Thanks for joining us on this paddle adventure from King's Landing to the Emerald Cut! This area of Florida feels like a tropical jungle paradise! Let us know if you've added this to your bucket list!
Wow, has Kings Landing really changed over the years. The last time I was out there was in the 1980’s. My grandfather bought a small piece of land from Mr. king back in the early 60’s and there was only a few houses out there on the west side of the river going north. Our property was on the east side of the river going north with Rock Springs Park backing up to it. I inherited the property and sold it to the state of Florida back in the mid 80’s so that it would remain natural out there. That was the least time I saw Mr. King (good old Florida boy) . The water use to be deeper and the river was wider back then. Thanks for showing it, brings back a lot of old memories of being out on Rock Springs run with my dad and grandfather who have passed on.
Oh wow thank you so much for sharing this story, Kathy! We always love to here about the history of these areas, and we can only imagine how amazing it must have been to own this beautiful property back then.
Did this with a tour guide. Excellent for first time! Nice to hear the history of the place and all the flora and fauna info. Also kayaked. You’re paddling upstream the way there so a little bit of a workout for the inexperienced. Floated downstream the way back. amazing experience! So beautiful! Florida at its best!
I think that sound was from a Pileated Woodpecker, which is the largest and loudest woodpecker. With prayers, love and gentle hugs from Donna in Spring Hill.....
We did some more research after our trip and we think that you are absolutely right! We never even knew that woodpeckers could get that big or make that type of a noise! Thank you so much for watching our video and taking the time to comment, Donna.
That's so awesome that our channel helped you guys prepare and get excited for your move to St. Pete. We hope you're loving the city as much as we have!
Looks amazing! If I lived in Florida, I would definitely hit that place up. The water looks gorgeous. Glad you guys got a little R&R during your busy time. Thanks for sharing the memories you're making and have a blessed weekend!
It was such a much needed day of relaxation. When you do make it down to Florida for a visit, we really hope you get a chance to visit Florida's springs as well as the beach. They are every different but equally amazing!
Hey guys, I grew up in Tampa and tarpon fished in Boca Grande for years. Cabbage Key is neat but as most of the state is over capacity in summer. Food is good but not as cheap as Pine Island. Enjoy your videos.
I agree with Skylar. Orlando is my original hometown, and King’s Landing…etc does have more of a dense, jungle-like feel. North Florida and the Panhandle are different and have some different tree species and terrain. That was a woodpecker early in the video. Cool video! I love Rock Springs, but it can get crowded. It’s better to go on a weekday during the school year. Wekiwa is the bomb as well. Same thing, though with the crowds
Glad to hear it wasn't just us who felt like we were in a jungle! We were honestly expecting that paddle to be much busier than it was, but I think we lucked out with the weather being abnormally cold that morning. We think that kept a lot of people away, but the afternoon temperatures ended up being perfect!
We've only done the Tubing Experience for now, but there is so much more to explore in this great area! We hope to come back some day! Keep posting good videos like this one 🙂
Wow, that is so cool. I love beaches, but I would definitely take my paddleboard to Kings Landing. I will watch more of your channel.. (from Lake Erie..certainly not warm enough here yet, lol), lol.
We love the beaches too, but the springs really are the perfect change of pace! Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment. We hope it warms up in Erie soon!
Wow thank you so much for sharing this information! We did a little bit of research on the Pileated woodpecker and it looks like they get really big! I'm surprised we weren't able to spot it in the trees.
Simply stunning 🤩 less than 3 weeks to go before our Florida vacation and this place is now definitely on our list. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
I do want to take an extended stay down there, I am new to your channel appreciating your rich n beautiful content, your expert advice is just what I needed!🧡💜🎖
It definitely has it's perks! We hope you do make it down here to visit sometime. Lots of Landing Standby units available in the summer months... just make sure you are somewhere close to some water because it gets HOT!
Yeah we were surprised at how different this one looked compared to the ones we've become more accustomed to further to the west. Both are beautiful in their own rights.
Your are right, Lisa. From reading all the comments and doing a little bit of research, we're nearly certain that it's a Pileated Woodpecker. They get really big!
How fun. I took out my 11’ Sea Eagle kayak Today. Probably way too big for this trip. I was in the open water south of Fort Pierce inlet and the sun took its toll. It was pretty busy with kayaks and paddle boards today and the stand ups were making as much progress as I was in the kayak. Those springs look way more inviting and my kayaks are 15 years old now. Might be time to invest in a stand up.
Our boards are 10.5 feet and some are over 11. So I do think you could make that kayak work on this paddle, although probably not ideal. The consistent shade on this paddle was really nice! At least you should have a nice tan to show for your day in the sun!
Oh my word! King's Landing looked beautiful! Although, I won't lie the signs about the alligators and snakes gives this MN girl second thoughts! Don't get me wrong, I know that they are known in Florida but it looks so nice and serene there, I was holding out hope that just maybe that area was alligator free. Wishful thinking, I know. :)
It surely is a beautiful place, Kim. Eventually you just kind of get used to the alligators and snakes in Florida, but it sure did take me a bit longer than it took Skylar.
New subscriber here. Love all your vids. That was Woody woodpecker - redheaded woodpecker.😅 Looks gorgeous! But a woman & her dog were eaten by a gator near me so I'm sticking with boating. 😮
Thank you so much for the sub and for taking the time to comment. We really appreciate it! I've heard that having a small dog with you actually makes you much more susceptible to a gator attack, as they generally don't see humans as prey but will see small dogs as prey (and anything in between them and the small dog). So I guess what I'm saying is that if you do decide to visit, leave your small dog at home!
