Leapin' Lipizzaners!

It's been a hell of a week. While paddling on Monday I got swarmed by a cloud of no-see-ems. I must have 500 angry red whelps on my arms and legs. For some reason they didn't mess with Dorcas, Ken or Barbara. Then Dorcas' cold turned into my cold. My cold turned into conjunctivitis. My conjunctivitis may have now evolved into a sinus infection. Needless to say, I've been laying around recuperating this week, and feeling just a little sorry for myself.

But today we did get out for a little activity. First, we walked across the Peace River bridge to Zolfo Springs and toured Pioneer Park. Pioneer Park is a county park that contains a campground, a museum and a wildlife preserve. The wildlife refuge was great. It consisted of an elevated boardwalk that takes visitors over natural habitats. We saw ostriches, tortoises, alligators, deer, gray and red foxes, a bobcat, a panther, a black bear and a peacock. The river otters were having personal problems and were hiding out. There were a number of black vultures, but they were just visiting. Get to Pioneer park if you are ever in Zolfo Springs.

Then we attended an exhibition of Herrmanns' Royal Lipizzan Stallions. These horses are trained at a ranch near Myakka City, about 30 miles from our camp. During the winter they offer free exhibitions. This breed was created in the 16th century for the exclusive use of the Hapsburg Royal family of Austria. The breed was nearly exterminated by approaching Russian troops during WWII, but General George Patton helped Colonel Ottomar Herrmann smuggle the horses out from behind enemy lines. The Herrmann family still trains and shows the horses at their ranch in Myakka City. It was a wonderful show. Some of the routines didn't come off exactly as planned, but then the horses and the riders are in training, and that added some interest to the show.

Paddle: Gamble Creek

Today we paddled with our friend Ken and his wife Barbara from Tampa. We put in on the Manatee River at Fort Hamer near Bradenton. The Manatee River is wide and tidal at that point. We paddled up the river against a gentle breeze under clear skies and bright sun. After less than a mile we turned north and paddled up Gamble Creek. Gamble Creek is wide at it's mouth, but narrowed as we paddled up the creek. We passed under Mulholland Road and proceeded about another mile before the creek became too tight and clogged to proceed. We then turned around and returned to the put-in at Fort Hamer. It was a very scenic creek and a very pleasant paddle. We saw some small gators, and we saw some big gators. We didn't see any manatees, however, although they may be present at times. I think the name "Manatee River" is more due to it's location in Manatee County, than because it is a destination for manatees.

Today was my birthday (yeah!) and is a fairly rare treat to be able to paddle on my birthday. What could be better? Actually I can't remember ever doing it before. I only wish I were feeling better. Dorcas and I are both coming off a cold. To boot, I have developed some sort of eye infection. I called my doctor and, based on my description of the symptoms, he thought it may be conjunctivitis (pink eye). He called in a prescription for some antibiotic eye drops which we picked up at the local Wal-Mart. If it doesn't improve in a few days, I'll find a local urgent care facility and get it looked at.

After paddling for two days straight we will probably take it easy for a few days and just recuperate and enjoy the pleasant weather. The forecast for the next several days is clear and sunny with highs in the low 80s and lows near 60.

Paddle: Peace River - Bowling Green to Zolfo Springs

Today we paddled on the historic Peace River. Our friends Dave and Audrey rode with us in our car to the river bridge at SR 664A near Bowling Green and at Paynes Creek Historic State Park. We put in there, then Dave and Audrey returned our car to the campground, where we would take out. We were pretty comfortable letting them drive our car since they were the original owners of that car and put the first 60,000 miles on it. Dorcas and I had a very relaxing and enjoyable paddle of about 10 miles. The temperature was in the low 80s and the sky was clear. The river is very low. It was running about 41 cfs at Zolfo Springs, while the median flow there is over 200 cfs. Although we scraped bottom a few times, we had no real difficulty. We saw only a few other folks on the river, mostly folks fishing or looking for fossils. It was surprising to see so few people out on this gorgeous Sunday afternoon. We saw abundant wildlife including turtles, a river otter, a deer, and an alligator. Bird sightings included ibis, great blue herons, limpkins, little blue herons, red shouldered hawks, red tailed hawks, kingfishers, anhingas, and wood ducks. The real treat however were the numerous fish sightings, seen easily in the shallow clear water. We saw alligator gar, catfish, bass, tilapia, mullet and snook. Most amazing were suckers that carpeted the bottom of the river. They layed on the bottom of the river in schools of hundreds and didn't move as we drifted over.

