Overnight Camping on the Suwannee River

Beyond BOW and Not a Clue Adventures Suwannee River Trip

Overnight Camping on the Suwannee River  April 2013

We were again excited to host the Beyond BOW  Overnight Suwannee River Trip with American Canoe Adventures. We always have such an exciting time getting together with fellow paddlers and taking a trip downriver. This year we blessed with high water and a wonderful current! The water was at about 62 ft and we mainly spent the entire 25 miles just steering.

We started a day early camping in White Springs to not have to make an early morning drive before the trip. Camping along Swift Creek was beautiful and we took the hike up to where Swift Creek met the mighty Suwannee. It was surprisingly chilly that evening so we were up early to enjoy coffee and wait for the other participants to arrive. John and the staff at American Canoe Adventures  got us all set with boats, life vests and paddles then we  loaded into shuttle and we headed off to 41 bridge where we would put in. Not far past where we put in we stopped at Stephen Foster State Park for a quick snack and to stretch our legs a bit. This is a beautiful park with long shaded walkways perfect for strolling.

The river was beautiful, not another human to be found for miles. We stopped and had lunch riverside, enjoying the bright greens of spring, watching tadpoles and little minnows along the shore. We arrived at Woods Ferry River Camp early in the afternoon, good for us we were the first to arrive because the camp was sold out for the night! We got all settled in and did some sightseeing, fishing and generally just relaxing! Soon the other campers started arriving. We thought that is was too funny that both of the other large groups of all men packed 3x what we did and they were struggling to get all their gear unloaded and up the long steep ramp to the river camp.

We had a wonderful dinner of couscous with  fresh chicken, spinach , garlic, tomatoes and mushrooms. For dessert we enjoyed pan baked macadamia nut cookies. We surely do not suffer on these trips. At dark we let the owls and the Chuck-will’s-widow sooth us to sleep with their gentle calls.

We were up before the sun and ready to get on the river before the rest of camp wanted to do the same. After a quick breakfast and coffee we loaded up our boats and were headed out over the mist covered  black waters of the river. There were a lot of bird sightings on this part of the trip and we saw some beautiful homes along the shore. We found a perfect place to stop for lunch with a beach and some shade where we relaxed for a bit (we were a bit ahead of schedule with the current moving us along so well). We paddle for another hour or so and came upon the old spring ruins, the water was so high you could not even see the tops of the “windows” we had to climb up to see through our last trip on this river. We chatted with some tourists up on the bridge and quietly paddled along. enjoying the tree swallows under the bridge. They were nesting under all the bridges we passed under  and  are fun to watch.

Too soon our trip was to come to an end at Suwannee River Music Park. We were all loaded up and heading back to ACA and our normal daily routines. Even more sad because we had found out that our favorite “after paddle” eatery The Telford Inn Bed and Breakfast in White Springs had closed. We said our goodbyes and promised to get together in the fall for another trip – Georgia to Big Shoals.

The adventure continues…..

For more information on the Becoming an Outdoors Woman Program please visit http://www.myfwc.com/bow

For more photos of our trip check out our Shutterfly album http://notaclueadventuresphotos.shutterfly.com/pictures/4484

To book a trip with us or to join us on an adventure please visit our website at http://www.notaclueadventures.com/

 

Dreadlocks and Dominoes

Great American Backyard Camp Out Lake Park, Tampa Florida March 2013

This was a first time event for the Hillsborough County Parks Department and Not a Clue Adventures was invited to participate.  The Great American Backyard Campout® is designed to support programs that address the problems of America’s indoor childhood and the health risks associated with them.

We were looking at some pretty wet weather going into the weekend – but it all ended up working out for the best and passed over us. One hundred participants signed up at $2 per carload( the only catch is you had to have a child under 12 in the car with you) to spend a night just outside of N. Tampa in a county park.  Most were new campers – some borrowed tents and gear from us and others were seasoned adventurers just looking for a good time. We taught a Dutch oven cooking class and everyone got to eat peach cobbler! The park made hot dogs and supplied drinks and lots of smores! They even brought glow-sticks for all the kids to play with! There was even hands on fishing instruction and an obstacle course set up.

Every possible ethnicity was to be found on these few acres of land on this night. All with the same thought in mind – I want my children to learn to enjoy the outdoors! Everyone got along, and the kids made so many new friends that they played with long after dark, running around the fire, making smores, playing percussion instruments around the fire. There were games of tag and catch and Frisbee, father’s played catch with their sons and mothers played hula hoops with their daughters.  Cell phones were only used to take photos of their smiling children to post on facebook for other friends and family to see.

