Paddle Florida announces partnership with Florida Paddling Trails Association
Paddle Florida has entered into a partnership with the Florida Paddling Trails Association. At the recent quarterly meeting in Sebastian, Florida, the FPTA board voted to join forces with Paddle Florida in order to have a more effective voice concerning issues of paddling in the Sunshine State. The two organizations agreed to share information and exchange website links. Paddle Florida will promote membership in the FPTA as a way to stay connected to the paddling community in Florida. As time goes by, the FPTA and Paddle Florida will look at other ways to work together in order to unite and strengthen our paddling community!
Deadline for Fall Paddle Florida is October 1!
Our third annual Fall Paddle Florida on the Suwannee River is right around the corner and we want to make sure that everyone has a chance to join us as we paddle 123 miles on the Suwannee River. After Oct. 1, there will be a $25 late fee. In order to prepare the right number of meals, t-shirts, shuttle busses, etc., we have to have accurate numbers. So send in those registrations and have them postmarked before Oct. 1!
Calusa Blueway
Paddling Festival
coming soon
One of Florida's premier canoeing and kayaking destinations will sizzle with activity Oct. 29 through Nov. 7 during the fifth-annual Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival along the Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel in Lee County.
The festival's two weekends offer hands-on nature experiences along with kayaking and canoeing, including speakers and instruction, eco-activities for children and adults, races, a fishing tournament, geocaching, green events and paddlers' get-togethers.
Newly featured this year is an Oct. 30 event at Lovers Key State Park, a destination beach park with paddlecraft launches featured on the Travel Channel's "Top 10 Florida Beaches." It sits along the Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail, a 190-mile marked-and-meandering saltwater trail on Southwest Florida's coast.
The day's events highlight Stand-up Paddleboarding, coastal kayaking classes and demonstrations, canoeing, paddling gear for purchase, guided off-road cycling, birdwatching, educational wading trips and living history programs. Most of the day's events are free with park admission.
The Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival recently was recognized in the Southeast Tourism Society's Top 20 Events of 2010. "The Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival is a get-away like none other. The local community has put together an amazing list of paddling events over two perfect weekends," said Jim Marsh, publisher of Canoe & Kayak magazine. "There is an extraordinary amount of effort, coordination and resources thrown behind this. They actually roll out the red carpet for the kayakers! It's a one of a kind experience we will be endorsing to our readership." The festival also is recognized and supported by Sea Kayaker magazine and the Florida Paddling Trails Association.It's easy to find a place to stay for the festival. Hotels offer special packages to travelers with paddlecraft, including ready-at-sunrise box lunches and access to ice machines and hoses. Tent campers and RVers can book waterfront sites with kayak launches, and they can paddle the Calusa Blueway to the festivities and social hours. Most event sites also are reachable by bicycle or trolley.
The festival targets compassionate and competitive longtime paddlers as well as eco-activity focused families and newcomers to canoeing and kayaking. This is not just a kayak symposium -- children will find hands-on marine activities and paddlers' spouses can try Calusa Indian crafts, take guided beach walks and enjoy live music and waterfront happy-hour events with raffle prizes. For those who are passionate, though, the paddling opportunities abound, from on-water instruction and demo paddlecraft / accessories to sunrise paddling fitness outings and lengthy kayak tours led by both Florida-based paddling clubs and some of the two dozen outfitters along the Calusa Blueway. The annual Calusa Blueway Kayak Fishing Tournament is expected to draw anglers from throughout the Southeastern U.S. competing for cash and prizes, such as a fully rigged Hobie kayak, Bending Branches paddles and Cape Haze custom rods. The Calusa Blueway Photo Contest also has been revitalized for amateur photographers to show off their best shots. Festival-goers can choose from two weekends to attend: Oct. 29-Nov. 1 and Nov. 4-7. Most activities are free or involve a nominal donation to the Calusa Blueway or an instructional fee. Social hours and live music are planned each weekend and are open to everyone.
Festival details are available at www.CalusaBluewayPaddlingFestival.com, including entry forms for canoe and kayak races, a catch-and-release fishing tournament and photo/writing contest. Listings of other activities, hotel and campground packages and guided trips also are included on the site. For discounted accommodations and packages, go to http://leecountysportshousing.org and click on "Events."
For trail information, check out www.CalusaBlueway.com. Maps are available or can be mailed to you. Online interactive maps, suggested routes, outfitter and put-in locations, wildlife tips and a social media site are included at the website. For destination information, visit www.FortMyers-Sanibel.com.
Remember, you can subscribe to the Happy Paddler, Florida's Monthly eNewsletter from the homepage of the Paddle Florida website.
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Peace and Suwannee River Slides
courtesy of our talented video producer, Tom McLaulin
New 'Media LInks' section on Paddle Florida Web site
Please visit our new "media links" section on the Paddle Florida Web site.
