Every day for the last month it has been raining. I love it! But that means the water is up in what few caves we have to offer, so you might as well accept it and plan to get wet! As you know, Alan Cressler and company plan a pre-convention camp in Marianna. If you go I highly recommend canoeing the beautiful Chipola river downstream from Florida Caverns State park. Closer to the convention, Ichetucknee springs run is still relatively pristine and beautiful but highly regulated due to it's popularity. On summer weekends the possum cops restrict it to a mere few thousand people at any one time. My advice is to get there early on a weekday. Many of the cool karst spots are supposedly off limits, but it would be hard for them to keep a swimmer from becoming gator bait if he or she insisted on swimming into a cavelet or grass patch. There are some nice trails that parallel the river too. One thing is certain, even in summer you will freeze your butt off if you swim or tube, so I recommend a wet suit or canoe. Absolutely no food or containers of any kind are allowed, including bottled water. There are regulations about all such things so I suggest you contact the park before making any arrangements. If you want to take a long strong swim in an unregulated area, preferably aided by a canoe with a cooler full of beer, then I highly recommend the Santa Fe river between Rum island spring and the rt. 47 bridge. It is about a 6 mile trip. Along the way you will pass the justly famous Ginnie springs complex and many other crystalline springs, as a result of which the water will become progressively colder as you go downstream, but it is still warmer than Ichetucknee which is completely spring fed. The Santa Fe is a relatively clear dark water river which becomes clearer the further downstream you go. The scenery is beautiful but not equal to the Itch since it is less pristine. As far as I'm concerned, the best part is swimming through the rapids where huge boulders have caused potholes that are filled with treasures including numerous fossils, arrowheads, etc. All the while beautiful aquatic vegetation is swirling around you concealing the alligators! It has been raining this summer so the water levels could be high and the water dark??? If so just zip into any of the spring runs! You can rent canoes, diving gear, camp, and buy goodies at Ginnie Springs. Lars Anderson is in the canoe rental business and does the Santa Fe: Lars Anderson, Adventure Outpost 386 454 0611. He has a competitor who is located right on the river: Jim Wood 386 454 2050 If you want an actual adventure I recommend the gulf coast. It is the closest thing to real wilderness we have left in Florida. The way to do that is to contact my buddy Brack who has sit on top kayaks for rent and will tote the boats to whatever locations you wish. He mostly operates out of the Cedar Key area.You can contact me for some secret spots. If you go at high tide you can expect to reach places rarely visited by man! Here is your contact: Brack Barker, _brack154@msn.com_ (mailto:brack...@msn.com) , _www.wild-florida.com_ (http://www.wild-florida.com) 352 528 3984, cell 226 2251. Plan to get wet! Sleaze
