NOMADS Project - Eustis Florida and Kayak/Canoe Adventure - Wekiva River

(Eustis, FL) 82 degrees, not a cloud in the sky

We have completed our first week of our NOMADS project in Eustis Florida and it has been an action packed week.  NOMADS (Nomads On a Mission Active in Divine Service) is a volunteer organization that provides labor for all types of projects throughout the U.S. and many countries.  We had first heard about NOMADS from Pam and Randy Warner (Roadrunner Chronicles) @ a RV-Dreams Rally in Kerrville Texas.  We signed up at the Escapees Rally in Goshen Indiana and this is our first project.  Their motto is retirement with a purpose.  That sounded really good to us. 

Each project with the NOMADS usually lasts for three weeks.  We work Monday - Thursday (8 a.m. - 4 p.m.) and have Friday - Sunday off.  Most of the members are United Methodist, however, that is not a requirement.  Our group has many denominations represented.  We have been told our project is very large.  We have 17 members (nine rigs) and currently we are working on four homes at the same time.  Most projects are smaller and usually just work at one site.  The need for help in this area is great. 

Your "campsite" is provided.  We have 30 amp electric service and water.  A blue boy is available for the sewer.  Here is a picture of our site and some of the rigs. 

Our site

Our leaders rig (John and Eileen)

Our sites are a little cozy but everyone is so friendly.  At 7 p.m. we had our organizational meeting and the different projects and needs were explained.  Many of our members have a wide variety of experience and have worked at many different projects.  But experience is not a requirement and they are more than willing to teach you how to tile, dry wall, frame...you name it.

Our leaders for the project are John and Eileen and they have been full timing for over 10 years.  They have led many projects and have made us all feel very welcome.  They are very organized and have such a great sense of humor.  Be prepared to laugh a lot at one of these projects.  Our group comes from all over the U.S. and range in age. Our site managers with the Hearts and Hands Ministries are Andy and Connie. 



John and Eileen (head of table)



Our assignment is a small home that is in dire need of paint.  We drove out on Monday and met the owner. This home has been in the same family since it was built.  The owners Aunt currently lives in the home.   They are very excited that we are here and we immediately started working.  Here are a few pictures of the projedt and the work completed to date. 

We are working with a Randy and Fran.  This is their first project and we have really enjoyed working with them.  Randy was a pilot in the Air Force and Fran was a medical assistant.  They are both very handy and have taught me a lot about painting and tools.   They brought with them a "mother lode" of supplies and have a great truck for hauling all the stuff we need each day. 

Scrapping off the old paint (John, Eileen, and Randy)

Fran

We scrapped and scrapped for three days.  You can call me Chip!

Lunch (Eileen, John, Fran,Randy, and John)

Power washing (Fran and John)

Before and after priming

Randy using a spray painter 

On Friday Randy was able to finish the painting of the home.  We will return next week and paint the shutters and other areas that were not painted with the spray gun.  We were very happy with the progress that was made this week.  There were three other groups working on homes at the same time.  It was amazing to hear about all that was accomplished. 

We were able to see the Space Shuttle Discovery blast off into space just after finishing up on Friday.  That was a thrill to see. 



Space Shuttle Discovery



It is a bird, no its a plane, no its the Space Shuttle

On Saturday we told the group we were going kayaking...would anyone be interested?  It turned out we had 12 brave participants.  The Wekiva River is not far from Eustis and there was a outfitter that could provide all the kayaks and canoes.  So, after a Perkins breakfast we convoyed over to the launch site.  When we arrived it sort of reminded us of the Deliverance movie, however, the owner (Martha)was very helpful and provided us with all the promised kayak's and gave us suggestions for areas to explore. 

Weikiva is a Creek Indian term for "spring of water" or "bubbling water." This river is also known as the American Wild and Scenic River.  We paddled downstream for probably 3 miles and saw a few homes at first but then we were surrounded by a very pristine enviorment with pine flatwoods and marshland.  The river is spring fed and at times your could smell the sulfur and see the bubbling springs. 



