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from Facebook courtesy of Christopher Mark Esing
So many memories...
| A PLACE WHERE WE went as kids to have picnics and swim. A place I took my Girl Scouts to camp with co-leader … A place where Altrusa went to pick out trash and invasive plants as a service project. My favorite place to get my head cleared. It’s my paradise. Can never decide which time of year is my favorite. You can’t go there and doubt there is a God.
I agree… Loved summertime here growing up in Lake City, but now that we live on the Iche River, fall is my favorite time. The river gets a rest from all of the summertime traffic, and it is so peaceful and beautiful…Mostly kayaks, canoes, and if we are lucky, manatees. It is truly one of God’s most beautiful creations. Love the Ichetucknee River.
I can remember when i was a child maybe 60 yearz ago..i was abt 8 ..my Grandmother took us there ..down the dirt road..opening coke bottles on the bottle opener nailed to a tree..jumping to swim in that cold water.. no crowds..
before the tubing ..such fun times
I remember going there for family reunions, family picnics, and just to float down the river growing up. I remember one time swimming at the spring and a snake was chasing a girl in the water, a man grabbed it by the tail and slung it out of the water. He was the hero of the day.
It was a place for Boy Scout camping on weekends. Also, a place to go Sunday afternoons with mom, dad, and brothers. Would see many people/friends there and have fun together. Mom took an Super 8 video one Sunday afternoon which I converted to a DVD in more recent years. Introduced the river and tubing to college friends in the early 70’s. Opened up a whole new world to those not from LC/Columbia County. Recall once while in the spring everyone starting exiting to water and running to shore. I heard my parents yelling for me to get out and I was the last one to do so. Looked back and saw a Water Moccasin swimming from the spring run in the hole in the rock in the corner. We all watched it swim off and disappear to the opposite side where the tree had long ago fallen and laid horizontally. Then we all resumed swimming. Represents to me happy days of childhood and youth when life was simple.
introduced the springs to her teacher friends from Keystone Heights, and for so many years they would ask … “when are we floating”. It was an enjoyable way for them to end the school year.
I have many fond memories of the Ichetucknee and floating with the family and friends down the river. Stopping to rent inner tubes and spending the day enjoying the river. I can still see the bins of black tubes. Strangely enough, I don’t think that we always rented them. For some reason, I think that we had tire tubes because my grandfather was a mechanic or my father drove big trucks. In fact, I remember having tubes when we would go to Ocean Pond, so we must have carried them with us. And it was mostly pleasant, though I do remember if you laid your back on the tube the wrong way that the valve stem might occasionally poke you. I remember balancing back and forth of tires and trying to stand while floating down the river. Pulling to the side to jump from trees and the cool crisp and refreshing feeling on a hot summer’s day. I do have a few fond memories of going with my Grandmother to her friends cabin on the lower Ichetucknee. We would put in at the bridge and float down to their dock and repeat. When we were ready to go back, they would drive us and drop us off and repeat through out the day. Nothing like the wonder of being a Florida water baby and enjoying the sun and springs. Have some fun memories canoeing as well. One of my buddies John wanted to canoe the river and Santa Fe in the fall, so we put in at the drop off point North of 27 then canoed towards the bridge, and oh my goodness the drop under the bridge. I have no idea how we did not flip into the river, but luckily we did not, but we enjoyed a nice cool fall morning in November. The beauty about the river is that you might not see fall anywhere else in Florida, but you see it on the river. It is one of the few places where you can see the leaves change their golden hues and reds, and I remember how pretty those colors reflected in the clear pool of the Ichetucknee. I have a fond memory of taking my father canoeing down the river and getting to spend the day canoeing and swimming with him when we got to the end of the river where the spring mixed with the Santa Fe and swam the rest of the afternoon. I remember many a dusk canoe trips in the spring when the lightning bugs would light up the tree canopy light Christmas lights, and it was majestic. I always thought how glorious it was to see nature electrified against the night sky. I remember many trips in which we hopped fences to sneak a watermelon or stopped at a side boiled peanut stand to grab a bag of salty goobers to enjoy along the journey. I dont think that those who are not from the area fully understand how that river water runs in our veins, how its a part of our families, how our memories are tied not just to the land but to the water that gives it is life blood and feeds the soul of our liquid hearts and the sunshine beats down and feeds the flora and nourishes our bodies with Vitamin D that on a bright day looks more like beet juice stained upon the neck and skin that failed to take precaution while playing in the cool depths. There is that feeling that every Floridian knows when you are wind burned and sunburnt and riding home either in the back of the car or maybe in the back of the truck with the wind blowing you dry that is just magical. It is joy and exhausting that gives way to the setting sun. That feeling and that sentiment are the essence of home and Florida and the Ichetucknee laid out in my imagination and calling me back again.
