When you start talking Florida for a lot of people the first image that pops into their head’s is the Disney Castle, it’s iconic and from what we hear a pretty neat sight to behold (can you believe we’ve never been). The truth is Florida has so much more to offer than just concrete amusements.

The Nature Coast is a slam dunk for adventure seekers, wildlife enthusiasts or anyone looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big vacation hubs.

You could easily fill up a week or more traipsing all over the area, paddling the creeks, springs, visiting the multitude of parks, and generally speaking having an awesome time. Unfortunately for us  we only had 48 hours so we had to make the most of it. On this trip we managed to check off three amazing must-do experiences!

What We Did:

• Paddled the Chassahowitzka River
• Took a dip with West Indian Manatees
• Strolled through Homossasa Springs Wildlife State Park.

Explore the Nature Coast with us, check out our trip video:

Of course no trip would be complete without some tasty treats- you know us! We stumbled across Copp Brewery and Winery and boy are we glad we did!  When you’re in the area DO NOT miss out on this one! They have a great selection of micro brews on tap as well as their very own wine blends ( we stuck to beer though). The atmosphere is cozy,  the brews are tasty and so is the food! We went round the world with 2 flights to share ($6 each, oh so reasonable) this got to try all but one of their beers- we passed on the IPA. After much, much, so much debate we settled on our top three favorites; The Hazelnut Coffee Stout, the Brown Ale, and their 1821 English Ale. Good stuff people, good stuff!

With so much to do, and not enough time to do it all in we were bound to miss out on a few things. No worries though, there’s plenty left on the “to-do” list for the next time we roll through town!

What We Saved For Next Time:

• Week Wachee Springs State Park
• Three Sister Springs
• Crystal River Archeological State Park
• Yule Sugar Mill Ruins

*Traveler’s Tip: If you’re planning on checking out a lot of Florids’s State Parks consider purchasing an annual entrance pass ( $60 individual, $120 family up to 8 ppl). This could save you a bundle in the long run. More info on the park pass here.

Thanks for sticking with us! We hope you enjoyed the video, and might find some inspiration for your own Nature Coast adventure! If you like, leave us a comment and say hi! We’d love to get to know you!