Unique Waterfront Stilt House on the Withlacoochee River, Fish, Kayak, Relax

A Nature Lover’s Delight This comfortable 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom accommodation has many windows and a deck overlooking the Withlacoochee River out back and a canal bordered by a cypress (tree) swamp on one side. It’s a 2-storey house with a storage apartment and a double carport on the bottom level. It sits at the end of a dead end street. The rental part of the house is the upper level. This enhances the view. The river, in particular, is alive with birdlife, frogs, turtles, fish and alligators (not to worry!). We enjoyed listening to the bird calls during our 3-month stay. I am a kayaker and found it convenient to launch from the floating dock on the canal. You have to provide your own kayak or canoe. There are also several public boat ramps in the area, handy for launching any kind of vessel. The only negative is the popularity of airboats in this part of Florida. They are incredibly noisy. However, the good news is that we experienced more quiet time than airboat time with most of the activity on weekends. We have booked another stay at this rental. Of course, when not enjoying the outdoors, WiFi and television can be important. Both are excellent in this rental. The owners, Jenny and Dan, responded quickly to any concerns. As far as shopping goes, there is plenty available as close as 10 to 12 miles. We generally got groceries and gas and had a few restaurant meals in Inverness but The Villages is only a little further away and there you can find all the big box stores, etc. and any medical needs for sure. Inverness is nice to visit for its attractive and historic downtown core as well as lakeside parks. The Withlacoochee Trail goes through Inverness. The location of the house is also great for its proximity to several Wildlife Management Areas/Preserves for those who like walking/hiking/biking. To name some: Half Moon, Jumper Creek, Lake Panasoffkkee, Panasoffkee Outlet, Flying Eagle Preserve and McGregor Smith Scout Reservation.

Getaway to Real Florida Nature Being a cooler January, we were still able to enjoy the outdoors with the great fire pit. Some of our best days were spent outside with a fire and fishing off the two docks. It was nice to watch the birds and otter and the great sunset in the evening. However, the airboats on the river can be a little busy and loud but mainly just on Saturdays. The house had everything we needed for our month long stay. The host was excellent and seemed to really appreciate us as guests.