US Airways - April 2013 - (Page 43)

explore Adventure Time to Play Springs Eternal By bike, kayak, or hiking trail, discover the mysteries of north Florida’s wild rivers and crystalclear freshwater springs. By alisson Clark Long after sunset, Jim Wood sweeps the beam of his flashlight along a riverbank in north Florida. The mirror-smooth surface is cloaked in the thick, curling fog that forms when cold air touches warm water. A full moon bathes the Santa Fe River in a gleam of silver, but here at the river’s edge, beneath a canopy of cypress and pine, no light penetrates. Wood is looking for the telltale red glint at the waterline that can only mean one thing: alligators. Luckily, gators — plentiful in this part of the state — aren’t common on the Santa Fe. That’s a relief to the small flotilla of canoes and kayaks following Wood on the Santa Fe Canoe Outpost’s monthly moonlight tour. The paddlers set out from High Springs, an 1880s railroad town that now serves as a gateway to north Florida’s natural attractions, from cave diving to tubing on spring-fed rivers. As the group heads upriver toward two state parks, O’Leno and River Rise Preserve, the lights from a few houses clustered near the highway fade to darkness. The only sounds are paddles dipping into the water and the lap of the river on a canoe’s aluminum hull. Then a burst of noise and movement explodes from the riverbank. Experienced paddlers and newbies alike nearly leap out of their seats, expecting to see the gaping maw of a prehistoric eating machine advancing toward them. But it’s just an egret, startled from its roost. The white plumage of its four-foot wingspan shines in the moonlight as it flaps away. Nighttime reveals some of the mysteries of the river, a siren song that led Wood and his family to move from Philadelphia to this town of 5,300. Now he outfits adventure seekers of all descriptions with everything they need to explore the area’s rivers, ★ photos by Amy mickler from an hour-long jaunt to overnight trips all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. The moonlight paddle is Wood’s only guided trip, but to get to know the river during the day, visitors can book a tour with naturalist and historian Lars Andersen at nearby Adventure Outpost. Scenes from Ginnie Spring, a popular launching site for the Sante Fe river usairwaysmag.com aPril 2013 43 http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - April 2013

US Airways - April 2013
Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots: Best Ballpark Food
Hub Crawl: San Francisco International Airport
Wine & Dine: 20 Wines Under $20
Wine & Dine: True Brew: Puerto Rico Coffee
Great Tastes: Luna Red
Great Escapes: Couples Resorts
Adventure: Cape Ann, Massachusetts
Great Escapes: Fairmont San Francisco Hotel
Adventure: High Springs, Florida
Gear Up: Golf
Special Section: Cabarrus County, North Carolina
Travel Feature: Grazing in Venice, Italy
US Airways Feature: 50+ Year Employees
No Strings Attached: Brad Paisley
The Rise of Hotel Restaurants
Phoenix Flair
Celebrate New Orleans: Art. Culture. Music.
Great Dates
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - April 2013