Last week, Jackson County was home for two nights to a group of 40 paddlers, staying overnight at the Caverns Wednesday night after arriving in Marianna that day. On Thursday, they had the pleasure of visiting, dining for lunch, and relaxing at the river lot of Mr. Chipola River himself, Danny Melvin.
The Times spoke with Janice Hindson who is the executive director of Paddle Florida during their excursion. Their trip began their trip on March 13 at Yancey Bridge and they spent six nights on the river, before concluding the 76-mile excursion at Dead Lakes in Wewahitchka. They concluded their trip on March 19 with lunch for everyone before they headed
home.
The youngest paddler on this trip was 45 years old with the oldest paddler reigning at 80 years young. The paddlers enjoy reading, exploring the various plants
and flowers.
We asked how the Florida Paddlers discovered the Chipola River. Hindson said it was through DEP. She added, “This is the fourth time we have done this river. We worked with Explore Northwest Florida.” She said they also worked with Christie Andreasen when she was with Jackson County Tourist Development.
Their next excursion is set for April 5 through 7 and is the seventh trip this season. Their season starts in October. That trip will start on the Suwannee. Hindson said, “This trip was our 86th multi-day trip and our it is our 17th season.” Their new season will be released on May 01.
For information on the Florida Paddlers, you may visit their website at www.paddleflorida.org.
