Table Rock State Park - Branson, Missouri

Table Rock State Park – Branson, Missouri

As a last minute change of plans, we decided to head to Table Rock S.P. near Branson for three nights. On Sunday, we drove into the park and were allowed to pick the site we wanted. Our site backs up to the lake with a beautiful view and the site is very spacious. The park is beautiful with many amenities and the lake is beautiful. Our view also includes the State Park Marina, which is huge and has a variety of rental boats, from jet skis to 2 story pontoon boats. They have other excursions, like a catamaran cruise and parasailing. It’s quite extensive, with a huge marina store and a restaurant. We soon decided that we  would stay four nights, so we contacted the ranger office and setup that last night’s stay.

We quickly setup the trailer and got settled into place. Both of us immediately loved the camp site and the whole package. It’s hard to explain, but we both felt “at home” here. The park has a paved lake shore trail, with one end at the dam and the other end at the second campground in the park; it’s 2.5 miles one way. Also, within the park there are over 20 miles of biking and hiking trails, which includes 7 miles of mountain biking trails. The Army Corps of Engineers manage the dam and a few lakeshore campgrounds. At the dam is the ACOE Visitors Center, which has dam tours and other educational exhibits. It’s quite a nice building, mostly run by volunteers. We would someday like to volunteer here and spend some more time in the Branson area. We rode our bikes around the park that evening just to check everything out. The dogs also got to go on a short hike on the lake shore trail.

The next morning, we decided to drive into Branson to look around and go to the Bass Pro Shop on the downtown riverfront. We had some items we needed to purchase for our trip. We always love shopping at Bass Pro, all that outdoorsy stuff! We love the hills of this area. Branson city itself is very touristy; it reminds us of International Drive in Orlando. There are many music theatres, restaurants, shopping centers, souvenir shops and other tourist traps; like water parks, mini-golf, go-carts, etc. That part of Branson is not our cup of tea… However, the surrounding area and the lake are the main attractions for us.

We looked into outfitters that could shuttle our kayaks on the river, that they call Lake Taneycomo, which is actually part of the White River basin. We contacted two outfitters and found one that would pick us up at the take-out, then shuttle our kayaks to the put-in, near the dam. This was perfect as we can take our time paddling and arrive on our schedule at the end.

Kurt decided to go “check out” the mountain bike trails. He left the campsite around 3:30. After about two hours, I called him to find out what was taking so long. Well, he took off without a trail map, his hiking GPS or water. All he had was his cell phone, and since the trail goes down into valleys, he didn’t have such a great signal. When I called him he was totally lost and exhausted after riding all the trails. He couldn’t find his way back to the trailhead. I took out a map and was able to explain some trail points to him. About 30 minutes later, he called and said he had found his way out. I had already left to drive to the trail head to “rescue” him.  He got in a lot of trouble from me, regarding going off on a bike ride with nothing that he really needed. Sometimes I wonder if his anxious obsession gets in his own way! Well, he settled down and had some beers! After dinner, Kurt built a nice campfire and we enjoyed that for the evening.

So the next day, Monday, we were able to do the paddle. We put our kayaks in the water at 11:30 and headed downstream. The Corps was releasing water for hydro power, so the current was really whipping. It was really a “float” with steering. The water was crystal clear, ice cold (about 45 degrees) so we couldn’t go swimming or even put our feet in the water. We were able to stop once at a public boat ramp to get out and stretch our legs. Along the river, there were high and low bluffs, many with mansion homes and others just regular houses. Most homes and resorts had floating docks with boats. This river is all about the trout fishing. It was a sunny day and the paddle was very enjoyable. We arrived back at the take-out in about 3 hours. We returned to the campground to hang out and get the dogs out on a hike.

The next day, Tuesday, we hung out around the campsite. I got some housekeeping taken care of and relaxed a little. Kurt went on another mountain bike trail ride and this time he took the map, GPS and water! He was able to ride all the trails in about one hour. So much better when you’re prepared…  Later on, we rode the entire lake shore trail and rode it end to end. It was good exercise. Before dinner, we began prepping for our departure the next morning. When we awoke, it was beginning to sprinkle rain, we were able to get everything packed up before the  heavier rain began. But, here we were again, at the dump station in the pouring rain. We bugged out fast and got on the road to Springfield.

We had a planned stop in Springfield, to visit Bass Pro Shop/Outdoor World. This is the original store and is massive! Going in this store is like Disney World for us. The décor and exhibits are amazing and huge! We took many pictures in the store, it was amazing! After that, we stopped for lunch and then headed toward Independence, Kansas. We will be camping on Elk City Lake, near the home of one of Kurt’s old buddies. We will be hanging out with Rob & Gigi. Also, another old friend will be in town, so we can see Rusty & Debbie also.

