310 miles, 8 days on the St. Johns River: An epic kayaking odyssey from source to sea
ORLANDO, Fla. — As countless millions rang in 2024, I was living by a different sort of Gregorian calendar.
That’s the calendar kept by Greg Pflug — the intrepid Central Florida adventurer and paddling guide who by February of last year had spent 44 days circumnavigating the state by kayak. His calendar simply counts down the days until the next big expedition.
It was just by luck that I was invited on this particular outing, a more than weeklong paddle up the entirety of the St. Johns River with all its untamed beauty of wild Florida flora and fauna.
The invitation for this adventure started with a Facebook message: “I’m going to paddle the entire St. Johns River with Fred (Greg’s adventure companion in circumnavigating Florida) this December (2023). Taking two weeks. Can you get the time off and join us? 310 easy river miles.”
After a few quick hours of thought, I agreed.
“It’s going to be epic,” he replied, which seemed to imply a bit more high adventure than “easygoing” (and boy, was he right).
Following this type of Gregorian calendar, time moves a little differently. It seems to slow down, almost to a crawl, easing to a pace that matches the ebb and flow of the river, which slowly winds its way through the heartland of Florida.
After a chaotic December filled with holiday parties, traveling and shopping, this trip ushered in a very welcome change of pace. The only real distractions out there: Spoonbills or osprey, the occasional gator sunning itself or the distinctive chirp of a kingfisher looking for its next meal.
In searching high and low for the answers to life’s big questions, I suddenly find they’re all right before me. This is what it means to live.
Day 1, Dec. 29: The first one’s a drag
— Wake-up call:...