How to Beat the Heat
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (120850)
Gainesville, Florida
June 20, 2024 8:22pm CST
With the summer solstice upon us, the summer heat is fully entrenched. At least here in steamy, tropical Florida, where summer actually started a month or two ago (heat wise). So what a better way to beat the heat than to skip out of work early and head to the springs!
Florida's springs are world famous for their crystal clear waters and year-round constant 72 degree waters. You couldn't ask for more perfect conditions on a hot summer day.
Today's adventure took me to Itchetucknee Springs State Park in Fort White, Florida, and an hour and a half float down the Itechucknee River from the spring head. It was just the perfect thing to cool off on a beautiful (but hot) summer day.
Besides staying indoors in climate controlled buildings, what's your favorite way to stay cool during the summer?
Photo is of a small limestone bluff along the north bank of the river. In the photo you can also see the crystal clear river water. So clean and clear that you can almost drink straight from the river!
19 people like this
20 responses
@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun
That sounds beautiful! I love camping next to rivers or streams where you can hear the smooth, pleasant sounds of water flowing over rocks. It makes for a great night of sleep (or napping during the day).
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (467179)
• Switzerland
21 Jun
@moffittjc We have a stream that runs from the hill in front of us and runs along our garden. We hear the pleasant sound of the water over the rocks all the time, particularly during summer when we keep the windows open.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun
@LadyDuck I recall that you have mentioned that stream before in your comments. It must be really nice having one so close to your home.
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@GardenGerty (159754)
• United States
22 Jun
We had a good gentle breeze under the trees when I was outside mowing, etc. today.
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun
I enjoy laying in a hammock under the shade of a tree. Preferably near a river or creek.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jun
@GardenGerty We had a really nice breeze today too, and very low humidity, so it also felt good here when in the shade. Very unusual for us this time of year.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (65348)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
21 Jun
Last year, when we were doing monthly or bi-monthly staycations, I'd gotten into swimming. I enjoy a good hot tub, but I also don't mind a good swim.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun
Do you have your own pool, or did you swim at a municipal or public pool?
2 people like this
@kaylachan (65348)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
21 Jun
@moffittjc Growing up my back yard was a swimming pool, not much room for much else. When I moved to Daytona I used the pool at whatever apartment complex I lived in. Now, we use the pool and hottub when we go on staycations to local hotel and motels.
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun
@kaylachan I have been to the beaches all up and down the Atlantic coast of Florida and have snuck into multiple pools at beachside resorts!
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun
Count your blessings. This Florida humidity is nothing to mess with!
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (170715)
• United States
21 Jun
Lovely photo. I stay in the AC. Too hot for me. I still prefer this to the cold and s**w of winter. Have a good day. Are the springs warm enough for manatees?
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun
I’m too far inland for manatees, but in the winter they do swim upstream in the rivers and springs near the coast. Somewhere buried deep in my phone’s photo library is a couple of pictures of my girlfriend and I swimming with manatees. We were at a spring called Three Sisters Spring, near the Homossassa River on the west coast of Florida just north of Tampa. The state has since closed the spring to public swimming due to the fact that so many manatees congregate there in the winter.
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Jun
@LindaOHio If it will load, here’s a picture from Three Sisters Springs.
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@LindaOHio (170715)
• United States
22 Jun
@moffittjc Yes, we were going to go to that area on our Florida trip. Saw my first manatee in 2000 in the Everglades. It was so cool.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun
Most of the state’s biggest and best springs are in central and north central Florida, but there are a few good ones in the panhandle area. Almost all of them are state parks. You’ll be amazed at how clear the water is.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
26 Jun
@porwest I think Wakulla Springs south of Tallahassee is the biggest and most popular spring in the panhandle area. You should check it out next time you are down that way.
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@porwest (85053)
• United States
22 Jun
@moffittjc And the panhandle happens to be my favorite area to visit. Cape San Blas, Appalachicola, St. George Island...like no other.