Buffalo National River

Buffalo National River

After a long five hour drive through some Interstate roads and then miles of winding mountain roads, we arrived at Buffalo Point campground. Wow, is this out in the boonies! We had made a Walmart provision stop in a small Arkansas town. Driving into the campground we found that it was pretty much self-serve. There was a closed ranger station, good thing we had a reserved campsite. We found our site and got the camper in place. This campsite is really cool, on a sloping hill, terraced with other campsites. Our whole rig just fit in the space, but we got it in okay. Our site had a rock wall around our front patio living space and was perfect for our needs. We quickly found out that down in this river valley there are no cell phone signals, no TV, no radio… basically, disconnected in every way. At least our trusty weather radio worked if we held it in our hands; guess we were the antenna booster! We rode our bikes around the park to get our bearings and find out where everything was, we were able to find park maps at an unattended information station. This is a national park and reduced staff, closed bathhouses, closed camping looks, etc. are being blamed on the “sequester”. Really???  Closed bathrooms? Campground host volunteers are the ones that actually clean and maintain bathrooms… damn federal government.

Later, we took the dogs down to the river to play on one of the swimming beach “gravel bars”. They had fun running in the shallow water and playing retrieve the stick (at least Kody was retrieving). Kurt also got in the water to cool off; it was a great end to busy driving day.

The next morning, we drove up the road to check with an outfitter about shuttling our kayaks upriver. We found a small, family run business and they were extra nice (southern style). We setup a shuttle for that afternoon. The plan was that we would paddle out of the park downstream to the last take-out point for the lower part of the Buffalo River. The outfitter simply picked up our truck and drove it to the take out so we could arrive there on our own schedule. It was perfect. This section was a 7.5 mile paddle (float) downstream, was calm and absolutely beautiful. The water in the river was crystal clear, as much of the river is fed by springs and creeks. There were many turns in the river with most of them consisting of a gravel bar. So there were many places to stop to relax, swim or have a picnic. We took our time and stopped a few times, to cool off and swim or simply enjoy the amazing scenery. Many parts of the river were lined with high, rocky bluffs. Other areas were just hills and many birds. We saw some wildlife; many turtles (sliders), some water moccasins, otters and birds everywhere. It took us about 4 hours to get to the take out, it was so much fun. It was a very enjoyable paddle and is one of the prettiest rivers we have ever paddled.

We had so much fun we decided to go ahead and book a different float for the next day. The outfitter’s plan was to pick us up at our campsite (wow!) and take us to the put-in at a different part of the river that was above the previous paddle. This section was a 11.5 mile float, which was supposed to have more small rapids and more current. It was still a wonderful paddle, with many gravel bars along the way. We truly enjoyed this river and the surrounding area.

The next day the weather forecast was for severe thunderstorms, which turned out to be true, along with tornado warnings in the area. (This was the same weather system that went through Oklahoma City and caused damage.) The weather kept us off the river, so went drove down to Blanchard Caverns to take the cave tour. It was spectacular, the first level caverns tour was 216 feet down! It was very impressive, as the two “rooms” we went through were massive. The first one was as long as 6 football fields. I posted some pics of the most amazing formations in this cave. It was well worth the 45 minute drive through the mountains to get there. After returning to the camp, most of the bad weather had passed by, so we took the dogs down to the river gravel bar to play. Again, we all had a fun time.

Later in the middle of the night, the storms came back with heavy rains and lightning. It woke us up a few times. All was well; I guess being down in the river valley was a good thing at that point. The next morning it was still raining somewhat, but was clearing up. Later in the morning we decided to hike a trail in the park that goes back to an ancient rock cave where native Indians had resided since around 700 AD. There were some other highlights along the trail, like an old abandoned zinc mine. The hike was beautiful and most along a lovely creek. It was very humid and hot, with a big elevation change. I hate it when you hike downhill first, then have to go back uphill to the trailhead. Anyway, we had a great time and really enjoyed the artifacts along the way.

In the afternoon, we began prepping for the next day departure. We met our camping neighbors who were very friendly. After we ate dinner, Kurt started a nice campfire (despite the wet wood) and our neighbors came over to share the fire. We all sit around the fire until almost 11pm, then we had to get some sleep. It was a fun evening.

The next morning, we were breaking down camp during rain. We just had to put on our rain gear and get it ready to bug out. Everything was wet, so it was not a lot of fun. The next stop is near Branson, Missouri, at Table Rock Lake. Kurt and his friends in Kansas used to hang out at this lake over 30 years ago. Also, we want to see what Branson is like.

