Sunday Favorites: Summer Weekend Trips You'll Love

TAMPA BAY – There are some little known gems around the state that shouldn't be missed. While they may require more than a day trip, you can hit them up during a road trip or book a night at a hotel to take on one of my weekend adventures–and we are not talking Disney!

Bob’s River Place (2878 County Road 340, Branford, FL 32008)

Deep in the Florida piney woods lies a little slice of heaven on the Suwannee River. Bob’s River Place is a real old Florida watering hole, featuring slides, rope swings, rafts, a kiddie pool and even a log roll.

The owner, Bob, is there everyday monitoring the children as they swing though the air, splashing gleefully in the river water. He embarrasses patrons who wear their pants too low by shouting at them with a bullhorn. When folks are disrupting the crowd by fooling around, Bob will order them to take a "time out" on shore or, if they still don’t settle down, he’ll ban them from the makeshift park for a week.

Bob’s is the one place that can make you feel like a kid again. It’s also a place you can be sure your own kids won’t be chasing around a PokŽmon. Instead, they’ll be mesmerized by the all the fun they can have out in the middle of the woods.

Venetian Pool (2701 De Soto Blvd, Coral Gables, FL 33134)

The Venetian Pool is one of the main attractions in the City of Coral Gables. Carved out of a rock quarry in 1923, it features two look-out towers and an 820,000-gallon pool, which is fed by an underwater aquifer. There are also waterfalls and grottos to explore.

Patrons don’t have to worry, as they are swimming in clean, fresh water. The pool is miraculously drained and refilled every day during the spring and summer season.

When it opened in 1924, the pool was part of the "Venetian Casino," a swanky locale frequented by movie stars like Esther Williams and Olympian-turned-actor Johnny Weissmuller. At night, the pool was drained and an orchestra would conduct a concert at the bottom.

The casino was part of developer George Edgar Merrick’s plan to craft the city with Mediterranean features. Limestone from the quarry was used to build some of the surrounding buildings, some of which still remain today. Today you can find the Venetian Pool on the National Registrar of Historic Places.

It really is a must see, but entry is not allowed for children under three.

Ichetucknee Springs State Park (12087 SW U.S. Highway 27 Fort White, FL 32038)

If you are looking for an adventure but also want to relax, a tubing trip down the Ichetucknee Springs could be the right weekend trip for you (day trip if you are really ambitious).

The 3.5-hour trip takes you down a 6-mile stretch of river filled with lush hammocks and rarely seen wetlands. Deer, otter, birds and other animals and crystal clear water. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to!

Before you start the tubing trip, you can buy tubes at a variety of vendors outside the state park. Since it is a long trip, a carrier float where you can put snorkel gear, towels and other items you don’t want to get wet is suggested. The river is filled with springs everywhere so you won’t want to miss some of the underwater beauty.

The headspring was even declared a National Natural Landmark in 1972 by the U.S. Department of Interior.

Scalloping on Crystal River (Homosassa County, FL)

Scalloping on the Crystal River is a long held tradition for many Floridians. Not unlike lobstering in the Florida Keys, scalloping requires snorkel gear, a boat and a hotel (because you will likely be exhausted after a day of diving).

However, scalloping is a bit easier than lobstering because the scallops are located in relatively shallow water so the kiddos can join in the harvest with ease. The season opens the Saturday before July 1. Anglers can gather two pounds of scallops apiece.

In addition to scalloping, the city of Crystal River offers some fun activities the kids will love like Monkey Island, Homosassa Wildlife Park and a host of down home restaurants.