wild adventures.

Nope...this post isn't going to be filled with crazy things we've been doing.  It's literally the name of a theme park in the middle of nowhere in southern Georgia (Valdosta) about 45 minutes from our house. I'd say it's comparable to Kings Dominion in VA - lots of roller coasters and a water park.

We decided to get season passes for a few reasons:
1. On random, nice weekends when we have nothing planned, why not drive up and spend the afternoon riding roller coasters or going to the water park?
2. Season passes included summer concerts featuring Alan Jackson, Scotty McCreery, Charlie Daniels Band, CCR, and Pat Benetar. Again, why not right?  (We've had a hard time finding upcoming concerts and shows because it's SOOO hot in the summer...this was our best chance!!)
3. They were WAY cheaper than a day pass to Universal or Disney...but we will go to those eventually.

Our first ride...the Mouse Trap! 

LOVE coasters where your feet hang

This coaster was my favorite, the Boomerang.  It started by pulling you all the way up the hill backwards and then releasing you forwards, upside down through loops, across the dip in the front of the photo, more upside down loops, then pulling you up the hill forwards...then doing it all over again backwards. 

We ALWAYS have a great time together!

yakity yak...

It's been about a month and a half since we've bought our kayaks and we have really been enjoying them!  We've had 5 trips so far and this post is filled with photos and info!

Trip #1: Alligator Lake 

For our first trip we decided to go somewhere with a boat ramp to put in easily.  We also wanted calm waters so we could get used to being in the kayak.  I learned very quickly how to manage taking pictures and killing spiders without tipping over...whew!  Thankfully that did NOT happen out here...hence the name of the lake! We saw 4 gators that day...and I'll have to say it's a little scary when you're right there IN the water with them.  We also discussed the option of keeping a knife in the boat just in case they came after us so we could stab them. HAHA...can you imagine what that would look like?!? I immediately opted out of that.  I would say our first experience was a great one though :) 

 

Trip #2: Ichetucknee Springs River Basin

For our second trip we headed to the Ichetucknee Springs (seen in previous post here) with Ryan and Melissa.  I'd say the worst part was carrying the kayaks to the river.  We immediately figured out that we would need to make or buy a kayak cart (with wheels) to pull them on instead of carrying them. 

When we finally got in, we were in awe at how beautiful the area was.  The water was so clear, just like the springs, and the weather was perfect. We were on the river for about an hour when we saw some other people who asked if we had seen any manatees yet.  MANATEES?!?!?  So of course after this we were on the hunt to find some because neither of us had seen one up close and personal before. Little did we know we would find 7!  

Someone else that day had told us that they swim up from the Gulf of Mexico because they are looking for warmer waters and the Springs are 72 degrees year-round.  It was seriously amazing...we stared at them for a long time and I took so many pictures!

The first pair!  They were HUGE and didn't mind us being so close.

before I snapped this, the larger manatee came up for air and snorted at Clay.

enjoying the scenery

FOUR in a pod!!

One of my favorites!

Memorable day! 

We had such an awesome second trip! We weren't sure if we'd be able to top it!

Trip #3: 10 miles!

This trip took quite a bit of planning but we pulled it off nicely! We drove about 30 minutes South and went down the Santa Fe River.  The 10 miles we kayaked were between two boat ramps so we drove both cars that day. We dropped the kayaks off at the first ramp, both drove to the second ramp (about 10 minutes) and parked the truck, then drove my car back to the first ramp where we took off.  

All along this part of the Santa Fe there are tons of natural springs. We stopped at Rum Island to check it out. It was a beautiful day and lots of families were having picnics and grilling out.  I only got a few photos this trip because we were paddling quite a bit and knew we needed to keep a steady pace so we wouldn't be out there forever! Some parts were really shallow and rocky so it took some patience and concentration not to get stuck and tip over! 

It was so peaceful and quiet....until we came upon a bend in the river where the noise level of people talking and laughing continued to rise.  As we came around the bend, we saw hundreds of people tubing, boating, and swimming for about a mile.  There were so many people it was insane!  There were tents set up all along the riverbank and it literally looked like we had stumbled upon a bunch of spring breakers. We found out it later that it was called Ginnie Springs.  We are planning on going there this summer to go tubing! 

