{By Kelly}

Another beautiful morning at Juniper Springs. It's great camping here because you can explore before the park opens up to the public. I like to head to Fern Hammock Springs early to see what critters are enjoying the spring while it's nice and quiet. Yesterday I saw an alligator, today I found an otter!

Today's adventure is Silver Springs, just outside of the Ocala National Forest. It used to be a theme park (one of Florida's first) and now it is a Florida State Park. You might remember their famous glass bottomed boats - we'll be paddling along those same routes on our stand up paddleboards. If you don't have a canoe or kayak, you can rent them at the park, or explore the Silver River aboard a glass bottomed boat ($11 for adults). 

We decided to launch from Silver Springs State Park ($8 per vehicle admission) and do a one way paddle down the Silver River. We dropped off our truck at Ray Wayside Park ($5 entry fee) so we would have a ride back to our vehicles.

Immediately upon launching from Silver Springs, you are gliding above crystal clear water under a gorgeous canopy of cypress and oak trees. It's a wonderful slice of Old Florida. We paddle through remnants of the old theme park and back up to the headspring where the glass bottomed boat tours begin. The water is so deep and blue, it is mesmerizing. 

From the head of Silver Springs, it is a little over four miles to the park where we will take out, but there's a nice current flowing in our favor. We paddle past a variety of birds, a few alligators, lots of gar and other fish below us, and monkeys. Yes, I said monkeys! There are a lot of stories and theories about how they got there... I gravitate towards the Tarzan theory. When they filmed the Tarzan films in the 1930's and early 1940's, they put a few Rhesus monkeys on a small island in the middle of the Silver River to make it look more jungle-like. Well, they underestimated them and the little buggers swam to shore and quickly multiplied. Whatever story you believe, the monkeys are alive and well in several areas along the banks of the Silver River. Here's proof:

We had a ball watching them, and Jackson and Remington got quite a thrill, too. Jackson began quivering and whining as soon as he spotted them. Justin had to paddle the canoe down the river for fear Jackson would jump ship to frolic with the monkeys.

The Silver River paddle was by far one of the most beautiful we've ever experienced. The crystal clear water and abundant wildlife makes this stretch of water extra special.

Follow our adventures on Twitter @RivetedRoost, or find us on Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram. We're posting lots of photos to our social media sites in real time, so follow along!

{By Kelly}

I slept like a rock! I don’t think I’ve ever slept so soundly in the Airstream, especially without A/C to drown out the noises of nearby campers. Juniper Springs doesn’t have hookups and the weather called for rain and cooler evenings, so our only option (aside from lugging a generator) was to leave the windows open. I think the light rain lulled me to sleep and the temperature was perfect, somewhere in the low 60s.

Our second day started bright and early with a walk around the campground, down the trail to Fern Hammock Springs where we saw a small alligator, and a quick dip in Juniper Springs, followed by breakfast burritos. We wanted to fit a lot of exploring and paddling into this short trip, so before we left, I prepped all our food and pre-cooked breakfast burritos with bacon, egg and cheese and wrapped them in foil so we could quickly heat them up on our propane camp grill and go. They were yummy!

After breakfast, we loaded the canoe, stand up paddleboard on top and pups and headed to Salt Springs, about 20 minutes from camp. We went to the marina, paid the $5 recreation fee, and got the pups in the canoe with Justin and me on my SUP. It was Remington and Jackson’s first canoe trip and it took them a minute to get their “sea legs” in such a tiny boat. They are great swimmers and they’ve been known to abandon ship, so they wear life jackets with a convenient handle on top. It makes it much easier to wrangle a 60+ lb. wet dog back into the boat.

We paddled into what resembled a lake with beautiful clear water. Straight out from the boat ramp is what we though would be a little run, but turned out to be a stagnant, horse fly infested dead end, so we turned around and paddled to the head of Salt Spring. It was roped off for swimming, so we paddled around the exterior of the recreation area, enjoying our view of the fish, turtles, and the crystal clear water. 

It soon started to drizzle, the wind picked up, and we felt we had seen all there was to see, so we cut our paddle short and packed up. We weren’t that impressed with this spring from a paddling perspective, but the marina has a ramp and rents pontoon boats, canoes, kayaks and SUPs. I think the ideal mode of transportation would be to rent a pontoon boat and motor it 5 miles down the Salt Spring Creek to Lake George. You won’t hear me recommend motorized boats anywhere else in this forest, but for Salt Springs, I think it’s the best bet. 

Next, we drove to Alexander Springs and learned that we couldn’t bring dogs in the park, but we could launch from the little bridge just down the road and paddle to the spring and back. The sky was getting pretty dark, so we decided to try again later in the afternoon. We stopped at a gas station fueled up the Vue, then got some Cajun boiled peanuts (Jackson’s favorite) from a roadside stand. The vendor said he loved the name of our canoe (Gator Bait) and remarked about how he had a scary run in with a gator near Alexander Springs. Note to self: stay away from the tall grass near the banks of the creek!

