Springs Break 2012

Happy Saint Patrick's Day from the Smoakhouse Ranch, south of Branford in Lafayette County,  Florida.   Pronounced "La fay et". although  it is named after the Marquis.  I found the Ranch a few weeks ago when looking for places to stay near the Ichtucknee and Santa Fe Rivers.  The place I stayed at in October 2010, near Rum Island Park and Spring, was booked. 

The Smoakhouse calls it self a bed and breakfast. When I read that, I think doilies. antiques, a bathroom down the hall and breakfast with a group, including the innkeeper.  Never stayed in one, but that's what I think.  When I saw the Smoakhouse  Ranch had private cabins, and breakfast items stocked in the  refrigerator, I decided to give it a shot.  I'll show pictures at the end of this post.  Have not photoed the inside of the fridge, but is has coffee, milk, oj, V-8, muffins, and eggs.   A fruit basket with apples, oranges, tangerines, and kiwi fruit. Cereal, cold and hot.  Being in the south, there is of course,instant grits and instant oatmeal.  Microwave popcorn.  Cookies on the kitchen counter.  Looking forward to the eggs for breakfast.   I've never had farm fresh eggs before.  But, that's tomorrow, time to get back to this, Saturday morning.

Which began early.  4 am.  Which got me to Ichtucknee Springs State Park at 7.  An hour before it opened.  In the past, I've arrived before the 8 am open and the gate at the last takeout, where I launch, has been open.  Not today/  So, I drove to the Highway 47 Bridge on the Santa Fe River in Gilchrist County and launched there.  At 7:43.   The ramp is on a spring, the opening photo on this Tale is the opening photo of the day, as I launched.

My flexible plans for this 3 day weekend included paddling this stretch of the Santa Fe, something I only did once before.   That was a pre Yak Tales paddle. I paddled all the way to Highway 27 and back.  As I recall,  I went beyond 27.  Over twenty miles round trip.  Today, I had no set distance or destination as I made my way up River/

Just two fishing boats and two tents the first hour on the water.  The south bank is Suwannee River Water Management land, camping, with a permit, is allowed wherever you can find a dry, flat, spot.

Wild life highlight was turkeys flying across the River. Too bad I can't show it to you.

But the Water District section ends, and you enter the realm of Ginnie Springs.  For a  good distance, I don't know,1 /2 mile, mile, the south bank is lined with tents and campers.  Not my idea of a wilderness getaway, especially on a spring break weekend, but the springs are a joy to explore.

There are 7. or is it 8 or 9? springs along, and into, the Ginnie Springs shore
.

This sign, "30  million gallons a day" is not at the largest spring.

 The wood ducks were across the River, at July Spring.

Back to the Ginne side, where divers prepared to scuba Devil's Ear and Eye springs.

 Two divers were already in.  I was not, just wrist, hand,  and camera.

I saw, so you shall to, a lot of turtles. 

Blue Spring is another private campground on the south bank of the Santa Fe.

 Far less crowded than Ginne, but fewer springs, Three, I think. The main one under the dive platform, the others, not accessible from the water.

Boardwalk along the Run from Blue Spring to the Santa Fe River.

Rum Island Springs Park, on the north, Columbia County side of the River, is free.  I stopped about 10:15 for a snorkel and sandwich.

As I paddled to the landing area, I exchanged, "Beautiful day" ith a gent fishing from the bank.  "Nice to be out before the tourists get here, he said.  I did not admit I was one of those tourists, but it was nice, Just two other people in the water, the angler's daughters.

If this map looks familiar, that's because you've seen a similar one.  From the US 27 ramp, a while back.  I now know how far I paddled Saturday.  About 14 miles.  The map editor is wrong. Lily Springs is where it should be on the map.

 Back on the Santa Fe River, 11 am.

Pickard Spring. Privatel owned.  No landfall allowed.  Unlike the next spring Lily. Home of Naked Ed. A For Sale sign is at the head of the Run. Hope whoever buys it lets Ed stay.  Or, if everyone who ever spoke to Ed made a donation, maybe he could buy it.  I did not stop, as now down River padlers began to appear.

