I love the water, so naturally, I love being on boats. Any kind of boat. For any reason. I will admit that there was something about kayaks that made me uneasy though. I didn’t like the thought of putting half of my body into the dark hull…it seemed very claustrophobic to me. I guess this explains why I didn’t quite know what to do when I received a kayak as a Christmas present two years ago. I just kept staring at the thing every time I walked through my garage. Eventually, I decided I had to at least try it! So I took it to the water and launched it.

I moved quickly through the water with very little effort, which surprised and delighted me. As soon as I went around the first bend in the river, I got the same feeling as when I drove a car – by myself – for the very first time. Exhilarated. Independent. Free. It was about that time that I also started to pay attention to the rest of my environment – the sun sparkling on the river, turtles sunning themselves on logs, the soft sound of the oars breaking the water. It was a total escape from my hectic everyday life. And the combination of all these feelings made the experience magical. Within five minutes of launching my kayak for the first time, I was hooked!

Needless to say, I was thrilled to learn that Six Mile Creek that runs through World Golf Village offers a world class paddling experience. It is pristine and provides an “old Florida” feel. There is only one dock along its entire length from CR 208 to CR 13A, so you can escape and connect with nature, which in this area has a beautiful wildness to it. You can launch at CR 13A Bridge at Outback Crabshack. You can find directions at Outback Crabshack. If you paddle south you will enter Six Mile Creek. If you prefer something more populated, you can paddle north and hit the St. Johns River.

Other launching points around St. Augustine include Palmo Fish Camp and Trout Creek Public Boat Ramp. St. Johns Riverkeeper also provides a ton of information on the river if you are interested. If you want a little more direction before venturing out on your own, there are several companies in the area that provide guided kayaking tours too. Either way you go, I hope you enjoy kayaking as much as I do!

Photo courtesy of FreeWine