It was almost 11 pm before everyone started winding down. Some of the night owls played dominoes or sat around the fire playing guitar for some of the adults that were just not ready to crash so early…

This is an event I personally will attend for years to come and I look forward to the future dates and locations to be announced. To see the community come together like it did on this one night in this one city shows there is hope, no matter how dim the light may be at the end of the tunnel sometimes. These children are our future and if we want there to be green spaces for their children to enjoy we must instill the love and respect of the outdoors in them now, we can’t wait. Time is slipping by too fast….

For more photos from this event please visit: http://notaclueadventuresphotos.shutterfly.com/pictures/4166

Interested in getting your family outdoors give us a call!

We are Central Florida’s only “Concierge Camping Service
http://www.notaclueadventures.com

A weekend with the girls – BOW Ocala

March always brings  a trip to the  Becoming an Outdoor Woman workshop held in Ocala, Florida. For Years this event held each March has sold out. 100 ladies pack up for a weekend out with the ladies and they are not heading to the beach or a 5-star hotel, they are heading for a Boy Scout Camp in the middle of the Ocala National Forest. These ladies come from every walk of life and ages 18 to 80+. They have been brought her by friends, sisters, co-workers or some even have their husbands give them a gift away for the weekend. All the “first-timers” are a bit hesitant upon check in – not knowing what to expect. There are bears here and no private facilities. Bath houses are clean and the meals are wonderfully catered. Cabins all have nice bunk beds and heat/air conditioning. but that is as “cushy” as it gets. 

The weekend begins with an introduction by Lynne Hawk with the Florida Fish and Wildlife conservation Commission. She has been running these workshops in Florida since the beginning and this is # 61. She starts off with some introductions, lots of class information, she makes sure everyone knows where they are going and when dinner is and to break the ice there are lots of door prizes handed out. Many companies have donated outdoor related items that the ladies will be able to use during the weekend! This gets nearly everybody excited and ready to head off to their classes.

By Friday evening we see new friendships forming, everyone talking about the new skills they learned. Those who were in handgun class are showing off their targets and other from Primitive Chef are bragging about the wonderful food! Dinner and evening activities last well past 10 PM and the ladies reluctantly head off to bed.

Morning arrives and everyone is up early for another full day of new friendships and classes (many have “forgotten” their make up today) . Now we are really seeing the power of a natural environment take over – there are no strangers here, it seems everyone has become a family overnight! Everyone feels like old friends and by the time they are done with classes for the day many have exchanged emails and phone numbers and started lifelong friendships.

But there is still a bit of competition remaining – the silent auction! Everyone has brought an them from home for the auction, a lightly used outdoor themed book, nick-nack, clothing  or camping item to donate. There are hundreds of items to bid on and many ladies have items one 2 different sides of the room and are struggling for their bid to be the winning one as the auction closes at 7 pm sharp. Everyone gathers their winnings and proudly letting  their friends know they got what they wanted! The evening closes with campfire stories, lectures, crafting classes and smiles.

Sunday morning takes a bit longer for everyone to get motivated. Many have had more fun in the last 2 days than they have had in years. Some have for the first time overcome a fear they have held onto their entire life. They have fished and paddled, handled firearms at the range, done some geo-caching, and experienced many new found activities to take home and introduce to their families.

Goodbyes were hard to say. Soon all packed up and headed back to their homes, families, jobs and city. Nearly all planning to attend the next workshop in West Palm Beach in November. This event had over 1/3 return attendees, many come back because it is the only “forest therapy” they get. It is wonderful to be a part of such a wonderful organization bringing the outdoors to so many who have never had the opportunity to really learn what blessings surround them! Check for a BOW event near you and just go, you won’t regret it! Share your new skills with your family and friends and enjoy all Florida has to offer!