Thanks for sharing. We've been to Rock Springs/Kelly Park many times but never able to do the kayaking or paddle board because our kids are too young. Good to see the other side of the spring past the bridge. Btw, if you haven't done it, taking a tube from the head of Kelly Park is amazing and one of our favorites for just floating down a spring. Blue Springs is nice too but wider and much deeper. I like it because I love swimming. My gf and sister prefer to float lol. There's also a really deep area at the head of it.
Thanks for watching, Roberto. We hope your kids are ready to hop on a paddleboard before long. We have not yet done the tube run but definitely will next time we are back in this area!
@@Explorcation awesome! We literally just went to the springs again on Wed lol. First time since we did the maternity shoot there. Unfortunately it'll be years before we can go with them to that side. So I'll live vicariously through your videos lol
@@RobertoMezquiaJr so glad to hear you made it back! If we lived closer we would definitely visit more frequently. Have you all tubed at Rainbow or Ichetucknee yet? Those are a bit of a drive from the Orlando area, but offer some great floating too.
@@Explorcation the first time we attempted to go to rainbow, we had our daughter who wasn't allowed to go tubing. So we ended up in the swimming side, which was still very nice. They have it roped off for swimming but you need a pool noodle because it's at least 6-8' everywhere in that area. We're in Palm Bay. So most of the springs are at least 1.5hrs away and some even farther.
@@RobertoMezquiaJr you are right, the swimming area there is deep! Hopefully you all make it back some day when your kids are all old enough to tube. Ahh I see, so they are a good drive for you as well!
I would love to go paddling there, but think I would stick to my kayak because I just can't balance on a paddleboard 🤣 Are there ever any gators in the springs? I just feel like any water in Florida could have a gator in it!
Yeah, it's probably best to learn paddleboarding in Florida on a calm day in the gulf or some other calmer body of salt water (where you don't have to worry about gators)... but of course there you have to worry about sharks. The risk of going into the water and becoming gator food is definitely much less on a kayak!
Yeah, all fresh water in Florida has likely at sometime had a gator in it... so there's almost always a risk. Thankfully they do generally avoid people though.
Beautiful paddle. So where there a few spots where the water might be around waist deep-ish? I will be down there soon and may have my whitewater kayak with me and might want to do some roll practice which requires waist deep water.
There was a croc there with ppl boarding n kayaking. What if you flip over! Oh no thanks, would like to visit but stay on land. Thanks for sharing, it’s really pretty there.
It was an alligator. They generally are less aggressive than crocodiles and mind their own business. The good think about the spring waters is that they are very clear and you can see the alligators from a ways away. For that reason we don't mind paddling or swimming in them. It's those murky river waters that make us nervous. We'd be afraid that we'd fall off our board right on top of one because you'd never know it's there.
I think our favorites so far (for paddling) are Kings Landing and Ichetucknee. If you want to stay on land Wakiwa and Three Sisters are really great. But we'll actually be putting out a top springs video soon that should help you decide which is best for you!
When you exit the water in temps of 50°F or less, the air tends to numb your body while you dry. At least, that's been my experience. I'm a floridian and love swimming in the winter months.
One of these days I (Skylar) am going to have to put that theory to the test. I have a feeling Jamie won't be joining me though 😂 But if we could manage to not freeze, we would LOVE to swim in the springs in the winter months when the crowds are way down. Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment!
The emerald cut began when you turned right from the launch channel. I camp at kelly park all the time and if you do there is a place in between kings landing and kelly park called camp joy that 8s part of the park if you are a camper you can launch for free there.
Ahh thanks so much for sharing this info. We kept looking for signs saying we'd actually entered the Emerald Cut, but never saw anything. We definitely did go right by Camp Joy, good to know that you can launch there as well!
This spot would be prefect for a less experienced paddler. It's very shallow and pretty wide in most spots, but could still be a bit challenging to navigate on a super busy day. So we'd recommend visiting on a week-day for sure.
Congratulations on the new channel and I hope the move is going well. I’m curious if you guys have tried the ferry from St Pete to Tampa, I’d like to give it a try when I’m in town next, might make a good vid?
Thank you so much! We have been talking about taking the Cross-Bay ferry for what seems like years now, but still haven't gotten around to it. Perhaps this year we will finally make it happen!
Don't let the.. no crowds.. at this time of year fool you in the summer it's like a kayak train both ways and nobody can control them..but still a great place you should do the run from there to wekiva island
This comment sure makes us glad that we visited when we did. We were pretty surprised by the lack of people on the river on our visit, but we sure weren't complaining!
We did make a reservation for King's Landing. They do take walk-in as well, but by not booking ahead you to risk them being at capacity when you visit. King's Landing is privately owned, and is not part of Kelly Park although it is nearby.
Our favorite spots to paddle in Florida are Ichetucknee, Weeki Wachee, Rainbow River, and King's Landing. My (Skylar) favorite overall is probably Ichetucknee, but it is a longer paddle. Jamie's favorite is probably King's Landing.
LOL. I used to be a manager at the supermarket at the other end of that shopping center where King Buffet is. At the time it was an amazing Gooding’s Supermarket…arguably the nicest in the whole chain. It has since been subdivided into Petco/Planet Fitness/Famous Footwear now.