The run to Poe Springs. Too shallow to paddle, and  Alachua  County charges $5 to land.  There was a time when they let paddlers stop for free.  This is where I turned around. 11:55.

All the turtle makes be think, there gotta be gators.  Not today.

Someone made sure he;d find this little spring again.

 Rum Island Springs. Now packed like,

Turtles on a log.

 Speaking of stacked up. Ginnie Springs Resort.  I was thinking the Santa Fe needs more alligators.

A full river on an unseasonably warm day. High 80's, "normal" is low 70's this time of year.

I avoided the mob in a spring across the River from Ginnie.

Landed at 2:40.  Thought of taking a dip in the spring off the ramp, but a guy was tossing his labs in the water.  And, the parking lot, empty when I arrived, was full. Cultural note.  Every pick-up, and 90% of the vehicles were pickups, had an American nameplate.

My next stop was a spring.  Thought about Little River, but missed the turn in Branford.  So, I headed to Troy Spring State Park.  Which I knew from the State Parks website, was closed to due high water in the Suwannee coming into the Spring.  Not from local rains, but heavy rain in the Okefenokee Swamp, causing the River to rise.  But, you never know, maybe with the luck of the Irish, it would be reopen.

The Spring was still closed.  Serves me right, for failing to wear green.   So, on to Lafayette Blue Springs.  The State Park website had nothing on its status.

Also closed. That's a natural bridge between two spring pools.  I am now about to pack, stop at Little River Spring, then kayak the Ichetucknee.  See ya tonight.

I'm home.  Paddled the Ich only. May get to that, oh Thursday. Now, back to Saturday.

 Suwannee River.

Some ignored the No Swimming signs.

This sign is new.  As is the boardwalk it, and 2 or three others, are on.  Here's a note from my October, 2010 visit. "Construction activity. Was the Spring closed?  A dirt trail lead down to the Suwanee River, and the Spring. Not seeing any "Closed" signs, I walked back up the hill, put on my suit, and came back down with snorkel gear "    Now there are stairs and a wheelchair ramp.

Left the Park about 4:35.   Had to stop in Mayo for a few photos.

 Above is the current County Courthouse, below the old.

8870 people in Lafayette County.  500 more than Florida's smallest, Liberty County.  So I can stand in the middle of the main street and take pictures.

From observation, I'd say timber and farming are the "big" employers in Lafayette County.  This Wisconsin boy felt at home seeing lots of black and white Holsteins.  And then, almost at my destination, this.

Not to mention, my paternal Grandmother lived most of her life on Lafayette Place. 

I took the owner's advice.  This is their home.

My lodging.

The inside of the fridge.

When I got back from Sunday's adventures, the eggs, OJ, and muffin I ate had been replaced.  Can't beat that for 99 bucks a night.  One drawback,  3 TV stations. No NCAA for me.  So, I toured the grounds.

Met some of the residents.

Airplane, and runway.  This is interesting. As are these.

Emergency command center. Not pictured, a classic GTO, and a Lafayette County Sheriff''s cruiser.  I'd better be on my best behavior.

 Another view of my cabin.  And Cabin 1, which has a sleeping loft.

The Earl Cabin, a replica of the original homestead. 

My hosts returned, it was their anniversary. I got to know them over the weekend.  Tim is a semi-retired Lafayette County Sheriff's deputy.  He bought the ranch, bit by bit, over the years.  Got his pilot's license at 16.  Emily is a retired Captain in the Tallahassee PD.  I asked it they met at a seminar. Nope, online.  They now do law enforcement consulting.  I asked if the County pays them rent for parking the Mobile Command Center on the property.  They do not.  The sheep and goats are "pets"  Entertainment for guests. 

The cattle are for business.  Calves are sold as brood stock.   I asked what place donkeys have on a 21st Century ranch.  Tim said they bond with, and watch over the calves. He has not lost one since getting the donkeys.

I may be a city boy, but I know what chickens are for.

This certainly was not the Holiday Inn. It was better.  I cooked up salmon, baked (microwave) potato, and corn on the cob for dinner, and went to bed, thinking about where I'd go Sunday.