Saturday, July 23, 2016

Santa Fe River Tubing Is A Great Way To Spend The Day

By Jose Turner


In this day and age, we cannot seem to function without cell phones, laptops, and notebooks. It is hard to believe that there are still places to go and activities to do that do not require, or even recommend, those things. If you are lucky enough to live in an area, or close to one, that has waterways suitable for tubing, you should really consider taking advantage of it. A great example of this is North Central Florida where you can spend an unforgettable day Santa Fe River tubing.

Florida is a state unlike any other. It is surrounded on three sides by deep water and crisscrossed inside by hundreds of bodies of water. The state is a natural wonder and much loved by its citizens and the millions of visitors that flock to its attractions every year. It is no surprise that outdoor activities top the list of things people want to do here.

Tubing down the Santa Fe is like traveling back to those times. Real Spanish moss hangs down from the ancient bald cypresses. The rock formations you see everywhere have been there, in some form, since prehistoric times. The river water is deep, dark, and slow moving. Everything here is the way nature made it, and man has wisely and respectfully left it alone. Your kids may be more accustomed to the type of ride a theme park offers, but those rides pale in comparison to this majestic beauty.

This is not an expensive theme park. The wildlife you see here has not been stuffed and placed at strategic locations along the river. If you see alligators, deer, bobcats or turtles, you are seeing the real thing in its natural habitat, undisturbed and untouched.

A tube trip down the Santa Fe can take most of the day, and if you get bored, you can always get out and swim and snorkel around your tube. This river is home to the Suwannee bass, a small dark fish, that will give you a good fight if you manage to hook him. If close encounters with wildlife concern you, just remember that they were here first, and you are a visitor in their home.

Crystal clear springs are numerous along the water and are something that distinguishes the area. Many are located on private property however, and there may be a fee for visiting them. If you're feeling really adventurous, you might keep a lookout around Lilly Spring for Naked Ed, a local legend there. He may or may not be wearing a loincloth.

Before you start your trip, you need to get whatever provisions you think you might need on the way. The grocery stores, restrooms and trash bins are few and far between here. You are in a natural environment, and you should come prepared for that. Please show the river the respect you have for it by not littering and leaving it in the same condition you found it.

Tubing the Santa Fe is a great experience, one you will probably want to repeat again and again. Not everyone is fortunate enough to get a taste of the way things used to be.




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