The most surprising sighting, however, was near the end of the run when we saw some folks fishing in kayaks. We looked a them; they looked at us; and soon we realized we knew each other. It was Bob from Michigan and Brooksville FL and John and Cindy from Tampa, who we had paddled with during a Central Florida Paddlemasters Week of Rivers a year or two ago near Milton FL on the panhandle. As the cliche goes, it's a small world. We just keep running into folks we know on this trip!.

In a Pickle in Southwest Florida

After a week of hard paddling we are taking it easy for a few days at the Thousand Trails preserve on the banks of the Peace River. Wednesday night we recorded a low of 28 degrees , and we heard reports of snow flurries in northern Florida, but it has warmed up now. Today's forecast is for 77 degrees, with 80s forecast for the remainder of the week. The snowbirds are happy again and all is right with the world.

We are camped just outside Wauchula, once known as the "Cucumber Capital of the World." Speaking of which, I have just discovered the sport of Pickleball. Pickleball is a marriage of tennis, ping-pong and badminton, played outdoors on a midget tennis court with oversized ping-pong paddles and a heavy-duty wiffle ball. The old folks here take it pretty seriously, but I gave them a run for their money. With my racquetball and table tennis background, they say I'm a natural. There are pickleball matches twice per day and a few hard-core players put in 4-6 hours each day. Retirement can be demanding!

Monday we will paddle on the Manatee River with our friend Ken from Tampa. We hope to also run some sections of the Peace River, Rio de la Paza, sometime next week. The Peace is a very scenic river, but it is pretty low right now. Today and tomorrow we will continue to hang out, master the sport of Pickleball and explore the greater Wauchula area.

On the Move. Destination: Wauchula FL

A strong cold front came through yesterday. Last night the temperature dropped to 37 degrees and it is forecast to be 26 degrees tonight at Alexander Springs. Thankfully, we have moved about 130 miles south and are now camped at the Thousand Trails Peace River Preserve at Wauchula FL. We are set up right on the banks of the scenic Peace River. The low here will be a tepid 30 degrees. Hey, it's cold, but it's warmer than it is back home, where the forecast is 20 degrees tonight and tomorrow night. After 7 nights of dry camping (camping with no hookups) it will be nice to have electricity. Since this is our first internet opportunity in a week, we spent the afternoon reading e-mails and updating this journal. We will be here until January 13.

A New Year's Resolution

As I look back at the photos of the paddling trips we did the last six days, I realized that the majority of the photos I posted are of Dorcas' backside. In all these photos the background changes, but the foreground remains the same. That's just my view of the world from the stern of the boat. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining; I sincerely enjoy the view. However, in order to provide a more balanced and less monotonous view of our adventures, I hereby resolve to take less pictures of Dorcas' south side.

2007 Wrap-up

Dorcas and I have done more traveling this year than we have ever done in our whole lives. I retired in the summer of 2006 and Dorcas retired in the spring of 2007, and we have certainly taken advantage of our new-found freedom. At the beginning of 2007 we traded up to a bigger and better motor home. During the year we put 12,676 miles on our new motor home and spent 149 nights in the coach. No grass growing under our wheels! For those that think we may have abandoned our tent-camping roots, we spent 51 additional nights on the ground sleeping in a tent. Major RV excursions included 12 weeks touring the west this summer, 6 weeks in the Adirondacks and New England in the fall and our winter Florida trip which is currently in progress. Major tent camping trips included 11 nights canoe camping on the Current and Jack's Fork Rivers in Missouri, 12 nights bike camping on the Katy Trail in Missouri and 12 nights canoe camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota. During 2007 we visited 32 different states. If the good Lord is willing and the price of diesel doesn't rise, we hope to do just as much traveling in 2008.

There were also a few major downers in 2007. My mother was diagnosed with lung cancer and is battling that terrible disease. We also lost Izaak, our loving camping, hiking and paddling companion for more than ten years. We miss him terribly and are fighting the temptation to get another dog right away. Our plan now is to wait until the end of next summer, because there are some places we want to visit this year where it would be difficult to take a dog. Maybe by then the right dog will adopt us. In the meantime, we make it a point to pet as many dogs as we can.