Back at Juniper Springs, we assembled our chicken salad sandwiches (another item I prepped ahead to allow us to maximize our time) and relaxed for a spell. The skies eventually lightened up a bit, so we loaded up the pups and headed for Alexander Springs.

We launched the canoe beside the bridge and paddled up Alexander Creek toward the headsprings through dense water lotus, bird watching along the way. The dogs really seemed to enjoy the sights and everyone who paddled by got a kick out of the paddling dogs with life jackets. We stopped for a refreshment break at the spring, just as another canoe capsized. We chuckled at the husband and wife scrambling to get their belongings back in their rental canoe. There wasn’t much we could do but paddle back. We couldn’t take the canoe out and walk around the park because dogs aren’t allowed. It was a short and sweet paddle, about a mile in each direction. The light current made for an easy return paddle. We loaded the canoe and headed back to camp.

I contemplated a nap, but instead, we opted to go for a quick dip in Juniper Springs to reenergize. As always, the spring water is a crisp 72 degrees year round, and crystal clear. It is deceivingly deep and there are only a few spots where you can actually keep your head above water and touch the bottom, so prepare to tread water or bring a float. Diving off the platform, snorkeling around the eel grass and ascending down to the spring head is a favorite pastime at this gorgeous swimming hole.

Our friends arrived and started setting up their campsites while we got our fire started. Everyone came over to our camp and we had a fabulous potluck dinner. We feasted on Brie fondue with French bread, barbecue chicken, fire roasted veggies and fresh corn on the cob. For dessert, we had s’mores and roasted marshmallow Peeps - after all, it was Easter weekend! I’m not a fan of “raw” Peeps, but they are fabulous over the fire because the sugar caramelizes – just like crème brulee.

We lounged by the fire for a while, and then the lightening bugs came out and gave us a show. It was the perfect ending to our day. Again, I slept so deep; I didn’t even notice the downpour in the middle of the night.

Follow our adventures on Twitter @RivetedRoost, or find us on Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram. We're posting lots of photos to our social media sites in real time, so follow along!

{By Kelly}

My very first campout was at Juniper Springs in the Ocala National Forest in Florida. I was just a few years old and I still remember bits and pieces of that trip. It inspired a love of nature and crystal clear springs at a very young age.

I’ve returned periodically throughout the years, but never with our Airstream – or Justin for that matter! When our friends booked some campsites at Juniper Springs as a home base for some freshwater paddling, we knew we’d have to bring the Riveted Roost.

As anticipation of our trip escalated, the weather forecast grew gloomier. The beauty of camping in an Airstream is that rain is not a deal breaker (as long as you don’t have any major leaks – which we addressed after the last rain storm we camped through). Our friends ended up reserving a cabin in Salt Springs for the first night – a 100 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms was the deciding factor.

We left on the Friday before Easter, making a stop at my parent’s house to borrow their canoe and have some lunch. My SUP was already stashed inside the camper. Because we wanted to do some one-way paddles, we decided to bring two vehicles. I drove the SUV with the canoe on top and Justin drove the truck with the pups and Riva in tow.

As I followed Riva to Ocala, my love for her grew stronger. I know… it’s cheesy to feel this way about a travel trailer, but her classic beauty, the wanderlust she symbolizes, and the freedom she brings to our lives really hit me. Our silver home on wheels has opened up so many possibilities. Our plans for her are much bigger than weekend camping trips. This is just the beginning. I think this is what Airstream had in mind when they coined the term, “Live Riveted.”

But I digress… We didn’t hit rain until we got into the Ocala National Forest on Highway 40, smack dab in the middle of Florida. It was nice to go from interstate, suburbia and pastureland to green forest (and minimal cell signal). Thankfully, the rain lessened to a drizzle as we pulled into Juniper Springs. I was setting up inside the camper and Justin was setting up outside, when I realized the dog food was missing. Ruh roh! As much as the dogs would enjoy living on table scraps for a weekend, I knew I had to find them some kibble.

The closest pet store that carries the Blue Buffalo brand our pups eat was 26 miles away. We also needed a few grocery items, so I set off on the 30-minute trek to the town of Silver Springs. By the time I returned, Justin had set everything up and managed to rig the 12-volt power to the battery so we had some light inside the camper. *Juniper Springs does NOT have water or power hook ups, so this was a nice luxury.

We had every intention of cooking, but it was late and we were tired. We heated up our leftovers from lunch on the propane grill, had a few beers, and then settled in for the night. All the windows in the Airstream were open, but thanks to an industrial sized tub of DampRid, we stayed nice and dry.

{By Kelly}

Every year, the Miami Springs Power Boat Club journeys to Arcadia, Fla for their annual campout and paddle down the Peace River. Justin's father and several family friends are in the club and it's a trip many of the members look forward to, especially the young families. They make the pilgrimage to "Old Florida" with their RVs, ATVs, fossil hunting supplies, well-stocked coolers and water cannons. Ironic, right? They wouldn't want to admit it, but it's definitely a form of glamping. Lodging is at Peace River Campground - it's a big change from their clubhouse in Stiltsville, but it's always a good time.