The sound you heard when you started the Rock Springs Run was the sound of a woodpecker pecking a tree to get inspects inside the tree. It sounds like a machine gun because that’s how fast their head goes. Their head can break the sound barrier while pecking and hit the wood at more than 100 mph. Their tongue is the longest in the animal kingdom, which is so long that it wraps around their brain. Their brain has evolved to float the brain so they don’t get a concussion. Based on the volume and low tone of the sound, it is a large woodpecker, most likely a paleded woodpecker. They are very large compared to other woodpeckers. They’re the woodpecker with a red head and the bird that Woody Woodpecker was based on. I live in central Florida and have paddled the Rock Springs Run and Wekiva River many times. There are some parts of the run with the most breathtaking foliage that doesn’t even look like you’re in the U.S anymore. Another clear creek is the Juniper Springs that you would enjoy. Juniper Creek is in the Ocala National Forest. We have seen some big gators in that run, so be careful swimming in it. They usually warn people to stay in your boat or water craft, especially at dusk or dawn. Gators aren’t very aggressive and won’t mess with you as long as you don’t mess with them. If you want to seen manatees, the Blue Springs during cold weather. The manatee leave the Saint Johns River when the water gets cold, so they can spend that time in the warmer waters from the spring. All Florida springs have a constant temperature of around 71 °F. We always go from King’s Landing all the way down river to Wekiva River. The two rivers meet about 6 miles down from the landing. The good people at King’s Landing used to shuttle one person down to the parking lot at the end of the run and shuttle that person back to the landing. That way you can just get in your car once you get downstream. And they’ll pick up the boat the next day, you just leave the craft in the designated canoe rack and lock it down with the padlock there. By paddling down the run, you’re going with the current all of the way. Rock Springs Run has a current speed of around 6 mph, which doesn’t sound like much, but if you’re canoe or kayaking, it will be a significant hard paddle. If you take a break, the Kaya will begin to slow down and then swept backward at 6 mph. If you start at King’s Landing, you be with the current and the kayak or canoe will continue going forward, even if you stop paddling. Your muscles will burn trying to paddle against it. It’s possible, but extremely difficult. It isn’t gators, snakes or spiders that injure tourists. It is usually shots to the noggin from downed trees across the river. If you’re not paying close attention, you can come around a bend and spot a tree across the water and that’s when you realize that 6 mph is faster than it sounds. If you can’t duck under it in time or stop on boat on a dime, you will smack the tree trunk with your face, so slow down on blind corners or it will take you right out of your canoe or kayak. In some spots of the run it may be necessary to get out and port your canoe or kayak around the obstruction. Another danger is bees nests. Mostly wasps that like to build their nests overhanging the river for protection. Raccoons and other small predators often won’t risk climbing a small branch over the rapid moving water just to break open the nest. If you’re kayaking or canoeing and hit one of those nests. The bees will really hurt you. If you stir up a wasp nest, your best bet is to dive in the water and stay underwater until you are far from the nest area. Don’t be more worried about gators to jump in. Your chances of being stung more than a hundred times is much greater than a gator attacking you. Gators are naturally afraid of humans and tend to leave us alone, bees don’t have that fear. Typically gators are seen sunning themselves along the shoreline, but you will occasionally see one or two in the water. Gators are nocturnal hunters, preferring to hunt starting at dawn and throughout the night at dawn. If you visit Florida and are at any lake, river, stream or creek, at night, turn on your flashlight and aim the beam right at the water surface. You will usually see many of ruby red eye peeking up just over the surface. Once when my wife and I were at Alexander Springs, the Ranger shined his light along the water surface and there were literally over 100 pair of eyes we could see in deep, blood color eyes. Just an hour earlier, hundreds of people were just splashing around in that water. Because the gators have a fear of humans, they wait and come in at night. I guess it’s all of the food scraps that follow big crowds of people which feed the gators that come into the spring head at night.
Wow thank you so much for this interest information on woodpeckers. Growing up in the midwest we had woodpeckers, but they were a different (much smaller) kind and sounded much different than the one we were hearing on the springs that day. We've found out that this specific woodpecker is a Paleated Woodpecker, and they are huge! I guess that partly explains why they sound different. I imagine the type of tree (hardness of the wood) could make a difference on how they sound as well. We agree 100% with that area not even looking like Florida. I was telling Jamie that we could tell people that some of our footage was from the Amazon and they'd probably believe it! Thanks so much for the gator info as well. We know from experience that you will find them in most Florida springs, but I don't think we ever realized there were that many! Like you said, every time we see one they are normally sunning themselves or near the banks staying as far away from humans as possible. We are definitely going to try to visit a spring at night sometime so we can check for the alligator eyes!
LOL yeah gator encounters certainly are not for everyone! They don't bother me so much in the clear springs where I know exactly where they are.... but those murky waters scare us a lot more!
There was definitely some variation in the width/depth of the run, but the majority of the paddle was quite dense and jungle-like. And yes, definitely beats a day indoors playing video games!
Just to many rules, but really nice. I prefer free places and less or no real supervision. Born/raised in Florida, there is so much better if you research a little.
Yeah, lots of rules for sure. Some rules we like (like the no speaker rule). Nothing bothers me (Skylar) more than having a relaxing paddle ruined by someone blasting bad music 😂 Many of them do seem unnecessary, but inconsiderate people doing inconsiderate things sadly result in seemingly unnecessary rules.
We just saw the one gator tucked back along the shore line, but we did not see any snakes. Honestly the snakes scare us a bit more than the gators at this point, but only because we don't always know which ones are poisonous and which ones aren't.
