[Michael 61]

After living here almost two years, I finally made a day trip today to Silver Springs State Park. Easy drive under an hour just east of Ocala. What an enjoyable experience! Nice trails to walk around and a very nice on-site cafe. The highlight was the glass-bottom boat ride. Highly recommend the 90 minute ride, as the longer ride concentrates on wildlife in addition to viewing the crystal blue springs. We saw several manatee, gators, and a plethora of birds. The scenery was breath-taking. Buy your tickets on line in advance. Highly recommend this easy day trip - and then afterwards, you can visit a good restaurant in Ocala (I went to Amrit for the first time - very good Indian food and wonderful service.)