Kayaking at Weeki Wachee

Today Dayna and I went kayaking with 2 of her friends, Gus and Rodney. They all used to lifeguard together. {Yes, I did feel very safe knowing I was kayaking with 3 certified lifeguards!} We went to a place called Weeki Wachee Springs. This river is so beautiful, peaceful, clear, calm and FUN! Gus and Rodney have their own personal kayaks, so Dayna and I rented a tandem for the day.

We left bright and early this morning, 7:30 a.m. to be exact. We woke up to overcast skies and the knowledge of a pretty good rain chance. But we were going kayaking regardless. To our delight, it didn't rain a single drop while we were there and we were there from 10-3! I even came home with a bit of a suntan!




The water was pretty cold, so in the morning, I was content just kayaking along. Later on in the day as it got hotter, I decided I would be adventurous and jump off of a huge tree branch which was facing horizontal a few feet above the water. See?
(This is the only picture I got on my camera, but Gus has some more action shots of us jumping off that can always be added later.)

I jumped off 3 different times, and the last time Dayna and I jumped together. It was SO MUCH FUN and the water was freezing! That branch was so slippery and every time I would get on it, I would think I was going to fall off into the water. Two different times, Dayna and Gus tried to go on the other side of me, so I had to duck (all while sitting on the slippery tree branch) and just hope they didn't fall off or push me off, even though it wouldn't have been a big deal since it was just the water underneath. I laughed so hard both times they did that which didn't help me keep my balance real well.

Look at how clear the water is! We could see fish so clearly!

After we had our fill of jumping off the tree, we kayaked down more of the river and found something else to jump off of...a rope swing hanging from a super tall tree! That was fun also, but there were many other kayakers enjoying the rope swing too, so we kept our time short there.

We saw a manatee up close! Dayna even touched him! We didn't take out the camera, but we saw one! I've seen them before, but never so up close. They are so calm and curious. They rode right underneath our kayak and just ate as they swam. They are fat little fellas!


The river is long and after 2 and a half hours exploring, our arms were getting tired and our stomachs grew hungry. We were ready to see the landmark that signaled we had reached the end! Our day of kayaking was such a fun adventure! I'm so glad I went. Two months from now, when lesson plans and grading papers have consumed me again, I'll wish to be kayaking down a peaceful river!

P.S. I just need to say thank-you to Shelly for my lovely new blog design! I was the lucky winner of her generous giveaway and I love the new look! Thanks again, Shelly!