We thought it was probably an owl at first too, but it seems that it was likely a woodpecker... Apparently there are humongous woodpeckers in this area that have much slower and louder pecks than the ones we are used to!
Alligators are generally afraid of people. Also, they primarily hunt at night. It's not nearly has common as you probably think for someone to get attacked by an alligator. Honestly you're probably statistically safer swimming in a Florida springs (during the day) than you are driving down the highway.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for joining us on this paddle adventure from King's Landing to the Emerald Cut! This area of Florida feels like a tropical jungle paradise! Let us know if you've added this to your bucket list!
I didn't see the paddleboard link. Could I get it? TY!
@@eml-0404 We totally forgot to include the link... Here it is. bassproshops.vzck.net/5gxqZ3. Thanks so much for letting us know!
Wow, has Kings Landing really changed over the years. The last time I was out there was in the 1980’s. My grandfather bought a small piece of land from Mr. king back in the early 60’s and there was only a few houses out there on the west side of the river going north. Our property was on the east side of the river going north with Rock Springs Park backing up to it. I inherited the property and sold it to the state of Florida back in the mid 80’s so that it would remain natural out there. That was the least time I saw Mr. King (good old Florida boy) . The water use to be deeper and the river was wider back then. Thanks for showing it, brings back a lot of old memories of being out on Rock Springs run with my dad and grandfather who have passed on.
Oh wow thank you so much for sharing this story, Kathy! We always love to here about the history of these areas, and we can only imagine how amazing it must have been to own this beautiful property back then.
Been living in Florida for 10 years. I'd take a kayak trip on Florida spring rivers VS beach day ANYDAY!!!
We enjoy both... but on a 90+ degree day in the summer, that spring water sure feels a lot more refreshing than that bathwater in the gulf!
At the beginning of your video sounds like a woodpecker?? Thanks for sharing 👍
Sounds like a woodpecker for sure!
I agree! Woodpecker!
Yes, definitely a wood Pecker pecking on a tree. I’ve heard this often.
Same thing I said lol
Definitely a wood pecker.
The sound at the beginning was probably the red pileated woodpecker. I see\hear them a lot when we're camping around there.
Thanks so much! Pretty sure that's exactly what it was!
Did this with a tour guide. Excellent for first time! Nice to hear the history of the place and all the flora and fauna info. Also kayaked. You’re paddling upstream the way there so a little bit of a workout for the inexperienced. Floated downstream the way back. amazing experience! So beautiful! Florida at its best!
Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment, Karen! We're glad you had a great time at King's Landing!
You guys are my Saturday morning coffee adventure ! Thanks so much for sharing and all you do!
We wouldn't still be doing it without the support of people like you. Thanks so much for always tuning in!
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your generosity! We really appreciate it!
I think that sound was from a Pileated Woodpecker, which is the largest and loudest woodpecker. With prayers, love and gentle hugs from Donna in Spring Hill.....
We did some more research after our trip and we think that you are absolutely right! We never even knew that woodpeckers could get that big or make that type of a noise! Thank you so much for watching our video and taking the time to comment, Donna.
Love the springs !
You and us both! Thanks for watching.
My partner and I moved to St Petersburg and for months before the moved watched all your videos for the countdown !
Can't wait to check this place out
That's so awesome that our channel helped you guys prepare and get excited for your move to St. Pete. We hope you're loving the city as much as we have!
Great video! I would definitely take the trip to paddle the springs. Glad the weather was perfect for it.
We hope you get a chance to someday, Carolyn... and we hope you also get perfect weather when you do it!
You are paddling through a jungle ! So happy for your video 🙏🏻
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. It was a fun adventure!
I love all the information! Also the prices and the hiking trails. Thank you somuch
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment, Irene. We really appreciate this feedback!
Looks amazing! If I lived in Florida, I would definitely hit that place up. The water looks gorgeous. Glad you guys got a little R&R during your busy time. Thanks for sharing the memories you're making and have a blessed weekend!
It was such a much needed day of relaxation. When you do make it down to Florida for a visit, we really hope you get a chance to visit Florida's springs as well as the beach. They are every different but equally amazing!
Hey guys, I grew up in Tampa and tarpon fished in Boca Grande for years. Cabbage Key is neat but as most of the state is over capacity in summer. Food is good but not as cheap as Pine Island. Enjoy your videos.
Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment, Richard. This info will be helpful for when we do get around to visiting Cabbage Key!
I agree with Skylar. Orlando is my original hometown, and King’s Landing…etc does have more of a dense, jungle-like feel. North Florida and the Panhandle are different and have some different tree species and terrain. That was a woodpecker early in the video. Cool video! I love Rock Springs, but it can get crowded. It’s better to go on a weekday during the school year. Wekiwa is the bomb as well. Same thing, though with the crowds
Glad to hear it wasn't just us who felt like we were in a jungle! We were honestly expecting that paddle to be much busier than it was, but I think we lucked out with the weather being abnormally cold that morning. We think that kept a lot of people away, but the afternoon temperatures ended up being perfect!
Downstream at next sprung and open area with 6 foot Garfish and turtles galore thanks for a gr8 tour!
OK next time we are in this area we are definitely going to find this spot. Thanks for letting us know about it!
Looks amazing there! Thanks for the trip!
It was a really great day! Thanks for coming along.
I definitely would go paddle King’s Landing!
So beautiful. For me it’s even better than the beach!😮
We hope you get a chance to someday, John! It's a great change of pace from the beach!
Excellent video. Enjoyed it.
Thanks so much. We're glad you like it!