You said it beautifully. That’s exactly how I feel about our special river and the surrounding area. Thank you.
yes, I agree… another reason fall is my favorite time of year on the river…. the colors are awesome!
Your writing took me back there. Thank you. It was lovely.
When I worked at The National-Day Museum in New Orleans, our founder, the late Dr. Stephen Ambrose, wrote a coffee table book entitled “Comrades.” Imagine my surprise when I read that he and his friend Dr. Nick Mueller from UNO often went snorkeling at Ichetucknee. Other than people I knew in Lake City, I’d never heard our old swimming hole (1962-1963) mentioned. With my jaw dropped, I rushed into Dr. Mueller’s office and exclaimed “Nick! How did you and Dr. Ambrose find MY springs??” Everytime I think of “my” springs now I think of “Comrades.” I guess there might be more famous people who’ve dipped in, but it made me smile to think that I was working with two of my favorites. I’ll locate that book and post the sketch of them referencing their memories.
That is awesome that you worked at the museum and are friends with Stephen Ambrose. I am always amazed at the people who know Ichetucknee.
I remember skipping school with … and … to go swimming. In 72 during the week in the middle of the day we had the springs to ourselves.
My first trip down the river was in 1969, I was 6 years old. We had to go to the local gas station and buy inner tubes to float down the river. We pumped up the tubes with bicycle air pumps. This was before the river was a state park and there was trash in the river. Both of my older brothers had mask and snorkles and swam most of the 3 hour trip. Good times!
I was born in 63, my daddy … was a tobacco farmer, and every summer at the end of the day when we had cropped tobacco all day and worked extremely hard to get those tobacco barns filled, daddy would haul all of us down to Ichetucknee, we would jump in at the springs and swim all the way to the bridge. It was a lot of fun back in the simpler days of my life. I miss those hard working days now. I’m so glad my daddy taught us all about hard work. I was also in 4-H and we would ride our bicycles all the way to Ichetucknee just to jump in and swim to the bridge. Those were some good times.
Once a year the riding club would meet at the livestock market ride to the springs and camp for the weekend. Had a chuck wagon for food, blanket tool for sleeping and loads of fun. This was in 1955-1959. Mr. … furnished horses for a lot of us that didn’t have one … was a great force in keeping it going.
When I skipped school I would go there!
Lots of memories of tubing down with family and friends. There would at least be 2 car loads full of kids, tubes, and picnic lunches. Before all the changes, when you walked dirt paths to the starting point, a bare dirt spot for 1/2 way point, and you knew you were getting close to the end when you started seeing power lines in the distance. You couldn’t hardly walk when you got out from being so water logged and your finger and toes looked like prunes. Of course it wasn’t an adventure unless you saw the occupational snake, otter, slew of turtles and fish. There was always the chance of the summer storm while floating down and praying you didn’t get hit by lightning. Boy this sure does bring back the memories and I cant help but laugh to myself about them. Good times!
Before tubing we’d go (‘61/‘62) swimming and diving in the boil! So much fun. But the real fun began when the tubing began. I’ve swam the whole way too! Such a great time for families and friends!! I’m 78 and I’d love to go down the Ichetuckee once more! With a glass of wine this time!
There should be a piece about Russell Platt included. He was a legend connected with Itchetucknee.
Many memories of the Itchetucknee, we lived about a mile from the head springs after working in tobacco all day we enjoyed the cool water for bath time as we had an old pump outside to bathe in wash tubs, much easier to enjoy the springs. My father along with my uncles would fish the river, occasionally they would dynamite for fish at night…..we lived off the land and water. Wonderful memories of my childhood on that river!
My parents bought the first lot on the ichetucknee river in 1956 for $500 That was a lot of money back then when the river lots were all woods and cows and hogs running wild thru it. My how things have changed. Wish I could go back sometime but have a lot of good memories growing up in the river and I still do as my husband and I live here today. I have lots of early pictures if anyone would like them shared.
