Category: River Lore

Places to Visit in Florida After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted by Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort

Sure, we’re all stuck indoors practicing social distancing and staying healthy and safe, but that doesn’t mean we can’t plan our getaways and trips during this time. Florida has plenty of places to offer for your next trip and leisure vacation. 

Here is a list of beautiful places to getaway to after the COVID-19 Pandemic is all over. 

Suwannee River Rendezvous

Suwannee River Rendezvous is a camping and RV resort located in Mayo, Florida. With plenty of activities to do like fishing, hunting, canoe and kayaking, and other swimming and entertainment activities. We have lodging and RV camping areas for however you like to enjoy your “camping” traditions. 

Kanapaha Botanical Gardens

Just southeast of Suwannee River Rendezvous lies the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. This is a 68-acre facility with 24 collections of bamboos, the largest herb garden in the southeast United States, water lilies, and much more!

Ginnie Springs

Another place just southeast of Suwannee River lies the beautiful Ginnie Springs. This place has so much to offer from scuba diving to snorkeling, and even tubing the great Santa Fe River. Ginnie Springs offers camping, lodging, and electrical hookups for RV’s and campers. If you plan your trip right, you could easily hit all of these spots in Florida. 

Washington Oaks State Park

Located directly east of Gainesville on the coast of the Atlantic is Washington Oaks State Park. This beautiful state park in Florida consists of gardens surrounding an ancient live oak in the middle. With trail hiking, biking, and fishing along the coast, you can relax and enjoy a beautiful piece of Florida’s nature. 

Start Planning Now to Explore Florida for When the Coronavirus is Over

We understand the difficulty of staying in and quarantining ourselves. It’s not easy on anybody, but it is necessary if we want to protect our citizens and keep them healthy during the pandemic. What we can do is plan our next Florida vacation. Contact Suwannee River Rendezvous at 386-294-2510 to start planning your first stop along an amazing adventure!

The Importance of Family Camping Trips

Posted by Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort

There are plenty of times where you and your family are planning vacations or trips, but you can’t quite sure decide on what to do. A family camping trip is something you should consider. Yes, you may not enjoy the sound of “camping,” but there are plenty of options Suwannee River Rendezvous can offer to you and your family.

The Benefits of Camping

When camping with your family, you’re creating memories that can be cherished for years to come. Camping allows you to explore and adventure with the ones you love. There are many reasons why families camp, and here are some of the most beneficial:

  • It reduces stress – families deal with daily stresses all the time, whether it has to do with school, work, sports, social situations, or other events. Camping will make your family embrace the wilderness and forget about your everyday stresses.
  • Stronger relationships – you may build stronger relationships with siblings and parents. Sometimes our day-to-day activities don’t allow us to build strong relationships but being out in nature and exploring can rekindle those, especially when it comes to a fishing excursion.
  • Unplugging – unplugging from all unnecessary distractions in our lives can be extremely healthy and beneficial to family members. It forces us to talk and gain a deeper understanding of each other when we aren’t so connected to the internet, TV, or social media.
  • Great Meals – cooking when camping is always a great time because it gets the whole family to participate in the prep and cleanup. Your family can learn new recipes and creative ways to cook. If you’re looking to take a small break from the camping cooking routine, you and your family can always check out the Cookin’ Shack at the Suwannee River Resort and Campground.

Camp with Suwannee River Rendezvous!

We invite families from everywhere to come join us at Suwannee River Rendezvous in Mayo, FL to stay at one of our lodging facilities on our campgrounds and resort. Our place is filled with exciting exploration opportunities and activities including fishing, hunting, kayak and canoe trips, entertainment, and events. Contact us at 386-294-2510 today! 

Why an RV is the Best Road Trip Vehicle

Posted by Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort

When we think of road trips, we think long, uncomfortable car rides with our friends to a destination that may not be worth the trip. Road tripping in an RV is where the game is changed for the better. The beauty of riding in an RV to a vacation destination is that there are plenty of stops you can make a long your trip.

Many places in the United States off RV Camping Parks like Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort & Camping.