Oak Mountain State Park, Alabama

Oak Mountain State Park

This is a wonderful state park near Birmingham. The 9,940-acre park has over 50 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails; and something for all outdoor enthusiasts to appreciate and enjoy. Campground for tents and RVs, cabins, picnic areas, two fishing lakes, one recreational lake with canoe rentals, a sandy beach swimming area, a boat launch and a 18 hole golf course with pro shop & driving range, mountain bike trails, demonstration farm, treetop nature trail and rental horseback riding facilities. We enjoyed most of these activities; particularly the mountain biking, hiking and kayaking on the lakes. We spent one whole day at the big lake, setup with our picnic, kayak and bikes. The boys enjoyed the day, as they just simply hung out at our lakeside spot. Kody did go on a kayak paddle with me around the lake. We also took the boys hiking on several trails and they really enjoyed it when we let them off leash. Kirby is beginning to slow down and is not able to hike as much as he used to. As he ages, the heat is too much for him when hiking. He will probably spend more alone time in the trailer when we want to go on extended hikes. He won’t mind too much, as he sleeps much of the day anyway.

Kurt was able to ride almost all the 25+ miles of mountain biking trails. He claims this is the best mountain bike trails he’s ever been on, as they are really in mountains! The IMBA (International Mountain Biking Association) has added Oak Mountain as one of their top 50 epic rides! I was able to ride a couple of the easy mountain bike trails and made it without any crashes or injuries. The hiking trails were very nice and mostly shaded. One hike we went on without the dogs was a steep climb up to the ridge, with an elevation from 620 feet to 1100 feet. We were headed to a eagle lookout where, but just as we got up on the ridge, we saw the black skies and then heard lighting. Wow, we had to quickly head down the trail and was able to cross over to a different trail that was not as steep and shorter. The skies opened up as we rushed down the trail. When we connected to the second trail we saw a trailhead marker that had a little roof over it. We huddled under that protection for about 20 minutes, as the storm passed and then we were able to make it the rest of the way to the trailhead. It was kind of scary as the lightning was cracking all around. That will teach us to frequently check the weather radar on my Droid, as long as we have a cell signal, which is not always available in the mountains or down in the valleys. Anyway, we made it safely back to the trailer, wondering if Kirby had freaked out, as he is very afraid of thunder. All was okay; it looked like he may have gone into our bedroom, as he does that when he’s scared.

We also did a few hikes around the lake near the campground. The dogs did go with us on these hikes and they had fun and was able to get in the water to cool off and get a drink. Overall, this was a very nice park with many amenities. We will put this on our “go back” list, mainly for the biking and maybe next time we’ll have our golf clubs (if I can convince Kurt). We need to practice first.

We will be packing up to leave in the morning (Sunday). Heading to Memphis to spend one night on the Mississippi River at a nice RV campground. We want to just sit and watch the tugs and barges go up and down the river. After that, we head to the Ozarks, Buffalo National River in northern Arkansas.

On Our Way - Heading West

On Our Way!

Picture link: 

Western Trip Summer 2013 - Google Photos

After days of packing and preparing, we finally drove out of our driveway at noon on Sunday, May 19^th.  Heading north on I-95, we made our way to Camping World in Cocoa, Florida. We had a scheduled service appointment on Monday morning at 8 am to replace our shattered shower door. After arriving at Camping World, they placed our camper in a parking space where we would spend the night. It was a good surprise that the spot had electricity! We were able to run the AC which was necessary as it was hot and muggy outside. After getting settled and getting the dogs (Kirby and Kody) setup to spend some quality alone time. We had made plans to go out for something to eat and drive around our old stomping grounds of the Cocoa area.

First, we headed out to Lone Cabbage Fish Camp on the St. Johns River. Years ago, we would go there on Sunday afternoons for great food and country music. This day was no exception. The beer was cold and there was a full liquor bar! The band was very good and everyone there enjoyed the music. We had the fried catfish special to go with our drinks. After finishing that food, we decided to get a gator bites snack, had to get gator while we were there! After almost two hours, we decided to head into town and walk around Cocoa Village, where we used to hang out. The area had not changed much in the last 20 years; the “village” downtown was still quaint with artsy shops and great restaurants. We also walked around the historic “Porcher House”, where we held our wedding and reception. It also looked the same, such a lovely home formerly belonging to the Porchers, who were founders in the area. After that, we decided to drive over to Cocoa Beach to see how that area had evolved. There were many changes, especially more touristy attractions. Oh well, the beach is still there!

We decided to head back to the camper and let the dogs out for a walk. The remainder of the evening, we relaxed, watched TV and had another bite to eat. We were tired and headed to bed early, as we had the 8am appointment.

The next morning, the service department replaced the shower door and we were out of there by 10 am. We then headed north towards Orlando and the turnpike to take us to our first camping night. Three Rivers State Park is west of Tallahassee, just south of the Alabama border. We parked the RV in an awesome lakefront site on Lake Seminole. Since we were just overnighting there, we didn’t even unhitch the truck. We wanted to get out early and hit the road. Our next stop was in Alabama at Oak Mountain State Park, just south of Birmingham.

