Day 1 — Deleon Springs We’ll begin with an early morning departure so we can visit the old sugar mill, where we’ll make our own pancakes at our tables, and then swim off all the maple syrup in De Leon spring, proclaimed the fountain of youth by famous explorer Ponce de Leon. We can swim and snorkel until its magical powers reveal themselves. Paddling the surrounding National Wildlife Refuge will offer great views of the enormous wintering population of migratory birds. This little gem of a park is located well off the beaten path six miles north of DeLand, where you can kick off a visit by cooking up your own pancake breakfast. Folklore has it that Ponce de Leon discovered the Fountain of Youth here, but there's no solid proof to support the legend. One reality is that native Floridians resided around the park's spring for thousands of years — as evidenced by a 6,000-year-old dugout canoe unearthed at the site. Local planters built a sugar mill beside the spring ...