Two Ahinga's



"Small" alligator



Great Egret



Lunch Bunch

The paddle back was a little harder due to being upstream and against the wind.  Everyone did very well and seemed to enjoy the trip .

NOMADS - Carol, John, Don, Donna, John, Eileen, Fran, Becky, Leo, Connie, Andy, and Paul 

 Today we went downtown to worship at an outdoor church service. This weekend is a big festival called the Georgefest (in honor of George Washington). A local church was offering a service at the band shell.  It was a nice service and the weather was spectacular.  A float plan even flew over and landed right on the lake.  Afterwards we all went out for breakfast.NOMADS is so much more than just the labor that is provided.  It is a unique experience that will certainly provide us some lasting friendships and memories. 

Check back for an update on our project.  We have two more weeks to go and John and Eileen have a long "honey do" list.

Kayaking the Crystal Clear Rainbow River - Dunnellon, Florida

(Dunnellon, FL) 82 degrees, clear blue skies

It was a glorious day today as we kayaked  the spectacular Rainbow River.  The weather was perfect and so was this river.  This crystal clear river forms itself from numerous springs that gush about 400,000 gallons of water a day.  The springs come from several vents along the first mile of trip (head springs ).  The water  is a constant 72 degrees and the clarity is spectacular. 

There are several ways you can kayak this river.  We decided to use a livery today so we would not have to paddle upstream very much.  We are still recovering from the Silver River a couple of days ago. :)   We stopped at Rainbow River Canoe and Kayak and inflated our kayak.   We were then transported  by van to K.P. Hole County Park.  You pay a $3 fee to launch your kayak or canoe from there.  Our livery fee was $15.  We will end our trip today at the office  where our car is parked.  Nice!

We  slowly went upstream about one mile to the head waters and Rainbow River State Park.  It was so beautiful. 

We saw lots of scuba divers.  There are caves and springs that can be viewed for the adventurous and several of the divers told us they  were really enjoying their dive.   



Scuba Divers



For some reason the owner of the kayak livery thought we would not be able to go very far in our inflatable kayak  to the head springs.  We thought it was really easy.  Must have been all our experience and new muscles from the Silver River.  

We are enjoying our SeaEagle more and more each time and are certainly feeling more comfortable in it.  Our paddling is much more coordinated.  Lots of people asked us about the kayak.  We probably could have sold several. 

There are a lot of houses along the shore. We heard it is very expensive real estate. There are not many places where you could jump off your peer and be in water like this.

If you look carefully you can see one of the caves or vents

Vent

At the top of the head springs is the Rainbow River State Park.  There are some nice trails and camping at this park.  You can also launch your boat or rent them from here. Below is a picture of the swimming beach. 



Rainbow River State Park - Swimming Area

After you reach the State Park you just have to turn around and basically float the rest of the way down the river.  It is about a 7.5 mile paddle.  We saw some wildlife and birds but certainly not as much as we saw on the Silver River.  This is most likely due to all the houses.  We did not miss the alligators although they still are present!  For the next three hours we  just took our lazy time floating down the river and feeling very grateful.  All our hard work getting ready to full time really has paid off.  Life is good.



Turtle and Blue Heron



Family Fun

 

We noticed that some of the trees are starting to flower and leaf out.  Spring is in the air.  Eventually the Rainbow River combines with the Withlacoochee River. At that point the color of the water dramatically changes and becomes the color of tea.  Can you tell the difference?



Withlacoochee River.

 We traveled about 1/4 mile down this river to the dock.  It was a delightful paddle and one we will always remember. 

