It is hard to believe that I lived a lifetime in Tampa and had not taken a canoe trip down the Weeki Wachee River.  Oh, but it is true!  While the grandkids were on spring break I found myself swept away on a little family adventure. Just an hour trip from our Tampa Camden communities on a sunny morning, with a 56-degree start, we were soon aboard our canoes and kayaks.  There are a few options in Weeki Wachee to rent supplies; Paddling Adventures is where we chose to gear up. The employees were so helpful and they had everything we needed!  Paddling Adventures provided everything and by everything, I mean kayak, supplies, transportation, and guidance to help on our journey.

Photo courtesy of Cindy Fredlund

The water is beautiful, my husband says it’s as if Disney created it, it is that perfect.  Each turn you take, the water is a different shade of green or blue. Colors so extraordinary that are not even in your imagination. Along the way, there are crooked trees to climb on, rope swings to grab on to and swoosh out over the water. It seemed as if the grandkids were flying when they let go! There are a jillion slo-mo videos from my iPhone.  The kids would swing, splash and come to review their video and then back again they went. 

Photo courtesy of Cindy Fredlund

There are also little sandy beaches here where you can hang out and eat a PB&J or swim.  Most of the way you are in the Weeki Wachee State Park.  This part is just plain old school wild Florida, but at some point, there are houses onshore.  Some are not cared for, and I couldn’t help but think – if one of them were mine, what a great place to be on the weekends. Then finally just before you think you are at the end you come upon Hospital Hole.  Hospital Hole is in a sharp bend of the Weeki Wachee River. Local legend tells a story that the manatees come here to heal.  We could not believe our eyes, there were so many manatees!  Kayaks, canoes and manatees just suspended in a lovely dance. Everyone was mesmerized. We all had an opportunity to have the manatees swim so close - under and beside our boats.  They are so elegant and amazing.  All was right with the world.

Photo courtesy of Cindy Fredlund

Somehow the day came to an end and we were out of the water. The staff from Paddling Adventures loaded the boats onto trailers.  We hopped in the vans and headed back to our cars.

Camden has 7 communities in Tampa Bay within an hour or so of Weeki Wachee Springs. One of them is Camden Bay.  If you lived there, you could store your kayak or canoe FREE right by the boat ramp.  That boat ramp lets you right into a canal that takes you out into Tampa Bay.  There are many mangrove forests and salt marshes that make for quite an adventure.  Come check us out sometime!