Lost Girls Adventures

If you are looking for a unique wildlife experience, Paynes Prairie Preserve is located in Micanopy, Florida and offers eight different trails including a 16 mile long trail providing many opportunities to get up close and personal with Florida's wildlife.

We grabbed our bug repellent, bottled water and cameras and hit the trails hoping for a glimpse of some wildlife and we were not disappointed! We saw everything from bald eagles to wild horses. Came face to face with deer and took a walk with wild bison.


First stop, the observation tower for a bird's eye view of the prairie. We were hoping to see some herds of wild horses and bison and get a general idea of their location before braving the wild open landscape.

50' high observation tower

We climbed to the top deck, doing our best to ignore the slight swaying of the tower in the wind, and spotted two herds of wild horses far off in the distance. Sadly, we didn't spy any buffalo.


Not to be deterred, we headed back down and followed the signs to Cones Dike Trail. We stop at the gate and this large warning sign. From here on, there is nothing between you and the alligators, bison, bobcats and countless other species roaming free.


The first thing we noticed on the well maintained trail was the abundance of hoof prints and manure from horses, bison and deer. The trail itself is in constant use by people and wildlife. After about a mile's hike we spotted a dark dot on the trail far up ahead moving toward us.

The moving dot kept growing and growing as we got closer and we realized, this dot had horns. This was our first glimpse of a wild bison. He kept an eye on us but didn't stop his leisure stride. He seemed to be alone and in no hurry at all.


We stopped walking and waited to see what this lonely bison would do. We didn't want to get too close to this beauty or agitate him but he just kept coming closer. To our right is a barbed wire fence and to our left is alligator infested marsh so walking off the path is not a good idea.

Just as he was getting a tad too close and we were turning to head back the way we came the bison politely veered off into the marsh and, to our relief, walked along beside us keeping a safe barrier of marshy wet land separating us.

We were so thrilled to have an encounter with a wild bison but nothing could prepare us for the sight of the entire herd resting peacefully in the tall grass. They were blending in so well it wasn't until we were beside them and started counting heads that we even knew they were there. 

Herd of over 30 bison blending with their surroundings

 An agitated bison can be a very dangerous animal so we quietly observed and took some pictures before moving on. A couple of them glanced in our direction but the majority ignored us completely. Just passed the herd we had our next wildlife encounter. Lounging right along our path was an alligator. He saw us before quickly making his way into the water and swimming off.


 Not long after, we spot a much larger alligator sunning himself between the trees. He was a good distance from our path but we noticed slide marks going down into the water which was a good indication he uses the trail on a regular basis.


 All along the trail we started to see racoon tracks, coyote prints and large cat prints. We found animal remains, some bone fragments, a jawbone and what used to be an opossum. We could hear the grunts of wild pigs but they were too far off the trail to see.

There was a hawk circling above us on our journey and at one point we caught sight of a large bald eagle's nest. The eagle was perched in the tree nearby. We saw countless varieties of birds making this place a bird watcher's dream.

We hiked a total of 6 miles and only saw a small portion of this place. Heading back I had a wonderful encounter with a young deer.


 This baby stayed on the path and snacked away allowing me to walk right by. Mom was in the bushes keeping a close eye on me.

Checking with Mom to make sure all was safe

 One of the sweetest sounds I have ever heard was this deer sneeze.


On our way back to the parking lot we accidentally startled an armadillo who gave us the perfect tail end to our journey.


 This had to be one of the best hikes we have ever taken. There is so much to see and we didn't even see half of it.

If you plan to visit here are some tips:

Take bottled water.
Bug repellent is your friend.
Bring binoculars for the observation tower.
Try to visit during the cooler months because it gets incredibly hot during the summer.
Take your bike. Those on bikes managed to make it much further than we did on foot.
Try to get an early start because the park closes at sundown.
Avoid weekends if you want to have the trails to yourself. The less people the better your chances to see wildlife.
Don't forget your camera.

Located in Withlacoochee State Forest in Citrus County, Florida

When we arrived we saw no parking lot or signs. We were visiting on a weekend and knew we were in the right place only because of all the cars parked beside the road. We followed the trail in and came across this sign which is not visible from the road.


From the sign on it's a nice little walk to the first cave. There are about 4 different caves in the area. We passed visitors out for a walk with their dogs, couples enjoying the day and adventurous cave explorers ready to squeeze themselves into the most narrow of passages.



Armed with cameras and flashlights we were excited to arrive at the first cave known as Vandal Cave due to all the graffiti strewn across the cave walls and bits of trash thrown here and there. It's so sad to see the state of this once beautiful place trashed in such a way.



Walking around the tree will lead you to the entrance where you can crawl down into the cave.



 Here is where your trusty flashlight will come in handy. Once inside there is a smaller cave where you will have to crouch down in order to enter. It's a little room with a high ceiling. Beware though, this cave is occupied. I noticed this cute little bat when he gave us a dirty look and covered his face so he could go back to his nap. How rude of us, barging in and shining flashlights around his bed chamber! He ignored us completely and I was able to snap a quick pic before leaving him in peace.