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) is a non-profit, educational program offering hands-on workshops to adult women. We encourage a supportive environment conducive to learning, making friends, and having fun. No experience is necessary and BOW is for women of all ages and fitness levels.
The “Original BOW” workshop format  is a 3-day, multi-course event with more than 20 classes to choose from including fly fishing, archery, shotgun and rifle shooting, wildlife habitat, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, camping, nature photography, basic fishing, boat and trailer and more.
Several states also offer Beyond BOW opportunities which might include 1-3 day events with a single topic like a day at the shooting range, charter fishing, kayaking on a local lake, a weekend of camping, or an archery clinic. For more information visit http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/bow/Pages/default.aspx

BOW in Florida - Http://www.myfwc.com/bow

Birthday Parties in the Outdoors

Some of you would never consider taking your kids out to play for their birthday, but they really do love it. Parties are so over-done these days. I have seen hundreds of dollars spent on locations that the kids play games and win tickets for cheap plastic foreign made toys. Huge backyard bbq’s that become more a  party for parents and family than the child and extravagant ordeals for 2 and 3 years old kids that they will never remember. There are other options out there to the princess tea parties and the huge air filled slides and gaming buses that will pull up to your front yard.

Not a Clue Adventures has been offering birthday parties for over 3 years and the celebrators have never complained! Often we are told it was their best birthday/ party ever!

We can theme your child’s next party many different ways, and for different ages! Older boys want to be “survival man” smaller kids love play grounds sand boxes and finding cool fossils, younger girls love learning about animals and playing on the farm. Teenagers want more of the hang out with friends around the fire, more mature activities and always there are smores!

We have a wonderful time teaching the youth about the principles of Leave No Trace in a fun way. We offer animal scavenger hunts, wild edible hikes, intro to survival, half day and full overnight camping activities. We also offer adult parties.

For photos of recent parties visit others available upon request:

http://notaclueadventuresphotos.shutterfly.com/pictures/2030

http://notaclueadventuresphotos.shutterfly.com/pictures/4006

http://notaclueadventuresphotos.shutterfly.com/pictures/2902

For more information on our rates and services visit:

http://www.notaclueadventures.com/what-we-offer/other-activities/birthday-parties-and-special-event-camping/

Volunteering at the State Fair

This past week I was invited to volunteer with the FWC in the “Big Red Barn” during the state fair. I had no idea what to expect as I had only been to the fair once – years ago and it was a weekend evening thing. My last experience obviously was not a positive one as I had not returned.

I was scheduled for Monday at 10-2m on Senior Day. I arrived and parked at Gate 2 and was soon being briefed on the display by staff that were veterans of the fair. They had wonderful displays of native and non-native fish and plants,  a couple hands on displays for the kids and one sweet powerboat! There were video to be run on various displays and 2 FWC officers on hand for questions from the public. Even a FWC Marine Biologist that was a joy to converse with! But what most person would be wanting to see was the “Sissy” the Florida Black Bear, “Maxine” the Florida Panther and “Big T” the Alligator Snapping Turtle.

I was given information on each of these beautiful creatures so I could properly answer a ton of questions that would surely follow. They are each on loan to the FWC solely for the duration of the fair. Neither Sissy or Maxine are candidates for release being raised their entire lives in captivity. They will not be bred, they do not stay in the cages at the fair (they have permanent homes in Seminole at a wildlife rescue facility). It did not seem to bother the critters that they were there as most of the time they were asleep, except when their handlers came in to feed them and clean up their areas.

Now some would say this is horrible, keeping these animals in these cages, I have to share another view.

As the crowds started coming in they started sharing stories, some of their first and usually only sighting of a bear or cougar in the wild, one fella saw one many years ago right out where Lake Keystone Estates now is located. Others dream of the opportunity to see one in the wild. Many were not even able to identify the panther referring to it as a bobcat! We heard stories of animals getting into trash and of wild coyotes and bobcats eating chickens, one lady wanted to shoot a fox ( protected in the state of Florida) for getting her free range chickens at her property that backs onto conservation lands. Everyone of these conversations were an opportunity to educate. Some did not like our answers, others we directed to organizations that may be able to assist them with their situations. Still others asked about fishing licenses, raising tilapia and the question of the day….”what do you know about distressed elephants?”

I must have talked to a couple hundred persons as I ended up staying till the fair closed volunteering – I really had a wonderful time! During a break for lunch I walked around Cracker Country and the Forestry Building where I found a wonderful display by the Florida Cattleman’s Assoc. When time was slow I picked the brains of the FWC officers and biologist that were volunteering with me.

