Devil's Millhopper, It's Not a Kind of Beer

So today we went to visit a sinkhole.  No, really, stay with me.  Devil's Millhopper is a 120-foot-deep depression in the earth caused by ground water erosion of the underlying limestone, creating a miniature, year-round rainforest despite the drier conditions above ground.  Thread-like waterfalls that trickle down the steep sides of the sink create a lush environment which houses plant and animal species otherwise unknown in northern Florida.

Its name's connection to the underworld is two-fold.  European settlers thought the shape resembled a hopper in a mill, the funnel part that grain fed into.  Fossilized animal remains, including shark's teeth, found in the bottom of the hole, led them to believe that they had been funneled down to the devil's stomach, hence Devil's Millhopper.   A Native American legend also related that a beautiful princess caught the eye of the devil, who couldn't resist her physical charms and carried her off for himself.  When the warriors from her tribe realized what had happened, they chased after the devil, who caused a giant hole to swallow them up.  When the warriors tried to climb out after him, he turned them all to stones, and the tears of the warriors for their lost princess can still be seen running down the sides of the hole to this day.

Sitting at the bottom of this impressive natural formation is a bit like being in an upside-down terrarium chapel, with light softly filtering down through the dense forest canopy and the chiming of little streams in a full circle around your head.

Serenity now.