Cedar Key, By Way of Crystal River

The calendar may say I turn 55 today, but I have the maturity of a 5 year old.  The advantage of being a nominal adult is Mom and Dad can't tell me to go back to bed.  So, I was out of bed at 4 AM.

 On Kings Bay, Crystal River, 6:36 AM.  Drove at the speed limit so not to be paddling in the dark

 

 

 

 

 

A pontoon tour boat had left Bird's Underwater, near where I parked, just before I got underway.  It was at Three Sisters Springs when I arrived.  All passengers were still on board. I paddled into the Springs.

 

Signs every ten yards state, No Landing, No Tying to Vegetation.  Which is why I have an anchor.

 In the water at 7:15

 

Barnacle Bud found me interesting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were 20 or so manatees in the springs.  I figured there would be.  It was in the 40's in the area to nights ago.  50's Tuesday night.  I kayaked in a long sleeved shirt. Of course I took it off to snorkel.

 No one was in the springs but me.  Until I got to the spring on the right from where you enter.  One guy with a fancy camera.  As the name implies, there are 3 main springs at Three Sisters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

video

 

 

 

Swam out of the short run from Three Sisters into the wider waterway.  The tourists on the pontoon boat were coming in.  Snorkeling.  On top of swim noodles.  The Crystal River manatee tour industry makes it to easy.  Which is why it gets so crowded.

 

 

 

Back to the Springs, the group was in one blob.  I snorkel to my kayak, below.

 Got out of the water. Snorkeled 30 minutes

Hand held shots

 

 

Manatee video

 

another

 

last one

 

Reflection? Shadow?

 

 

 

 

 

 Magnolia Spring. Full of manatees. On November 15 it will be closed.  One year on my birthday it was closed due severe cold weather.

 

 

 

 Another spring

Cattle barges, aka manatee tour boats on Kings Bay.  Headed for Three Sisters.  Sure am glad I had an early start.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I wanted to go to King Spring. Largest in Kings Bay.  But, I got distracted exploring.

Which is not a bad thing.

 

 Osprey

Another island, another bald eagle

 

 Same eagle, other side of the island

 

 

Crystal River power plant.  Later in the day, I would see it from the north west

 I'd name it Dave's Dock. Brother Pete may like it as is.  Brother Pat would change the first name.  Other siblings may think Monica's Mooring, Chris's Cove, Andy's Anchorage, or Clare's Cay.  I also think it would be no fun to paddle with 15 other people.  Unless they were family.

 

 

 

 

Pie billed grebe

Last three pics, osprey, great blue heron, great egret. Same tree.

 

 

Hunter Spring

 

 

Stayed at the King's Bay Lodge for my birthday in 2010.  Last three years, now four, in Cedar Key

 Outflow from the Lodge pool.  Which is a spring

 

Landed at 10:48

New since last time I was here.  Good information about how to behave towards manatees.  Which the people that should read, don't.  Taken at 11:07.  Cedar Key is 57 miles away.

 In my unit at Park Place, number 331, at 12:17.  As it has an upstairs loft bedroom, it is more than a mere "room".  As for the last two, and maybe three years, there was a birthday card on the table.

Lunch, Yak Telling, checking birthday wishes, back in the yak at 2:40

 

 

 I did not see any dolphins in Kings Bay

 

 

Aways good to get a tail shot.  The dolphins distracted me from headed to where I planned to go.

Atsena Otie Key

 Eagle pair

 Through a gap for a closer look

 

 

 

Same pair, different tree

 

 

 

 Coming out of the gap.  Two kayakers passed by just as I came out.  The only ones I saw.  Unlike at Crystal River, where I saw at least 25.  15 in one armada.

 

 Number 2 Channel

 

 

 

 

Black crowned night heron. In the rookery  near Nature's Landing

 

Turned back before the Number 2 Bridge

 

 

 

 Sun setting behind a cloud bank, 5:23 PM

Mean fish with a crown.  Or, Mohawk.

 

 I see a block G.  Packers are going all the way!

 

 

Looking in the kitchen of the Island Room restaurant.  Where  would have my birthday dinner.

 Kitchen and part of the dining room

 

Landed at 5:50. Shower, shaved.  The Island Room is a little more upscale then the places on Dock Street, so I put on a shirt with a collar. My Kayak polo.

 Roll

Clam chowder

 Cedar Key Seafood Boil. Clams, bay scallops, shrimp, sausage, red potato, broccoli. Very good.

Chocolate cake.  Made on site. On 11-12-14.  If it had been made for me it would have been German chocolate, but this was good.  I had asked my server, "If it were my birthday, what would you recommend?"  "We have birthday cake and a delicious chocolate cake"

 

The check included the cake.  $38.00 for what you see here, and a rum and coke.  There were two servers.  I said to the second one, "No birthday deals?"  "We did not know it was your birthday"  I need to be more direct.   Or not.  Checking my checking account, it was only debited $38.00. I had written in a $8.00 tip on the receipt.  At least I did on my copy, so I must have done the same on the server copy.  

4 or 5 other tables had been occupied. Empty as I left. I will be back

 The Island Room is the closest restaurant to Park Place.  On the bottom floor of the Cedar Cove condos.  The building that blocks my sunrise view most of the year.  I walked home on the beach.

A fine birthday.