Tomorrow we leave this area and travel to Eustis. Our NOMADS project starts on Monday and will last for three weeks.  This is our first project and we are really looking forward to it.  Check back and see how well I can do with a hammer and some power tools. :)   

Visiting Ocala National Forest And Information About Obtaining A Golden Access Pass

(Silver Springs, FL) 77 degrees, blue skies with a few clouds

A person who volunteers for the Veterans Administration told us about a great program with camping discounts for disabled veterans.    John has a 10% service related disability.  The Federal Government has a recreation pass program called Interagency Access Pass.  It is a lifetime pass for citizens or permanent residents of the U.S who have a permanent disability, regardless of age.  We had heard about the Senior Pass for those over 62 but we won't reach that age for awhile.  This pass  usually gives you free admission to any National Park, National Forest, BLM, or  Fish and Wildlife area.  Plus, they give you 50% off of most camping fees.  This was great news .

The pass can only be obtained when visiting one of the these areas with proper documentation.  Near our campground was the Ocala National Forest so a few days ago we set off to obtain a pass. After a few stops we finally found the correct office and five minutes later John came out with a big smile on his face and a plastic card.  This will be forever known as our Golden Ticket! (do you remember the movie)  John's injuries have certainly caused him some difficulties and several surgeries but this pass is a really great benefit.

Willy Wonka and the Golden Ticket

We decided to take a look around the Ocala National Forest while in the area.  We asked for campground information and found out there are 13 campgrounds.  This is a big place - 383,000 acres and over 600 lakes.  We were only able to cover a small portion of the area. 

Juniper Springs Campsite

Our first stop was the Juniper Springs campground.  This is great area for kayaking.  The campground sites were very nice with lots of privacy and a good size.  However, all sites are without any type of service except water.  Rates are $21 per night ($10 with access or senior pass).  We will definitely come back here after we have more experience kayaking.  It is known to be a very challenging river.



Salt Springs Campground



Our next stop was the Salt Springs Campground.  This is a beautiful campground and unlike most place allows up to stay of 180 days.  (most have a limit of 14 days).  This picture does not really do it justice.  The sites are long and have good spacing between each one.  It was a really pretty place.  Sites are $26 per night ($16 with access or senior pass).  They offer full hook up including cable.  This is run by the American Land and Leisurea concessionaire. 

The real bonus is the lovely Salt Springs Recreation Area next door.  We walked down to the springs and found them to be almost magical. Can you tell we really liked this place?  There is a popular swimming area in the summer.  We heard the water is 72 degrees year round due to the springs.  Nice!


Swimming Area - Salt Springs





Immature Tri-Colored Heron



Reluctantly we left the area and traveled to the  Fore Lake canpground.  No pictures of the area since it was getting too dark.  It's a rustic campground without hook ups except for water.  I was not too crazy about it. 

We really only touched the surface of the forest and plan to go back when John's sister is here for a visit.  We plan to stay at the Alexander Springs campground and do some kayaking.  We have heard some really great things about this creek. The water is very clear due to it being spring feed and many people swim and snorkel this area too.  The access to the river is right at the campground.  That will be very convenient. 

One campground that we have not liked is the one we are currently staying in.  Due to the race and peak season most of the campgrounds in the area were sold out.  We found a spot available at The Springs RV Resort.  Whether or not you like a campground is really a very personal choice.  Obviously there are 400 other campers staying  here that are very happy.  It's just not our style.  Probably about 95% of the folks  are here for the winter season.  There are lots of park models, activities, and everything is very neat and tidy.  Our main issue was driving into our site.  It is not big rig friendly.  In fact, our escort and one other person had to hang from a very poorly placed street sign so that our rig could pass and not have the rear side ripped off.  I was frozen is fear watching this all unfold.  It didn't help our mood any when one of the campers said that management was well aware of the problems with their street signs and refused to move them.  There is also no "it" factor, TV reception of any kind, or picnic table.  I'm sure we were the entertainment for the afternoon when we first arrived. 

On a lighter note it was time, actually way past time, for me to get a haircut.  One of my few worries about full timing was getting my hair done.  I could no longer procrastinate.  Checking my Droid navigation for hair salons brought me to Sheer Drama Salon.  It was a cute name and the outside looked really nice.  I took a deep breath and walked in.  Everyone was so friendly and before long Lee had my hair cut and looking so much better.  He even gave me a recommendation for a great river to kayak (we are going there tomorrow).  It seemed like serendipity to me that our paths would cross.  So, what do you think?  It's a lot shorter and should be easy to "maintain". 

