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florida trail

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    • florida trail

      Is that particular Blue Spring off the St. Johns? There's a lot of Blue Springs in FL. I recall a spring on the St. John's filled with Manatees. There was a mill near there and they sold pancake flour. MM, what part of Fl do you live if you don't mind me asking? I had the feeling you lived in LA (Lower Alabama).

    • florida trail

      grayblazer wrote:

      Is that particular Blue Spring off the St. Johns? There's a lot of Blue Springs in FL. I recall a spring on the St. John's filled with Manatees. There was a mill near there and they sold pancake flour. MM, what part of Fl do you live if you don't mind me asking? I had the feeling you lived in LA (Lower Alabama).

      We're down in Greenacres it's west of West Palm Beach. You probably heard me talk a lot about LA cause Shellie's got kin there and we spend time there too. Here's the park I'm talking about.
      http://www.floridastateparks.org/bluespring/
      I've camped there and have snuck in the swimming area early, early in the morning and swam with the manatees. One time with a cow and calf and to this day it's my greatest nature encounter ever. I've had some good ones out in the ocean too.
      Not far from Blue Springs is Deleon Springs that has the mill where you actually cook your own pancakes right at your table.
      http://www.floridastateparks.org/deleonsprings/
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    • florida trail

      Yeah, I went to both of those on the same day so I was a little confused. Man, Lake George is a good place to rent a pontoon boat and visit all the springs. Salt Springs Run is particularly beautiful. I think aquablazing the FT on the St. Johns is the way to go.

      Back in the day, my Dad used to take me and my brother in our boat on the Oklawaha before Rodman Dam. We went all over from the chain of lakes above Orlando to Jax and St. Augustine. The FL rivers are like the interstate system and were used as such in the pioneer days. Palatka was a happening place. People used to go there to get to St. Augustine from Jax and to Gainesville and Ocala via Orange Lake.

      My grandfather brought his family (my Dad) to St. Augustine during the depression. He got a job working on the engines for the shrimping fleet.and built the first house on Anastasia Island right across from the fort. There used to be no trees on the island and the beach came up to the lighthouse. Where the park is now was a sandbar.

    • florida trail

      Hey GB, Here's 2 friends of mine hiking Big Cypress in the Everglades. There's a 3rd too but she fell in a sink hole. She was a good sport about though.
      Images

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      Changes Daily→ ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ ♪♫♪♫♪♫ ← Don't blame me. It's That Lonesome Guitar.

    • florida trail

      milkman wrote:

      Hey GB, Here's 2 friends of mine hiking Big Cypress in the Everglades. There's a 3rd too but she fell in a sink hole. She was a good sport about though.


      That's just crazy. If you are gonna wade it should be at the beach in front of your motel room. So many beaches and stay options in FL.

      I think someone froze to death on the FT last year or the year before.

    • florida trail

      grayblazer wrote:

      milkman wrote:

      Hey GB, Here's 2 friends of mine hiking Big Cypress in the Everglades. There's a 3rd too but she fell in a sink hole. She was a good sport about though.


      That's just crazy. If you are gonna wade it should be at the beach in front of your motel room. So many beaches and stay options in FL.

      I think someone froze to death on the FT last year or the year before.
      I think that was the same year orange juice prices went up

    • florida trail

      milkman wrote:

      Hey GB, Here's 2 friends of mine hiking Big Cypress in the Everglades. There's a 3rd too but she fell in a sink hole. She was a good sport about though.


      Don't they know their are gators and water moccasins in that water? And plus whatever else those have released in the Everglades (like pythons). :ohmy:
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • florida trail

      Astro wrote:

      milkman wrote:

      Hey GB, Here's 2 friends of mine hiking Big Cypress in the Everglades. There's a 3rd too but she fell in a sink hole. She was a good sport about though.


      Don't they know their are gators and water moccasins in that water? And plus whatever else those have released in the Everglades (like pythons). :ohmy:

      Shhhhh. Don't tell TW that. I'll never get her to come hike down here. Even though it'd be like a family reunion.
      Changes Daily→ ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ ♪♫♪♫♪♫ ← Don't blame me. It's That Lonesome Guitar.

