Summer at Wekiwa Springs

By Corey Gehrold

If you’re looking for a great family summer vacation spot, but don’t want to break the bank filling the gas tank, consider a trip to breathtaking Wekiwa Springs State Park just 40 minutes northwest of East Orlando in Apopka. As a recent visitor myself, I was amazed to learn it is one of Florida's only two federally-designated “Wild and Scenic Rivers,” right in our own backyard!

Taking the environment for granted is something we are all guilty of at one time or another in our lives. Between driving the kids to school, rushing to business meetings or just living our generally busy lives, we can get so caught up in day-to-day routines that we forget about the beauty that surrounds us. In fact, these were the exact reasons that five of my closest friends and I decided to take a break from the norm, and experience something new. We decided to go kayaking and attempt to reconnect with the great outdoors. After a short car trip, complete with impromptu karaoke to Queen’s greatest hits, we arrived at Wekiwa Springs State Park and immediately made our way down to the rental center to get suited up for our adventure.

Stepping into my plastic seaward vessel I was a little uneasy at first, to say the least; mainly because I had never done anything close to kayaking before. Although a little tricky to get the hang of right away, after spinning halfway through my third full circle, I was pointed in the right direction and ready for a day of downstream paddling. I am convinced that if I wasn’t smiling so much, my mouth would have hung in awe of what I saw. We were almost immediately welcomed with tall, tree-filled shores and pristine wildlife ranging from turtles sunbathing on branches to dozens of Blue Herons and Swallow-tailed Kites flying majestically overhead and an occasional White-tailed Deer sipping the cool freshwater from the river’s banks. Picturesque is an understatement.

As we glided slowly along with the gentle current, we became gracefully enveloped by the centuries-old oak trees creating a shady canopy retreat from the sun. We soon stopped at a natural sandbar to enjoy some lunch and a relaxing swim under the trees and were greeted with small schools of fish swimming around our feet in the crystal clear river.

It was at this moment, surrounded by all this natural beauty and flourishing life, that I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time: humbled. Taken back by everything around me, I felt an immense appreciation for everything I have in life. There was no angst or worry, no jealousy or anticipation; it was simply nature. It was simply Wekiwa.

Grab your family, round up your friends or just treat yourself to one of Central Florida’s greatest gifts. Embrace the environment for all it has to offer. I’m not trying to say that renting a plastic boat will give you your moment of Zen, or even make life’s problems disappear. But, what it does offer is an experience entirely unique to the individual.

Perhaps you’ll walk away with something as profound as a renewed outlook on life, or maybe it will be something as straightforward as a smile on your face and the personal satisfaction of trying something new. Whatever the case, you’ll walk away with a memory to share for a lifetime, and a great story of what you did during your summer vacation.