I went there 4 weeks ago for the first time. Its was amazing
Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment. We're glad you enjoyed it as much as we did!
Thanks for sharing about the area.
Our pleasure. Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment.
Im new to kayaking so videos like this are very nice so i know where to go. Thank you
Our pleasure! We're really glad to hear you found the video to be helpful. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment1
We've only done the Tubing Experience for now, but there is so much more to explore in this great area! We hope to come back some day! Keep posting good videos like this one 🙂
We hope to make it back to the area to try the tubing too! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
This was a great adventure today.
Thanks, Scully! Always fun to get out on the water, especially when it's this crystal clear!
I’ve been to Kelly rock springs and loved it. This area seems nice to paddle through too!
It's such a beautiful area. We'll have to visit Kelly Rock Spring next time we're in the area and try out the tubing.
Oh my goodness. This is so beautiful. I’m actually painting a mural in Orlando of a Florida spring. It’s in honor of Earth Day.
How cool! Where is the mural located. Perhaps we'll be able to swing by and check it out some day!
@@Explorcation On the side of Pho Hoa off Primrose and Colonial. Great food there too!
@@phoenix0909 thanks for sharing, we love Pho, sounds like two great reasons to visit!
The no speaker rule is fantastic. A shame there has to be a rule, and people don't just do the right thing and not annoy everyone else.
We could not agree more! Nothing worse than someone ruining your relaxing day in nature by blasting terrible music.
Wow, that is so cool. I love beaches, but I would definitely take my paddleboard to Kings Landing. I will watch more of your channel.. (from Lake Erie..certainly not warm enough here yet, lol), lol.
We love the beaches too, but the springs really are the perfect change of pace! Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment. We hope it warms up in Erie soon!
Just watched 2 of your videos great content & info thanks 😊
Thank you so much for watching and supporting our channel. We truly appreciate it!
Thanks so much for sharing another wonderful video like always, that sound is from a woodpecker, they do that sound to get a mate 👍
Wow thank you so much for sharing this information! We did a little bit of research on the Pileated woodpecker and it looks like they get really big! I'm surprised we weren't able to spot it in the trees.
Simply stunning 🤩 less than 3 weeks to go before our Florida vacation and this place is now definitely on our list. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
I am also about 3 weeks out. I'll be staying for a week in Clearwater Beach and will venture throughout Pinellas County.
Don't miss the Tubing Experience there!
Your vaca will be here before you know it. We hope you have an awesome time on the beach AND in the springs!
@@Explorcation Thanks. We fly out 5/11. Very excited.
@@Andrew-3445 we hope you are having an amazing time!
That sound… I think it’s a woodpecker. That water is pretty clear. Great video as always!! ❤❤❤
I think you are right, Jilliana!
I do want to take an extended stay down there, I am new to your channel appreciating your rich n beautiful content, your expert advice is just what I needed!🧡💜🎖
Thank you so much for this kind comment! We're so happy that you discovered our channel!
Florida is sick! Might need to go check it out :D
It definitely has it's perks! We hope you do make it down here to visit sometime. Lots of Landing Standby units available in the summer months... just make sure you are somewhere close to some water because it gets HOT!
Very beautiful
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
Yeah, Weeki Wachee, Rainbow…etc have more of that gorgeous blue hue.
Yeah we were surprised at how different this one looked compared to the ones we've become more accustomed to further to the west. Both are beautiful in their own rights.
I definitely want to visit here
It's a pretty amazing place. We hope you get a chance to someday!
I've seen reviews that show Crave at Rock Springs is a decent place to eat as well..but the buffet looked good too.
Ahhh thanks for letting us know. We may just have to check that place out the next time we're in the area.
Yes. Would love to do this.
We hope you get a chance to someday, Joe!
It's a woodpecker. Not sure what kind. The scenery is unbelievably beautiful! Nice that they have rules to keep it quiet and real.
Your are right, Lisa. From reading all the comments and doing a little bit of research, we're nearly certain that it's a Pileated Woodpecker. They get really big!
How fun. I took out my 11’ Sea Eagle kayak Today. Probably way too big for this trip. I was in the open water south of Fort Pierce inlet and the sun took its toll. It was pretty busy with kayaks and paddle boards today and the stand ups were making as much progress as I was in the kayak. Those springs look way more inviting and my kayaks are 15 years old now. Might be time to invest in a stand up.
Our boards are 10.5 feet and some are over 11. So I do think you could make that kayak work on this paddle, although probably not ideal. The consistent shade on this paddle was really nice! At least you should have a nice tan to show for your day in the sun!
Oh my word! King's Landing looked beautiful! Although, I won't lie the signs about the alligators and snakes gives this MN girl second thoughts! Don't get me wrong, I know that they are known in Florida but it looks so nice and serene there, I was holding out hope that just maybe that area was alligator free. Wishful thinking, I know. :)
It surely is a beautiful place, Kim. Eventually you just kind of get used to the alligators and snakes in Florida, but it sure did take me a bit longer than it took Skylar.
We Floridians have a saying, "If there's two feet of water in Florida, there's a gator in it" 😄
@@SoniaSL-RD19 true 😆🐊
That may a good place for us to check out being that we've never been on kayaks or boards before.
It would be a great spot for first time kayakers!
The noise in the trees is a Pileated (Piľ ē ā ted) Woodpecker hammering on a tree trunk. Lovely place
Thanks for letting us know, Bruce! Those things are huge! The woodpeckers we are used to are smaller and sound much different.