Rum Island

Ginnie Spings 

Trip #4: Santa Fe River (different part)

For our fourth trip we found a different boat ramp to explore around on the Santa Fe. This was a shorter and more private trip for us. No one else was on the river in this area...which ended up creeping me out a little bit but it was fine. We headed one direction down the river and then turned around to go through O'Leno State Park to see if we could see the sinkhole where the river goes into the ground.  

As we got closer to the park, we encountered a HUGE tree that had fallen across the entire river and the only way go continue was to squeeze under a little part on the kayak or get off on the bank, go over the tree, and get back in on the other side. Clay fit under but I couldn't. His seat back is completely flexible so he could lay back and glide under the tree. My seat back has a hard plastic backing that was stabbing me in the spine so I couldn't lay down flat...ugg! I attempted several times to try and get out and go around but I couldn't find anything to pull up on and the bank was pretty steep. Disappointment. We turned around and headed back but it was still a fun trip.  

Google Image of the sinkhole

A full post on our fifth trip to Cedar Key to kayak in the Gulf will be coming soon!

beautiful st. augustine

One Saturday in March we headed to St. Augustine to spend the whole day exploring the city. For part of my birthday present, Clay bought us a sunset river cruise so we decided to fill the day with sightseeing. It's about 2 hours or less from our house so we figured we could fit in plenty for a full day and drive back.   

Our first stop was a cute little breakfast place called The Gallery Cafe.  It was family owned and operated and yummy!  Great start to our day! Now, I did not take the photo below...it was jam packed and we were lucky to get a seat under the Joker.  

Next stop, Castillo de San Marcos. Just a little history: It's the oldest masonry fort in the US, originally constructed by the Spanish between 1672 and 1695.  The British, Spanish, and Americans all made changes to the Castillo before it was finally retired in 1900 and now serves as a major tourist destination. 

After Castillo, we headed across the street to ultimately find a sports bar to watch the NC State/Miami game (boo...State lost.)  We walked around downtown for a few hours and went into so many random shops and eventually got ice cream before our sunset cruise!

Ponte Vedra Beach

Our sunset cruise was scheduled for around 5:30 that night.  It was nice to relax and see the view from the water. Here's the Castillo again...

<3

Another little history lesson: We cruised on by the 280 ft. Great Cross, the tallest freestanding cross in the western hemisphere. In 1565, a Spanish admiral named Pedro Menendez de Aviles landed on the shoreline, planted a wooden cross, and celebrated the first actual Thanksgiving on American soil (where it stands today.) It represents the beginnings of Christianity and the founding of America's oldest city - St. Aug's!

The Great Cross

To end our lovely day, we drove to an amazing restaurant called Caps on the Water for dinner.  I had been there once before when my childhood best friend Christina used to live in Jacksonville. This place is incredible and a must-do if you are ever in the area. It has a huge outdoor seating area that overlooks the Intercoastal Waterway and has some seriously yummy food.

We got there around 8:30/9:00 that night so it wasn't the best time to take photos. We had oysters as an appetizer, I had a deliciously seared wasabi-sesame encrusted tuna steak with spinach and Clay had vanilla & horseradish encrusted tilapia with veggies. NOM NOM NOM...plates were definitely cleaned.

Thanks Google images for the following:

                         

What a great day!

visitors galore!

We are so excited to finally share our VISITORS post!!  We have had 4 sets of friends and family come and stay in our guest rooms (yep...we have 2 guest rooms so come on down!) 

VISITORS #1: The Moon and You

We were so excited to find out that our friends Ryan and Melissa, and talented musicians, were going to be doing a southern tour and they were stopping by Lake City to play/see us! Ryan was a member of the former band Uncle Mountain who played at our wedding (and a childhood friend of Clay) and Melissa is his sweet, sweet girlfriend.  They booked a show at a place in town called The Cafe' (we basically got a private show!) and they were amazing!

