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 in 1830. It was torched by Union troops during the Civil War and later rebuilt.

By the 1880s, the spring had become a winter resort, luring tourists with the promise of rejuvenation. In the 1950s, it was further developed as an attraction, adding gardens, a jungle cruise and water circus. Its fortunes faded with the advent of Disney World, and the state acquired the property in 1982, redeveloping it as a state park.

Today, the old mill is home to a restaurant where folks line up each morning to grill pancakes, made from freshly stone-ground flour, right at their tables.

Once satiated, visitors can undertake a variety of activities. Many go for a swim in the tranquil spring, which discharges more than 15 million gallons of water a day — at a constant year-round 72 degrees. Others stride out on the park's network of hiking trails or canoe, kayak or paddleboard along the spring run, known as Spring Garden Creek.

Day 2-  Juniper Springs

 We’ll begin by snorkeling and exploring a wonderful second magnitude spring. Afterward we’ll navigate our kayaks down the extremely narrow gin-clear waters snaking through the sub-tropical Juniper Springs National Wilderness area.

Juniper Springs:

• Excellent brush land environment, home to the endangered Florida Scrub Jay.

• Narrow, winding, crystal waters through a lush, designated wilderness area.

• Up-close and personal photo opportunities with massive Florida alligators.

• Likely sightings of deer, otter, and perhaps even the Florida Black Bear.

Day 3-  Blue Springs

This huge spring discharges about 100 million gallons of water daily into the nearby St. Johns River, just west of Orange City and about 32 miles north of Orlando.

A year-round favorite among residents and visitors alike, Blue Spring reaches its peak in popularity from November to March when several hundred manatees crowd the spring run seeking the warmth of its constant 73-degree water. The lazy but loveable "sea cows" are easily viewed from a boardwalk bordering the spring.

Boats (nonmotorized) are OK when manatees are in residence, but since the spring is a certified refuge for the endangered creatures, swimming, snorkeling and diving are not permitted. During the remainder of the year, the springs are open to swimmers, snorkelers, divers, boaters, hikers and fishermen. Park amenities include canoe and kayak rentals, a snack bar, picnic area and a campground with RV sites and six cabins.

Day 4- Silver Springs

Our travels will find us in the Ocala National Forest. Putting in on the Silver River we will paddle to the source, the Silver Springs. A paddle trip on the Silver River in the Ocala National Forest features some of Florida’s most beautiful scenery and diverse wildlife. This short river with translucent blue headsprings has been described as magnificent and magical, but in 1873 Harriett Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin said it best with “There is nothing on earth comparable to it.”

The headwaters start at Silver Springs, the world’s largest natural artesian spring, which produces nearly 550 million gallons of water each day. Seven miles downriver, the crystal clear Silver meets the tea-colored Oklawaha River.

Spending the day on Silver River will reveal why the Silver Springs attraction bills itself as “Nature’s Theme Park”. Beside the subtropical landscape, the river is famous for its abundant wildlife. Anhingas, ducks, egrets, herons, ibis’, hawks, limpkins and kingfishers are some of the many birds that inhabit the area.

One animal that you wouldn’t expect to find in Central Florida is the Rhesus monkey. Several troops of these monkeys live wild along the length of the river. Legend has it the monkeys are descendants of escapees from Tarzan films shot at Silver Springs; however the Silver Springs web site (www.silversprings.com) lists the source as a concessionaire who operated the Jungle Cruise boat ride during the 1930s. The monkeys were placed on an island in the river and they simply swam off and disappeared into the neighboring forest.

DAY 5-  Ichetucknee Springs

We start a little early today so we can be one of the first people on the water. The Ichetucknee is the ultimate tubing run in the world! Clear flowing water, sand bottom littered with fossilized sharks teeth, and the States Highest level of protection. Make sure to pack your snorkeling gear and underwater camera.

DAY 6-  Rainbow Springs

Located three miles north of Dunnellon, this park has gained the prestigious designation of a National Natural Landmark. Such recognition seems justified when viewing the headspring from a lofty overlook near the park entrance. It is an exquisite scene — the glassy crystal-clear water flanked by forests and fringed by marsh grass — as if lifted from the canvas of a landscape painter.

Rainbow's beauty attracted early developers, who dredged the spring run for glass-bottom boats, built waterfalls, planted ornamental gardens and tacked on a zoo and a monorail.

Here, too, newer theme parks lured away the tourists and the park closed, reopening in the mid-1990s as a state park. The gardens and waterfalls were maintained as a reminder of the park's cultural heritage, but the monorail was replaced in favor of nature trails that meander through the gardens and hilly forests surrounding the spring.

Picnicking is one of the park's most popular pastimes, aided by a number of covered pavilions nicely equipped for grilling. Most visitors, however, come to Rainbow to recreate in the refreshing headspring and beyond on the Rainbow River, pursuing such activities as swimming, snorkeling, canoeing, kayaking, tubing and fishing. The park also features a full-service campground with 60 sites for both RVs and tents.