Tubing

We just got back from a weekend of camping and tubing down the Itchetucknee River. What fun! The Iche River is a spring fed river that maintains a constant temperature of 72 degrees. In other words... it's cold! Or if you are an optimist- refreshing. We drove up on Friday evening and were able to set the tent up before dark. We spent the evening roasting hot dogs and marshmallows and met a relatively early bedtime. Our usual camping trips have been with cub scouts and our group tends to be the rowdy type that stays up late. We were up early so we could get a quick breakfast before heading out to get in line at the north entrance of the park.

The park only allows a certain number of tubers on the upper stretch of the river in order to maintain a more pristine natural state. After making it to the upper river, the kids were able to swim in one of the springs while we waited for the drivers to return from taking the cars down river. Once the drivers returned we headed for the river. Upon entering the water, the bigger kids, Sully included, caught the current immediately and were quite a distance in front of us for the first stretch, which took around 3 hours. We exited the river midway, where the cars were parked, and had a picnic before embarking on the second half of our journey.

The first portion of the river was so clear you could see the bottom. We used goggles to watch some of the wildlife underwater. The surrounding land was covered in various types of trees, cypress being among those I recognized, many draped in Spanish moss. We also saw turtles, fish and water birds including a wood stork. The kids in Sully's group enjoyed jumping off of fallen trees into the river more than appreciating nature. The outside temperature was quite warm, mid-nineties I think, but the water kept us cool so it was a very pleasant ride.

Kevin and I were trying to keep track of Nathan and to stay together as much as possible. This independent risk taker was sure to push our hands off as soon as we had hold of his tube. Kevin ended up hooking him from underneath with his feet. Nathan was in a tube with a bottom and was decked out in a life vest. We just discovered he can swim without floaties (a subject for another post) but weren't taking any chances with the river. The current was quite mild but no place for a novice swimmer.

After our run down the river we returned to the campsite and cleaned up just in time for a major storm. Kevin and I contemplated staying for about a minute and a half but after I picked up a pillow and water POURED out we decided to head home. We were home and sleeping in dry beds before 10 pm! All in all a really good trip.