Well, I'll finish this rather long post today with a joke my brother sent to me yesterday  Happy Trails!

Amazing Kayak Trip Down the Silver River

(Silver Springs, FL) 75 degrees, bright blue skies

We have so looked forward to this  kayak trip down the Silver River.  Our new blogging friends Karen and Al had written about this river in their blog. (click on link to see entry). As we were finishing up our time in Indiana before retirement the thoughts of kayaking this river kept us focused on our goal of full timing and all the wonderful adventures that awaited us.  I did a lot of daydreaming and planning as I read Karen's blog each day.

During our visit  at Lazy Days they gave us lots of information about this river and where to launch.  There are two choices 1) launching at Ray Wayside Park with an easy put in - 10 miles on river roundtrip  2) launching at the Silver Springs State Park  carrying your kayak a half mile to the put in - 4 miles on river roundtrip.  John pulled his back a couple days ago wrestling with our bike hitch so the easy launch seemed the best alternative. 

We have canoed for many years and loved it, however, hauling the canoe would be too cumbersome.  Just before we left we sold the canoe and bought an inflatable SeaEaagle  kayak.  It now is stored in the trunk of our Jeep and probably weights about 70 pounds with all our gear. 



Ray Wayside Park Launch - John inflating the kayak

This river is so amazing.  It is very clear and is considered to be one of the most beautiful rivers with diverse wildlife in Florida.  It did not disappoint.    The river bottom is white sand and very pretty mixed with the tall grasses and hundreds of pond lillies.  It can reach depths at times of 30 feet. 

There is lots of wildlife.  We tried to identify some of the birds when we got home.  For all you experienced bird watchers out there...if we are wrong please let us know. 



We saw lots and lots of turtles sunning themselves



Little Blue Heron



Limpkin - This bird has one very loud call



Anhinga drying out it's wings



Great Egret



One animal that you would not expect to find are these Rhesus monkeys.  They decided that Florida seemed like a great place to live the 1930's.  Several legends say they escaped after the Tarzan movie that was filmed here and others say it was a concessionaire who let some go.  Whatever the reason they were a delight to see and entertained us for quite some time. 

Rhesus Monkeys

Karen had "mentioned" that we would see alligators.  This is our first encounter with the prehistoric creatures and one that had me just a little nervous.  We had not been on the river very long before a very long one (10-12 feet at least) came down the river right beside our canoe.  Sorry, there are not any pictures.  We were too busy getting out of it's way and trying to remember how to paddle-yikes!!!  All the others (23 to be exact) were on the shore snoozing in the sun. 

Alligator snoozing in the brush

The highlight of this trip are the head springs of the river.  They are located at a theme park by the same name.  Over 550 million gallons of water flow from the seven springs each day.  There are many glass bottom boats tours that you can take if kayaking is not in your future.  Many TV shows and movies were filmed here. 



Glass bottom boats - entrance to springs



Silver Springs

It was fascinating and so beautiful to see.  We spent about 45 minutes paddling around the springs. Supposedly there are some statues  in the water but we did not find them.  Our paddle back to the launch went a lot quicker because it was downstream. 

During our trip we saw several older men racing canoes back and forth along the river in some unusual canoes made of tevlor  We found out later one of them was a world champion.  It was interesting talking to them at the launch.  They have been racing for over 40 years. 

We were very tired kayakers at the end of this trip.  It was certainly challenging and very rewarding. Thank you so much Karen and Al for writing about this river.  It lived up to our expectations and so much more.  We hope to inspire some others to give it a try. 

The weather is now perfect for enjoying the river. On Saturday our next plan is to kayak the Rainbow River.  Stayed tuned and thanks for stopping by today.