By Peter Clayton

Our two days on the Santa Fe were superb – the weather cooperated, we found a new breakfast and dinner place, and paddled a new section of the river.

Our motel managed to get through the pandemic and business is slowly returning to normal – the cocktail area was welcoming as ever. However The Diner across the road had changed names. Now The Pink Flamingo, it added outdoor seating but no longer serves breakfast. The motel manager recommended Bev’s Burgers & BBQ Cafe, just south on SR 441, and it was a winner. Kaylee, our waitperson was so outgoing and efficient, and the food so good that we returned for lunch before returning home on Thursday. Our Subway server, Jay, remembered us from a year ago – still fast and friendly.

Wednesday’s paddle began with a spectacular sighting – six swallow-tailed kites roosting in a dead tree just across from our launch point. It was the first time any of us had seen one roosting and the most we had seen together. Later we were rewarded with other sightings of one or two in the air. This river is special for several reasons: it’s fairly close to home, being spring-fed the water is quite clear and the banks offer a variety of heights, magnificent trees and a clear view back into the woods, and; we took a refreshing dip at Poe Springs and Gilchrist Blue Springs.

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Thursday, we ventured upstream to launch just above O’Leno State Park where the river goes underground for three miles, then paddled three miles to Olustee Creek where a perfectly round spring provided another highlight. The launch was right beside I-75 and the underside of the bridge was full of swallow nests, the occupants of which put on a wonderful display of close-to-the-water flying. They are joyous birds to watch and seeing so many was a great start to the outing.

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