That sound up in the trees is a Woodpecker
Thanks! I think you are right.
New subscriber here. Love all your vids. That was Woody woodpecker - redheaded woodpecker.😅 Looks gorgeous! But a woman & her dog were eaten by a gator near me so I'm sticking with boating. 😮
Thank you so much for the sub and for taking the time to comment. We really appreciate it! I've heard that having a small dog with you actually makes you much more susceptible to a gator attack, as they generally don't see humans as prey but will see small dogs as prey (and anything in between them and the small dog). So I guess what I'm saying is that if you do decide to visit, leave your small dog at home!
Thanks for sharing. We've been to Rock Springs/Kelly Park many times but never able to do the kayaking or paddle board because our kids are too young. Good to see the other side of the spring past the bridge.
Btw, if you haven't done it, taking a tube from the head of Kelly Park is amazing and one of our favorites for just floating down a spring. Blue Springs is nice too but wider and much deeper. I like it because I love swimming. My gf and sister prefer to float lol. There's also a really deep area at the head of it.
Thanks for watching, Roberto. We hope your kids are ready to hop on a paddleboard before long. We have not yet done the tube run but definitely will next time we are back in this area!
@@Explorcation awesome! We literally just went to the springs again on Wed lol. First time since we did the maternity shoot there. Unfortunately it'll be years before we can go with them to that side. So I'll live vicariously through your videos lol
@@RobertoMezquiaJr so glad to hear you made it back! If we lived closer we would definitely visit more frequently. Have you all tubed at Rainbow or Ichetucknee yet? Those are a bit of a drive from the Orlando area, but offer some great floating too.
@@Explorcation the first time we attempted to go to rainbow, we had our daughter who wasn't allowed to go tubing. So we ended up in the swimming side, which was still very nice. They have it roped off for swimming but you need a pool noodle because it's at least 6-8' everywhere in that area.
We're in Palm Bay. So most of the springs are at least 1.5hrs away and some even farther.
@@RobertoMezquiaJr you are right, the swimming area there is deep! Hopefully you all make it back some day when your kids are all old enough to tube.
Ahh I see, so they are a good drive for you as well!
I would love to go paddling there, but think I would stick to my kayak because I just can't balance on a paddleboard 🤣 Are there ever any gators in the springs? I just feel like any water in Florida could have a gator in it!
All water in fl has gators. Most of them stay away from people. I’ve seen many on the wikiva
Yeah, it's probably best to learn paddleboarding in Florida on a calm day in the gulf or some other calmer body of salt water (where you don't have to worry about gators)... but of course there you have to worry about sharks. The risk of going into the water and becoming gator food is definitely much less on a kayak!
Yeah, all fresh water in Florida has likely at sometime had a gator in it... so there's almost always a risk. Thankfully they do generally avoid people though.
Beautiful paddle. So where there a few spots where the water might be around waist deep-ish? I will be down there soon and may have my whitewater kayak with me and might want to do some roll practice which requires waist deep water.
Yes, definitely a few spots that are waste deep (or deeper), although much of it is closer to knee deep. We hope you have a great time.
Another great one in the books!
Question.
Do you guys have a "Goto" sunscreen/bug repellent?
Yes, Jamie loves the Neutrogena that comes in a yellow bottle. I (Skylar) just use whatever she tells me to 😂
There was a croc there with ppl boarding n kayaking. What if you flip over!
Oh no thanks, would like to visit but stay on land. Thanks for sharing, it’s really pretty there.
It was an alligator. They generally are less aggressive than crocodiles and mind their own business. The good think about the spring waters is that they are very clear and you can see the alligators from a ways away. For that reason we don't mind paddling or swimming in them. It's those murky river waters that make us nervous. We'd be afraid that we'd fall off our board right on top of one because you'd never know it's there.
Which spring would you guys recommend that is scenic? Will be visiting there soon 🥹
I think our favorites so far (for paddling) are Kings Landing and Ichetucknee. If you want to stay on land Wakiwa and Three Sisters are really great. But we'll actually be putting out a top springs video soon that should help you decide which is best for you!
When you exit the water in temps of 50°F or less, the air tends to numb your body while you dry. At least, that's been my experience. I'm a floridian and love swimming in the winter months.
One of these days I (Skylar) am going to have to put that theory to the test. I have a feeling Jamie won't be joining me though 😂 But if we could manage to not freeze, we would LOVE to swim in the springs in the winter months when the crowds are way down. Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment!
It is a woodpecker making that sound you heard; likely a Downy Woodpecker. It is a territorial thing for the male birds.
Thanks for letting us know!
The emerald cut began when you turned right from the launch channel. I camp at kelly park all the time and if you do there is a place in between kings landing and kelly park called camp joy that 8s part of the park if you are a camper you can launch for free there.
Ahh thanks so much for sharing this info. We kept looking for signs saying we'd actually entered the Emerald Cut, but never saw anything. We definitely did go right by Camp Joy, good to know that you can launch there as well!
Wow, beautiful! Paddling down a spring is definitely on my to-do list when we visit florida. Do you recommend a place for inexperienced paddlers?
This spot would be prefect for a less experienced paddler. It's very shallow and pretty wide in most spots, but could still be a bit challenging to navigate on a super busy day. So we'd recommend visiting on a week-day for sure.
That sound is a red-headed woodpecker. I have one visit me sometimes in Largo. Occasionally, he'll peck on the aluminum street light housing.
Thanks for sharing, John. I bet the sound of it pecking on aluminum is a bit different than pecking on a tree!
