The London Sunday Times Travel Magazine assigned us with a great piece on what is known as the Big Bend region of Florida. This area stretches between Crystal River and Steinhatchee on the gulf coast and is one of the last uncrowded and uncommercialized regions of the state. The natural wonders here make the rest of the Florida appear a bit pressure-washed.

We started out in Crystal River, one of the only places in the United States where you can legally touch manatees. Though we were there at the wrong time of year (winter is best) we still got some great shots of a curious baby manatee interacting with kayakers. We headed up to Cedar Key next and stayed at the supposedly haunted Island Hotel. We didn’t notice any ghosts but the hotel’s Heart of Palm salad comes out with a scoop of peanut butter icecream on top and it is certainly other-worldly.

On our way to the Steinhatchee Landing Resort, we stopped for a dip in Fanning Springs, where tourists and local kids alike enjoy diving into the cool clear waters at the spring head. Our friend Matt May rented us an underwater housing used in making the image above.

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