Suwannee River State Park – Sixth Location

Monday, March 25

We awoke and prepared our RV for departure. The drive to Suwannee River S.P. took about 2.5 hours, mostly on I-10. We made a regular provisioning stop at a Walmart in Tallahassee. Upon arrival at the park, we setup our RV after a tight squeeze into the campsite. The park is very nice and right on the Suwannee River. There are miles of trails for hiking and biking around the park. Kody and Kirby got to go on a quick exploratory walk to the river and to get our bearings. The park also is located at the confluence of the Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers. We are near the town of Live Oak, about halfway between Tallahassee and Jacksonville.

As we were completing our rig setup, our RV neighbors came over to chat and pet the dogs. They are a very nice couple from Illinois, outside of Chicago. Hal and Sue are very friendly and we chatted for awhile and learned a little about each other. Sue loves dogs, so Kody and Kirby really enjoyed the petting and attention. As we were trying to figure out where to move the campfire ring, we discovered it was anchored to the ground. It was located within six feet of the front door of our trailer, there was no way we would be able to use that campfire ring! That was very disappointing to us as we love to sit around the fire at night. Kurt said he would talk to the ranger the next day to see if we could get it moved or get another one.

We checked the outfitter’s web page to find out the cost and what kayak trips were offered. We had decided to take the 7 mile downstream paddle. The weather looked the best for Thursday, so we planned to go on that day.

The weather forecast was for lows in the low 30’s for the night. We had dinner, watched some TV and then headed for bed.

Tuesday, March 26

After a chilly night we awoke and had our coffee and breakfast. When we took the dogs out, they didn’t want to stay out too long as they are not used to freezing weather, it was about 36 degrees at 9 am. After looking at the day’s forecast, which wasn’t even going to get to 60 degrees, we weren’t sure what we would do today. We decided to just hang out around the campground and park. Kurt went on a long bike ride in and outside of the park. There were some trails that crossed over the Suwannee River on an old highway bridge. On the west side of the river (opposite from us), the Florida Trail follows the river banks. It was a very beautiful trail.

Later, we took the dogs on a hike by the river and they really enjoyed it. The river view was awesome and there was a very nice boat launch at the park. We let the dogs run off leash to release some of their energy. They do like the cooler weather when hiking, it gets them all revved up!

The rest of the afternoon I relaxed and read some of my book. I wanted to get finished before the end of our trip. Kurt took a drive to the kayak put-in so that I could shuttle him up there tomorrow for the 7 mile paddle. The weather forecast was again calling for freezing temps for the night and highs tomorrow upper 50s.

Later that afternoon, Kurt showed me that a campfire ring had just appeared on our site behind the back of the trailer! Actually, he “borrowed” it from the site next door, which was vacant and that campfire ring was not anchored to the ground. He would put it back before we left. Kurt and Hal had already collected a big load of wood, so we were ready for a fire!  Hal and Sue came over and shared the campfire for the evening. We all started Happy Hour with wine and beer. Sue brought some yummy sausage and crackers to snack on. We enjoyed the company and warm fire until late into the evening.

Wednesday, March 27

Despite the cold weather, Kurt decided to do the 7 mile paddle today. The temps were still in the 40’s, so he waited until noon to head out.  Since we had found the put-in location, we loaded up his kayak and gear and then drove to the park. It was a small county park (Gibson Park) on the Suwannee River, and it had a few campsites with electric and water. He launched his kayak and headed down the river. The paddle trail would end right back at the boat ramp in our park. Kurt had dressed in layered clothing and even wore his hiking boots so that his feet would not get cold. The sun was shining, but the temps and wind were chilling. While unloading the kayak, a HUGE white dog approached us and he turned out to be a big baby! He looked to be close to 150 pounds and looked like a white golden retriever. I think that he is a Great Pyrenees. He was friendly and beautiful. We thought he belonged to one of the campers, but they told us he belonged to a local neighbor and routinely hung out with people camping at the park. His dog tag showed that his name is Sidney.

Kurt went on down the river, then the dogs and I headed back to camp. When we got back, we went on a hike around the park. The boys really love hiking in the cold weather! Later, as I was sitting and reading, a new RV trailer pulled into the site other site next to us.  I watched them setup their rig and they seemed to be looking for the campfire ring!

The dogs and I walked over to the park boat ramp, as Kurt would be arriving soon. While waiting, a large group of college kids were arriving in canoes. There were about 25 kids and a few adult chaperones. Some of the kids came over to pet the dogs, and we chatted for awhile. They were West Virginia University students on spring break and had been campground and river camping. It was so refreshing to speak with these young, respectful college kids that would rather be camping than on Panama City Beach getting drunk. There was also not one cell phone in sight! What a great group of young people!

Kurt pulled into the boat ramp shortly after that, so we took his kayak and gear back to our campsite. I went over and introduced myself and invited them to join us in our campfire for the evening. I explained the campfire ring dilemma and they said it would be no problem, as they were just staying for one night. They were going to join us shortly.

