Scott, do you have a DeLormes atlas of Florida? Makes gettin' around much easier. Here are some suggestions and also directions to Agua Azul in Dunedin. #1. Take Alternate 19 north to Curlew road and turn left (west). Curlew is the road that goes to the bridge that goes to Honeymoon Island State Park. Just before the bridge on your left is Agua Azul. They rent/sell kayaks there. You can get a free bumper sticker there that says "You Deserve A Good Paddling". You can also turn left just past Agua Azul before the bridge onto the causeway and park and put in there if you bring your own boats. Paddling out to Little Caldelsi island from there is fun. There are some other little miscellaneous islands in between. Little Caldesi is the northern tip of Caldesi Island that looks connected when the tide is out. If I had more time when I was there this January I would have paddled the perimeter of Caldesi and Honeymoon Island. I understand there is a lunch bar or something on Caldesi on the southern end. There are no roads to Caldesi; people drive to Honeymoon Island then take a ferry to Caldesi. Also if I had time I would have paddled north under the bridge and along the coast and little islands out that way. #2. The locals made me promise not to tell the general public about this next place. I don't consider this list the general public :). Go south on 679 to Fort Desoto County Park. When you get to the "T", turn right (west). Just about across the street from the fort is a little (maybe 8' wide) clearing in the bushes. You can drive right up there and park. You can put in there and kayak around lovely saltwater bayous and mangroves. There may be a guy there with a truck and trailer renting kayaks. That is an actual water trail with numbered signs to follow. Saw dolphins swimming just east of the put in site although if you follow the markers you will start out heading west. If you park and put in right by the fort across the street, I hear Egmont Key (and Passage Key for that matter) are fun destinations but I didn't go out there. You cant see them on regular road atlases. You need to look at a DeLormes. #3. Ok, now for some freshwater. There are numerous county parks near north Tampa that are on the Hillsborough river where you can put in. The current is gentle enough that you can paddle out and back. I went out on the Hillsborough twice and saw gators both times. They didn't bother us. They just sat on their logs (or partially submerged) and watched us go by. I didn't go any further toward them than about 50'. I saw lots of wildlife there. Many many turtles and birds. I went to a park that is apparently run by University of South Florida. They rented kayaks (nice Perception sit-on-tops) but I think you had to be an employee or student of USF. The friend I was with was an employee there. But there is plenty of parking there and I don't think they would mind if you parked and put in there. Sorry I don't know the exact directions there but if you drove around the vicinity of USF and asked someone they would probably know. Have fun! -Bob ---------------------------------------------- http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/rjmatter Protect privacy, boycott Intel: http://www.bigbrotherinside.org ---------------------------------------------- > Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 20:38:05 -0500 > From: "Scott Stephens" <hssteph_at_leading.net> > Subject: [Paddlewise] St. Pete Paddlin? > > Got incredibly lucky, I suppose, and wound up with two tickets to the Final > Four through the NCAA lottery. So, St. Pete bound this weekend! Yeah! > > Driving from Jacksonville. Own Magellan and Savage Scorpion, which is > almost a touring boat for my 90 pound 13 yr old son who must suffer through > four days of Dad's pearls of wisdom on this trip. > > Anyone know of a clean shot at a put in for this pair of boats, either > coastal, or local rivers? Could handle a couple of short day trips while > there. Staying near airport. Both these boats appropriate? Or is there an > outfitter one of you locals can recommend to me? > > All advice appreciated. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Mar 23 1999 - 17:04:18 PST
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