You Don’t Have to Pay for Hotels

Owning or renting an RV allows you to have a home on wheels when traveling on the long road. You won’t have to worry about looking for costly hotels along the way that can make a dent in your budget. You have the opportunity to make your own meals and get a good sleep comfortably in your vehicle.

Boondocking is also a great way to save money on a long road trip in an RV. The benefit of boondocking is it’s free!

An RV Makes the Drive Much Better

Just imagine being stuck in a small car packed with your family or friends. There is no seat open for comfort, so you’re stuck up against each other. This is where the misery comes out during a road trip. No one enjoys being miserable in a car ride. With an RV, you have the space and comfort to enjoy the scenery outside and the drive.

What Can Do in an RV:

  • Play Board/Card Games
  • Play Musical Instruments
  • Cook food
  • Sleep comfortably
  • Read/Watch Movies

You Can Still Enjoy the Outdoors

If you’re looking for an authentic way of traveling, camping, and enjoying the great outdoors, you still can! At Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort & Campground, we have plenty of opportunities for you and your family to stop, stay, and take in the beautiful outdoors of Florida. Don’t let the RV lifestyle fool you. Just because you can go into a comfortable vehicle to eat and sleep, does not mean you’re not roughing it.

Contact Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort & Campground at 386-294-2510 today!

Keep it Clean With These Camping Hygiene Tips

Posted by Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort

Drying OffPracticing good personal hygiene can be challenging when you’re on a camping trip. You want to keep yourself clean and healthy, but it can be tough when you have limited access to water and bathroom supplies Today we’ll look at a few helpful hygiene tips to keep in mind during your next camping adventure.

Pack the right supplies.

You may not be able to pack up your entire bathroom and bring it with you, but you can bring a few essential personal hygiene supplies that will keep you clean in a pinch. Make sure you have hand sanitizer, biodegradable soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste, unscented baby wipes and toilet paper before you leave home. Steer clear of bringing deodorant (it could attract animals to your campsite), scented soaps and shampoos, razors and anything else that could harm the ecosystem around your campsite.

Find a way to bathe.

There are several ways you can bathe yourself while camping. You can jump into a lake or river to wash dirt and oil away from your skin (just don’t use soap in the water as it could contaminate it). You can also take what’s called a trail shower by using biodegradable soap, a washcloth and a few liters of water (just don’t take one too close to a natural water source as, again, it could contaminate the water). Or, you can simply give yourself a sponge bath with biodegradable soap, water and a towel. Regardless of which option you pick, it’s important to wash yourself in some form or fashion.

Bring water to launder your clothing.

You won’t be able to do large loads of laundry at your campsite, but you can wash things like underwear and other clothing staples with a little water and biodegradable soap. This will keep you smelling fresh and minimize the amount of extra clothing you need to bring on your trip.

If tent camping isn’t your speed, you can find a variety of comfortable lodging options at our resort and campground as well! These accommodations come equipped with all the comforts of home like HVAC systems, WiFi access, cable TV and more. To schedule your reservation, feel free to give us a call or contact us online today!

The History of Convict Spring

Posted by Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort

More than a hundred years ago, the serene site of Convict Spring looked mighty different, and not just because there were no cars, no planes overhead, no cellphones and certainly no TVs.
Instead, right here at the Suwannee River Rendezvous, if you were taking in the sights, there’s a very high probability you were working on a chain gang.

Back in the early 1900s, our spring was used by Lafayette County’s incarceration system, notes Florida Caves. Their prisoners worked on road construction projects – often called chain gangs – and when it was too late or too far to get the inmates back to the county jail, they would spend the night at remote camps scattered throughout the county, and Convict Springs was one of those remote camps.

It’s hard to imagine grizzled criminals gathered around campfires, the light reflecting in the spring, but history doesn’t lie. Every once in a while, someone will turn up an artifact of one kind or another that further confirms the property’s colorful past.

Convict Spring sits atop a fascinating underwater cave system as well, one we’re certain the convicts didn’t spend any time exploring. This particular cave system is a dangerous one, with a restricted entrance and the need for a side-mounted style of diving through extremely narrow passages, notes Cave Survey in its assessment of the spring.