Later, Hal and Sue came over for Happy Hour and the campfire. They had already met our new neighbors, Tom and Michelle, who soon joined us at the fire. We all sat around the fire and exchanged RV camping stories. Tom and Michelle were leaving in the morning; I think they were going to Blackwater River S.P. where we had been a week ago. Hal knew we had planned to paddle the river tomorrow and volunteered to drive us up to the put-in. That was great as it would save us the $50 shuttle fee from the outfitter.  Finally, everyone was tired and cold, so we all retired for the night.

Thursday, March 28

After breakfast, we finally wandered outside. It was sunny and getting warmer, at least the temps were supposed to get up in the upper 60’s today. Kurt spoke with Hal about the drive to the put-in. They decided that we would load our kayaks in our truck, then we would drive up there and Hal would drive our truck back to the park. It was a perfect plan! We decided to leave a 12:30.

We had all our gear loaded and headed up to the put-in, Gibson Park, where Kurt had paddled from yesterday. It was an easy drive and Hal was so kind to take our truck back to the campground. The float down the Suwannee River was awesome! The scenery was lovely and it was sunny and warm. It took us about 2.5 hours to get back. We stopped on a large white sandbar for lunch and to stretch our legs. We really enjoyed the nice river and saw a few other kayaks and canoes on the water. The Suwannee River is wide and swift flowing, especially at this time, as the water level is a couple of feet higher than normal. After getting back to our campsite, we relaxed for awhile and began prepping for our departure the next day.

Kurt was preparing the fire when we noticed the new RV neighbors had purchased some firewood and had made a ring of rocks for their fire.  We went over and asked them to come over and share the fire, especially since we had borrowed the campfire ring from their site. Rick and Debbie came over to  join us. We found out that Rick and Debbie are from Jensen Beach, which is about 30 miles north of our home. They had recently begun RVing and loved it so far. They also had kayaks and it was great to meet friends from our area who we can paddle with in the future. We all had a wonderful time exchanging RV and camping information. Hal and Sue had been so many places; it was great getting their feedback and advice. It was a fun to hang out and get to know our RV neighbors. We stayed out by the fire until we got too cold and tired.

Friday, March 29

We got up earlier than normal today, since we have a 5 hour drive to get home. We completed our departure tasks and were ready to leave by 10am. We exchanged contact information with Hal & Sue and Rick & Debbie. We would love to keep in touch with them all and continue our RV travel discussions. Rick and Debbie will be great local friends to kayak with in our area.

Our plans for the drive home included a stop at Camping World in Ocala, to get our replacement stereo installed. The drive to Ocala was about 3 hours, and we arrived after 1pm. On the way down, our tire pressure monitor indicated that the right rear trailer tire was getting low. We had been aware that during the delivery of our trailer to the Cocoa Camping World, that there had been a flat tire and it was repaired by Camping World and put back on the trailer. We were assured that the tire had been properly repaired. We barely made it to Camping World before the tire pressure became too low. We unhooked the trailer and Kurt removed the tire so we could take it to get repaired, as that Camping World did not work on tires. After removing the tire, Kurt realized that the tire had not been repaired properly, it was a radial tire and they had “plugged” the hole, instead of patching it. Plugs on radials are not recommended and can be dangerous. After going to three tire stores, which all said they would not patch a radial after it had been plugged, we found a Goodyear store that at least inspected the tire and said they would be able to patch it. We left it there and went to get some lunch, as it was already 3pm and we were starving! We picked up the tire, headed back to Camping World and found that they had installed the stereo. Kurt put on the repaired tire, hooked up the trailer and we headed out. Prior to leaving, Kurt asked if he could plug in our small compressor to air it up, in case we needed it on the rest of the trip home. After getting down the interstate about 20 miles, Kurt realized he had left the compressor at Camping World. We called to let them know he was coming back to get it, but they were closing in about an hour. We were approaching Wildwood, where I-75 connects to the Florida Turnpike. There were truck stops there, so we parked in the back, unhooked the trailer so Kurt would not have to haul it all the way back and through Ocala again. The boys and I stayed with the trailer and they were able to get out and walk around and have their dinner. Kurt made it back in time to get the compressor and drive back to the trailer. We hooked back up and went on down the road. So, the planned visit in Ocala turned out to be almost 4 hours instead of 1 hour. We finally arrived back home at 10:30 pm. We were so tired and ready to get some rest. We parked the RV in our driveway and only unloaded the fridge contents, so we wouldn’t have to leave the electric plugged in. We finally collapsed into bed before midnight.

Overall, the entire trip was a lot of fun and we got to visit, experience and paddle new places we had not yet been to. However, we were all happy to be home, especially Kody and Kirby. When we let them out of the truck, they disappeared into our property to run and enjoy their space at home. We now have about 7 weeks before we head out West to Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and states in between.