Loved tubing down to the bridge. When I got up the courage to jump from the bridge I felt like part of the in-crowd. I do remember one incident of having to float under a low hanging limb with a snake on it. I was terrified and had no choice but to keep paddling!!!!
My Grandparents built our cabin in the early 60’s. My grandmother would take all 4 grandchildren to stay. No tv or radio. Just comic books and the river. We never complained. And we are still enjoying it.
My wife worked at the N end and had such a great time laughing at women getting in their tubes,trying not to get their hair wet and flip over, cooking out for years, many fond memories of floating down, living close by now and go in year round, heaven on earth
Our Boys Scott troop spent many night camping there. We all had jungle hammocks bought at the Army Navy Surplus store. We would go swimming in the springs in 30 degree weather. What a time we had cooking over an open fire
Bought a lot at 3 river in 99 for $3,500
Dr. … was our scout master and we always went to Deer Ford Landing, he would get you up in 20 degree weather and march ya right in the water! Had some good times back then!!!
Family and friends would go once a year to springs. My son would go often as he loved that cold icy waters. It was fun but cold.
My fond memory of Itchetucknee in the early 60s was going with my family to the head of springs during the hot summer days. We would get there early and take our watermelons put them in the Cave on the right side of spring to chill. We would then swim or explore the trails to Blue Hole spring. Watermelons cooled and ready to eat! We began the fun watermelon SEED fights, squeezing the seeds between your fingers aiming at each other. Sticky fun time, finished off with cool dip before heading home. Coool memories!
Our family spent several years playing the springs. There is a picture of me at about a year or two old with my sister sitting at the cave with the cold spring water flowing. Daddy always put a watermelon at the cave to get it cold. We had many family picnics there until the state took over and charged you for going in. It was always so clean. No one had to tell you to pick up your trash. I remember climbing up the platform and swinging out on a rope to plunge into the boiling spring in the middle. We swam all day and ate the rest of the time. Those picnics were the only time we had pop and potato chips! This was in the 50s and early 60s.
… and I can’t remember the others and I went there when it was not known to many outside Columbia County. We would put a water melon in the water to cool, so much fun in the late 50s.
Back when I was in elementary school around 1969 or 70, we went down to the springs to go swimming. Of course this was long before it was a state park. Us kids were excited and ready to hit that cool crisp water. There was a little knoll just before you get to the springs so as a little fella, I couldn’t see the water until just before I got there. On this particular day, there were some hippies bathing in the water. Just as I got to the water, this young lady hippie turned around with her hair soaped up and her breasts free as the breeze! Mom immediately said, “Nope, we can’t swim here today kids!” And then yanked us in a 180 degree turn marching quickly to the truck. I would try and turn my head around to get a better look and in the firm voice she would say, “You stop looking!” Woo hoo! We didn’t swim but we had an experience! By the way, she was a brunette. I’ll never forget that early experience at Itchtucknee.
was young but already had a car, a bat mobile sized gold 64 Pontiac convertible so maybe 18. Top down even with the heater running!! I used to run by the bakery and get a loaf of yeasty yummy bread to go with chunks of cheese and head to the springs all alone. I would pull my car up pretty close and have picnics alone on the hood of my car. Bread, cheese, Boones Farm Strawberry Hill wine and a soothing view.
I used to ride my horse to the head spring as a teenager. Took a foreign exchange student from Wales to float.
Best place in the world for skippin’ school!
When I was a teenager, (early 70’s), I was sitting in an inner tube floating when a snake with his head out of the water swam right toward me from my left. I was afraid to put my arms in the water to paddle, and pulled my feet up on the tube too. He kept coming, got almost to me, ducked under the tube, slithered under my behind and popped back up on the other side. Still gives me the heebie -jeebies!
My grand mother s farm bordered the tract of land on the river granny would dig up worms in the yard and we would follow her to the blue hole ,we fished and caught a good mess of fish and walked back and she would fry them up for us great memories
Lovely river. So beautiful. Take a canoe ride on it. Quite an experience.
Watermelon. In spring to cool
Well remember those days…the road was sand seemed most of the way! 2 or 3 of us would go down there sometime and spend all most all day and never see another soul! We had some good times in our younger days at First Baptist!
Spent a lot of summers, in the early 70’s, tubing down the Ichetucknee. Great fun!!
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Your Memories
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