Paddle: Weeki Wachee River

Today we paddled the Weeki Wachee River with our friends from NC, Wayne and Lynda, and Bob and Donna. We put in at Rogers Park, about six miles below the spring head and paddled upstream. We could have done it the easy way and put in at the spring, but they charge $7 to launch and no pets are allowed in that area. Dang. It was a very cool morning and the wind blew a bit. The warmest place to be was in the 72 degree water, but then you would have to come out, and the wind chill would get you. About a half mile from the put-in there was a hole with a minor spring and about a dozen manatees. We hung out there a while and played with the manatees before proceeding upstream. The river was low, but the current was swift. After bulling our way upstream about 2 miles, we turned back for a leisurely float to the takeout. We saw practically no other paddlers on the river this day ... except the dozen boats of an Elder Hostel group.

After the paddle we drove though Brooksville to pick up three "Dry Boxes" that I had previously ordered for some friends. The Dry Box is the best canoe camping dry storage container that has ever been made. Wayne and I have used them for years. Wayne literally wore his out. I don't know how we ever camped without them. They seem to have become fairly hard to find, though. It turns out that the guy in Brooksville bought the molds from the former owner, who became too ill to run the business. He now sells them to youth camps and outfitters and whoever else stumbles onto his web site.

After our Dry Box business we had dinner at Mykonos, a very nice Greek restaurant in Brooksville. Unfortunately Wayne and Lynda are returning home and we won't have any more Florida paddles with them this winter. Hopefully we can paddle again with Bob and Donna.