Paddle: Haw Creek

This morning Bob and Donna checked out. All the remaining paddlers, Ed, Dorcas and I just had to paddle once more. This would be our sixth straight day of paddling, and it is always important for a dedicated paddler to paddle on New Years Day. Ed wanted to paddle on Haw Creek, which is not in the guide books and flows into Crescent Lake. We put in at a Haw Creek Preserve at Russell Landing and paddled upstream (although there was no perceptible flow) exploring the various forks of Haw Creek. Haw Creek was apparently dredged and channelized in the early 1900s. The original channel meanders from side to side while a canal with high banks goes straight up the middle, short-cutting the old channel. Kinda like a series of $ signs. We paddled up past CR 305, before turning back towards our put-in. We continued to paddle downstream beyond the put-in heading towards Crescent Lake and Dead Lake. We never really found the lakes before turning back. We saw a family of wild hogs on the right bank and a curious river otter gave us a close look. It was another wonderful paddle and a happy beginning for the New Year.

Paddle: Lower Juniper Creek

Nine of our paddling friends departed for home this morning. Of the remaining paddlers, Bob, Ed, Dorcas and I decided to paddle the lower Juniper Creek. The put-in is at the Juniper Wayside on SR 19, our take-out when we had paddled the Juniper Springs Run a few days ago. Our intention was to paddle about 2.5 miles to Lake George and then paddle north along the shore of Lake George to a canal which we hoped was teaming with alligators. We would then return the same way, paddling upstream on Juniper Creek back to the wayside. The run started as a very shallow and wide creek, with a clear sandy bottom. There were very large schools of fish in the creek, and as we passed, they would scatter before us. The day was cool, windy and overcast. We had hoped to see some gators along the creek, but they were not there. Expecting we would see no gators on the lake and fearing the wind would be too brisk for comfort, we cut back into a cove on the left side before reaching the lake. The cove meandered through some heavy woods and turned back into the direction of the highway. Eventually we encountered an upstream current and began to think we might be in a side creek that went back under the highway. Next thing we knew, we were back in Juniper Creek, headed for the take-out/put-in. It was relatively short paddle, but a very satisfying run.

After dinner we celebrated an early New Year's with our friends and shared a bottle of champagne. There were numerous signs that had just been posted around the park announcing that fireworks are illegal in the National Forests. This broke Dorcas' heart, since Dorcas is a certifiable pyrotechnic-maniac. It didn't stop her, however, from breaking out some sparklers. Everyone had to light one, perhaps to share the blame if we were caught. For several nights there was a strange family in an old school bus in the next site, who confessed to traveling with the Rainbow People. This evening the mother was performing a dance using oil-soaked flaming balls on a rope, while the father played the bongos. Dorcas' sparklers were not nearly as dangerous as these fire-ball grenades, but no rangers stopped them, so apparently they were not illegal. Or maybe they were afraid of Heidi, their very vicious-looking and very aggressive German Shepard.

Paddle: Lower Oklawaha River

Each evening during the campfire circle, we would make a group decision about the next day's paddling venue. Last night there was a split decision and no small amount of apathy about what we would do today. Ultimately the group split into two factions. One group would paddle the lower Oklawaha and another group would go to De Leon Springs State Park for all-you-can-eat pancakes at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill Restaurant. Dorcas and I were still hurting from the buffet at Barnhill's last night, so we decided to paddle. Besides, we will be close to De Leon Springs in early February, so we will have another chance at the pancakes.

The lower Oklawaha runs from just below the dam at Rodman Reservoir to SR 19. There was a threat of rain, and we put in under warm, but cloudy skies. I think Oklawaha is Seminole for "Twisty River Full of Baby Alligators". We saw a lot of small gators and another million Ibis. It was a pleasant run along tannin-stained water with wooded banks. It looked more like the Lumber River or the Black River from back home than a Florida run. It did spit a little rain, but after 30 seconds of raincoats on, it quit.

Back at the ranch, Charlie was preparing his world-famous turkey fry. A rain fly was rigged and the rain teased us into the shelter of the tarp once or twice, but it never really did rain. We devoured the bird and roasted marshmallows around the fire.

