January 18th - February 2nd, 2004:  Florida

So, it took us 2 weeks just to get out of the state...we weren't in a hurry!  We had some great stops in Florida.  Our first - Jonathon Dickinson State Park.  Yes, we know it's only an hour and a half from home, but Savanna's Preserve was full and it was raining.  We wanted to stay close to home the first few nights to get used to the new RV and make sure we didnt forget anything.  Found some great singletrack off-road biking trails in JD, too!

Moving north up the eastern coast of FL, we stopped at Blue Springs SP for manatees.  Played in Ocala Nat'l Forest - off-road biking, hiking, and kayaking.  Then we saw friends and family in St Augustine before starting to head West.

In northern FL we stopped in White Springs hoping to kayak the Ole Suwannee River, but the temperatures plummeted to 19 degrees here and we just aren't used to (or interested in) kayaking in those temperatures!  In Marianna, FL we visited the Florida Caverns which are worth the visit.  The park also has some nice trails.  We were able to get back into our kayaks here and paddle the Chipola River.  A beautiful place with very large trees.  To combat the temps here we bought scupper plugs for our 'yaks, and wore our new waterproof ski pants!  We're adapting...you forget what cold is when you live in South Florida.

Last stop in Florida was Holt.  We went to see Blackwater River State Park.  Would've been great hiking and biking if it wasn't for hunting season, which appears they hunt something there all year long.  The campground was close to Eglin Air Force Base, which had night-time target practices.  Have you ever tried to go to sleep to machine-gun fire and bombing explosions?