Travel Blog: Homosassa, FL

As Friday arrived it was a regular end of the work week, but slightly different knowing I had the whole next week off for a conference in Denver (Laracon). However, prior to the Monday flight I was heading up to Homosassa with Alyson for a fun weekend of boating. Like it seems on most travel days we had some aggressive rain storms on our 1hr 15~ minute drive north, but arrived safely.

We pulled into Old Mill Tavern in the heart of Homosassa which seemed like an establishment that all the locals enjoyed to meet some friends.

A place that looks like a place I would skip in Tampa, but we took one of the many parking spaces and walked in. Surrounded by people, plywood and Christmas lights was quite a sight. We walked up to the bar together and I got a gin/tonic while Alyson got a seltzer and our bill was $5 even. I couldn't believe it as I've been paying over $10 for a single drink in Tampa.

At the price point I was convinced immediately that it was a great place and we ordered some fish bites, salad and fries. The fish was fresh and everything was cheap - it was a breath of fresh air from the costs of Tampa as our entire bill was probably sub $30.

Our main focus was boating the next day so it was time to head to the house and unpack and sleep. One thing that amazes me is how an empty fridge can be instantly packed when you have 7 people bringing a variety of party items.

When Saturday arrived I went off on a early 6am run through the little town and it wasn't exactly walking friendly. I couldn't find a single sidewalk and ran on the road the entire way twisting through neighborhoods. Thankfully the early morning didn't have many cars to contend with.

Once back I hopped in the car with some friends and we picked up the pontoon boat to take it back to the house. On our journey down the river to the house we passed the famous Monkey Island which indeed had monkeys on it.

We passed probably 100 boats at 8am which seemed insane, but I guess grabbing your boat from the marina puts you in the heart of the busy area. Saturdays on the water must be the busiest time of the week.

We loaded up the boat with 7 people, a toddler, multiple coolers, multiple floating devices, multiple snacks and more thus started the slow boat trip to the spring. As we got closer to the spring the amount of boats anchored and swimming increased massively. When I looked at Google Maps it appeared we were basically in the water of the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.

The water was a crisp 74 degrees presumably from the groundwater spring and was a shock to the body after jumping in. Drinks were consumed while floating around with plenty of conversation and snacks. As hours passed it was time for the little one to take a nap while we prepared to head via water to a popular local fish spot.

We pulled into a place called "The Freezer" which was a crazy unique experience. I could break the experience down into a few bullet points.

• It was an open air indoor space with AC units at their absolute limit dripping condensation all over us the entire meal.
• The place was cash only despite their website saying "flexible payments, including major credit cards."
• The place was pretty dirty with grim, flies and dirt in all places.
• The place was incredibly busy with tables shoved close together.
• Menus were plastered all over the walls alongside thousands of annotated dollar bills.
• All food was served in to-go containers.
• The steamed shrimp for $21.20 a pound was absolutely amazing.

The food was great at this place, but you have to probably have a few drinks in you after a day of swimming to attend it. Obviously it used to be a bait freezer that now houses a restaurant which means it doesn't really check the boxes that a regular restaurant would have.

Once done with that we had to boat back to the house to drop off the supplies and some of the group as our 5pm return was coming up. We pulled into the marina at exactly 5:00pm for perfect timing for our return. We had to wait on the staff to fill up the tank to figure out how much we owed, but the staff member slipped and fell into the water with the gas pump. This resulted in a moment of panic as all staff members swarmed the dock to check on the staff member who was upset his phone was probably ruined.

Staying in the sun all day stole all our energy so we stayed inside eating & drinking all the supplies we had remaining from the boat. The morning would be here quick for a bit of kayaking and travel so we passed out from a day of drinking.

Alyson and I went out for a quick morning kayak and we hit the perfect time where the water looks like glass. We kayaked around for a quick little bit, but we had to head back to begin packing to head on home for other engagements. It was a good chance to use the fold-able kayak and work on my speed of building and packing it back up.

It was a great mini vacation with friends, but I had to get home to prepare to fly out for Laracon in Denver and catch the last stage of the Tour de France. With short drives to Homosassa and Anna Maria it looks like there are amazing Florida places not far from Tampa to visit when we need a little vacation.