    • florida trail

      milkman wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      milkman wrote:

      Hey GB, Here's 2 friends of mine hiking Big Cypress in the Everglades. There's a 3rd too but she fell in a sink hole. She was a good sport about though.


      Don't they know their are gators and water moccasins in that water? And plus whatever else those have released in the Everglades (like pythons). :ohmy:

      Shhhhh. Don't tell TW that. I'll never get her to come hike down here. Even though it'd be like a family reunion.


      Hey FL is great, I just wouldn't recommend going wading through the Everglades.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • florida trail

      Astro wrote:

      milkman wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      milkman wrote:

      Hey GB, Here's 2 friends of mine hiking Big Cypress in the Everglades. There's a 3rd too but she fell in a sink hole. She was a good sport about though.


      Don't they know their are gators and water moccasins in that water? And plus whatever else those have released in the Everglades (like pythons). :ohmy:

      Shhhhh. Don't tell TW that. I'll never get her to come hike down here. Even though it'd be like a family reunion.


      Hey FL is great, I just wouldn't recommend going wading through the Everglades.



      Changes Daily→ ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ ♪♫♪♫♪♫ ← Don't blame me. It's That Lonesome Guitar.

    • Hard to believe no ones' posted on this thread in over a half of a year. We need to get it out there to snag some more WBers. I'll see if I can get more pics in this thread. Some one on WB (I know, I said I wasn't going there . I did not log in although I'm sure Al was licking his chops over seeing my IP. I can't believe how much time he has on his claws) was asking about ticks and chiggers and snakes on the FT. Are you kidding, there's those and everything else including Big Foot.

      Let's get those FT stories out there. I still haven't been to the Ecofina or that other river I mentioned.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by grayblazer ().

    • milkman wrote:

      I like the Marianna area.
      Hey milkman, I was born in Marianna. Lived the first 8 years of my life on my grandfolks farm south of Chipley. Best I remember, those were good old days. Then the family finally figured out where I belonged and moved me to the "big" city, Mobile, AL where I grew up in the shadows of the paper mill. Much preferred the farm.

    • chief wrote:

      milkman wrote:

      I like the Marianna area.
      Hey milkman, I was born in Marianna. Lived the first 8 years of my life on my grandfolks farm south of Chipley. Best I remember, those were good old days. Then the family finally figured out where I belonged and moved me to the "big" city, Mobile, AL where I grew up in the shadows of the paper mill. Much preferred the farm.


      Chipley's nice. I've got Grand kids and other family there.

      Good thing your grandparents didn't grow up in Vernon during the Depression. They might have lost some fingers or toes.

    • grayblazer wrote:

      chief wrote:

      milkman wrote:

      I like the Marianna area.
      Hey milkman, I was born in Marianna. Lived the first 8 years of my life on my grandfolks farm south of Chipley. Best I remember, those were good old days. Then the family finally figured out where I belonged and moved me to the "big" city, Mobile, AL where I grew up in the shadows of the paper mill. Much preferred the farm.


      Chipley's nice. I've got Grand kids and other family there.

      Good thing your grandparents didn't grow up in Vernon during the Depression. They might have lost some fingers or toes.

      Depression? My grandparents were born 1890s, grew up well before the Depression. What's the story of Vernon and loss of fingers and toes? Hope it's not another big foot story.

      Edit - Holy shat, just Googled Vernon, FL! - aka "Nub City". Seems in '50s - '60s some Vernon residents hatched a scheme to collect insurance money by "accidentally" losing body parts (hands, feet, etc), some more than once. Creepy story I never heard before. As far as I know, I have no relatives who ever lived in Vernon. I did have one cousin who thought it was a good idea to kill a wounded rabbit with the butt of his shot gun. He lost his head over that one, though I doubt he was insured.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by chief ().

    • Pretty drastic idea. I don't think I would have done it.

      Both of my Family's (mine and my sons) BF experiences took place on the FT at Etoniah and Buck Lake. I don't expect anyone to believe me, but If you had seen what we saw you would believe. I watch Animal Planet "Looking For Big Foot" and that is the stupidest show I've ever seen.