On the Road to Convict Springs

It has been a while since we have had a Two Lane Adventure … we are heading out today for a week! As we were heading to the front of Majestic Oaks, to stage for our departure, there was a hitchhiker looking for a ride to Tallahassee. Do you think we should pick him up?

We mustered at the front of Majestic Oaks, we had 6 RVs in our first group traveling north. We headed out on Chancey Road, to Old Lakeland Highway, onto 301 N. Oooppssss, we just realized that we only had ½ tank of gas! We pulled off them the others and filled up at a Marathon. Right across the street from the gas station was a one of a kind roadside oddity. You can’t call it a junk yard … but what do you call it? It certainly is a shop that contains over-sized unique items! I grabbed a shot of it … then, when I download my pictures … it is not there! Oh no, there were over-sized toy soldiers outside of the building! You really don’t see that in February in Florida!

We turned off 301 and onto 98, heading toward 75N to meet up with the rest of our group. We plan to meet them at a rest area on 75. We normally would not take an interstate, we would take US 19 or 41N. But, we are traveling with the group today. We passed over an area called Gum Slough. What is a Slough? A Slough is an area of soft, muddy ground; swamp or swamp-like area. Gum Slough is a four-mile-long spring run that flows into the Withlacoochee River. The water in Gum Slough comes from several springs, which makes it remarkably clear.

We met up with the rest of the RVer’s at the Rest Area south of Ocala. Everyone was there, several of our group had dogs to walk. Well, Jack was doing what he does best … talking! LOL … he had Lacey, but the poor girl was not getting her walk, because Jack was stationary … Jackie came out and took over the duties … so, poor Lacey could finish her business. We really think Jackie took over, because Jack was distracted … as usual!

Along this route we past, one of my favorite places in Florida, Paynes Prairie. I find this place so fascinating! It is hard to imagine a prairie once submersed as a lake. Perhaps the preserve seems calm and quiet now, but at one time a war was fought on its soil. In the late 1600's the largest cattle ranch in Spanish Florida was formed here and named La Chua. Two hundred years later the Seminole Indians occupied the area. The prairie is thought to be named after a Seminole Chief named King Payne. However, around the prairie several small battles were fought for the Second Seminole War. After the war, in 1871, heavy rains caused the basin of the prairie to flood. Although this area was not inhabitable, people still found a way to use the prairie. Steam-powered boats traveled across what was now called the Alachua Lake to transport lumber, goods and passengers to the shoreline. It wasn't until 1891 that the main drain for the basin became unclogged and the water drained. In 1892 the prairie was again considered a marsh. In the 1900's, William Camp began cattle operations on the prairie. It seems as if the prairie's life cycle had come full circle. After 70 years, the state decided that this habitat was important enough to preserve. In 1971 Paynes Prairie became Florida's first state preserve. Three years later it was designated as a National Natural Landmark.

We exited I-75 onto 441 N. It was a beautiful day and we had the windows down. Charlie swears he could smell the French fries from the McDonald’s we past! We entered High Springs Florida, it is a city that prides itself on the natural beauty of its crystal clear springs, pristine rivers, and varied wildlife. Hence the invitation on their welcome sign to enjoy the city's good nature. The local springs are a popular destination for cave divers from around the world.

We turned onto Route 27, heading closer to our destination for a few days. The Santa Fe River goes underground in O'Leno State Park and reemerges over three miles away in River Rise Preserve State Park as a circular pool before resuming its journey to the Suwannee River. The pool is surrounded by quiet woods and huge trees. We would camp there, but there are only primitive equestrian sites. We like our full hook-ups and I am not a fan of horse flies!

We went through the town of Fort White. Yes, that is the actual name of the original military fort. It was constructed during the Second Seminole War in 1836 to protect the Cow Creek settlement. Supplies were brought in by steamboat on the Santa Fe River and distributed to other area forts. Due to sickness, flooding along the river and rumors of the railroad coming to the area, the settlement was moved 4 miles east to its present location. The town was incorporated in 1884 and grew steadily following the arrival of the railroad in 1888. Phosphate mining, turpentine and agriculture (cotton and oranges) were the foundation of the economy, and the population grew to nearly 2,000. The boom turned to bust as severe freezes in the winters of 1896 and 1897 destroyed the local citrus industry. By 1910, the largest phosphate deposits were depleted and mining ceased. The boll weevil ended cotton farming before World War I, and the population shrank to a few hundred people, primarily farmers, ranchers and foresters.

