Seeing hundreds of manatees at Three Sisters Springs in Florida

We visited Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River, Florida, to see manatees. These fascinating creatures spend the winter gathered around warm springs connected to the gulf, as the springs maintain a temperature of 72° F year-round.

Here’s a map of the springs:

A map on the wall of the visitor center:

Map

350 manatees counted:

350 manatees counted

Entrance sign:

Crystal River Three Sisters Springs

Manatee manners signs:

Manatee manners

One of the springs:

Spring

Lots of manatees:

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

The nearby Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center:

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Florida’s Forgotten Coast

While staying at Ho-Hum RV Park, we did a few drives along the Forgotten Coast, in the panhandle of Florida. Amongst other things, we saw all four of the lighthouses on the coast.

A pamphlet for the lighthouse driving tour, with information about each lighthouse:

Lighthouse driving tour pamphlet

Lighthouse driving tour pamphlet

The first drive was west of the RV park, with lunch at the Blue Parrot Ocean Front Cafe (they have a live cam you can view, too), then St George Island Lighthouse.

Here’s the route on an interactive map:

Bridge to St George Island:

Bridge to St George Island

Blue Parrot for lunch:

Blue Parrot

Blue Parrot

Blue Parrot

Blue Parrot

Blue Parrot

Blue Parrot

Blue Parrot

St George Island Lighthouse; unfortunately the museum was closed when we visited:

St George Island Lighthouse

St George Island Lighthouse

St George Island beach:

St George Island beach

Further west, the Cape San Blas Lighthouse in Port St Joe:

Cape San Blas Lighthouse


The second drive was east of the RV park, to St Marks National Wildlife Refuge, St Mark’s Lighthouse, and Publix groceries on the way back.

Here’s the route on an interactive map:

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge:

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

The refuge visitor center, with info about the lighthouse too:

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge visitor center

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge visitor center

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge visitor center

The wildlife refuge:

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

St Marks Lighthouse:

St Marks Lighthouse

St Marks Lighthouse

St Marks Lighthouse

St Marks Lighthouse

St Marks Lighthouse

St Marks Lighthouse


The third drive was to have lunch at The Fisherman’s Wife restaurant in Carrabelle, then visit the nearby Crooked River Lighthouse.

Here’s the route on an interactive map:

The Fisherman’s Wife; we wanted to eat here last year, but they were closed for the holidays. They were closed again most of the time we were at Ho-Hum this time too, but opened a few days before our departure:

The Fisherman's Wife

The Fisherman's Wife

The Fisherman's Wife

The Fisherman's Wife

The Fisherman's Wife

Crooked River Lighthouse, the tallest of the four:

Crooked River Lighthouse

The old lighthouse keeper’s house, now a small free museum:

Crooked River Lighthouse

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Crooked River Lighthouse museum

Fascinating stuff. We really enjoy this area of Florida; much more laid-back than the more touristy and populated parts.

Red Bay food and shopping

Some food and shopping around Red Bay, Alabama.

Casa Fiesta Mexican Grill, not bad Mexican food:

Casa Fiesta Mexican Grill

Casa Fiesta Mexican Grill

Piggly Wiggly grocery store, pretty basic:

Piggly Wiggly grocery store

Piggly Wiggly grocery store

Holiday lights:

Holiday lights

Holiday lights

Holiday lights

Mia Marlie’s Hometown Pizza, fairly good and inexpensive:

Hometown Pizza

Hometown Pizza

Cardinal Drive-In, much like Sonic, but better:

Cardinal Drive-In

Cardinal Drive-In

Cardinal Drive In

Big Star grocery store, much nicer than Piggly Wiggly, and lots of super-tasty treats (of which we stocked up!):

Big Star grocery store

Big Star grocery store

Big Star grocery store

Big Star grocery store

Happy Hollow, home-goods and outdoors stuff, we always get some cat toys there:

Happy Hollow

Happy Hollow

Happy Hollow

Happy Hollow

Happy Hollow

Happy Hollow

Red Bay is a small town, but has some good food and shopping options.

Galveston Island State Park beach

Other than the Moody Gardens Festival of Lights (which was posted out of sequence, on Christmas Day last year), and going to a H-E-B grocery store, we didn’t do much while staying at Galveston Island State Park, in part due to rainy weather. But we did enjoy several walks along the beach.