In 2001, Dell Moats, John Moseley, Michael Poucher and Bill Rennaker swam through Convict Spring Cave to take a full survey. They captured extraordinary video footage showing the beautiful yet dangerous conditions inside the cave. We have DVD footage of their excursion, and in the lodge.

We invite you to come enjoy the spring – from the surface, of course – for swimming during the sultry summertime at Suwannee River Rendezvous. In the evening, over the sound of crickets and frogs, you might just hear the faint rhythm of a chain gang.

Convict Spring is just one of the many amenities and conveniences that makes our resort and campground such a popular destination for visitors from all across the country. To plan your trip, call us today at 386-294-2510.

Plan on a 2015 Winter Camping Getaway

Posted by Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort

It’s depressing to think that the summer is almost over. We’re already in the first week of August! Before long, the crisp winds of autumn will be sweeping over your body like a marching band of multi-colored spiders. Your body will tingle, but your heart will know that any opportunity to extract the resources of summer have long passed you by – and that’s always a blow to the soul. Not something that will propel you into winter. Even writing (or reading) that word gives us headaches.

Thankfully, Suwannee River Rendezvous is located in Florida, which means that we get to avoid the avalanches of cold so many of you have to struggle with. But statistics show that winter is expected to come early and more furious than in years past. You might as well enjoy the rest of the summer when you have the chance, and that includes hopping in your RV and seeing the country – it’s what all the baby boomers and adventuresome seniors are doing, which are behind the biggest resurgence in RV sales since the early 1990s.

Jackie Crosby of Fredericksburg.com writes, “The skyrocketing sales are fueled by the 10,000 or so baby boomers who are turning 65 every day, plus a large band of 50-somethings who are planning for an active or early retirement.” Basically, these people are determined to experience the romance and grandeur of America, but have no interest in camping. We can’t blame them, as camping isn’t for everyone – but since we encourage the outdoors by any means necessary, RV-ing it up is the only option for some people!

Jeff Nobbe, general manager at Shorewood RV Center in Anoka, Minnesota sums it up best: “People are retiring and living more for today than the future. They weren’t doing that before. They were buying lake places before.” This is most certainly an exciting trend to see! Experience America this summer! You don’t have much time left!

The Difference Between Canoeing and Kayaking

Posted by Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort

suwannee units and camping 053Here on the Suwannee River, we have found that the most popular recreational activities for our guests are both canoeing and kayaking. We see a number of folks coming in for rentals each day, as they prepare to get out onto the water. However, with these boats being so similar, we are often asked one important question: What’s the difference between canoeing and kayaking?

Well according to our friends at Canoeing.org, there seems to be three major differences that should help others determine the variances:

1. Canoes are open while kayaks have a deck

2. Canoes are paddled with a single bladed paddle, whereas kayaks use a double bladed paddle

3. The seat height on a kayak is much lower, with the occupant positioned on the ground, feet stretched out.

While we could say that the canoe is like the sport-utility vehicle of the recreational boating world, kayaks, on the other hand, are more like sports cars. (Wonderopolis)

If you’re looking to take a leisurely trip out on the water with a few friends or family members, a canoe is going to be your best choice. Canoes are built a bit sturdier and are able to carry more weight, which means more room for you, your loved ones and maybe even a picnic basket.

Kayaks are going to be a better bet for those who are looking to race or get a good workout in. The sleek design of a kayak allows them to move much faster than a canoe, which makes them perfect for competitive sports and slipping through whitewater rapids.

Regardless of whether you choose to go with a kayak or canoe, at the end of the day it’s all going to lead to one thing: a whole lot of fun! So stop in our rental facility at Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort & Campgrounds and get out on the water!

Friends of the Suwannee River Rendezvous

Posted by Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort

We are pretty much back to normal.  The river has gone down quite a bit and we have moved back into all the buildings with no damage to anything.  The springs are starting to clear up.  We had a great turn out for the annual Easter Egg hunt.  Lots of helpers, and lots of hunters.