Family Getaways 2008 - (Page 18) water SUWANNEE By Chelle Koster Walton Suwannee River canoeing. Suwannee & Me How I love my dear old river A clunky houseboat plugs along like something out of a different era. Much like the squat fishermen’s cottages that crop up in spurts along the Suwannee River at its Gulf of Mexico mouth, this boat belongs to Old Florida. boating excursion out of the town of Suwannee with Miller’s Marina. Ever since then, the river has held me, has talked to me. I admit it – I like to be the star of my travelogues whenever I can, but the Suwannee continually upstages me with its uncomplicated beauty and primeval voice. More than 150 miles upriver from the Gulf, the Suwannee changes into a more dynamic, invigorating waterway fed by pristine springs and bordered by parks and preserves. The state’s Suwannee River Wilderness Trail charts the river’s 170-mile journey through Florida and the recreational opportunities it awards. Big Shoals State Park boasts Florida’s only whitewater park. Here I’ve seen the river rushing over rocks to create uncommon (for Florida) Class III rapids that dare intrepid paddlers. Here, my mind flashes back to a time and pace when Timucuan and Creek tribesmen made their silent trail through the dark, tannin-tinted waters beneath heavy forests echoing with bird calls and gator bellows. Between the extremes of rushing rapids (which depend greatly on water levels) and slow tempo, parks allow public access to the vibrant river. It all is far removed from the melancholy world of which Stephen Foster, who immortalized the Suwannee in song, wrote. Foster never set foot in Florida, the state that made his song its anthem (though a new song has replaced it). He himself is immortalized along a section of the river he never saw. Near Big Shoals and the antebellum town of White Springs, Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park maintains For more information, see VISITFLORIDA.com/Suwannee The Suwannee feels ancient. It takes me back era-upon-era to a time of prehistoric creatures – manatees, alligators and Gulf sturgeon, those rare, endangered fish that show their size and profile in powerful, startling leaps that have been known to take out a speeding jet-skier. Pluging along seems the proper speed here in the Lower Suwannee, where the waters run wide and the river meets the sea at a raw and wild national wildlife refuge. Years ago, I first met the Suwannee River, putt-putting along on a house Here, a jump into Madison Blue Springs, Suwannee River State Park. 18 VISITFLORIDA.com/family http://VISITFLORIDA.com/Suwannee http://VISITFLORIDA.com/family
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.