Recently, we enjoyed a beautiful stay at Wekiwa Springs State Park and Campground in Wekiwa Springs, Florida. We arrived on a beautiful Sunday and the springs were busy as families enjoyed swimming, kayaking, biking, and the mid 80ºs weather. We had initially planned on swimming in the springs which are always at a cool 72º year-round but felt that there were a few too many people to enjoy swimming safely and maintaining a proper social distance.
 |
| Martha in our campsite |
 |
| Some Kayakers at Wekiwa Springs |
 |
| Swimming in Wekiwa Springs You can see the freshwater springs flowing. |
After enjoying the beautiful weather and being outdoors on a short hike, we decided to go find some campfire wood. The ranger station was all out and suggested that we go into town to the local Publix. That's when the confusion began! We noticed many of the area stores, roads, and business signs were spelled Wekiwa and some Wekiva! What? The discussion and research began. Oh... By the way. We didn't find any firewood. There was none to be found and the wood in the state park is protected so no fire on this stay.
So was it Wekiwa or was it Wekiva or did they mean something different? We knew from our previous study of the area that the Seminole Indians spoke Creek and Miccosukee. Wekiwa was a Creek word meaning spring of water.
Time for some hiking - Boy did the weather change. Some storms came in overnight and the weather turned cold. Thankfully we have our house with us and we just pulled out our winter coats for the 30º morning weather. After it warmed up into the low 60ºs we went for a hike. The trails were well marked, flat, and easy. They were a bit muddy in spots but we were able to get around easily. Here are some photos:
Before I finish up the debate I have to tell you that as the afternoon rolled in and finishing our successful hike we did a bit of sightseeing in the area. We also went in search of a donut shop that recently became famous on social media in the Orlando Area. DG Donuts. WOW! Not only were the donuts fantastical but they tasted equally as amazing as they looked. If you're ever in the Orlando area, you have to stop in. But get there early because they often sell out! The apple fritter is my favorite and they have a rotating selection of specialty donuts that change each week. Note* We didn't get a good photo of the delicious pecan roll but photos couldn't do it justice. It took us more than 3 days to eat the fritter. No lie.
 |
| Blueberry Poptart - Blueberry filled with blueberry pop tart topping |
 |
| Apple Fritter bigger than your head! |
 |
| Unicorn Horn |
So here we are. We spent January 31-Feb 2, 2021 having a great time camping, hiking, sightseeing, and discussing the area of Wekiwa / Wekiva. This article by Jim Toner in the Orlando Sentinel seemed to explain it the best. The developers of the area heard the Creek word for Spring of Water Wekiwa and thought it was Wekiva (both with the long I) The Seminole Indians don't have a "V" sound in the Creek language but the developers preferred the "va" sound over the "wa" sound. And it became a mix of the two.
We, of course, prefer the original Wekiwa. Either way. we sure did enjoy our time there!
Jim Toner, Orlando Sentinel, You Say 'Wekiva,' I Say 'Wekiwa', July 20, 1999
No comments:
Post a Comment