Guides and Trips in United States

We needed to get out of the house and do something fun, so, we decided on a morning paddle.  Since it was mid-May and, thus, the peak of alligator mating season, we decided to stear clear of our fresh-water paddle routes and chose to visit the mangrove tunnels of Lido Key.We put in at Bayfront Park on Bird Key, just over the new Ringling Bridge and paddled around to the south portion...

We decided on a last minute paddle, so I jumped onto Google Earth and looked at the various launching spots for one we hadn't used yet and I quickly decided on Fort Hamer on the Manatee River.  It was a great launch location, with new restroom facilities and a fair amount of parking.  We recommend it!The Manatee River is fairly wide at the launch, but not very far upstream is where Gamble...

We were long over due for a kayak trip and after discovering the beauty of Terra Ceia Preserve last spring, we were eager to return there.  On that last trip, we put in at the mouth of Frog Creek, but had to endure many spider webs overhead as we made our way up Frog Creek.  My wife strongly urged that we find an alternative launch location.From satellite photos, I could see evidence...

For our first hike, we wanted to go to Springer Mountain, the terminus of the great Appalachian Trail.  The Appalachian Trail, sometimes referred to as The AT, is a marked hiking trail extending approximately 2,178 miles to Mount Katahdin in Maine.  We have read much about this trail and have hiked sections of it over the years and were happy to be going to its southern terminus.After driving up the access road (see posting...

For our 20th wedding anniversary, we decided to go to northern Georgia, explore some trails, and spend time in the mountains.  This posting provides only an introduction to our activities.  Subsequent posts will describe each our our explorations in more detail and include:- a short hike to the summit of Springer Mountain (terminus of the AT)- a loop hike along the AT and Benton Mackaye trails- visiting the longest swing bridge east of...

Easter Morning, 2010...another beautiful day to paddle!  This time we set out to explore Robinson Preserve in western Manatee County.  We had recently learned about the new preserve (Opened in 2008?), and din't know if it was completed or had a launch site.  Therefore, we set out from Palma Sola Causeway on Manatee Ave.We had downloaded a similar track from EveryTrail posted by Paddlemyfanny and, therefore, could easily find the short mangrove...

This is a nice little park, but a very short kayaking trip.  We paddled through the lagoons very slowly which added to the quiet atmosphere.   A few spots were rather tight, but not too bad.

It was perfect weather for a paddle.  We put in the Little Manatee River at the canoe launch in Little Manatee River State Park.  There is a big drop off from the launch to the river, but dropping the kayak and boarding went without a hitch.There was a considerable current in the river (for a florida river, that is) and so, we decided to head upstream so that our way back would...

We spent the day at the beach near Sharkey's in Venice, FL with some friends and their three wonderful girls.  After a day of shark tooth hunting, we decided to take a short walk to find this GeoCache (GC13WW3) just south of Sharkey's.  It was a nice little walk and a great GeoCache.