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@snowy22315 (176746)
• United States
22 Jun
It is beautiful and pristine. I like to swim in our lovely lake. A woman and her kids were swimming in a spring like that in FLA. When they got attacked by a gator. The girl was up in a tree and the gator kept snapping trying to reach her. It sounded like something out of a horror movie. She was up there at least an hour until help arrived
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@snowy22315 (176746)
• United States
22 Jun
@moffittjc I think that is what is was However, I doubt the people knew where the Gator's nest was.
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jun
I remember reading about that girl and the gator. It's very unusual for the gators to mess with people. They are in all the springs, but generally they keep clear of the swimming areas where people are. I think they said in the case of the girl she somehow got too close to the gator's nest, and the gator was trying to defend its territory .
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Jun
@snowy22315 I agree, I don’t think they knew. They would have been very stupid to purposely swim around a Gators nest.
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@annierose (21589)
• Philippines
21 Jun
That sounds like a refreshing escape from the summer heat! Swimming and ice cream are definitely great ways to stay cool.
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@annierose (21589)
• Philippines
21 Jun
@moffittjc I don't know which is my favorite. I love all flavors of ice cream. In fact I am an ice cream lover but I have to control my cravings because too much of it is not good.
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun
@annierose We are only on this earth for a short period of time, I say you should eat all the ice cream you want!
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun
I love ice cream, but I am lactose intolerant, so I have to be picky and choosy about what ice creams I can eat. Otherwise, I would probably eat ice cream every day during the summer.
What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (50051)
• Canada
21 Jun
It looks and sounds very cooling and relaxing.
On Sunday we are driving up to Lake Huron to Bayfield, which is a quaint little town, both to take in the scenery, enjoy the cool air off of the lake and to do a bit of shopping for my hubby. It should be a nice time.
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jun
Even though summer is officially upon us now, do you still get some cool weather up your way?
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@Juliaacv (50051)
• Canada
22 Jun
@moffittjc No, not lately, it has been super hot and humid.
We are going up to the bush, Lake Superior in a few weeks.
That lake is so huge that it apparently has such a cooling effect on those who visit, the air is drier and cooler and we are both looking forward to that.
Our weather has been in the high 30's C and low 40's.
It is the humidity that kills a person, it just is so draining.
Our son is heading to a bachelor party down in Miami in early July with some guys from up here.
I cannot imagine leaving this heat for more heat. But I believe it will be a bonding weekend, they are going to a baseball game on the day that they arrive to see the Mariners play. They got really good seats at a really good price.
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Jun
@Juliaacv That should be a really great game between the Marlins and Mariners. The Marlins have a really nice stadium in Miami, hopefully the humidity won’t be too terribly bad for them at the game.
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@Tampa_girl7 (49864)
• United States
25 Jun
I love to be in water on hot days and miss the springs and beaches of Florida.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (49864)
• United States
25 Jun
@moffittjc It’s something that I never got over.
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
27 Jun
@Tampa_girl7 I don't think I would ever get over it either. Do you ever get the chance to come back and visit?
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Jun
If I ever moved out of Florida I would terribly miss the springs and rivers too.
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Jun
Thanks. Our neighborhood has a community pool, but I would much rather drive an hour to spend time in the great outdoors.
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
27 Jun
@just4him I agree. The benefits are worth the drive.
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@just4him (317038)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
25 Jun
@moffittjc There are greater benefits to driving an hour north to enjoy nature.
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@lovebuglena (43886)
• Staten Island, New York
25 Jun
Are you allowed to get in the water?
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
27 Jun
Yes, I was in the water when I took the picture.
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Jul
@lovebuglena We have our share of murky water in lakes, canals and rivers. But one great thing about springs and spring-fed rivers is that the crystal clear water comes straight from the underground aquifer, where it’s as clean and pure as it gets.
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@lovebuglena (43886)
• Staten Island, New York
28 Jun
@moffittjc Such clear waters. As it should be. I hate brown looking water. Or when it's cloudy.
