On South - Astor to Hontoon Island and Sanford, FL

Astor, FL - Leaving cousin Vic's and Barbie's home

We bid a fond farewell to Vic and Barbie on Friday, November 22.  Wayne and Vic had a bit of sewing fun as Wayne used his new found skills to repair some of Victor's boat canvas.  Notice the spiffy red-and-white boat to the right of Cool Change.  At the same time, Barbie and Colleen huddled around Colleen's sewing machine and Barbie made herself a cute little pencil (or sewing tool) holder.  A good time was had by all.





V & B's Marina




Captain, can we get out of here without knocking down any trees?

We made our way carefully through the narrow residential canals to return to the St. John's.  The weatherman had predicted rain and he did not disappoint.  Ten minutes into the trip it began to rain and we were glad of the short run to Hontoon Island State Park.  Even in the light rain that came and went, the river was beautiful.

A few St. Johns River Facts

The St. Johns River is the longest river in Florida.  It's 310 miles long and it winds through or borders twelve counties. The St. Johns has a very low flow rate, 0.3 mph as it meanders through the state from around Vero Beach lowlands to Jacksonville.  It really doesn't become a navigable river until it reaches Sanford, 140 miles south of Jacksonville.  It is one of the few rivers in the US which flows north.  From 1700 through the 1800s the river was the main highway into the interior lands.  Roads were non-existent at the time.



Out on the river



The waterway we followed is the yellow winding line.
We pretty much had to travel eight miles in all four directions of
 the compass to cover five miles as the crow flies.

The St Johns river has not changed much since the days in the 1950's and 60's when Wayne fished in the river and the lakes and camped on the shore.  


Real river homes
 



Our typical view of the inhabited sections of the river

 Hontoon Island State Park

Hontoon was the destination of many boat trips when we boated in Florida with our boys.  Accessible only by boat or ferry the island features a nature walk that winds past an Indian mound and other family friendly outdoor activities.  Unfortunately, the lookout tower that was here in the old days is no longer standing.


Houseboats for rent at Hontoon Landings near Deland, FL



View from our boat docked at Hontoon Island State Park. 
Park office, small museum and restroom facilities

We were assigned an end spot on the westernmost dock and enjoyed a solitary evening, just us and the birds and alligators.  Oh, and one more critter.  In the morning, as Wayne walked up the gangway from the dock to the shore, he encountered a three foot water moccasin lying in his path.  Luckily, he was armed with a lethal garbage bag and just swept the snake off the dock.  The next morning we were awakened by sandhill cranes, large water birds with a cry similar to that of peacocks.  You won't sleep in once they begin their wakeup call.



View east and south towards Lake Beresford



View north of Hontoon Landings marina and hotel



Hontoon Landings Office and store
Boat rentals also



The camera does not do justice to this magnificent live oak



A small and cute riverboat passing us  at Hontoon Island



A Hontoon Island resident sand hill crane.
A gator was on the shore about 50 feet away.
You can see him if you look at the dark mark at the top of the photo in the middle.

A red shouldered hawk that Colleen sneaked up on



Resident heron on the dock.  There's something about his stance that
tickles my funny bone.



View of docks from ferry landing.  Cool Change is at the end of the dock on the left.

Visits From Friends and Relations

If we thought last year's trip was the people cruise, we're thinking this year is a people cruise also.  On Saturday the 23rd friends Bob and Debbie picked us up for lunch and a visit to their house.  Bob worked for us as the service manager when we owned our bicycle and lawn mower business in Orlando.  Bob and Wayne had not gotten together for over ten years.  Debbie and I enjoyed lots of "grandma talk" while Wayne and Bob caught up and admired Bob's babes (see below).



Debbie and Bob with us at lunch



Bob's babes

 



Colleen's cousin Tony came to visit

 Colleen's cousin, Tony, came to have lunch on the boat with us on November 24 and then took us on a tour of downtown Deland, the home of Stetson University.  Stetson is the alma mater of numerous family members on Colleen's side of the family so it was fun to walk around this beautiful campus and imagine the family footsteps that have walked the same paths.  Wayne's mother's family and Colleen's maternal grandmother's family lived in Deland at the same time in the 1920's and 30's and knew each other (Deland was a pretty small town in those days), long before Colleen and Wayne encountered each other at the Orange County Science Fair in 1965.  A downtown Art Show was underway and we spent a little time there until the wind gusts drove us away.



Worlds Fair fountain brought to Stetson campus



A Stetson University building



President's house at Stetson.  We were told that this was a Sears mail
order home early in the 1900s, purchased by a private individual,
 and eventually left to the university.



A residence hall, vintage 1890s

Thanks, Tony, we had fun and look forward to seeing you again.


Onward to Sanford



Florida clouds - There's nothing like the variety you will see here

On Monday the 25th we left Hontoon Island early to avoid predicted high winds later in the day.  Our big concern was whether we could maneuver the dock at Boat Tree Marina in Sanford where we planned to stop for several days.  There was a lot of gusty wind but Wayne handled the docking with the skilled aplomb he's developed over the past three winters and now we're settled in for a week.  First order of business - rent a car to take us back up to Jacksonville to pick up our car.  The trip that took us seven days in the boat (counting visits along the way) took two-and-a-half hours by car.  Nice to have wheels!

On Tuesday we welcomed Wayne's brother, Harlan, and his wife, Patty onto the boat.  We all went out to lunch and then went grocery shopping together.  Back at the boat later Patty showed me some iPad tricks while I stitched up the same pencil holder that Barbie had made with fabrics Patty chose from my onboard stash.

 



Wayne's sister-in-law Pat and his brother, Harlan

Ready to fill with pens and pencils, just what Teacher Patty needs

Steamboats were the main transportation mode for the north Florida interior before 1900 when the railroads pushed south into the state.