I learned a lot at the fair that day. The most important lesson was that most of the persons I spoke with were so unconnected to nature.  We need the state fair and displays as such to try in even just this little way to spark an interest in reconnecting, to learning about all the wild things we are losing and to make sure these resources are protected for our children and grandchildren. I say the FWC is doing a great service in being at the fair and I encourage you to take the time to stop by the Big Red Barn and see what you can learn and what you can do to make our part of Florida just a little more special for those that will come behind us. I will return to the state fair, I no longer have a negative view of unsupervised youth running around after dark, doing who knows what at the fair. I have seen things from a fresh prospective. Look for me there next year as I am now eager to volunteer again!

The FWC oftentimes needs volunteers for activities at the fairgrounds and they are currently looking for persons during the upcoming boat show. If you are interested in volunteering for the boat show please contact Gina Russo at gina.russo@MyFWC.com  or for other volunteer opportunities visit http://myfwc.com/get-involved/volunteer/

Beyond BOW Trapping 101

A trappers  training for the ladies….

This event was made possible with the cooperation with the Florida Trappers Association, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission/Becoming an Outdoors Woman Program and Not a Clue Adventures.

I went into this event with a bit of concern as I know very little about trapping and I am not so sure I want to add this skill to my bag of tricks. We posted the event and had more than enough applicants register! I was surprised that there would be so many interested in learning the skills of a trapper…and yes this does take skill! (and lots of practice!) We had 3 wonderful instructors from the FTA join us on site, Steve MacKellar – NTA Director, Steve Lee – NTA Director and Ellie Willingham from Willingham’s Fur and Taxidermy. Ellie arrived early to start putting out traps so the ladies would have something to check in the morning during class.

When we arrived at the Bay Lake Camp at Richloam WMA we were appalled by the condition of the primitive campground! I was very happy we arrived the day before the event was scheduled because it took that long to clean up after the Bay Lake “Trash” Club (as I am told they are known) that was there the week before for hog hunting with dogs. We fill over 4 55 gallon trash bags with cans, bottles and other left behind trash before we event set up camp. That afternoon we did a bit of hiking and found their “bone yard” full of carcasses and even more cans! (We went back on our last day there and removed over 70 beer cans from that area alone to be recycled). 

We had a wonderful dinner of camp stew and chocolate raspberry burritos as everyone started arriving . Class was scheduled to start at 8 am so many arrived the night before. In the morning after coffee and a hot breakfast the ladies were schooled in a variety of traps. They learned about cable and box traps as well as how to catch a pesky armadillo! Soon they were all off to check Ellie’s traps and head over to Bo Carlton’s place up the road to learn about skinning and preparing the hides. Ellie had gotten nothing in her traps but Bo had 2 otters and a raccoon he had reserved for the ladies class. Each paid close attention and soon were all back at camp hungry for lunch! It was not long after and it was time to go set trap and cables  – they set over 70 before coming back for dinner.

We had a pot of Chicken with yellow rice and Raccoon Piquante with white rice. Both pots were nearly licked clean!. While some of the participants went out for ice others enjoyed smores and stories around the fire. Nights are cold this time of year and it did not take long for all of us to snuggle up in our beds to the songs of coyotes , tree frogs and nighttime insects.

In the morning everyone quickly ate breakfast wanting to get out and check the traps. But what would an event with us be without an adventure…. Ellie and Steve #2 went out to check a couple cables and both got their never stuck before trucks – stuck in the mud! It was an additional learning experience for the ladies to see how to get out of that “sticky” situation. Soon they were all heading out in the right direction. The group quickly returned back to camp as none of their efforts produced a catch other than one black opossum Ellie had trapped near camp. Each of the ladies received 4 snares/cables from Grandpa’s Trading Post to take home and hone their skills. Many participants purchased additional supplies as well.

After a quick bite to eat we all broke camp and shared hugs, all promising to see each other again soon either at the Beyond BOW Hog Hunt or the BOW Workshop in Ocala or the Southeastern Trappers Conference in the upcoming months.

I love getting out and seeing  these strong, independent women learning new skills, beating down fears and stereotypes and living large! I will continue to do these types of events as long as I am able! If you are interested in learning a new outdoor skill, I am sure we can put something together so you can learn – you may even make a few new friends in the process!

For additional photos from this event please visit : http://notaclueadventuresphotos.shutterfly.com/pictures/3354

Also check out the following facebook pages:

http://www.facebook.com/bowflorida

http://www.facebook.com/notaclueadventures

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Willinghams-Fur-Taxidermy

2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 4,500 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 8 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.