Manatees and Caves

We spent 8 hours driving and 20 hours there. Then 8 hours driving back home.

Worth it.

My son, my best friend and myself packed up on New Year’s Day and headed to Crystal River, FL. Our goal was to hang out with the manatee at 7 AM the next morning. So we booked a spot on River Ventures boat for 7 AM on January 2nd and a room at the Holiday Inn Express in Crystal River.

We made it down in time to head to the park at Kings Bay for the sunset which was amazing if a bit cool. Then it was off to dinner at Cody’s Roadhouse. The food was amazing, our server was perfection and the atmosphere was one of a kind.

That evening we settled into two rooms at the Holiday Inn Express. The hotel thoughtfully placed our rooms right next to each other which was so sweet. Basic but very comfortable is the name of the game for this particular hotel. Situated in a quiet part of town that is perfect positioned for our tour takeoff point the next morning, I have nothing but 5 stars for this particular location.

The next morning we were up and out before dawn. We arrived at River Ventures at 6:45 AM. We watched the required video and got suited up in our wetsuits. My son and I own our own suits but don’t worry if you don’t. The staff are all pros at picking out the perfect sized suit for each person. The suit, mask and snorkel are all included in your tour price. If you are like us and have your own equipment that you are use to using you may bring your own.

Once everyone is ready you will load up on a bus and take a short 3 minute ride over to get on your boat for the tour. This was our second time with this tour company and I have nothing but great things to say about each and every one of the employees. Both trips were amazing but this one took the cake. We were COVERED in manatees from the moment we got in the water. So many gentle giants surrounded us and everyone on the tour was respectful of their space. A great time was had by all in our group and we had the opportunity to see well over 100 manatees in one spot.

For the next part of the adventure we said goodbye to Crystal River and headed up to Devils Den Prehistoric Springs. Located in Williston, FL this attraction is only 45ish minutes from Crystal River.

This is a unique opportunity to swim in a cavernous pool with fish and turtles. The water is clear and cool all year long. The fee is $5 online reservations which are required and the $20 per person when you get there. They do have mask, snorkel and fins to rent if you don’t have your own. It is a small fee to do that. Devils is also known for its scuba diving areas inside the underwater cave system. I am not scuba certified so I can’t tell y’all anything about that part of the attraction.

Your time is 1 hour and half to snorkel around and take pictures. More than enough time to get the full experience of the cave. The water is chilly but you warm up fast swimming around.

Overall this cave is an experience everyone should do once if they are able to. The view looking at the sky as you are floating in the water makes it amazing.

After Devils we started home and made it in 8 hours. Were we all tired? Yep. Would we do it again tomorrow? Yep.

Love you!