkers on the old marble checkerboard tables. My grandson and I played several games while we were there and he beat me every time!

 

The Ball Room Restaurant, located on the ground floor, overlooks Wakulla Springs and the food here is wonderful! I took this picture in the late afternoon just before they opened it for dinner.

Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park

 

Last Saturday, my grandson and I visited Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, which is about a 30 minute drive south of Tallahassee. We had a wonderful time and this week I will be showing some pictures from our trip. Wakulla Springs is one of the largest and deepest freshwater springs in the world and forms the beginning of the Wakulla River which flows into the St. Marks River and eventually into the Gulf of Mexico. Wildlife found in the park include alligators, turtles, deer, birds, snakes and much more. There are many activities including daily riverboat tours down the river, swimming, nature trails, picnic areas and playgrounds. You can also spend the night in the charming and historic Wakulla Springs Lodge, which was built in 1937 by financier Edward Ball overlooking the springs. There are even glass bottom boat tours available when the water is clear. Wakulla Springs State Park and Lodge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a National Natural Landmark. For more information, you can visit their website here.

Camera Critters

My kitty Gracie likes to keep an eye out for birds and squirrels in my backyard.

 

It's a grueling task, so sometimes a nap is necessary! To see more cute critters from around the world, don't miss Camera Critters.

Weekend Reflections

 

My son took me out to lunch for Mother's Day and this is where we went. The food at the Genghis Grill is delicious. According to their website, the food is prepared using an interactive style of exhibition cooking modeled after 12th century Mongol warriors who, according to legend, heated their food by holding their shields over open fires. I'm glad they didn't make us do that, but it was a lot fun. I also got a nice shot of the reflection of their sign out front. To see more interesting reflections from around the world, be sure to visit James over at Weekend Reflections.

SkyWatch Friday

 

A jet flying right over my house in Tallahassee. To see more beautiful skies from around the world, don't miss SkyWatch Friday.

Red Cross

 

The sign in front of the Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross in Tallahassee. The day I rode by, volunteers were busy loading supplies on a truck for transport to flood victims in Tennessee.

Watery Wednesday

 

I noticed this leaf shaped like a heart on the driveway after we had a big afternoon thunderstorm one day last week. I like the way it looks with the water droplets still clinging to it and it also made me think about Clytie over at Random Hearts. To see more beautiful watery pictures from around the world, be sure to visit Watery Wednesday.

Train

 

This really cool looking train is parked right out in front of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services building that I showed you yesterday. I couldn't find any information on it. I'm going to have to go back and see this with my grandson because he loves trains!

Agriculture

 

The headquarters for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is located on the east side of Tallahassee near Tom Brown Park. Click on the picture to enlarge it and you will see that the colorful van parked out front is advertising exotic Florida tropical fruit!

BMX Track

 

The BMX Track is located near the disc golf course in Tom Brown Park. I was there on a weekday around lunchtime, so there wasn't much going on.

Weekend Reflections

 

I like the way the trees were reflected in this water next to the woods in Tom Brown Park. To see more beautiful reflections from around the world, be sure to visit James at Weekend Reflections.

SkyWatch Friday

 

I noticed these wispy clouds in the sky overhead while I was at Tom Brown Park in Tallahassee. To see more beautiful skies from around the world, please visit SkyWatch Friday.

Playground

 

This playground is located right next to the disc golf course at Tom Brown Park. I like to take my grandkids here to play when it's not too hot, which around here is usually only in the spring and fall.