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Contact Us! • Activity Leader Resources • Links • Members Only |
Activity Leader Reports
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| Click on the activity name to see the trip leader's report. |
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| Moonlight Horseback Riding at Smitty's Horse Farm |
| St Johns River Cleanup |
| Canoe/Kayak Clinic |
| Canoe/Kayak 6 Mile Creek |
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RAINBOW
FALLS STATE PARK Everyone agreed that we must come here again soon and spend
at least one night. We checked out the state park campground
on the way home and found it to be too crowded and unattractive
due to a serious lack of trees, however there is good Rainbow
River waterfront for launching and landing canoes -- the campground
is only a mile from the headwaters of the springs. But an alternate
and more attractive campground is needed for future visits. Prices in the park were very reasonable with only a $1
per person entry fee. On the way home, we stopped for dinner at an all-you-can-eat
catfish and seafood restaurant in Ocala, JJ's. We used good discount
coupons for dinner that we found in a visitor's magazine at a
truckstop earlier that morning. (Thanks to Marta!) We had alot
of fun and can't wait to see our photos. |
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MOONLIGHT HORSEBACK RIDING AT SMITTY'S AND
BUBBA'S HORSE FARM Leader: Frank, 3/9/01 (Full-Moon Night) Five people attended this event. Seven horses were available on this day, and the potential for rain may have cut down trip participation. Smitty's primary barn is on Taylor Road, but he moved the horses for our event to his previous location, the barn on Pritchard Road. Because activity attendees were told to meet on Taylor Road, this caused some initial confusion. Bad weather was near, and the skies were overcast. We never did get to see the full moon, but went riding anyways. Riders got dampened in the light rain, but the rain was light enough not to get us soaking wet. Everyone agreed that the peace and quiet of the night ride was enjoyable, and it was a worthwhile activity. The horses seemed to be somewhat afraid of entering or crossing dark tree-canopied or wooded areas after sunset and therefore were a bit difficult to persuade to ride into outlying areas of the property. As a result we tended to stay in the meadows and large open fields. Note that this has not been a problem in the past during daylight rides. Everyone had an enjoyable time, even though the rain shortened our 3-hour ride to just 2 hours. Smitty was very helpful as usual, and he did not put any weather-related restrictions on us. Several times, he invited us to hang around the campfire after our ride at no extra cost. The event was fun and enjoyable despite the weather, and should be repeated again in the future. (Return to TOP) |
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ST. JOHNS RIVER CLEANUP Leader: Judy M, 3/17/01 Eleven of us met at the Florida Gun and Tackle Club on San Jose Blvd. to participate in the annual St. Johns River Clean Up. We scoured the banks of Goodby's Creek looking for all kinds of trash. The tide was out this year, which made cleaning up trash on shore more of a challenge. Some people were up to their knees in muck--yuck. We collected some different things this year: 3 bicycles, 3 big orange cone markers, a couple of old crab traps, a drain pipe and all the usual bottles and plastic bags. A couple of old boat engines were spotted but were too big for us to pick up. After all of the muck was washed off of us and the canoes, we proceeded to Metro Park where we received a River Clean Up t-shirt and a free lunch. A good time was had by all and we will be back next year. (Return to TOP) |
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Canoe/Kayak Clinic Earline Veltman/John Gilman co-leaders, August 10, 2003 We had a great day for this event. The sun was shining and we had the whole Olustee Beach area to ourselves. We arrived about 9:30 AM and started right away with the "lessons" on how to enter and exit the kayak, both at a dock and on shore. Then we went right into the canoe portion with explanations on what each part of the canoe is called, how to handle it and properly raise it above your head (to put back on your car at the end of a trip). We learned how to be comfortable in a boat and the proper way to paddle. Then we got in the water and did some capsize and rescue exercises. We all learned a lot and are ready for more clinics. We had a picnic lunch under a shelter and all had a great time. (Return to TOP) |
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Canoe/Kayak 6 Mile Creek Leader: Earline Veltman, August 16, 2003 Another great day on the water and an opportunity to put to use the lessons we learned the Sunday before. We had a pretty big group, so were unable to stay together. But that didn't create a problem, we just paddled the river in several small groups. Some pictures were taken of this trip, so be sure to check out our photo gallery. We were off the river around 1:00 PM so stayed there at the Outback Crab Shack for a wonderful lunch. Next time we will do this river either very early in the morning or at dusk so we can see more wild life. (Return to TOP) |
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Contact Us! • Activity Leader Resources • Links • Members Only |
Outdoor Club for Northeast Florida Singles
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