John B. Sargeant Sr. State Park

Cait, Eliza, and I decided go canoeing on the Hillsborough River this weekend.  This park’s canoe/kayaking rental operation will allow you to take a nature trip downstream, and then even pick you up in a magic school bus at the end…no really, a school bus.  On the Hillsborough River you are guaranteed to see animals.  Some days you will see more than others.  On this day, there wasn’t an abundance of alligators like the first time Cait and I did this adventure.  However, there still was plenty of wildlife and the environment is absolutely beautiful.  On rarer occasions (particularly when the water is cooler), you may be fortunate enough to see some freshwater otters.   Cait and I still have yet to be privileged with this sight.  There are several trips an individual or group can partake in; the most common being one 2-hour trip and one 4-hour trip.  In either case, you’ll be picked up in a school bus at the end.  On the 4-hour trip however, you’ll witness an amazing assortment of birds, including a nesting area of hundreds of vultures.  It really was neat to see them all soaring through the air above and taking baths in the water beside the canoe.