An info sign:

Info sign

Beach

Empty beach, with regular garbage bins. The sand is quite nice, with very few shells:

Beach

Oil rig visible in the distance:

Beach

Beach

Jenn picking up garbage:

Jenn picking up garbage

Houses beyond the end of the park at the south end:

Houses beyond the end of the park

Park boundary:

Park boundary

No motorized vehicles beyond this point; people can drive on the beach, but not in the park:

No motorized vehicles beyond this point

Beach

Shells

Boardwalk to a day use area:

Boardwalk to day use area

Showers and changing rooms in the day use area:

Showers and changing rooms in day use area

Picnic shelters in the day use area:

Picnic shelters in day use area

Turtle sculpture:

Turtle sculpture

A ranger patrolling on the beach:

Ranger patroling on the beach

Houses beyond the end of the park at the north end:

Houses beyond the end of the park

Park boundary:

Park boundary

Big empty beach:

Beach

2024 other attractions

A summary of roadside attractions from 2024, and other attractions that didn’t fit in other summary posts.

Again, you can also see the attractions from 2023, from 2022, and from 2021. And you can see all of the attraction-related blog posts via the exploring category, with the earliest posts at the top, or the latest posts at the top, or more specifically the roadside attraction category (with earliest or latest posts at the top).

Total solar eclipse in Paris, Texas:

Diamond ring

Iowa 80 truck stop in Walcott, Iowa:

Iowa 80

Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota:

Amusement park

Mitchell Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota:

Corn Palace

Custer Battlefield Trading Post & Cafe in Montana:

Tipis

Oregon Cabaret Theatre: Legally Blonde, the Musical in Ashland, Oregon:

Stage

Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon:

Theater

Scenic drive along Dead Indian Memorial Road and Green Springs Highway in Oregon:

Ducks

Shields Date Garden in Indio, California:

Shields entrance sign

The Thing? in Arizona:

What if?

McGinn’s PistachioLand Home of the World’s Largest Pistachio in Alamogordo, New Mexico:

World's Largest Pistachio

Moody Gardens Festival of Lights in Galveston, Texas:

Holiday lights

Fun stuff.

2024 towns

This summary is about cities and towns I’ve posted about. I don’t tend to do these posts very often, so there aren’t many.

Again, you can also see the attractions from 2023, from 2022, and from 2021. And you can see all of the attraction-related blog posts via the exploring category, with the earliest posts at the top, or the latest posts at the top, or more specifically the town category (with earliest or latest posts at the top).

Carrabelle, Florida:

World's smallest police station

Key West, Florida:

Southernmost point buoy

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina:

Myrtle Beach Welcomes You

Washington, North Carolina:

Main Street

Driving around Wasington DC:

US Capitol

Ashland, Oregon:

Creekside restaurants

Marathon, Marfa, and more in Texas:

Giant Marfa mural

Marathon aerials and stars in Texas:

Marathon

Some interesting places.

2024 food

A summary of food- and restaurant-related posts in 2024.

Again, you can also see the attractions from 2023, from 2022, and from 2021. And you can see all of the attraction-related blog posts via the exploring category, with the earliest posts at the top, or the latest posts at the top, or more specifically the food category (with earliest or latest posts at the top)

Robert is Here fruit stand in Homestead, Florida:

Robert is Here

Our first Buc-ee’s in Smiths Grove, Kentucky:

Buc-ee's

Custer Battlefield Trading Post & Cafe on the Crow Indian reservation in Montana:

Tipis

Oregon Cabaret Theatre: Legally Blonde, the Musical in Ashland, Oregon:

Dinner

Ashland wineries: Quady North & Belle Fiore in Ashland, Oregon:

Belle Fiore

Ashland food in Oregon:

Mains

Shields Date Garden in Indio, California:

Food

Red Bay food and shopping in Red Bay, Alabama:

Cardinal Drive In

Tasty stuff.

2024 theme parks

Not sure what it says about us that it’s worthwhile to have a summary post about theme parks, but here we are.

Again, you can also see the attractions from 2023, from 2022, and from 2021. And you can see all of the attraction-related blog posts via the exploring category, with the earliest posts at the top, or the latest posts at the top, or more specifically the theme park category (with earliest or latest posts at the top).

Universal Islands of Adventure Theme Park in Orlando, Florida:

Islands of Adventure

Universal Studios Florida Theme Park in Orlando, Florida:

Diagon Alley dragon

Disney World: Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida:

Castle

Disney World: Epcot in Orlando, Florida:

Epcot globe

Disney World: Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida:

Millennium Falcon

Disney World: Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida:

Tree of Life

Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee:

Entrance sign

Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California:

Cars Land

Disneyland in Anaheim, California:

Marching band

Fun times.