Justin and I couldn't make the campout, but we woke up at 5 a.m. and drove two hours west from Stuart so we could make it in time for the 8:30 a.m. canoe launch. We brought our stand up paddleboards, water, some rum punch, snacks, and our sense of adventure. 

We were the only ones not renting a canoe or kayak from the Canoe Outpost located right next to Peace River Campground. This operation does a great job and I highly recommend renting from them if you don't have your own vessel. If you do bring your own, try to arrange your own drop off or a ride back to your vehicle because the Canoe Outpost charges the same rate for transportation as a full rental.

The canoes and passengers were delivered to the launch at Brownville Park in north Arcadia, about 8 miles upstream from the Peace River Campground and Canoe Outpost. We followed in our our own vehicle - we would get a ride back to our car from the campground.

Brownville Park is beautiful - 75-acres of big mossy Live Oak trees with a large boat ramp and canoe launch. The park also has 12 campsites with water and electric, and 12 with water only. There are bathrooms with showers, a playground and nature trails. We parked in the shade right by the ramp and unloaded our gear.

Our paddle started out peacefully in the warm morning sunshine, despite the hoards of people arriving in buses and shoving off in aluminum rental canoes. The tea-colored river has about a 3 mph current, so in theory, you could simply float down the river. It winds around through Cypress trees and ancient Live Oaks with only a few homes along the bank.

As we rounded a bend, we saw what we southerners like to call "Florida rapids." The canoes were making it though just fine, so we decided to shoot the calmest section of water on our SUPs. We dodged some rocks and shallow areas and almost made it though unscathed, until my fin caught a rock and my board came to a very sudden stop - and I went flying into the gravelly limestone covered by about 6 inches of fast flowing river. I quickly moved my board to a deeper spot and hopped back on, despite the throbbing in my left knee and shin. I stood up on my board and looked down to see a nice sized patch of river rash and a trickle of blood below my knee. I'm lucky to have avoided this fate for so long. I think it's a SUP rite of passage - the old fin in the kelp/rope/submerged branch. It's bound to happen eventually. It's not fun unless someone gets hurt - that's how the saying goes, right? ;-)

At the next questionable area, we didn't take any chances. We hopped out of the river before it got too shallow and carried our boards along the shore until we reached deeper water. I highly recommend bringing water shoes on this paddle - there are some really rocky areas and depending on the water level, you may have to hoof it. 

We inspected my board and fin for damage from the rogue rock. The board was fine, but the fin was a little scratched up and had been forced to the back of the fin box. Justin tightened it up using part of the buckle from his watch, washed off my bloody leg with some water from his hydration pack, then we hopped back on the river. (Note to self: stash a fin key in hydration pack, along with some Neosporin.)

The rest of the river was fine - the shallow areas were all encountered within the first mile or two south of Brownville Park. We made several stops along the way to hunt for fossils, snack, and socialize with the group. We found a fair amount of shark teeth during one of our stops - see the slideshow for a photo of our peace sign made of shark teeth from this trip. There are a lot of sandy beaches that make great stopping points, just be sure to avoid the areas that appear to be private land or gator territory. And of course, leave nothing but footprints.

We saw lots of fish - some huge alligator gar, birds, and three alligators that were all within a couple yards of each other near the last 2-3 miles of the paddle. There was a 3-4 footer that hopped in when we got about 25 yards away. The largest one (between 5-6 feet long) was the bravest and sat on the bank until we got about 10 yards away, then swung his tail around and splashed into the river. As we were paddling past the spot where the medium gator had been, I looked back to see a baby gator less than one foot long emerge from the tall grass and slide into the water. 

Towards the end of our paddle, the water gun and cannon fire began to intensify. As the lone SUPers, we were easy targets on top of the water; thankfully, the water blasts were refreshing. As we took our last break at a sandy beach by the train trestle, several of the club members began plotting an attack on the approaching canoe flotilla. I can't begin to describe the carnage that unfolded - you'll have to watch for yourself. Viewer discretion is advised:

About a quarter of a mile or so from the train trestle is the Canoe Outpost dock where everyone in our group exited the river. We paddled a little further down to the Peace River Campground boat ramp, then hoofed it about a half mile back to the club campsite. 

Peace River Campground notes: The sites lack privacy, but the amenities are plentiful. They have full hookups, sites with just water and electric, and primitive sites. There are lots of shady oaks, a pool, ATV trails, golf cart rentals, bike trails, laundry and LP gas, camp store, playground and game room. But the REAL attraction is the river. 

Justin got a ride from his dad back to our car at Brownville Park and returned to load the boards. We showered at camp and Justin doctored up my leg with some antiseptic and triple antibiotic ointment, then we said our goodbyes, and hit the road back to Stuart. 

It was a great day on the river with friends and family. We're already planning our 2015 trip to Peace River Campground - we'll be sure to bring the Riveted Roost next time!

Follow our adventures on Twitter @RivetedRoost, or find us on Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram. We're posting lots of photos to our social media sites in real time, so follow along!