Find out what others are saying about our trips. Increasingly, media outlets are discovering what we are doing with Paddle Florida. Check it out!
Ochlockonee River scouting finally finished!
We have completed the scouting of the forest primeval that is the Ochlockonee River. The event will take place March 12-18, 2011. The Dam to the Bay trip will offer paddlers a look at a pristine wilderness, untouched by human progress.
Over 76 miles and six days, paddlers will get a chance to spend 3 nights in the Apalachicola National Forest, one night in Tate's Hell State Forest and finish at Ochlockonee River State Park and Bald Point State Park. Click on the trip from the Paddle Florida homepage and look for the "journey details.
Marion County Springs Festival coming to Rainbow Springs State Park
The Marion County Springs Fest has been working to "Preserve Marion County through Awareness and Stewardship" for nearly a decade now. It has been the work of many individuals and agencies involved with protecting Florida's natural resources and focusing on the aquifer, springs, and water impacts. New this year, the Marion County Springs Festival has decided to celebrate for the entire month of September rather than just one weekend as it has been done in the past. The month of September has been officially declared Marion County Springs Festival Month by Marion County. Everyone is invited to celebrate the beauty of THE REAL FLORIDA through song contests, photo and art contests, guided walks, snorkel tours, kayak outings, guided canoe tours, celebrity chef dinner, Silver River Clean up, Rainbow Springs Day of Music and much, much more. Visit www.springsfest.org to view the wide range of activities planned for the month.
Sept. 18 — Rainbow Springs Day 9am-6pm. Visit Rainbow Springs for a day of environmental music and talks. Bring a chair and your cooler to settle in for a day of great local music dedicated to preserving our Natural Resources. Keep a look out for the list of performers and times. Regular $2.00 admission applies. Rainbow Springs State Park.
Hey South Florida, don't miss the Miami Kayak Challenge on Oct. 16
The 2010 Miami Kayak Challenge is taking place at Miami-Dade County's Matheson Hammock Park on Old Cutler Road in Coral Gables on Saturday, October 16, 2010 between 8 am - 1 pm.
All paddlers including kayakers, surf skiers, canoeists, outriggers, dragon boaters and stand up paddleboarders will be racing to raise funds and awareness for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
For more info, please contact Jennifer Miyar at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: jmiyar@cff.org. We have registration forms that we'll be happy to send you, and, look for updates on our Facebook Page: 2010 Miami Kayak Challenge.
Hidden Coast Paddling Festival
Plan Now to Attend the Hidden Coast Paddling Festival -- Sept. 18-25, 2010
Come for a Day, or Stay for the Whole Week...
This innovative new festival is an eight day, multi-location event taking place September 18-25, 2010 in the salt and fresh waters around Cedar Key, Suwannee, Horseshoe Beach and Steinhatchee on Florida's serene Hidden Coast.
The Hidden Coast stretches from Cedar Key in the south to the Aucilla River in the north, encompassing over 100 miles of pristine Gulf of Mexico coastline. These waters have escaped development and are largely enclosed by federal refuges and state managed areas which offer paddlers a unique, world-class paddling experience among the islands of the shallow, low-energy coastal waters and in the many coastal creeks and rivers. The few small towns of the Hidden Coast supply all the facilities needed to make a stay comfortable and enjoyable while charming visitors with their old Florida pace and friendliness.
The Festival starts in Cedar Key with an informal Kayak Fishing Get Together on Saturday, September 18th and will move up the coast during the rest of the week and following weekend. Attendees can pick and choose days and locations that best suit their schedules and interests. Guided paddling trips (in both salt and fresh water) will be offered at each main center in addition to information for experienced paddlers who prefer to strike out on their own. Evening events will also be available. Paddlers of all skill levels, including first-time paddlers, are invited and encouraged to attend.
For more information, including a complete downloadable itinerary, and to sign up free for the event, please go to www.hiddencoast.net/hcpf1.html. Please direct email inquiries to festival@hiddencoast.net.
High Springs Riverfest
coming October 2
The High Springs River Festival is quickly approaching, with water and outdoor enthusiasts already gearing up for the event. Given that eco-tourism and heritage tourism to historic downtown locations such as High Springs tend to overlap between 60-80% of the time, the High Springs Main Street Program will be hosting the 2010 River Festival in order to highlight the natural assets of the High Springs area as well as the unique downtown atmosphere and culture that our beautiful city has to offer. This event is an annual fundraiser for the High Springs Main Street Program, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, which works to revitalize and preserve the historic downtown district in High Springs, Florida. Please feel free to contact the High Springs Main Street office directly with any questions about this exciting upcoming event or visit our websites at www.highspringsriverfest.com and www.highspringsmainstreet.com.
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