Wakulla Springs

Wakulla Springs feels like a portal to old Florida, where Spanish moss-draped oaks frame one of the world's largest freshwater springs and the hush of nature replaces digital static. The grand 1930s lodge, with its soaring cypress-beamed lobby and period charm, stands sentinel over glassy blue-green waters teeming with manatees, alligators, and a chorus line of wading birds. Families pile into riverboats helmed by local captains—sometimes serenading passengers with ballads—as they wind through wild cypress corridors, each bend alive with wildlife and stories. Inside the lodge, hand-dipped ice cream from the vintage parlor is an essential rite after a day spent swimming or exploring shaded trails. There’s no TV in guest rooms; instead, windows open to ancient forest and springs alive with history and quiet intrigue. Locals treat Wakulla as both sanctuary and playground—a place for family reunions and generations-old traditions—while travelers find respite from the modern world in its timeless calm. Here, the line between tourist and Floridian dissolves amid cool spring water and Southern hospitality.