Love your channel! I have a trip to kings landing next month. My question, where did you get your hat! I love it! 🥰
We hope you enjoy King's Landing as much as we did! Jamie got here hat from a souvenir shop in Fort Myers Beach.
That's a woodpecker getting breakfast
Thank you! We're pretty sure you are right!
Congratulations on the new channel and I hope the move is going well. I’m curious if you guys have tried the ferry from St Pete to Tampa, I’d like to give it a try when I’m in town next, might make a good vid?
Thank you so much! We have been talking about taking the Cross-Bay ferry for what seems like years now, but still haven't gotten around to it. Perhaps this year we will finally make it happen!
2:00 | pretty sure it's the sound of a woodpecker pecking wood
Thanks for letting us know!
Don't let the.. no crowds.. at this time of year fool you in the summer it's like a kayak train both ways and nobody can control them..but still a great place you should do the run from there to wekiva island
This comment sure makes us glad that we visited when we did. We were pretty surprised by the lack of people on the river on our visit, but we sure weren't complaining!
Great video! Do you need a reservation to enter King's Landing? Is it part of Kelly Park?
We did make a reservation for King's Landing. They do take walk-in as well, but by not booking ahead you to risk them being at capacity when you visit. King's Landing is privately owned, and is not part of Kelly Park although it is nearby.
Super:))
Thanks for watching!
Woodpecker? A giant woodpecker 😂
You are right. We've learned that they are called Pileated Woodpeckers and they are huge!
@2:10 Woodpecker (bird)
Thanks for letting us know!
Looks inviting. Any fishing allowed anywhere?
Thank you! Regarding the fishing... perhaps much further downstream, but definitely not in the Emerald Cut area.
ALLIGATORS !
Lol... DO NOT PANIC!!
Did you see any Gators at all?
Yes, we saw one.
Can you bring and use your own kayaks and boards
Yes. We brough our own.
Ichnituknee or what was the second one?
Our favorite spots to paddle in Florida are Ichetucknee, Weeki Wachee, Rainbow River, and King's Landing. My (Skylar) favorite overall is probably Ichetucknee, but it is a longer paddle. Jamie's favorite is probably King's Landing.
LOL. I used to be a manager at the supermarket at the other end of that shopping center where King Buffet is. At the time it was an amazing Gooding’s Supermarket…arguably the nicest in the whole chain. It has since been subdivided into Petco/Planet Fitness/Famous Footwear now.
Very interesting information. Thank you for sharing!
The sound you heard when you started the Rock Springs Run was the sound of a woodpecker pecking a tree to get inspects inside the tree. It sounds like a machine gun because that’s how fast their head goes. Their head can break the sound barrier while pecking and hit the wood at more than 100 mph. Their tongue is the longest in the animal kingdom, which is so long that it wraps around their brain. Their brain has evolved to float the brain so they don’t get a concussion.
Based on the volume and low tone of the sound, it is a large woodpecker, most likely a paleded woodpecker. They are very large compared to other woodpeckers. They’re the woodpecker with a red head and the bird that Woody Woodpecker was based on.
I live in central Florida and have paddled the Rock Springs Run and Wekiva River many times. There are some parts of the run with the most breathtaking foliage that doesn’t even look like you’re in the U.S anymore. Another clear creek is the Juniper Springs that you would enjoy. Juniper Creek is in the Ocala National Forest. We have seen some big gators in that run, so be careful swimming in it. They usually warn people to stay in your boat or water craft, especially at dusk or dawn. Gators aren’t very aggressive and won’t mess with you as long as you don’t mess with them.
If you want to seen manatees, the Blue Springs during cold weather. The manatee leave the Saint Johns River when the water gets cold, so they can spend that time in the warmer waters from the spring. All Florida springs have a constant temperature of around 71 °F. We always go from King’s Landing all the way down river to Wekiva River. The two rivers meet about 6 miles down from the landing.
The good people at King’s Landing used to shuttle one person down to the parking lot at the end of the run and shuttle that person back to the landing. That way you can just get in your car once you get downstream. And they’ll pick up the boat the next day, you just leave the craft in the designated canoe rack and lock it down with the padlock there.
By paddling down the run, you’re going with the current all of the way. Rock Springs Run has a current speed of around 6 mph, which doesn’t sound like much, but if you’re canoe or kayaking, it will be a significant hard paddle. If you take a break, the Kaya will begin to slow down and then swept backward at 6 mph. If you start at King’s Landing, you be with the current and the kayak or canoe will continue going forward, even if you stop paddling. Your muscles will burn trying to paddle against it. It’s possible, but extremely difficult.
It isn’t gators, snakes or spiders that injure tourists. It is usually shots to the noggin from downed trees across the river. If you’re not paying close attention, you can come around a bend and spot a tree across the water and that’s when you realize that 6 mph is faster than it sounds. If you can’t duck under it in time or stop on boat on a dime, you will smack the tree trunk with your face, so slow down on blind corners or it will take you right out of your canoe or kayak. In some spots of the run it may be necessary to get out and port your canoe or kayak around the obstruction.
Another danger is bees nests. Mostly wasps that like to build their nests overhanging the river for protection. Raccoons and other small predators often won’t risk climbing a small branch over the rapid moving water just to break open the nest. If you’re kayaking or canoeing and hit one of those nests. The bees will really hurt you. If you stir up a wasp nest, your best bet is to dive in the water and stay underwater until you are far from the nest area. Don’t be more worried about gators to jump in. Your chances of being stung more than a hundred times is much greater than a gator attacking you. Gators are naturally afraid of humans and tend to leave us alone, bees don’t have that fear.