We followed the trail and checked out the other caves. Some were a pretty tight squeeze and required you to belly crawl through them. Unless you have a small frame and absolutely no discomfort with dark enclosed spaces I wouldn't recommend attempting them.


Some smelled of animal (one in particular smelled of skunk) and the only way to get out is to back yourself out. There is no way to turn around. Needless to say, I opted out of anything that could put me face to face with an angry critter while leaving me wedged into a tight spot, on my belly, flailing wildly as someone yanks me out by my feet. I'm adventurous but not that adventurous.



I crawled down into this cave, you can see my flashlight peeking through. At one point the only way to go is a small drop down. This section is such a tight squeeze that only one person can fit at a time. Forget about getting a hand climbing back out if you should need one. 



Our favorite cave is the Peace Cave. You know you've found it by the peace sign painted on the tree beside the cave entrance. This cave is to the left of Vandal Cave. We had a little trouble locating this cave at first and no one else seemed to know where it was. It's actually not very far from Vandal Cave. These are the GPS coordinates 28° 42' 42.41" N 82° 26' 42.51" W


This cave is a pretty nice size and you can even stand in some places though we mostly crouched as we explored. This is the entrance which looked a bit small and steep at first but in actuality it was a pretty easy climb down. You can see more graffiti littering the walls once you're inside.


We strapped on our gopros and climbed in quickly realizing we needed brighter flashlights. This was a really fun cave to explore.


 At one point we turned off our flashlights plunging us into total darkness. We ventured in until we got to the section where the only way to go any further is by belly crawling. I had my camera strapped to my chest and there was no way I was going to squeeze through without damaging it.



Next time we explore these caves we are going prepared with brighter lights and I'll also be using a head strap for my camera. We still managed to get a little footage of the caves and we had a great time exploring. 

Check out our video below.

If you are planning a trip to Dames Cave here are some tips:

Weekends are pretty populated and you may have to wait for other groups to finish exploring. If possible, visit on a week day so you can have the caves all to yourself.

Bring flashlights. Enough for each person (if you're taking friends) to have their own.

Don't forget to bring water.

What cave should we explore next?

Which path shall we take?

It was the perfect day for a mini adventure. We headed to Gainesville, Florida to Devil's Millhopper, a Geological State Park. We arrived at this sign. We can either take a half mile nature walk around the rim or head down 212 wooden steps to the bottom of the sinkhole. So down we went! This limestone sinkhole is 120 feet deep and looks as if you had stepped into a different world.

Heading down

If you are quiet and patient there is a chance you will see various birds, squirrels and even bobcats. We didn't see any bobcats but we did run into Kermit who was out enjoying his day like the rest of us.


Halfway down and it was clear we weren't in Florida anymore. It felt like we were in the middle of a miniature rain forest. The temperature was cooler, there were streams trickling down and small waterfalls surrounding us.


Once at the bottom we were greeted with this amazing sight. I half expected the creature from the black lagoon to pop out at any second. This limestone sinkhole has 12 springs that run into a small pond in the middle. Various fossils have been found including shark teeth and extinct land animals.


If you plan to take a trip to this beautiful little gem be sure to bring comfortable shoes, water, a camera and even a picnic. There's a small visitor center, a picnic area and a hiking trail. The fee to enter is $4 for up to 8 people per vehicle.

Heading up

Off to hike the trail and enjoy the scenery! October was a great time for this mini adventure. We highly recommend visiting if you want to get outdoors for some exercise, fresh air and new sights.

We've been hearing a lot about this crazy thing called Geocaching. People hide containers all over the world, you take the coordinates and your phone or GPS, and head out on a treasure hunt.

Treasure you say? What kind of treasure? Toys, trading cards, key chains, trinkets, coins, random stuff. You just never know until you open the cache.

Why would I want someone else's junk? Good question. It's not about the random "treasure" you find in the caches, it's about...well, this.

Mother nature's beauty

Geocaching can take you places you may not even know about, right in your own back yard. Being nature lovers, and in desperate need of a new mini adventure, we decided to give it a try. The first two coordinates we attempted were complete failures. We searched and searched. Nothing. We started getting frustrated. So frustrated I deleted the app, twice!

I refused to be defeated, so we tried one last time. We headed to one of our favorite parks and went to work. We were looking for a tree. Okay, we were surrounded by trees. A specific tree, according to the hint. We find a tree that matches the description but it looks like someone got here before us and we were really hoping he wasn't still around!

Sneaky serpent. Guardian of the cache

We did not want to meet the owner of that snake skin! We almost gave up but I was pretty determined. We knew it had to be close.
I tiptoed, ducked, danced around the tree assuming random ninja poses any time a spider web touched my arm, and finally found our very first cache! I almost missed it. The little camo container did a pretty good job of blending in.

Our first cache blending in quite well!

We snagged the container and attempted to sign the log book but the log was a bit damp so we just settled for logging it online and replaced it exactly as we found it.

Okay I admit, that was fun. I got bit by the geocaching bug. I would have done a happy dance at this point but between the jumbo sized banana spiders and that snake I just knew was lurking, we were out of there! On to the next cache.

