Category: road trips

The Silver River

http://www.clubkayak.com/cfkt/trips/silver_river.html

Today I fulfilled a dream I have had since 2000 when I first started visiting Bel in Florida and saw the Silver River. I wanted to float my kayak down that river in the midst of the wonderful sights and smells of Old Florida. Of course, I didn’t even have a boat at that time, so it was only a dream. I remember one day hiking out the ¾ mile trail from the Silver River State Park one afternoon and seeing an old woman come floating down the river. It’s a 10 mile paddle with no place to put in except that one spot and she laughingly said she had to pee so bad she thought she would die. I talked a bit with her and listened to her stories of traveling alone in her motorhome with her kayak, and how much she loved the Silver. I’m not sure when that was, but it’s been awhile, before I got the kayaks, at least.

Today we paddled the Silver River. It was still a bit cool for December in Florida, but I knew that I didn’t want to miss the chance to do the thing I had dreamed of doing for so long, no matter how cool it was.

I guess I always get a little bit worried before we start down a new river or a new place we haven’t paddled before, something about the unknown part of it, and especially here in florida with alligators and strange water and such. It’s certainly an unknown, and that adds a bit to the allure of it all.

By the time I was in the water it was noon, and the sky was still overcast, but not too chilly at all, maybe in the mid 60’s. The put-in place is at the Row Park off HWY 40 not to far from Silver Springs. The launch area is rather simple, with cement boat ramps that pour into a quiet pool lined with willows. It was still and quiet and Mo managed to get in her boat without too much trouble, although we weren’t sure how the getting out would be. Her rib is healing slowly.

Once you put in, there is a narrow canal lined with lily pads and overhanging trees that leads to the confluence of the Oklawaha and the Silver Rivers. I used the GPS because it would be easy to miss that canal on the return trip, everything blends together.

Once we turned up the Silver River the water showed that legendary clarity. There are springs all along the entire reach, not just the big Mammoth Spring at the headwaters of the river. Some of them are 30 feet deep, some of them are 80 feet deep, and as you float over them you feel the boiling churn of the waters and can see huge fish, including the prehistoric looking alligator gars that are 6 to 8 feet long.

The river winds and turns through what feels like a tropical jungle, with a 5 mile per hour current that didn’t feel as difficult to paddle as I thought it might. I knew that we would make the return trip a lot quicker than going upriver, so wasn’t too worried about our time. We planned 3 hours to the spring, and originally didn’t think we would necessarily go all the way, but once we went a few miles it just seemed silly to not actually go all the way.

The last mile or so of the river is amazing because it seems to get bigger instead of smaller with more and more springs. Some of that water must be going underground again, because downriver has quite a bit less volume. The most amazing part of the paddle though was the wildlife. Every bend would reveal dozens of water birds, not just a single bird here and there, but cypress trees on either side of the river filled with white Ibis by the hundreds, that would take off ahead of us in clouds. Sometimes they just stayed in the trees and it was a bit disconcerting to see the huge plops of bird poop that were falling in the river under those trees, and sometimes you just had to take your chances and hope you wouldn’t get bombed.

In the midst of the Ibis were Great Egrets by the dozen and Great Blue Herons, and they would fly in front of our boats 2 or 3 at a time. Rounding one curve I remember the spectacular vision of 3 Great Blue Herons, at least 6 Great Egrets or white herons, not sure which,, several hundred Ibis, a dozen annihingas and 5 turtles on a log. It was overwhelming to see so much at the same time. Another bend revealed our only alligator, a 6 foot baby, dark chocolaty gray, sunning on a log. He didn’t move at all while I took his photo from a healthy distance. About midway along we saw the monkeys that are wild now in the Silver River State Park, released either from some concession in the 30’s or from the Johnny Weismuller Tarzan movies that were filmed there about the same time.

When we finally began the approach to the Silver Springs Park, it was surreal. The Jungle Boats and Glass Bottom Boats were coming down the river with the captains telling the stories of the springs on the microphones, the train ride in the forest was hooting the horns while the conductors called all aboard, and Christmas music was wafting through the trees. After so many miles on this seemingly wild river I felt as though I was in some kind of strange Disney ride. We paddled all the way into the main area of the springs, looking deep into that chasm of blue and boiling white water. I have been to Silver Springs several times, but on this day I saw it from a completely different perspective. I can only imagine how the Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto felt back in the 1500’s as he paddled up this magic place for the first time.

The Indians of course, used the river for hundreds of years and considered it sacred. Mammath Spring is called just that because the mammoth bones that have been found there also showed spear marks, and they believe that the springs have been inhabited by humans for more than 10,000 years. Silver Springs is a magical place, a piece of old Florida with a beautiful ecology and a campy recent history of movies and theme parks that makes it unique in the world. I loved it, and I loved being there in my kayak.

