Rainbow Springs State Park in Dunnellon, FL February 14 – 28, 2025

We left Myakka River State Park on Friday, February 14, 2025 for what was supposed to be a 3 hour and 15 minute drive to Rainbow Springs State Park in Dunnellon, Florida for a 14-night stay. Due to heavy traffic on I-75 AND a brushfire near the Interstate that caused limited visibility, our drive turned into 4 hours.

Thankfully we were in no hurry because we didn’t want to arrive TOO early for check-in. I even slowed down and waved at my brother as we drove past his place while we were on I-75, but he never waved back. Busy with work I guess, lol.

Cindy reserved us a nice, pull-through and full hook-up site that was gravel and quite large.

After setting up, neither of us felt like expending the energy to make dinner so we drove into Dunnellon and had dinner at Paige’s Burgers because they advertised homemade root beer, which Cindy loves. The burgers, fries and onion rings were very good, but Cindy really enjoyed the root beer float she had for dessert. Happy wife, happy life.

Rainbow Springs State Park

For millions of years, Rainbow Springs was an important natural resource for humans and animals of this area. Mastodon and mammoth fossils have been found in the Rainbow River bed, as well as Native American relics and tools. Beginning in the early part of the 20th century, the surrounding area was found to be a wealth of phosphate and was mined for such. This new industry created boomtowns like Juliette and Dunnellon. Juliette was located on what is now State Park property and no longer exists. Dunnellon grew from a sleepy little village on the nearby Withalacoochee River when my parents and younger brother lived there in the 70’s to a thriving town today.

Rainbow Springs began its tourist-oriented life in the 1930’s as a privately owned theme park. It, like many freshwater springs in the state, operated as a tourist attraction. But where most of those attractions employed glass-bottomed boats (such as nearby Silver Springs in Ocala), Rainbow Springs used distinctive sub-boats. These boats had stairs that went below the waterline so visitors could descend below the surface and look out at eye-level to the aquatic life of the springs.

Like many smaller, roadside attractions in Florida the introduction of the Interstate highway system negatively affected Rainbow Springs. The Interstate passed by, but not through or to, the small towns that hosted such attractions. Newer, more modern attractions in locations like Orlando and Tampa drew crowds away from the older ones in smaller towns.

I can remember my parents driving up to Dunnellon to visit my Aunt and Uncle during the summer throughout the 60’s. Many times we went swimming or tubing at Rainbow Springs, but all I remember of it was a small, roped off area where we could walk from a sandy shore to the water. Cindy, as a child, also visited Rainbow Springs during the same time and that is all she remembers as well.

By 1974, Rainbow Springs was closed.

In the 1990’s it reopened as a State Park. Imagine, if you will, Walt Disney World closing for two decades and reopening as part of the Florida State Park System. Sounds weird, but that is what happened.

Today, Rainbow Springs State Park consists of more than 1,470 acres. It has three entrances; the campground where we stayed, the head springs day use area we visited twice while there and the tubing entrance which was closed during our stay. It is also a designated National Natural Landmark and a Florida aquatic preserve. In 2023 the park hosted 337,375 visitors who camped, swam, tubed, snorkeled, kayaked, canoed and picnicked throughout its natural setting.

Amber and Abby Visit

On Saturday Amber and Abby were in nearby Crystal River visiting Amber’s aunt, so afterward they came to visit us and spend the night. Amber kindly brought my Valentine’s Day gift for Cindy with her, since I had had it shipped to Amber’s knowing they were coming to visit. It was a blue sapphire ring that Cindy had wanted for quite a while. She seemed properly surprised and pleased.

They also brought us a gift of a new campsite flag. The “Wander, Wonder, Repeat” flag they bought us when we first started our adventure almost 4 years ago had been looking faded and worn. Now we have a new “Live Wild And Free” flag to display.

Since they had an early dinner and so did we, Amber drove us into Dunnellon to an ice cream shop as her treat for dessert. The place was busy enough that we had to wait in line for about 20 minutes. Like I said, Dunnellon has been growing. That night, Abby slept in her usual spot on the dinette that turns into a bed while Amber slept in one of the recliners.

Sunday morning we all enjoyed breakfast in Nomad, then took a hike on a nearby trail with Bella. We wanted to take them over to the Headsprings to walk through the park, but at midday it started raining and the temperature dropped 10 degrees in a matter of minutes. Instead, after lunch, Amber drove us to Paige’s Burgers where we treated them to root beer floats.

They left us in the late afternoon and arrived safely back in Orlando before dark. It was so nice to have the chance to see them one last time before we leave the state. After they left, the weather turned even cooler. We should have taken a blanket out to put on the bed before we called it a night.

Cold Snap, Spanish Lessons and Headsprings

Monday morning we awakened to a cold, COLD morning compared to what we’d had lately. We snuggled up together under the sheet and bedspread and wondered why, oh why, hadn’t we put a blanket on the bed the night before? I jumped out of bed, turned on the furnace and jumped back in until Nomad warmed up a bit. The forecast said it would be even colder later in the week. That’s crazy Florida weather for you. We made sure to get the blanket out and put it on the bed that night!

In preparation for our trip to Mexico that I mentioned in our last post, we purchased the Rosetta Stone course so we could begin learning to speak and read Spanish. All delivered online so we can learn and practice over the next 10 months. Arriba!

