Florida Adventures with John & Lois Week 4
Niceville 4/4 – 4/11
On Sunday we drove 330 miles up to Niceville, which is on a bay of the Gulf of Mexico, about 30 miles east of Pensacola. The house we had rented was cute on the outside, but the inside was spectacular. The kitchen had granite counters with new stainless appliances. The living room had new furniture and a flat screen TV. Each bedroom also had a TV, we had wireless internet, and a view of the water. Maxi Neugebauer and Angie Willis drove down from T.C. to join us.
We think the most spectacular paddling in that part of the state is on the small creeks on Eglin Air Force Base. You need a permit to paddle there, but it is easy and inexpensive to get one. On Monday we took everyone to Turkey Creek. This trip was really special because we started on a small clear stream on the base, and ended at Boggy Bayou at our rental house. The temperature was in the 80’s so everyone was using lots of sunscreen, and we took several swim breaks. Yes the water was cool.
Tuesday we paddled the Blackwater River, which is stained brown because it comes out of a swamp in Alabama and then flows through the state forest. There is no development along the banks and the river has a nice sand bottom. We had one portage around a massive log jam so it was a long day, but was still a beautiful outing. Once again, we swam a lot.
On Wednesday we were joined by Pat Powers (not related to Pat Power, Jocelyn’s sister-in-law), a member of the West Florida Canoe & Kayak Club (WFCKC). She brought her dog Lilly, who was everybody’s favorite photo model. We paddled Coldwater Creek which is similar to the Blackwater, but has more sand bars. Since it was cloudy and in the low 70’s no one swam, not even Lilly. Of course Floridians don’t think of taking a dip until the water warms up to 85 degrees or so!
On Thursday, Lois, Jocelyn, and I went out to Fort Pickens while Maxi and Angie went exploring by car. On Friday, the three of us did a bike ride around Niceville, while Maxi and Angie found a great beach and did some body surfing.
On Saturday, we were joined by Linda Taylor from the WFCKC, and we paddled Boiling Creek which starts on the airbase and empties into the Yellow River. Boiling Creek was lined with white pitcher plants, which I think are rare. Jocelyn and I spent a lot of time taking photos as we floated downstream.
The drive home from Niceville took two days and was uneventful. When we got home we were greeted by a surprise prepared by Matt and Gracie, and two large baskets of mail.
