You may have heard of the Suwannee river in the lyrics of the song made famous by Al Jolson but did you know anything about this beautiful location in Florida?

The Suwannee river is a 266 mile long wild river that starts in the state of Georgia, continues down into Florida and passes through places like Fort Fanning, Yellow Jacket and Turkey Island before draining into the Gulf of Mexico. The mouth of the Suwannee River lies approximately 120 miles north west of Orlando.

The landscape here, which differs from that on the eastern seaboard of Florida, is a mass of interconnected waterways and waterfront properties. The area hosts a big music event during October called the "Down on the Suwannee Music Festival" which featured the famous performer Willie Nelson on its line up. The venue was the "Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park", a leisure resort that makes the most of the beautiful countryside in this area.

A visit to this part of Florida would not be complete with a trip on the famous river itself. There are numerous options for boat excursions but for the big experience some may have beeen interested in the week long Paddle Florida canoe event, which took canoeists on a 123 mile journey down the river. Each night the group stopped in one of the many state parks to camp alongside the river. Music entertainment rounds off several of the days, with a variety of artists booked to perform. The scenery was spectacular during the trip as autumn had arrived and the woodlands were transformed into a mass of reds and golds.

Both experienced and novice canoeists were welcome, but the organisers suggested anyone fairly new to the sport took a short instruction course which were available on the day before the trip started. Many people brought their own boats but the orgnisers had partnered with several companies who provided boat rental. The trip started on the 15th of October.