REL 3938 Assignment 8: Rainbow Springs

REL 3938 Assignment 8 – Rainbow Springs

When Arthur McKee Latta said “people don’t want to walk the Appalachian Trail, they want to ride it,” I believe he thinks tourists of places don’t want to be completely immersed in a different, alien-like surroundings, but rather want to observe and get as close as possible while still retaining their own comfort zone.  Even though people’s comfort zone may still be very close to being broken when they travel in a park (via boat, submarine, trams), the tourists do not have to give up that secure feeling in these modes of transportation. 

Given that everyone is different, I am willing to acknowledge that there are those that enjoy being immersed in a different feeling other than their comfort zone, which is why a lot of attractions, such as rainbow springs, do offer walking, swimming, and riding modes of transportation as opposed to solely trams, submarines, and boats.  An appeal to both types of audiences is what makes an attraction successful. 

            Unfortunately I did not get the chance to swim in this spring, however I have swam in the Cayman Islands and the water there is comparable to a clear spring: when riding on top of the water the ride appears to be two-dimensional: forward, backwards, left, right.  However, when swimming in the water, another whole dimension is added: you can move back and forth and opposed to being limited to riding in a boat on the water.  It is comparable as drawing a straight line on a piece of paper as opposed to a line on a sphere – the former you can only stay in one plane, but the latter you can explore many different planes.

            I think we are drawn to the water for many reasons.  One reason is swimming – swimming is one of the closest things to feeling weightless – almost like having a superpower.  With this imagination, many people may enjoy swimming since they are able to do things in the water they cannot do on land, such as move your entire body with only your hands. 

            Another reason, for more curious minds, is the unknown.  Even though Rainbow Springs has much more clear water as opposed to other bodies of water, sometimes we cant always see what is underwater.  This fundamental difference between the visibility of water and air is something that may frighten some people (understandably since alligators and sharks are a relevant fear) and may intrigue some people (such as scuba divers, like myself). 

            According to some sources, the spring produces hundreds of millions of gallons of fresh water every day, which means that the spring is a major contributor towards fresh water.  Now the trick is trying to preserve this natural feature.

The “Friends of Rainbow Springs,” or the Citizen Support Organization that saved the springs from “direct encroachment” has made Rainbow Springs’ protection possible.   Groups like these are what preserve history for a special reason, not just because we can learn from our past, but because they have a special place for these springs in the heart.  They don’t want this sacred ground to become lost in history with other forgotten places, but rather will fight to keep their memories and the park’s history alive.