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@SIDIKIMPOLE (1270)
• Eldoret, Kenya
21 Jun
I am happy for you!! But my best way to stay cool is to be under a tree shade, although sometimes a snake could appear from nowhere and spoil my peace!!
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun
Don’t be angry at the snakes. They just want to cool off under the shade tree too.
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Jun
@SIDIKIMPOLE That’s true, you have to be very careful around snakes!
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@SIDIKIMPOLE (1270)
• Eldoret, Kenya
21 Jun
@moffittjc Not angry at them totally, but you know most of them are venomous and could cause lethal impact if they bite you.
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@2ndchances24 (7489)
• Cloverdale, Indiana
21 Jun
Wish we had a place that good to enjoy, I miss the Fla waters
but it's all good when it comes to hurricain season in Fla.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun
Yeah, I’m not happy about it being hurricane season right now. All is quiet for now, but usually around Labor Day weekend the tropics really heat up.
1 person likes this
@2ndchances24 (7489)
• Cloverdale, Indiana
22 Jun
@moffittjc yep & around the Oct Nov it really gets ramped up.
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Jun
@2ndchances24 It always seems like those late season storms are always the worst ones.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (159754)
• United States
22 Jun
I would like to go to the water more often. This is a lovely picture. We have some good lakes around here. Our city water actually comes from a spring.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jun
Our city is home to the University of Florida, one of the largest public universities in the country. What brought the university here originally was that the city promised them free water, which at the time was sourced from a small spring on the eastern side of the city. That spring is still there today, it's incredibly small (not even big enough to swim in), and the original water works pipes and equipment are still there. It's pretty cool to see, even though technically there is not much there to see. lol
@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Jun
I have a swimming pool in my neighborhood for residents to swim in, the water is always cool and refreshing. But I like going to the springs and rivers because I love nature.
@RasmaSandra (77609)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
21 Jun
Most likely in the tropical heat of Florida, I will stay inside more than outside, But I am planning a trip with my cane which will take me three blocks to the beach and the Atlantic Ocean and then throwing myself into the waves, Of course, holding on to the cane, Then hobbling home completely wet and will probable be dry by the time I get there, Other than that no other plans, On the other hand if I could get to that place in the photo I would be sitting in those water every day,
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (77609)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
22 Jun
@moffittjc all of the above high surf etc and rain all day, It is 84 with high humidity, The Halifax River is a block away but I have never explored where anything happens along the river and with a four-pronged cane it can be difficult for me, At least the walk to the beach is almost a straight line,
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
26 Jun
@RasmaSandra Better to be safe and walk the straight line to the beach!
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jun
The Itchetucknee River is about 45 minutes away from where I live. Trust me, if it was any closer, I would be there every day as well.
How's the weather in your area tonight (Friday)? They said a tropical disturbance was moving through the area, so I was wondering if you were getting high surf and rip currents and even a little bit of rain.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (19578)
• United States
25 Jun
Cool!! lol I love eating ice cream and watermelon. As I am typing, I'm eating watermelon.
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@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
27 Jun
That sounds like a perfect treat for a hot summer day! I had some watermelon last week. This week, grapes seem to be my fruit of choice.
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (59258)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
21 Jun
I went and played in the creek today a little bit today before going on home. It was nice. I need to get some summer clothes when I get some money and go spend some more time in the water. We are talking about taking he child fishing this weekend.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun
I love playing in the creeks!
And you don’t need to go get summer clothes, just strip down to your panties and bra and jump on in!
@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Jun
@thislittlepennyearns I knew I liked you for a reason!
@thislittlepennyearns (59258)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
22 Jun
@moffittjc Ha, one would have to wear panties to strip down into them.
1 person likes this
@zhangxueying (3329)
• China
21 Jun
This scenery is very beautiful. You have a relaxed summer, and most of the time I use air conditioning to cool down in my room during the summer
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun
I also spend a lot of time inside in the air conditioning, but I also like being outside as well…just not when it’s hot.
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