Florida Caverns State Park

Florida Caverns State Park – Fifth Location

Thursday, March 21

We arrived at the park in the early afternoon, the two hour drive was easy and mostly on I-10. The park is near the small town of Marianna. We were following the GPS directions and it did not give a certain voice command to merge onto a major highway, thus sending us right through the town of Marianna and what I would say was not the best area of town. We were going through a residential area and most of the folks were staring at our rig, probably wondering what the hell these people were doing in their neighborhood. It was a little unsettling. Anyway, using my Google GPS, we were able to maneuver our way back to the proper main road, whew! The State Park is in a beautiful location north of town and is huge! We checked in with the ranger and headed for the campground. After getting our rig parked and setup, we spoke with the camp host, whose motorhome is directly across from us. We noticed the abundance of mosquitoes, fortunately we had bug spray. The host explained the bugs were worse than normal due to the fact that two weeks ago, this whole campground had been evacuated and was flooded with 4 feet of water! Wow, it would have been nice to know that ahead of time, what if we were to arrive on one of the flood days? Well, that makes us realize that we should check the park’s web page or call the ranger prior to arrival to see if there are any alerts. I have already done that for our next location at Suwannee River S.P.  It looks like they also had some of the bad weather, but maybe not so much flooding. Note to RV’rs: check out your next location before going there!

Anyway, we setup everything as usual, while continuing to apply bug spray. Kurt setup the charcoal grill (by the way, thanks so much to Tom & Diana for the little Weber grill, we love it). We grilled awesome burgers and had a nice dinner. After dinner, we just stayed inside for the evening since the bugs were so bad.

Friday, March 22

After breakfast, Kurt called the local canoe outfitter to find out about shuttle services. The local river, the Chipola, was okay for kayaking and they could run a shuttle for us. At this point, the weather was not good, still cloudy and chilly. I decided that I didn’t want to kayak this time, I would rather stay back at the RV and get some housekeeping done.  We drove down to the put in location and also the take out, so we would be familiar with the sites. We went back to the campground and got all his gear for the paddle. I then shuttled Kurt to the put in boat ramp and he headed down the river. The dogs and I went back to the RV. I took the boys outside and put them on their wire leads so they could relax while I cleaned the RV. I was able to do some laundry, as the park has a washer and dryer, and also got some general cleaning done. After about three hours, Kurt called to let me know he was almost at the take out. I then completed my chores and loaded up the dogs to go get Dad. We met him at the take out and he had a nice paddle down the river.

We stopped to get diesel fuel at a local market in Marianna, “McCoys”. We were surprised when we found the store as what we would call a “get it all here” store. They sold gas, diesel, kerosene, beer, snacks, guns, ammo, hunting and fishing supplies, horse feed, dog food, hay and God knows what else. It was Friday evening and the place was packed. The beer was cheap and the line was long. We headed back to the campground to start our own Happy Hour.

After dinner, Kurt started a big campfire, as he had found wood around the park that was not too wet. We sat by the fire with the dogs, until they wanted to go to bed. We let them in and we stayed by the fire until it was almost out. We were tired and decided to get our showers and head to bed. After Kurt got his shower, I then took my shower. A few minutes later, we were watching TV when we heard a loud noise from our bathroom that sounded like ice falling. I opened the bath door and found a pile of glass on the shower and bath floor. The shower door has shattered into a million pieces! We were both shocked and couldn’t figure out what the hell happened! It took us quite awhile to clean up the glass and make sure there was no more on the floors.  We used our shop vac, broom and dust pan to clean it all up. We were almost speechless, what happened? There must have been some flaw or crack for the glass to shatter like that. Another fix for Camping World to take care of! After that we headed to bed for some rest.

Saturday, March 23

Since the weather today was really sucking, some rain during the day and thunderstorms for the evening, we decided this was the day to take the Caverns Tour here in the park. Kurt went to the ranger station in the morning and purchased the tickets. The tour was guided and lasted about 45 minutes. We went on the noon tour, with about 15 other people. The ranger lead the tour and we went through the seven “rooms” of the cave, each one having different formations of stalactites and stalagmites. It was amazing and we truly enjoyed the tour. We took some awesome pictures and learned the history of the caverns, how they were discovered and excavated by the Civilian Conservation Corps, part of the Roosevelt “New Deal”. There was also a golf course built on the property by the CCC. The park is nice, but not one of our favorites. The last two parks we stayed at would be what we call Premier state parks. Part of the issue here is that the recent flooding left so many mosquitoes and the ground was muddy.

After the cave tour, we started to hike some trails around the cave area, but the mosquitoes were so bad and unbearable, we headed back to the RV and had some lunch. Late in the afternoon, Kurt built a campfire and we stayed by the fire until it began to rain. The light rains started and we decided just to hole up in the trailer and relax. We had recorded some movies on our DVR, so we watched the movie, Hoffa, starring Jack Nicholson. It was an excellent movie which we enjoyed. We fixed a simple dinner and hung out for the rest of the evening. Later in the evening, the storms got worse, with lightning and thunder and the thunderstorms continued most of the night.