Paddle: Silver River

After paddling two days on leisurely downstream floats, it was time to stretch our wings.
Today we paddled on the Silver River upstream about five miles into the Silver Springs attraction. We put in at Ray Wayside Park, near where the Silver River empties into the Oklawaha River. The flow on the Silver River is about 850 million gallons per day (MGD) which results in a significant current. The trick to paddling up a river in this manner is to spend as much time as possible in the eddies on the inside of the bends. The river is simply gorgeous. Deep clear blue water with a sandy bottom. Wildlife was abundant: we saw turtles, alligators, otters, Rhesus monkeys and a multitude of birds including about a million Ibis. As we neared the spring we saw a different variety of wildlife: mammalian forms known as touristus yankeeus. If you were not careful you would be run down by a glass bottom boat. The squawk of the PA from the tour boats and the music from the shore speakers was a stark contrast to the natural sounds along the river. After a brief circuit of the spring, we made a u-turn and enjoyed a relaxing float back down to the put-in.

After our paddle we attacked the buffet at Barnhills in Ocala. After dinner we returned to yet another campfire circle where we told the usual river lies. One topic involved how many cubic feet/second (CFS) resulted from 850 MGD. After a prolonged discussion, no consensus was reached. Actually, this is a pretty simple conversion for a civil engineer who specialized in hydrology, but hey, I'm retired and I'm rusty. Besides my HP-15 was back in the coach. Anyway, here is the conversion:
(850)(1,000,000 gal/day)(8.34 lb/gal)(cubic ft/62.4 lb)(day/24 hr)(hr/60 min)(min/60 sec) = 1315 cfs

Paddle: Juniper Springs Run

Yesterday we paddled Alexander Spring Run. Today we paddled the other popular spring run in Ocala National Forest: Juniper Springs Run. Both runs are very popular, but also very different. Alexander is generally wide and open, while Juniper is narrow, twisting and wooded. The put-in at Juniper was very crowded and you basically had to take a number to put your boat in the water. However, once on the water, the traffic seemed to clear out a bit. At the put-in, the creek is only about 10 feet wide, so there is no turning back on this seven mile run. Once again we had perfect weather and lunched at a high bluff on the right about half way down the run. While the current was relatively swift the only real obstacles were the novice paddlers pinned on the trees. After the paddle we had another campfire and shared a Mexican pot luck feast. Another wonderful day in paradise!

Paddle: Alexander Spring Run

We checked in at Alexander Springs Campground in Ocala National Forest yesterday afternoon, and folks in our group straggled in until mid-morning today. Our group consisted of Bob and Donna from NC; Charlie and his grandchildren Jake and Abbey from NC; Bob and Cheryl from FL and NH; Ed from WV; Pete and Margaret with sons Chris and Ian from NC and Chiago an exchange student from Brazil; and Jim and Janice from NC. Whew! What a crowd! Dorcas and I had paddled with about half these folks during previous winter Florida trips.

Today we paddled Alexander Spring Run from the spring head down about five miles. It was a relaxing and leisurely paddle in excellent weather. Dorcas and I had not paddled since arriving in Florida and we needed the paddling fix. After the paddle we had a camp fire and shared a group Italian feast. Is this the life, or what?

On the Move. Destination: Ocala National Forest

Today we will move to Alexander Springs Campground in Ocala National Forest, about 60 miles north of our present location. There we will meet and camp with friends from North Carolina. There are a number of good paddling opportunities in and near Ocala National Forest, so we plan to get some good paddling in. We will be at Alexander Springs for about a week before moving south again.

This area is relatively remote, and I don't know what internet options exist. If I can get on-line, I intend to make fairly regular posts. If not, well heck, maybe I'll send some post cards. How quaint!

Photo of the Week

Spending Christmas in an RV park is a unique experience. People decorate their RVs much like they would their homes; in fact, in many cases they are their homes. This photo is of one of our neighbors' homes.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas from the Magic Kingdom.

