I photographed the HEAL Great PV Paddle events from the initial one in 2012, and then the others in 2013, 2014, 2015, and the final one in 2016. I kayaked the first annual Crystal River Rendezvous of 50+ SUPers kayaking the Crystal River and Rainbow River. And for all this, and many other outings I've always been in my kayak with my Canon camera in a dry bag. SUPs looked nice, and my brother-in-law Tim, a life-long surfer and avid SUPer, was always respectful of my preference for sitting low in my yak and taking pictures from there.
Our Sprinter van is 23'8" long, and our kayak trailer is another 20+ feet.
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| Yaks and SUP ready for trailering |
It's kinda fun that every turn or even lane change is a careful process making sure no curbs, tires, or other vehicles are hurt in the process. We took back roads down to Quail Roost RV Park in Crystal River, about 7 miles north of town. Google Maps says it can be done in 3 hours, but we avoided the interstates and meandered through the smaller highways, and did it in about 4. The RV Park was surprisingly nice, and they gave us an overflow spot that was so nice we'll ask for it again!
After the long drive we wanted to stretch our legs and so we hopped back into Ernie T and drove to ride the Withlacoochee Bay Trail and enjoy a FL West Coast sunset afterwards. The trail parallels the Cross Florida Barge Canal, and the paved trail features some a native landscape of cedars and pines and marshland with a nice viewing spot of the Gulf at one end. The no-see-ums were hungry, so our time watching the sunset wasn't overly long, but long enough to find most of the unseen locals.
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| Sunset along the canal near Inglis FL |
Saturday morning was chilly (for us), in the upper 40s, but we hooked up our trailer for Chassahowitzka River, where we put in for a lovely 9 mile paddle. After exploring a side channel until the water ran out, we tried to reach the Gulf, but as we entered the open marsh of the National Wildlife Refuge the fierce winds at our back reminded us that we would eventually have to return across the open water. We turned short of the Gulf, and struggled against the wind on the return, though the trees on the river bank provided a sufficient break for most of the paddle. And we got to see manatees and birds and otters and turtles along with the gorgeous scenery, so overall it was a great trip.
We showered back at the RV Park before heading right back for an incredible early dinner at Peck's Old Port Cove, a seafood restaurant on the water near the end of the Ozello Trail. Grouper was the fish of the day, and between the crab chowder and the crab-stuffed blackened grouper was a culinary delight. On the way home, we stopped at John Brown Park to watch the sunset.
Sunday we met Muna at Crystal River Kayak Company for a manatee paddle. I broke out my brand new inflatable SUP, Sharon was on her foam SUP, and Muna rented a kayak. We got to see several manatees, though they were almost all in the waterways and not in their protected areas. Which was just as well, as the crowd around Three Sisters Spring was far more than reasonable. We headed behind a nearby island and explored a little channel undisturbed by the scrambling minions. The wind made the paddle to the channel pretty easy, and the return trip was more of a workout. We took a break for Muna to try out our SUPs, which she adapted to immediately and found them more amenable than a kayak. I, on the other hand, hadn't pumped up my SUP quite enough, and after paddling from the knees most of the trip I did manage to stand long enough for Sharon to get a picture of my butt before I went for a swim. (Sharon was kind enough to blame the board's softness for making it harder for me, but there is also the bigger issue of my lack of balance.)
Muna joined us for a celebratory lunch at Blackwater Fins, a sister restaurant of Peck's with a different menu but at least equally delicious. Their crab bisque was the best ever. Ozello Trail is now one of my favorite roads in Florida!
More pictures of the weekend are here.
We showered back at the RV Park before heading right back for an incredible early dinner at Peck's Old Port Cove, a seafood restaurant on the water near the end of the Ozello Trail. Grouper was the fish of the day, and between the crab chowder and the crab-stuffed blackened grouper was a culinary delight. On the way home, we stopped at John Brown Park to watch the sunset.
Sunday we met Muna at Crystal River Kayak Company for a manatee paddle. I broke out my brand new inflatable SUP, Sharon was on her foam SUP, and Muna rented a kayak. We got to see several manatees, though they were almost all in the waterways and not in their protected areas. Which was just as well, as the crowd around Three Sisters Spring was far more than reasonable. We headed behind a nearby island and explored a little channel undisturbed by the scrambling minions. The wind made the paddle to the channel pretty easy, and the return trip was more of a workout. We took a break for Muna to try out our SUPs, which she adapted to immediately and found them more amenable than a kayak. I, on the other hand, hadn't pumped up my SUP quite enough, and after paddling from the knees most of the trip I did manage to stand long enough for Sharon to get a picture of my butt before I went for a swim. (Sharon was kind enough to blame the board's softness for making it harder for me, but there is also the bigger issue of my lack of balance.)
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| Manatee and her baby alongside my new board |
Muna joined us for a celebratory lunch at Blackwater Fins, a sister restaurant of Peck's with a different menu but at least equally delicious. Their crab bisque was the best ever. Ozello Trail is now one of my favorite roads in Florida!
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| Muna and Sharon at Blackwater Fins |
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