Sunday, March 24

We slept in a little later, as it was still raining lightly. By mid-morning, the sun was coming out and getting warmer. We decided to take the dogs for a hike on part of the Florida Trail, which runs along the Chipola River. We drove down to a preserve area where the trail passed through. We hiked for about 2.5 miles, but had to turn back as parts of the flooded river had backed up into low areas. The boys were getting hot and tired, as the temps had got into the mid 80’s. We decided to go back to the State Park and hike some trails around there. The trails around the cave area were really beautiful, except the mosquitoes were still present. We persisted and covered a couple of miles. The dogs were really worn out by then, so we went back to the trailer for some lunch and relaxation.

Kurt decided to go for a bike ride around the park and I needed to take care of some housekeeping. The mosquitoes were still really bad, so I was glad to stay in the trailer. The dogs took naps while I cleaned. Kurt returned from biking with some more firewood. I decided to take my shower at the camp bath house, since it was very clean and our shower door was broken. I just wanted to have the comfort of larger shower and no stray glass. We had some leftovers dinner and then sat around the campfire for awhile. We also began stowing away some things for our departure the next day.  We are heading next to Suwannee River State Park, near Live Oak Florida.

Blackwater River State Park

Blackwater River State Park – Fourth Location

Saturday, March 16

The drive to Blackwater was easy and uneventful. We drove along the Gulf shore almost to Pensacola before heading north. We made our usual Walmart stop for provisioning and fuel. The park and campground are very beautiful and the sites are perfect with full hookups. Our site was backed up to the river, although it was not visible through the woods. There was a nice path right behind our site that led down to the river and sandbar beach. There was a boardwalk over a swampy area to get to the beach. The Blackwater River is fairly shallow, sandy bottom with many turns and at most there are sandbars. The river was a couple of feet higher than usual due to recent rains in the area, thus the current was also swifter. However, this made downstream paddling so easy, only needed to use paddles to steer.

We took the dogs on a hike down the path and along the river trail. There were several people on the sandbars enjoying the beautiful weather. Kurt decided he would like to do a short paddle, so we found a boat ramp a mile upstream in the park and the take out downstream. I dropped him and Kody off at the boat ramp and picked them up at the take out bridge. After he got on the water, there was a state park sign indicating that no pets, alcohol or glass bottles permitted. Well, he had all three…. The FWC ranger was driving around near the take out and we had to sneak Kody across the sandbar and back to the truck. But, we were told later that they don’t strongly enforce these rules unless the offenders are really being unruly or blatant. So probably our name is on some state park rule breaker list.  I keep telling Kurt, one day they’re not going to allow us back in Florida State Parks.

We returned to the RV and decided it was time for Happy Hour! We called the local canoe outfitter and made plans to use their shuttle service the next day to take us to a put in 11 miles upstream. After a dinner of grilled pork roast, we were ready to relax in the RV. The weather was chilly and we didn’t have firewood yet, so we retreated into the RV for the rest of the evening.

Sunday, March 17

After a restful night’s sleep, we awoke and prepared our kayaks and stuff for the paddle. We had coffee and breakfast and then drove to the outfitter location. We got all the information about the river and met the shuttle driver at the take out parking lot. Paul was a very nice local guy who was born and raised in the area. He took our kayaks, gear and us in his truck/trailer to the put in about 11 miles north. The weather was supposed to be sunny and nice, but it ended up overcast and a little chilly the whole day.  However, the river was beautiful and we “floated” downstream, passing many sandbars at almost every turn. The current was pretty swift and we were able to use the rudders to do most of the steering. Kurt fished along the way, but only got one bite which got off the hook. The current probably kept most of the fish in hiding. We stopped a couple of times on sandbars to stretch our legs and have some lunch. It was an enjoyable paddle, despite the cloudy weather. The sandbars were amazing and abundant. We have never paddled a river like this before; it’s so nice to have places to stop.  There was not much wildlife on the river, just a few turtles that appeared near the end of the paddle as the sun was beginning to peek out. After about four hours, we passed the State Park shoreline and then arrived at the take out bridge. Kurt brought the truck back from the parking lot and we loaded up our kayaks and gear, then headed back to camp.

The dogs were very happy when we returned and let them out. They were alone for about 5 hours and behaved nicely. They are really getting used to their time in the RV, but I think they are taking advantage of some down time. Normally, they are worn out and ready to go to bed by 7 or 8 pm. Most of the time we make them hang out with us around the campfire, they really do like the warmth when it’s chilly out. But we let them go inside to their beds way before we are ready to go in.