Reluctantly we turned back downriver, realizing suddenly that we were looking at nightfall and darkness and that we needed to get moving along. The ride back downriver was twice as fast at least, with the 5 mph current gliding us along effortlessly. It was difficult to keep from just letting the boat glide along listening to the silence, but we managed to get back up the canal, out of the boats and get them loaded onto the top of the Geo just a bit before dark. A perfect paddle, a perfect day, a perfect dream. I felt like it was some kind of jungle ride, but because of the frost the night before, we didn’t even have a single bug to worry about. Maybe green trees in the summer would have been a bit more colorful, but I’m not sure the price of bugs would have been worth it.

Ahh. Another reason for the trip.

in Ocala

In Florida at Bel’s house, stayed around home most of the day and then went to the Holiday Light show at Silver Springs. Bel didn’t want to go, so we made a light supper and shared it with her before we left.

It was cold even for December in Florida and we took a comfortor and gloves and scarves. Walked around the park to look at lights, had a cup of hot chocolate and sat all bundled up in the comfortor waiting for the boat parade scheduled for 8pm. Listened to some Christmas music by a local choir and watched people wishing they had our comfortor before we gave up and left without seeing the boat show. It was enough, and nice to get back to the warm MoHo and the kitties.

Georgia to Ocala, Florida

We are driving south on Highway 17 from Savannah to Jacksonville and then will head west on 301 into Ocala. We are near Brunswick and just passed over another one of the beautiful white suspension bridges near Jekyll Island. All these sea islands are places that are really popular with the east coast crowds and I have read about them so much, so it’s fun to see them, and see more of this amazing “low country” full of water, estuaries, marshes, salt marshes, islands, and then more water. The wind is blowing fairly hard and Mo is working hard to keep the MoHo on the road, but so far so good. There are small bays and rivers everywhere and shrimp boats and tug boats, I’m really glad that with all this wind we aren’t trying to do the interstate and that Highway 17 goes all the way to Jacksonville.

Tybee Island and Savannah

Beginning out third week of travel this morning with the first hint of some weather coming at us. Mo slept well in spite of her injuries but is still feeling somewhat uncomfortable when she has to move around too much. Seems as though she bruised or cracked her left back rib area and it’s pretty sore. As awful as it was, I am just really grateful it wasn’t any worse and she is healing up ok.

This morning we woke in the dark, and made coffee to take on the sunrise beach walk. The beach was quiet and lovely, and the sunrise was not spectacular, but still nice to be on the beach at that time of morning. Walking barefoot in the water in December isn’t bad either.

Skipping breakfast this morning we decided to go to Tybee Island and spend the night tonight. There were some interesting people at the campground, a strange old man with a strong SC drawl and a big floppy hat who rode around in his golf cart and talked to everyone, another younger man who just seemed way too interested in talking to a couple of old ladies about sharks and alligators and kayaking. We met a lovely couple who had retired from the Air Force and returned to her homeland here in South Carolina. She was truly lovely with a beautiful accent and wishing us safe travels. She has a great Standard Poodle who was only 8 months old and looked as though he was 3 feet at the shoulder!

There were also a lot of cats in the park running wild, feral cats that would cruise around the campsites looking for goodies. Jeremy really loved watching one pretty little girl particularly. We put the cat cage out on the table and Jeremy really loved being outside and watching everything.

It’s cloudy and a bit windy now as we drive south along HWY 17 on the way to Savannah and Tybee Island. Predictions are for a big rain storm tonight which is badly needed in the south, but I would like to be safely set up before it starts I think. Planning lunch at the famous Tybee Island Crab Shack this afternoon and then checking out River Street in old town Savannah.

Later
We found the River’s End RV park on Tybee Island, the only rv park within driving distance of savannah and settled in for the evening. It wasn’t cheap at 35 bucks for a night, and the sites were along a residential street. Wasn’t too bad though, since the place wasn’t very full and we had no neighbors, and we had full cable tv, fast wireless internet, and laundry facilities. A buck seventy five each to wash and to dry is a bit steep however. But after a week and a lot of wet towels and dampness, we were really glad to get things washed.

Heading back to the Lazaretta bridge to the famous Crab Shack was a real treat. I read about this place on tybee many years ago when reading about the low country of Georgia and South Carolina in Southern Living Magazine, and have always wanted to go there. It didn’t disappoint me, with big wooden tables with garbage cans in the middle under open holes where you throw your crab and shrimp shells. I had the “low country boil” a mess of food that I have read about that I think Bubba Shrimp Company only tries to copy. It consists of shrimp,, some kind of sweet sausage, corn on the cob and potatoes all boiled up together with some special crab shack seasoning and the whole thing was just scrumptious. Of course, the Key Lime Marguerita and the Key Lime Pie for dessert made it fun as well. Then we went over to the Crab Shack gift house called the cat house because cats have free reign of the place and bought our tee shirts. I figured the Tybee Island Crab Shack tee shirt could be my shirt purchase for this winter’s trip since it represents the farthest distance from home that we will be this year.

Later after that great early supper we drove into Savannah to check out River Street, the place that Peg said shouldn’t be missed while visiting Savannah. The streets were made of old stones that were used as ballast in the ships and then made into streets, the buildings were the originals built in the 1700’s, old warehouses used for cotton and slaves. Many flags have flown over Savannah, including the Jolly Roger and the pirate history here is thick. The other thing Savannah seems to be really famous for is it’s hauntings, called the most haunted city in America. I can certainly see why with all the political and cultural ills that have befallen the city over the last 200 years.