Typically gators are seen sunning themselves along the shoreline, but you will occasionally see one or two in the water. Gators are nocturnal hunters, preferring to hunt starting at dawn and throughout the night at dawn. If you visit Florida and are at any lake, river, stream or creek, at night, turn on your flashlight and aim the beam right at the water surface.
You will usually see many of ruby red eye peeking up just over the surface. Once when my wife and I were at Alexander Springs, the Ranger shined his light along the water surface and there were literally over 100 pair of eyes we could see in deep, blood color eyes. Just an hour earlier, hundreds of people were just splashing around in that water. Because the gators have a fear of humans, they wait and come in at night. I guess it’s all of the food scraps that follow big crowds of people which feed the gators that come into the spring head at night.
Wow thank you so much for this interest information on woodpeckers. Growing up in the midwest we had woodpeckers, but they were a different (much smaller) kind and sounded much different than the one we were hearing on the springs that day. We've found out that this specific woodpecker is a Paleated Woodpecker, and they are huge! I guess that partly explains why they sound different. I imagine the type of tree (hardness of the wood) could make a difference on how they sound as well. We agree 100% with that area not even looking like Florida. I was telling Jamie that we could tell people that some of our footage was from the Amazon and they'd probably believe it!
Thanks so much for the gator info as well. We know from experience that you will find them in most Florida springs, but I don't think we ever realized there were that many! Like you said, every time we see one they are normally sunning themselves or near the banks staying as far away from humans as possible. We are definitely going to try to visit a spring at night sometime so we can check for the alligator eyes!
I hear a Woodpecker😁😁😁
I think you're right, Danny!
The beaches in FL are awful. Full of sharks. I rather go to those beautiful springs. Thanks for sharing.
For someone who has a fear of sharks, the springs is definitely the way to go... but of course you may be sharing the water with a gator there!
2:10 sounds like a woodpecker to me!
We're pretty sure you are right!
It‘s beautiful, still, it‘s Florida… I was thinking of the gators through the whole video. 😳
The gators only add to the beauty 😂 Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!
Sounds like a woodpecker I’m from ga and there a lot around here
I think you are right!
Nice! But what about the alligators? lol
I've been in Florida 35 years and never had a gator approach me. They're shy creatures and harmless if you leave them alone.
@@GeorgeP-uj8xc Alright! But as a european we would literally get a heart attack if we see one lol
😂 What? There are alligators in Florida?!
We watched the video. Beautiful place but my wife said no because of gators. 🙂
LOL yeah gator encounters certainly are not for everyone! They don't bother me so much in the clear springs where I know exactly where they are.... but those murky waters scare us a lot more!
That's a Woodpecker in the trees
Thanks for letting us know!
The sound you hear at around 2.00 is a woodpecker.
Thanks, Elbert!
It sounds like the Predator. Look out for the three red dots!
It honestly looked a bit like Predator too! Thankfully no three red dots though (just the two from our cameras).
Yeah, the sound was a woodpecker.
Thanks for letting us know!
Large Read Headed woodpecker .
Thanks!
It is a woodpecker.
Correct!
Once you guys started paddling, looks pretty much all the same surroundings. But sure beats 14 hrs a day playing pc games.
There was definitely some variation in the width/depth of the run, but the majority of the paddle was quite dense and jungle-like. And yes, definitely beats a day indoors playing video games!
Just to many rules, but really nice. I prefer free places and less or no real supervision. Born/raised in Florida, there is so much better if you research a little.
Yeah, lots of rules for sure. Some rules we like (like the no speaker rule). Nothing bothers me (Skylar) more than having a relaxing paddle ruined by someone blasting bad music 😂 Many of them do seem unnecessary, but inconsiderate people doing inconsiderate things sadly result in seemingly unnecessary rules.
I worry about critters or snakes??? Didn't seem to see anything roaming ?
We just saw the one gator tucked back along the shore line, but we did not see any snakes. Honestly the snakes scare us a bit more than the gators at this point, but only because we don't always know which ones are poisonous and which ones aren't.
Ok so Alligators? This looks terrifying from the Uk 😂
They generally mind their business... but yeah, definitely terrifying for nearly anyone who isn't accustomed to being around them!
The noise is from a woodpecker doing its thing.
Thanks, Michael!
I think the noise you hear is eastern screech owls I live on a small lake and at night especially in the spring and they often continue during the day
We thought it was probably an owl at first too, but it seems that it was likely a woodpecker... Apparently there are humongous woodpeckers in this area that have much slower and louder pecks than the ones we are used to!
Beautiful video and location. Thanks for sharing. Fat people like me love buffets, y’all are fit so they don’t have the appeal to ya. Lol
Oh we do both LOVE a good buffet, we just have poor self control when it comes to food and find it best to generally avoid them 😂
HOW CAN THEY GET IN THE WATER WITH THE CHANCE OF MEETING AN ALIGATOR.
Alligators are generally afraid of people. Also, they primarily hunt at night. It's not nearly has common as you probably think for someone to get attacked by an alligator. Honestly you're probably statistically safer swimming in a Florida springs (during the day) than you are driving down the highway.
That sound you are hearing is a Red headed woodpecker
Thanks for letting us know!
No aligators???
We did see one. But fortunately it did not eat us.
Hi I think that's a woodpecker.
Thanks for sharing, William. We're pretty sure you are correct!
Sound was a woodpecker.