Northwest of Fort White lies Ichetucknee Springs. The crystalline Ichetucknee River travels six miles through shaded hammocks and wetlands before it joins the Santa Fe River. In 1972, the head spring of the river was declared a National Natural Landmark by the US Department of the Interior. Tubing down the river is the premier activity. But, in addition to tubing, you can enjoy picnicking, snorkeling, canoeing, swimming, hiking, and wildlife viewing. If cave diving interests you, enjoy exploring the scuba diving in the Blue Hole.

Since we are spending a few days on the Suwannee River, I grabbed the first picture we saw of it on the bridge over the river in Branford. This area is saturated with water, rivers, marshes and springs. A hidden gem in north-central Florida, is Troy Springs State Park. It is home to a 70-foot deep spring. It is one of Florida’s thirty three first magnitude springs. This location is offering you an opportunity to bring your family to an old fashioned swimming hole! In addition to swimming, you can snorkel or scuba dive. At the bottom of the spring near Troy Spring State Park, however, is the famous wreck of the steamship Madison. 

For decades, the presence of this wreck baffled locals and historians alike, though Civil War legends give some speculation regarding this underwater mystery. The legends state that the shallow-draft Madison could navigate higher up the Suwannee than any other steamer on the river. Built in 1850, the Madison was owned and operated by James M. Tucker, an advocate for using the Suwannee as a transportation artery through central Florida. When the Civil War broke out between the states in 1861, the Madison was used to carry corn and other supplies to the river port town of Columbus, where trains would then move the supplies to Confederate troops throughout the south. Tucker joined the Confederate Army in 1863 and tasked three men, E.J. Davis, Jonathan Caldwell and Joab Ward, to care for the steamship. As the story goes, due to the threat of Union Capture, the three men scuttled the Madison in Troy Spring. Many believe that the Madison was meant to be retrieved from its hiding place, but it has remained in its underwater grave ever since. Nowadays, divers, snorkelers, and swimmers can clearly see the ribs of the Madison along the spring floor. The wreck of the steamship Madison is just one of the (at least) 10 steamships found at the bottom of the Suwannee, three of which are accessible to divers. Despite the chance to see a wrecked Civil War-era steamship, the Madison pays tribute to the history of river transportation that was essential to not only the South during the Civil War, but also to the growth of Florida as a modern state.

We arrived at our destination, Suwannee River Rendezvous at Convict Springs. 

There are two parts to this campground. The upper section, which is the “new” part … it is wide open with only small trees. There are large pull though sites, pool, spa, clubhouse and covered pavilion. The original part of the campground is more rustic, sites are located under the hammock of the oaks with water and electric. Many walk-in tent sites are located along the banks of the Suwanee River. There is a lodge and an awesome restaurant with a very diverse menu!

Convict Spring has beautiful clear water that makes for great swimming. The spring water flows at a constant 70.5 degrees all year long. The river is beautiful and all the springs are clear. You can enjoy the river and springs at their best. Suwannee River Water Management District has a spring water gauge in the spring. The water level is recorded every day and sent off to the SRWMD every month. Convict Spring is fed from an underground cave system that is fed from the Florida aquifer. The Convict Spring cave has very narrow passages and is only accessible using a side mount dive method. Only very skilled and experienced divers are able to gain access to the cave system. In 2001, 4 men successfully survey the Convict Spring Cave. The extraordinary video footage is testament to the beautiful yet dangerous conditions inside the cave. Why do they call it Convict Spring? In the early 1900’s the spring was used by the Lafayette county jail system. The prisoners worked on road projects (chain gangs) and when it was too far to go back to the jail, they stayed at remote camps throughout the county. Convict Spring was one of these remote camps. Over the years, treasure hunters have found some artifacts from the prison camp days on the property. 

We enjoyed walking down to "the lodge" and the springs for dinner at the restaurant with all of our "gang." 

After dinner we walked back to the pavilion and surprised Pattye with a birthday cake for her 74th birthday and celebrated Pat & Dick for the 55th Wedding Anniversary! We have such a great group of people in our camping club, they are so genuine and caring! It makes such great adventures for us!