Let’s go tubing down the Ichetucknee
This is me, Lamar Thames, with my wide-brim hat, Ernest Hemingway beard and my best "Old Man and the Sea (River)" smile.
A tubing trip down Ichetucknee Springs has been a goal of mine for nearly the whole 40 years I have lived in Florida. For some reason, I never followed through on that ambition until 2009.
When my son asked me what I wanted to do for Father’s Day that year, I mentioned my long-standing ambition. He immediately jumped on the idea as a good Father’s Day gift, especially since his wife has also wanted to tube the Ichetucknee. It would be a good way to combine two goals into one, he figured.
So off we went the day before Father’s Day. Even though it wasn’t quite the experience that I had envisioned, I had a great time and would like to make it an annual family event.
First of all, I urge anyone wanting to take the trip to make your first run before you turn 65. That way, youwill have more strength and flexibility to make the experience more enjoyable. And I would advise you to take just one or two people along with you for the initial run. Getting nine people organized for our first trip proved tedious and the fact that none of us had ever been there before put us at some disadvantage.
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