 



cuties



 

Clay and I wanted to check out the Ichetucknee Springs, two beautiful springs that are 72 degrees year-round, so we all suited up, packed the car and went to check it out. It was in the low 70's that day but 72 degree water is CHILLY! Once we were there, we decided to go for it and get in! YOLO right? It was worth it...definitely something to check off my 30 before 30 list. :)

 



Ichetucknee Springs - gator free and gorgeous

 

72 degrees wasn't too bad...during the FL winter :)

We really enjoyed Ryan and Melissa's visit!  They were the first familiar faces we had seen since we moved and they were great faces to see!  Thanks for coming! :)

 

Visitors #2: SURPRISE! Kristen and Kimberlee :)

 

For those of you that know me well, you know two of my best friends Kimberlee and Kristen.  We taught first grade together, lived together, and have been close ever since. Kristen has already blogged the trip on her blog, Michael + Kristen + Kellan. You can see her post here that includes WAY more details and fun photos.

They drove down from VA/NC to surprise me and spent my whole birthday weekend with me! {ah-may-zing} Clay kept it a secret for weeks, which is incredible.  They woke me up in the middle of the night when they got here by flashing on the lights and screaming.  I literally thought we were being robbed so I pulled the covers over my head (like that would do anything.)  They brought me lunch and visited my school & class, we went shopping - of course, and we took them to eat at some of our favorite restaurants we discovered. We had so much fun as always! I am so blessed to have them in my life! I was beyond surprised and will never forget that weekend!


 

A cakery in LAKE CITY! (Limited hours...but
we made it & they were good!)

 

 

local produce shopping

 

Mmm...Satchel's Pizza!

 

Here's the bus that doubles as a booth for larger parties!
We WILL sit here someday.

LOVE you both. xoxo.
 

Visitors #3: MIS PADRES!

My parents helped us move and stayed for a few days to help us get organized and all set up! What a HUGE help that was...but this time they were bringing us a van full of our wedding registry items that we couldn't fit in the big move. Yep, we have a lot of stuff.  Well, as Clay says...I have a lot of stuff! :) 

On our packing day, it was pouring rain and in Roanoke (where my parents were driving from) it was sleeting and beginning to snow. Obviously, they left a lot later because of the weather.  The original plan was to go by my brother's house in Cary and pack the van with our wedding gifts that they so graciously let us keep in their attic (since our place was too small for everything) and drive them down to FL. Well, that didn't work out...but they packed up the van and brought it all down in Feb!!  It was a blessing in disguise because we had SO many gifts that it completely filled the van...and if that was the case in Dec, Cheeto and Chester wouldn't have to been able fit!!!

It was like Christmas all over again when we unloaded everything and got it all organized! They were also able to fit another bed frame in the van so we bought a new mattress and set up our guest room #2! It was extremely productive! We also headed to Jacksonville to look at a truck (which we now own,) walk on the beach, and enjoy our time together!  It's always a great weekend when they are around! 
 

Neptune Beach: Dad was SO excited to be on the beach in February!

 

<3 

  We love you both and are so thankful for all your help!

 

 

Visitors #4: Two Weekends with JASON, STEPHANIE, AND SOPHIE

Clay's cousin Jason, wife Stephanie and their daughter Sophie came to FL for a family vacation in late February.  They traveled from Washington, NC and stayed with us on a Thursday night.  Clay and I worked Friday and they made their way down to Tampa.  We met up with them in Clearwater, FL on Saturday to go to a Phillie's Spring Training game.
 

Phillie's training field

 



 

Stephanie and Sophie

 

 

After the game, we headed down to Ybor City and walked around.  They were having a huge festival that weekend so there were lots of food vendors and arts & crafts for sale. 

Tampa Bay Buccanneer's ship

 

Then we headed down to Clearwater Beach that night after dinner at a delicious Thai restaurant.

 

rooftop view

The next morning, we headed to Indian Rocks Beach for a walk and have breakfast. We found this yummy place called Crabby Bills.  It was delish!  

 



crab omelet = ah-may-zing

 

Then we headed to the Florida Aquarium to meet up with Jason, Stephanie, and Sophie before we headed back home.

 

 

 They stayed in Tampa for the week and then came back to our house to stay on their way back to NC the next weekend. I cooked dinner Friday night - my first homeade pie from scratch and truffles!  On Saturday, we went to Gainesville to the Florida Museum of Natural History,  Sweet Frog for some yogurt, and then to Satchel's Pizza for dinner! We had a great 2 weekends with them and were so glad they could come down and stay! Thanks for coming and we can't wait until next time!

Dinner: my first homeade pie - corn, tomato & cheddar (mmmm!)

 

dessert: chubby hubby truffles!

When will YOU become our next house guest?!?