Okay, I guess it is time to date myself.
When I was a young boy growing up in Tampa, not far from MacDill AFB, I remember to this day a family picnic. My dad threw all of five of us children in a 1956 pale green Chevrolet for a ride to Lithia Springs Park.
Of course SUV's had not been invented nor had seat belts for that fact. So the back seat mosiac of 5 children was an interesting mode of transportation. There were no interstate highways or Leroy Selmon Crosstown Expressways.
I was the oldest child and my next sister was two years younger and of course she was always Daddy's favorite, or so I claimed. The trip along the country roads seemed tortuously long. "Are we almost there yet?"
As the years passed there were no trips to Lithia Springs. As a matter of fact I had long ago moved into Brandon and after many years after that from Brandon to Valrico. In the late 1990's I found myself living in River Hills only a short ride to the hidden away Lithia Springs. In the time since my childhood Brandon had exploded. Besides my community of River Hills, Bloomingdale had exploded upon the scene. Further south a huge planned community of Fishhawke came into existence.
But, nestled away in all this growth was old Florida, Lithia Springs Park. Recently I was riding my bike and at my slower pace than a speeding car, I saw the very small brown sign - "Lithia Springs 1000 feet." Oh the memories.
I turned from my planned route on to the old road made the old fashion way of asphalt with rocks embedded. My bike vibrated on the road and I wondered how different it would look.
At first I thought I had no memories of the spring. But once I was upon the spring, except for minor updates, my memories came alive. The water was faithfully bubbling up and beginning it's journey down the Alafia River to it's ultimate destination of Tampa Bay.
In the middle of all today's hustle was that destination point from my youth with the family. How wonderful that moment was to relive.
As I re-introduced myself to my old friend, I promised to visit her again soon. The next time I would pack my digital camera. But, I wonder if I can find my black and white pictures taken with my trusty Kodak box camera.
Following my next trip, I will post the pictures. Or, go see it for your self:
Liithia Springs Park - 3932 Lithia Springs Rd.
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