AND WE’RE OFF!
We’ve said this before but it never hurts repeating, we like to travel slow and, you know, smell the flowers…never leave a stone unturned…those kinds of things. Because this is more of a lifestyle for us than a vacation, we have the ability to move on down the road slow and easy.
So our first stop for the 2023 Tour was Marianna, FL, just a 4-hour, 240-mile drive to the quaint small Florida panhandle town just 1-hour northwest of Tallahassee.
The town is most famous for the Florida Caverns State Park and the beautiful Chipola River.
Let’s not overlook the fact that Florida has air-filled caves that you can tour through the State Park system. We did this many years ago and it was interesting and and we would recommend if you’ve never done it but once was enough for us.
Our main purpose for this 5-night visit in Marianna was to paddle Ocheesee Pond and the Chipola River.
Ocheesee Pond
Nestled near Marianna FL this 2,225-acre pond boasts one of the most majestic cypress forest that we have had the pleasure to paddle. With about 90% of it’s surface area covered in cypress, adorned by lily pads and daisy islands, with an orchestra of frogs and birds to serenade you on your travels it’s just one-stop short of paradise.
The paddle trail isn’t always easy to spot but with diligence and a little gut instinct, we were able to circumnavigate the upper pond with ease as our Swift kayaks glided through the tannic-colored water.
Mike would like to add that kayak photography, with its near constant movement, isn’t easy but I think he did a great job of truly capturing the beauty of this cypress haven with his trusty Canon.
The paddle trail loop itself clocks in at 5.2 miles from the launch site. If you add in a stop at an inlet to stretch your legs and losing site of the markers and getting turned around, one trip we logged 8-miles.
This is by far, one of our favorite paddling areas. I do want to come back in the fall to catch the cypress trees with their yellow and orange leaves. I look forward to coming back, hopefully soon.
Here are some of Mikes favorite photos of Ocheesee Pond.
Chipola River
Once many moons 🌛ago we paddled the river and Mike was anxious to get back on that water. Last year we were close to the area, planning to paddle it and there was flooding ☹️. Same story this year….. at the beginning of our 5-night stay it was above flood stages and at the tail-end of our stay there was a sewer break of some kind and weren’t able to get an outfitter to assist with transport. So 🤷♀️something was telling us to stay off the Chipola!
Campground
Mike, ever so diligent in campground searches, found this lovely RV Park right on this lovely waterway called Merritt’s Mill Pond. Aptly named, Florida Caverns RV Resort at Merritt’s Mill Pond, sits right on the shore of this unique 202-acre spring-fed reservoir and a nationally known fishing site.
Besides the magnificent displays of nature with the sunrises featuring fog on the water and cypress by moonlight, during the day we would enjoy shade by the water on the benches, pool time, and walk the park to say hello to fellow campers.
This is a small’ish park with a big personality. They have a little of everything from 100-amp fully loaded sites to rental cabins. The staff is amazing and go above and beyond with their Southern Hospitality!
Merritt’s Mill Pond Paddle
Blue Springs Recreation Area is a 4-mile paddle from the banks of our campsite. On a particular spectacular mild blue sky kind of day, we set off to see this Florida treasure for ourselves …. EXCEPT…. the park was closed for renovations and we were unable to access the headspring and see it’s splendor. Thank goodness it was a pleasant paddle… EXCEPT… for the strong headwind that took us by surprise heading back to camp. Thank goodness we LOVE to paddle, it just made for an interesting day.
When we are back in the neighborhood to (once again) try and paddle the Chipola, Florida Cavern’s RV Resort will be our first choice.
Dining:
While diligently working within a food budget, we did take Trip Advisor’s recommendation and try two nearby choices
- The Wharf Casual Seafood, what they lack in ambience they more than make up for in true southern hospitality and the food choices are plenty. We opted for the Crispy Wharf Platter with Smoked Gouda Cheese Grits, 😋Deviled Egg Potato Salad and Garlic Green Beans! Everything was delicious and we would recommend you give it a try.
- Milk and Honey Soft Serve and Coffee Shop. There is a reason they have a Google 4.8 ⭐rating. With a family friendly atmosphere and choices that include Lucky Goat coffees, frozen yogurt, gelato, custard, sorbet and more, you can’t go wrong. We picked a particular warm day after a long paddle on Ocheesee Pond to stop for a soft serve with toppings.
Other Notables
We had a rainy day to waste away so we fit in some grocery shopping and a work out. The campground was conveniently located for quick trips to:
- Planet Fitness. This is one of the best we have visited. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. Would recommend giving them a visit if you have the time.
- Winn Dixie. The only big name grocery store in the area was Winn Dixie which was a well stocked store but we felt their prices were high so we were careful in what we purchased.
- Wal-Mart Supercenter. We don’t always shop at this retailer but we did take a trip to fulfil a few needs. Even on a Wednesday mid-morning the store was crowded and it was hard to navigate the aisles but the prices were “friendlier” so we picked up what we needed.
In Closing
We enjoyed our visit to Mariana and will be back to paddle the Chipola River.
Stay tuned for lots of posts and more importantly….. photographs by James Frazier (aka Mike).
Dream Big….Travel Far….Live Well
Photography
Many of these highlighted photographs can be purchased through our website and made into wall art, tapestries, t-shirts and more. If you see something you like without a link, please go here to our Florida Photography website page Nspired Eye Photography
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