The man named Oglethorp who designed the city built it in the mid 1700’s and laid it out with wide avenues and many public squares in a regular pattern. He build the city and selected the inhabitants who were people who had a vested interest in finding a new life in a new world, but who also had good skills. He thought that Savannah had the climate to provide silkworms for silk and grapes for wine so that England wouldn’t have to buy these things from foreign countries.

The city has a great feel to it, southern and cosmopolitan without being too big and overdone. It was a great evening walking along the Savannah River enjoying River Street.

Home to our cable tv fairly late in time to hear the sirens come on the channel warning of tornados in a wide swath from Florida up through the Georgia and South Carolina coast, but the night left us intact with just wind and rain and by morning all was clear and the temperatures went from warm and humid to brisk, dry, and windy.

Edisto Beach State Park SC

http://picasaweb.google.com/kyotesue/Dec14EdistoBeachStateParkAndTheACERiverBasin#

This day was planned to be a short one driving to Edisto Island, another part of the Low Country and not far from Charleston. Took our time packing up and wandering down the back roads to our new digs at the Beach State Park. This place turned out to be our most favorite of the trip, at least thus far. The campground is right on the beach, with our campsite just over the dunes and within ear shot of the waves.

Stopped at the grocery store to get groceries for a spaghetti and salad dinner and decided to eat the salad for lunch and the spaghetti for dinner later. Perfect plan and easy to manage in our small kitchen space. The temperatures were still warm and balmy so we set up the chairs and table outside and relaxed a bit to the sounds of the sea. Perfect. After some relaxing time we took off walking the beach hunting for shells and letting Abby swim. I even relaxed enough to read my book and enjoy a quiet supper and a little local tv.
Friday December 14
This morning I got up early enough to watch the sunrise over the beach and see the flocks of pelicans and pods of dolphins swimming south along the shore as if they were going to town to work. We skipped breakfast and went to town to talk to the local kayak shop about local kayaking areas. I can’t believe that I never thought about the tide part of estuary kayaking, but I am sure glad that someone mentioned it. We found out the tides were just right for what we wanted to do if we left quickly, so we headed for the Live Oak dock on Big Oak Creek and turned uptide towards the refuge areas. At first the ride seemed a bit boring, without much variety in the views, but as we continued, things started to become more interesting. It’s as though it takes a bit of time to settle into a new area, and feel what it has to offer. There were a lot of birds, egrets, herons of several kinds, terns, and others that I didn’t recognize. Along the waterways are big southern low country houses with boathouses as big as cabins and big sailboats moored. I bought a waterways map so had a bit of an idea of which way to go and found a place called “the Neck” which turned out to be a very exclusive neighborhood off huge homes along the waterfront. It was fun wandering around in there for a time before the tide turned and it was time to head back down. For once, the kayaking was downhill both ways instead of the usual uphill hill where we are either fighting current or wind. This time there was a bit of wind, but the tide was stronger and the paddling was fast and smooth. Both of us were getting a bit tired, though, and ready to be home when suddenly a dolphin surfaced in front of me. Talk about highlight, kayaking with dolphins is really something. They are so graceful and beautiful and very fast. Of course, there’s a bit of apprehension that accompanies the excitement because who knows if they will bump your boat or something!! One particular dolphin stayed with us a long way, surfacing and diving sometimes within 20 feet of us, but most of the time he was a few hundred feet on the right.

It was the final delight in a lovely day that was marred a few moments later by a nasty fall as Mo tried to get out of her kayak at the landing and slipped and fell on the cemented oyster shells along the rocks. She was cut in several places and bruised or broke a rib, blood falling everywhere into the water and that sick sick feeling when you don’t know how bad it is and if you need a doctor or not. We had laundry in the car so tore up a towel for bandages and managed to stop the bleeding but it was scary for a time thinking she might need some stitches. I did the classic thing that my daughters will remember clearly. Someone gets injured I get sick, really sick, to the point of throwing up. Now that’s really helpful! We managed to get to the park headquarters only to find out that the nearest emergency care was 50 miles away in Charleston. Maybe there was a doctor on the island, but who knows if we could have found her if necessary. After lots of soaking in salt water and a drive back to the campground, we found the first aid kit, cleaned it all up, and decided that butterfly bandages for the cut would be all the doctor would do anyway, and a broken rib is one of those things that you just deal with as well, so we nixed the need for a doctor.

Mo is so incredibly stoic in these kinds of situations, and just plodded along dealing with it. After I got over being sick, I did ok as well, and all turned out ok in the end, except Mo is pretty sore from the fall and banged up a bit here and there. Her finger seems to be closing up just fine, however, and I’m grateful for that.

Ended another day with a long walk on the beach after eggs and potatoes for an early supper. All in all, a good day, in spite of the moment of scariness. It did make me think of how scary it can be to deal with that kind of thing sometimes, especially if it’s really bad. I’m so glad it wasn’t.