Tuesday morning we hiked 3 miles through trails at the Headsprings portion of Rainbow Springs, then grabbed lunch at the cafe they have overlooking the springs. It was interesting to explore because neither Cindy or I could recall seeing this part of the park when we visited as children (long before we met) during the 1960’s. We only remembered the swimming area.

We started our first Spanish lesson. Apparently Rosetta Stone uses the “immersion” approach to teaching language. It will be interesting to see how this works out.

We also heard that Ann, Mikey and Charlotte might come up to visit us one day the following week, so we were very happy about that. 🙂

Season 3 of “Reacher”, Dance and Soccer Competitions

Wednesday morning we hiked before the rains came in the afternoon and evening. We also heard from Cindy’s cousin Darla that she and her husband Ron would be coming to visit us the following Monday. We haven’t seen them in quite a while, so we were looking forward to that visit.

On Thursday we hiked with Bella in the morning, then went grocery shopping and did more planning for our possible move to Mexico. This was the coldest night so far with a low of 34. Brrrr!

Oh, and we watched the first two episodes of “Reacher” season 3 since they premiered that night.

Friday was mostly quiet. We watched Abby and her high school dance team in another competition thanks to her mom sending us videos while the event was taking place. At the end of the night they won the “Spirit” award. It’s nice, when we can’t be there, to watch and cheer on our grandchildren.

Saturday was a cleaning day in preparation for visitors. We also watched Maxwell and his soccer team shut down their opposition 4 – 0, mostly thanks to his outstanding work as his team’s goalie with numerous saves. We love getting to watch these live video feeds from the West Coast.

Bald Eagles and A Restricted Drivers License

Sunday, while on a hike with Bella, we saw a mated pair of Bald Eagles that were hanging out not far from our campsite. Such beautiful, majestic birds. We finished our “Spring” cleaning around Nomad. The weather forecast was for 90% rain the next day, so Darla and Ron rescheduled their visit for our next stop at Paynes Prairie Preserve near Gainesville. Ann, Mikey and Charlotte were still planning on coming up Tuesday, but the rain forecast was 40% so we were keeping our fingers crossed for better weather.

Abby called to let us know she passed her “Class E” knowledge exam (online) the very first time she took it. Now she can get her restricted drivers license, yay! I taught her to ride her first bike many years ago, so she melted this old granddad heart when she told me she wants me to teach her to drive when I come back in November. I doubt she’ll be really be able to wait that long to start driving, but the thought was nice.

Ann and Mikey Visit

Monday was pretty quiet except for the usual hike and I also moved things we had in the backseat of Voyager to the bed so Ann, Mikey and Charlotte could sit in the truck with us when they visit.

On Tuesday Ann and Mikey came up from Orlando to spend a few hours with us. Unfortunately, Charlotte was sick with the flu and we missed getting to see her. They arrived around 11:45 am and we immediately took them to Paige’s Burgers for lunch and shakes/floats for dessert. Then we all took a drive over to where my parents, younger brother and grandmother used to live.

It’s been more than 20 years since I’ve been to their old place. My brother had moved out when he went into the service decades ago and my father and grandmother passed away in 1999. Mom lived there alone for a while, then moved to New York to live with my brother and his family but came back after a few months. After a few more years mom sold the property and buildings and moved into a nursing home before she passed away in 2010.

My brother’s best friend Scott (Hey Scott, your second mention on this blog, lol) drove by there a couple of years ago. When my brother asked me if I wanted to hear about it or see photos, I told him “No”. I really had no interest in hearing or seeing how the place had declined. I really never had any intention of ever visiting the place again and preferred to remember it the way it was when mom, dad and Nana lived there.

But for some reason I felt like since I was staying less than 10 miles away that I should probably drive by. Even then, I wasn’t sure I would until my daughter said she was coming up to see us. That made me especially feel like we should go since during her childhood this is where her grandma, granddad and Nana lived.

So, we went and drove by and now I kinda wish we hadn’t. The place looked dilapidated, decrepit, shabby, derelict and unkept. I mean a real run down junkyard-looking kind of ramshackle place. It was SO sad to see. Most of the neighborhood looked the same. Homes falling apart, fences sagging, broken or lying flat on the ground, junk cars and trucks. Dogs that looked half-starved. One home that looked like a crackhouse had a broken chain link fence with a “Trump 2024” sign on it. Some people never learn.

Thomas Wolfe was right; you can’t go home again. And I’ll add you probably shouldn’t

Wrapping Up

After that depressing stop we bolstered our spirits by driving to the Headsprings. We all walked around the gardens, waterfalls and swimming area taking photos before heading back to Nomad. By the way, Mikey doesn’t like his photo being online so we respect his wishes and either crop or edit him out of photos we post here. But he was with us and had a good time.

Back at the campground we all went on a mile-long hike on the trail and then just spent some time sitting and talking. Around 4:30 pm, Ann and Mikey left so they could get back to Orlando before dark. It was SO good to see them one last time before we leave Florida on this trip. It meant a lot to us to get to see them, as well as Amber and Abby, one last time.

Wednesday and Thursday we studied our Spanish lessons, fueled up Voyager and bought groceries. Then we streamed the next episode of “Reacher” and watched more “Modern Family” during dinner.

Friday was our check-out day. Since we had a full hook-up site we dumped the tanks and then flushed the black tank several times right at our site. We left just before the 1 pm check-out time because we only had an hour of driving time to our next stop.

Thanks for following The Wandering Wetheringtons.