Kelly Park

A few weeks ago we finally made it to Kelly Park. I believe our first attempt to go here was 4th of July weekend but the park was already full so we had to go to Wekiva Springs instead. This time we got up early and were in the car line before the park even opened. Ten minutes before the park opened the car line was about a mile long with police directing traffic. One of the cops was going against traffic in his car getting a head count and giving everyone a ticket that they needed to proceed into the gate. I think the ticket was just to avoid cutters or maybe for a cutoff point, I'm not sure. After getting in the gate though the line continued up to the booth to pay. We ended up finally parking about 45-50 minutes after the park opened.

This has to be my favorite park, along with Kings Landing, which it connects to. For river float this is the place to go. For canoeing and wading in shallow water, Kings Landing. There's a lot of shade, so much that none of us even put on sunblock and in the 5 hours we were there no one burned. The river takes about 5-10 minutes to walk from the end at Kings Landing to the start of the run. The float takes about 20 minutes. My only compliant is that there's lots of people that think they need to blast their bongo music for everyone to hear. 

At the top of the run.

This is where everyone gets in. I should have just jumped in but instead I thought I could get on the tube without getting wet. It was kinda slippery on the rocks so I decided to put my phone in the waterproof case. Good thing I did because getting in I slipped, missed the tube, gashed my left foot on a rock, and went head under water. 

This is where the spring starts. They have the left side gated off.

The end of the run, right against the King's Landing. 

 

King's Landing

Last weekend we went to King's Landing. I have been wanting to go here since before we moved here but we've been busy with other things and we had to get some reservations. I reserved the canoe three weeks ago and this was the only date/time they had available. When we get there they tell me there is a three person limit in each canoe. We have five of us. 

They didn't have any double kayaks left but they had two singles so we got a kayak for Natalie and Adri and the boys rode with me in the canoe. I guess I got lucky they had the kayaks because otherwise we'd be screwed.

King's Landing was all I thought it would be. So far this was my favorite trip in Central Florida. We did 8.5 hours of canoeing in 4 hours. It starts with a canal at the boat launch that goes to the rock springs run, about 1/3 of a mile or so down the canal. To the right is all the clear water. It was about 2 miles upstream to where the Kelly Park tube float ends. To the left was the murky water that goes to Wekiwa Springs state park. This is where all the lilly pads, water birds, alligators, turtles, and river otters are. We did both, going the path of the clear water first.

It didn't seem too hard to paddle upstream but it did take quite a bit of time. Going up stream takes about 2-3 times as long as paddling downstream. We stopped by the Kelly Park bridge for 45 minutes and had lunch and let the kids out to swim. That 70 degree water feels so good on a hot Florida afternoon.

The boys at the boat launch.

 Adri learning how to paddle in a kayak in the canal.

This is right where the canal goes in the rock springs run.

Most of the trip was shady like this. One of the things I love about Florida. I grew so sick of being in constant sun.

We stopped here to let the boys pee. I walked them into the trees to pee which probably wasn't a good idea. I think I got some poison ivy on my ankle. They ended up swimming right after. I should have just had them pee in the water.

Zach on the tree island.

Adri and Natalie finally caught up with us.

This is where the Kelly Park tube float ends.

Heading back.

On the other side of the canal.

They had a couple of these fish feeders.

The only alligator we saw all day.

Back by the canal. The kids wanted up on the tree. Dean chickened out when I picked him up. He then said he wanted to jump off the edge of the bank on the other side into a deep spot. I walked him over there and he chickened out so I threw him in. He cried, I'm a bad dad.