This contained a log only

This one was a bit larger and completely full of swag. The only thing we took were pictures. We had absolutely no idea what to expect. Now that we know how this works, we'll come prepared next time with some goodies to trade or to fill up a dwindling cache.

This one was well hidden but termites were having a feast so we had to carefully place it back together and toss some foliage on top to hide the cracks in the lid.



We stopped to take in the scenery many times. I have to admit, my favorite part of this experience is getting to explore places you wouldn't normally think to go. The wonderful, creative owners of these caches put a lot of thought into finding these amazing hiding places.




This next cache was tricky! We had to do some searching to find it. I'm pretty sure if we didn't work together to find it, I'd still be out there searching.

This cache contains two little trinkets and a log. We weren't able to sign any of the logs because of the dampness but we really liked the idea of using a stamp as others had done.



This little guy was hanging out and watching the action. We asked him for hints but his lips were sealed. I'm sure the critters got a good snicker out of us trying to be stealthy so people in the area wouldn't see us searching.

If you are out in the woods wearing a bright purple shirt, stiffly hiding behind a tree and you have to ask, "am I blending?" the answer is most likely, no. I will neither confirm nor deny that I have done this.



There are geocaches out there only reachable by boat, and we are going to find them! But not today. The weather was changing and we did not want to get caught in a downpour, plus the temperature was approaching Mordor, so we headed out.



We learned a lot from our first geocaching adventure. Next time we plan to go prepared.

We'll need:

1. A stamp or really good pen to log our visits
2. A kayak to reach those hard to get to areas
3. Fun swag or signature items to leave behind
4. Neutral colored clothing for better blending

Now we just have to get creative and figure out some unique signature items. As soon as the weather cools off (and all the creepy crawlies go into hiding) we will be back. There are so many geocaches to find!


If you want to join the fun we suggest visiting Geocaching.com and sign up for a free membership.

We took a trip to the Florida Museum of Natural History to take a stroll through the Butterfly Rainforest. I wasn't sure we would see many butterflies considering spring doesn't officially begin for a couple more weeks but there were so many butterflies! We had to be very careful where we stepped. They flit around landing wherever they please. We also had to watch out for quail crossing our path. This is a fun adventure for anyone who loves butterflies.








We definitely want to return in September for ButterflyFest!

Our second adventure for the month of February led us to Forever Florida in St. Cloud. We were looking for a unique experience and we found it! This place is a 4,700 acre nature preserve where we spotted plenty of wildlife on our ride from the check in center to the zipline towers. We saw several alligators including a mom and her babies soaking up the sun, wild pigs, turkey and deer roaming free. We were also on constant watch for snakes. Wouldn’t want to step on one of those! The staff was very friendly and accommodating for friends or relatives that just wanted to observe our madness.

We signed up for the Thrill Pack adventure which began with a seven story assisted free fall. We climbed to the top of a seven story tower and jumped off! Okay it was more of a step and small push off, but it certainly got our blood pumping. We were a tad nervous. We hoped the Panther Pounce, as it’s called, would be saved for the end of our adventure, after our adrenaline had kicked in. No such luck. We loved the encouraging word etched in the dirt below as we took our leap of faith. “SPLAT”

Surprisingly it was a nice smooth descent. It didn’t feel like falling so much as floating down. Now that the “worst” was over we headed up another tower. The Rattlesnake Zipline Roller Coaster was next on our thrill list and we couldn’t wait to hop on! Unfortunately, it was a windy day which caused people in our group to get off to a very slow start on this zipline. I did not want to get stuck hanging around out there waiting for someone to give me a push so I was determined to take a running jump off of that tower.

It was a slow start but I didn’t get stuck! I was so proud of myself, until I hit that first big dip. For a split second the ropes I had been griping for dear life went slack and my brain suddenly went, “I have just made a terrible mistake.” I felt like I was riding a roller coaster and it suddenly derailed in mid air. We have to give this ride 5 stars for the thrill factor alone. It definitely exceeded our expectations! Best. Zip. Ever.

Our last zip was called the Peregrine Plunge, a 1,300 foot zip where you can race a buddy while soaring like a falcon. This was so smooth and easy, until I tried to spin around. It didn’t go quite as planned but it was super fun!
This zipline adventure is definitely one of our top favorites!

Our first ever adventure into zip lining happened when we were in San Diego, California in 2014. FOX set up a zip line outside the Comic Con convention center to promote their new series, Gotham. The back drop was set up to look as if you were Batman soaring through Gotham City.













We just had to try it! So we hopped in line where we stood for over an hour through sunshine and a sudden down pour that lasted just long enough to drench us thoroughly. Finally we made it to the top, strapped in, struck our pose and soared down the zip line resembling absolutely nothing to do with Batman or Batgirl unless we were auditioning for Batman on Broadway.


We strapped into our harnesses and took a nice little ride to the tower. The scenery is absolutely beautiful.















We had no idea there were lakes surrounded by canyons in the middle of Florida. Next we had to carry our equipment while penguin walking up the tower. The harness doesn’t allow your legs to bend so it’s quite an awkward and long trek up those stairs. We reached the top and we were already winded.