We then took them for a walk along the river trail and let them run on one of the sandbar beaches. Kody ran a B-500 and released some of his pent up energy. They love playing on the beach (another park violation).  Kurt decided we needed to “collect” some firewood. We all loaded up in the truck and drove back into the State Forest and found a forest road. There, we were able to get enough firewood to last four more nights. Again, we had awesome campfires each night. After dinner, we returned to the campfire until it burned out for the night. We were tired and went to bed a little early.

Monday, March 18

We woke up a little late as we had nothing to rush for in the morning.  After coffee and breakfast, we decided to drive north into the State Forest to find out about paddling Big Juniper Creek, which is a tributary of the Blackwater River. Kurt wanted to find a put in and take out so we could do our own shuttle. Juniper Creek was different from the Blackwater, much more shallow and narrow, with a prettier tree canopy and high banks. We decided to let Kurt do this paddle and I would shuttle for him tomorrow. We found a trailhead that was supposed to run along the creek, and we set out with the dogs. It turned out not to be a nice hike, there had been a fire in the area and everything was charred and not pretty. We abandoned the hike and decided to go back to camp and hike there. At that point, I needed some down time and sit outside and read my book. Kurt went on a bike ride for awhile then decided to do a paddle out of the park. He kayaked on the Blackwater River downstream for about a 1.5 miles to look for the confluence of Juniper Creek.  He turned around to paddle back upstream to find out if it was too difficult, but found it not to be so hard.

Later we walked back down to the sandbar beach with the dogs and hiked one of the trails. After dinner we sat around the campfire and enjoyed the rest of the evening. We went to bed a little early to get some rest for tomorrow’s paddle.

Tuesday, March 19

After coffee and breakfast, we packed up Kurt’s kayak and gear for his paddle on Big Juniper Creek. We went up to the highway bridge to the put in. The boys went with us and Kurt took off in his kayak and headed downstream. The boys and I headed back to camp. We went on a little hike in the park, then back to the RV. I spent some time taking care of cleaning and re-organizing our messy stuff. After about two hours, I headed back to the take out where we had arranged to pickup Kurt. The boys were able to run around the sandbar and the river trail while we were waiting. When Kurt arrived, he was very happy with the paddle and the weather was actually perfect, sunny and warmer.

After arriving back at camp, we went on a bike ride on a rail trail in the town of Milton. It was called the Blackwater Heritage Trail, totaling 8.1 miles one way. We drove into Milton and found the main trailhead. We rode up the trail about 6 miles, then turned around. It was a nice ride and the weather was perfect. The area has a couple of military facilities, including a naval air station and helicopter training. There seemed to be a continual flying of choppers over the whole area. It was a little annoying when they flew over the campground at night, when everything was nice and quiet. Oh well, they have to learn to fly choppers somewhere!

When we were back at camp, we noticed that another RV had pulled in with two kayaks on their truck. They were walking their dog around the campground when we talked to them to see if they would be interested in kayaking with us and running our own shuttle. After we discussed the plan, we all decided we could do this the next day. We made plans to meet at 10am and take the kayaks to the 11 mile put in and leave our truck at the take out. They are a very nice couple from Ontario spending the winter down here in the south. Tim and Celina are very much outdoor people and serious kayakers. It was nice to meet another friendly couple that loves RVing and kayaking!

After dinner, Kurt, the boys and I had our usual campfire and enjoyed the evening.

Wednesday, March 20

Tim and Celina met us with their truck and we loaded up our kayaks. We first took our truck to the take out parking lot and then we all drove to the put in. We launched our kayaks and began the paddle downstream. Again, the forecast was to be sunny and nice, but it was quite the opposite. The skies were very cloudy and the temps were colder than the previous couple of days. Fortunately, we all had dressed in warm clothes. Tim and Celina had sit-in kayaks with skirts, so they had a warmer advantage. As we floated downstream, we all chatted and got to know each other better. They are very interesting people and have traveled around the world. As Canadians, they have traveled to Cuba and really love going to that island. They love RVing and being in the warm weather for the winter (who doesn’t). We stopped on a large sandbar for lunch and a rest stop. We completed the paddle in about 3.5 hours. It turned out to be a fun and enjoyable paddle, despite the cold and cloudy weather. When we got to the take out, the guys retrieved Tim’s truck from the put in and we all loaded up our kayaks and headed back to the campground.

After arriving back at the RV, the dogs were very happy to see us. We took them for another hike on the river trail and Kurt was fishing in the ponds and river. We had invited Tim and Celina to come over after dinner and enjoy the campfire with us. We all had a very nice evening, continuing to chat and get to know more about each other. We really enjoyed their company and exchanged contact information. We invited them to come to south Florida next winter and spend some time down there, and we can paddle some of the great rivers in our area. Hopefully, they will be able to work this into their trip planning next year. We talked and drank wine and beer until the fire burned out and we ran out of wood. It was a most lovely evening and we were very tired from the day’s activities.

The next day we would be heading to Florida Caverns State Park, near Marianna Florida. There is supposed to be excellent paddling on the Chipola River.