A Disney Biathlon

When Dorcas and I were traveling out west last summer, we met a couple in Glacier National Park who were also traveling extensively in their motor home. We had some other things in common with them; we hiked together, went to a concert together and shared a meal together. George and Jackie have a home in Florida and invited us to visit them when we came to Florida this winter. It turns out they live very close to Walt Disney World and Jackie actually works in the Magic Kingdom. When we called them, they invited us to visit some Disney parks as their guests. Cool!!! Even though they go to the parks fairly often, George and Jackie were excited too, because they had not seen several of the special Holiday events. On Saturday we made a plan to visit EPCOT. We parked at the Disney Boardwalk, a 40's Atlantic City styled resort, and took a boat from there to EPCOT. We then entered the park at an entrance just for cast members and guests. We did a number of attractions including Soarin', Test Track, the Seas with Nemo and Friends, Living with the Land, Ellen's Energy Adventure and Mission: Space. I think my favorite was Soarin' a simulated hang gliding adventure using an IMAX-like movie. Dorcas liked Mission: Space, an intense training mission and flight to Mars. As it became dark we enjoyed Mickey's Tree Lighting Treat. We had a private party with Mickey and Pluto, and then we all got to test drive some Segway transporters. Later we watched a performance of the Candlelight Processional, a narrated musical presentation of the Christmas story, with guest narrator Edward James Olmos (remember Miami Vice?). Finally we experienced the light and fireworks show IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Whew! Too much fun!!! We closed the park down and came home to crash.

Today our strategy was to assault both Magic Kingdom and Disney MGM Studios. We parked at Wilderness Lodge a resort reminiscent of the grand National Park lodges of the great American west, and took a boat to Magic Kingdom. Major attractions we experienced included an updated Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, The Haunted Mansion and Mickey's PhilharMagic. After lunch we headed to Disney MGM Studios. We took the monorail, where we rode in the cockpit with the pilot. At MGM we did Muppet-Vision 3-D and Disney MGM Studios Backlot Tour, where the four of us were the featured stars in a WWII movie production (I took 1000 gallons shower from a torpedo attack!) After dinner we watched the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights on the Streets of America and enjoyed real snow falling. Then back to Magic Kingdom for SpectroMagic, a light parade and Holiday Wishes, the best fireworks display I have ever seen. Cinderella's castle was draped with over 200,000 lights, the first time it has been decorated in this manner. We stayed in the park until after midnight. Thanks to our friends George and Jackie for hosting this wonderful experience!

To the Land of the Mouse

This morning we attended a seminar at Lazydays presented by a representative of Cummins Power. Cummins makes our engine, as well as our generator, and we picked up a number of pointers on operation and maintenance. Near the end of the presentation, just before lunch time, we got the call that our coach was ready to roll. After lunch, with heavy hearts and full tummies, we departed Lazydays and the Crown Club. We can still visit the Crown Club at any time until our membership expires at the end of January 2009, so I'm sure we will return many times.

We moved about 60 miles today. We drove east on I-4 and north on US 27 to Thousand Trails Orlando, about 8 miles south of Clermont and 4 miles east (as the crow flies) of Walt Disney World. We visited with our friends Dave and Audrey, who are also staying at TTO. We will stay at TTO until December 26, then we plan to move north to Ocala National Forest and meet some paddling friends.

Quote of the Week

"Many of our members refer to the "Crown Club" as the "Pound Club" and measure the duration of their visit not by the number of days they stay, but by the number of pounds they gain during their stay."

Marcus the omelet chef, Lazydays Crown Club

Dorcas and I managed to escape the Crown Club with no apparent adverse health effects

Visiting Old Friends

We are still camped at Lazydays tonight. Our window replacement was finished this afternoon, but the sealant would not be dry enough to get our complimentary coach wash and detailing today, so we are staying over until tomorrow. We are parked in the Crown Club area at Lazydays, which is the high-rent district here. In addition to free camping, the Crown Club offers complimentary gourmet breakfast and lunch, as well as an evening happy hour with free cocktails and hors d’oeuvres for members. We have been here going on three days now. We need to leave here soon, or else we will become obese alcoholics. Or worse: we will buy a new coach in order to extend our membership.

Today we saw a number of old friends, both by chance and by design. At a Lazydays seminar we ran into a couple that we had met during a Safari TREK rally two years ago. 10 minutes later at the Camping World store we ran into Ted, a fellow we had paddled with during two previous Central Florida Paddlemasters Week of Rivers events. Finally, we visited our friends Joe and Jean Faulk who own and operate a canoe livery only a few miles from Lazydays. If you are every in the Tampa area and want to paddle on the Hillsborough River, visit Canoe Escape and let Joe and Jean set you up. They are really nice folks and will treat you right. When you go, say hello to River Dog and Gus.

If things go as planned, tomorrow we will be camped at the Thousand Trails resort near Orlando, where we will see more old friends.