Amelia Island Kayak Excursions Remembers America’s First Great Naturalist.
“Before Lewis and Clark there was William Bartram. In March 1774, Bartram began his much-anticipated trip to Florida and the St. Johns River, first setting foot on Amelia Island. In history, he traveled through Old Fernandina to Lord Egmont’s plantation and then continued to the St. Johns River documenting the region’s flora and fauna. Bartram introduced the world to over 250 native plants.”(quotations taken from the Bartram Garden Club of Amelia’s press release)
What is exciting for us here at AIKE is that several of our kayak tours cross William Bartram’s trail.
So what we are exploring still today was explored in 1774. Wow! We are now Bartram Trail Conference Affiliates, work with the Bartram Trail Society of Florida, and look forward to sharing this rich history with you. Let’s Go Exploring, come with us. To be continued…
“Amber Bullington was kind enough to give us a half hour on the phone recently to give us the scoopabout her kayak-loving family and their business… My parents, Mark and Kim Bullington, started the business. They’d always been on the water in some way or other. My dad and my brother (Aaron) kept taking friends and relatives out on kayak trips, and we were kayaking more and more. It was natural to start AIKE”…
Within the kayaking community, there is an understood “friendship” with fellow paddlers – even if you have never met. So, one evening, we were contacted by a “fellow paddler” about offering assistance (a yard to camp in, a meal, a cup of coffee…) to Steve Chard who was currently in Jacksonville, Florida. He was on his way to Nova Scotia on a kayaking journey raising funds for charities in the U.S., Canada, and the UK. Heather, the “fellow paddler” stated, “I can honestly say he is nothing but kind and gracious and has some wonderful stories to tell of his adventure. I have known nothing but kindness and friendship in the paddling community, and I hope he can experience the same on his journey.”
Just so you know, we love an adventure! We immediately responded to the message, and provided our contact information for Steve. A day later, he called!
Steve is from a small village in England, and is paddling the Great Loop, starting his journey from Nova Scotia! What is the Great Loop you may ask? It is a system of waterways that encompasses the eastern portion of the United States and part of Canada. It is made up of both natural and man-made waterways, including the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, Intracoastal waterways, Great Lakes, the Tombigbee River in Tennessee, the Mississippi River, and other tributaries. The entire loop is approximately 6,000 miles/9,600 kilometers long.
He was kayaking from Jacksonville, Florida to Amelia Island, Florida, and as he was approaching Amelia Island, he called us to arrange a place to meet. Our owner, Mark, greeted him and loaded up his kayak and gear.
First things first. It was a cold day, so a hot shower was priority! Then we were off for a good meal. Once we got him settled in, he was eager to share his day’s event on his social media and then “hit the sack”.
After a hot breakfast, we sat around the table with a map as Steve told his stories. He gave a play by play of his journey from Nova Scotia, and showed us his projected route back to Nova Scotia.
We asked him to “autograph” one of our kayak paddles, and he placed our AIKE sticker on his boat. Mark and I joined Steve as he departed Amelia Island on to Cumberland Island by crossing the Cumberland Sound. He promised to return as we swapped heart-felt good byes, and we thought what a great new friend we have made!
To the world, he may not be a celebrity, but to us, an ordinary person who takes on such a noble and extrodinary feat is quite special. A kind-hearted man on an adventure, Steve Chard is helping the ones who help us by bringing awareness to their causes.
Two of our guides circumnavigated Amelia Island. Fun Fact! Circumnavigating Amelia Island takes 36,000+ kayak strokes. Check out the pics on our Facebook. Also, thank you to Tarah Coastal for the fun blog!. 31 miles in 10 hours fueled solely on chocolate donuts, chocolate milk, and beef jerky. Well, partially. I met with Aaron and […] The post Circumnavigating appeared first on Amelia Island Kayak Excursions.
Two of our guides circumnavigated Amelia Island. Fun Fact! Circumnavigating Amelia Island takes 36,000+ kayak strokes. Check out the pics on our Facebook . Also, thank you to Tarah Coastal for the fun blog!
31 miles in 10 hours fueled solely on chocolate donuts, chocolate milk, and beef jerky. Well, partially. I met with Aaron and Nick two days before their Amelia Island circumnavigation journey to get the low-down on what this adventure was all about.
Aaron, pushing his Zaxby’s chicken tender basket to the side, unfolded an impressively large and important looking map (Amelia Island Waters map available at Wal-Mart), ushering us into the AIKE (Amelia Island Kayak Excursions) Amelia circumnavigation war room. “We plan to put in here (pointing to the boat ramp at the Harbor Marina) at 5:00am”. The day and times for the trip were chosen based on the tide cycle and hours of daylight available this time of year. Due to the shallow waters at several points of the journey, planning around high and low tides is necessary to avoid getting stranded on a sandbar. The most concerning part of the trip was the 13 miles of ocean as the water conditions are more precarious than the river stretch. As the guys pointed out, if the currents were not in their favor, the ocean could actually push them backwards if they stopped paddling for any length of time. Aaron has paddled the waters of Amelia Island for over 10 years and is a Master Naturalist and guide for the family business and has entertained the idea of circumnavigating the island on a kayak for as long as we have been friends. Nick is an island native and also serves as a guide with Amelia Island Kayak Excursions. He is entering the Air Force this fall so this trip was, in part, a goodbye to his home.
Supplies for this trip included all Coast Guard equipment requirements, water and Glacier Freeze Gatorade, a cooler of sandwiches, beef jerky, flashlights, headlamps, a GoPro, and camera, along with standard kayaking equipment. A 21 foot ocean tandem touring kayak was their vessel of choice. Amelia Island Kayak Excursion t-shirts were their chosen attire to shamelessly promote the business during the trip. It was decided that I would meet the guys at the Salty Pelican after for a debriefing. Wednesday, 3:30pm: A thunderstorm with severe lightening, heavy rain and winds snuck up on the island quickly as afternoon rainstorms in Florida often do. I texted our mutual friend, Alberto, to voice my concern and to see if he had heard from them. He had not. I assumed that meant that nothing good was happening and went about my business, disappointed that I would not be having tuna nachos at the Pelican. Not really, I had faith in their outdoorsmanship. At around 5:00pm I received a text from Alberto saying that they had made it back to the Marina. Tuna nachos after all!
I was expecting a much less enthusiastic attitude from the typically high-energy Aaron which was not the case. Spirits were still incredibly high in he and Nick despite the storm that they had just endured. Their trip summary included bits about the ocean being a bit more tedious than they would have liked, a sea turtle boosting their morale when they were hitting a rough spot, Nick’s bald spot, annoyance at the seemingly endless Omni property, regretful breakfast choices, a close encounter with a yacht, and the nasty lightening.
My follow up questions included whether or not they would do anything differently (leave earlier, go to bed earlier the night before, and avoid donuts and milk. Note that it was only Nick who made this regretful breakfast selection). The conversation over dinner was no different that our normal interactions but I realized so profoundly how much I enjoy the adventurous and upbeat spirit of these guys. They take the planning and safety of their craft seriously, but never so seriously that they fail to laugh at themselves when needed and enjoy the ride. They did not just tackle this endeavor for self-serving purposes but to share their love of the outdoors and this island with others.
My original trip down Lofton Creek with Aaron as my guide sparked a love of kayaking in me that led to owning my own kayak. The nature on the waters surrounding Amelia provide beauty and peacefulness beyond any place that I have been in this area. This obvious love of the natural aspects of the island are exactly what I love about the guides at AIKE and why they are always my first recommendation to visitors to this area.
At our first meeting Aaron commented “as far as I am concerned we’ll do this again”. To which I replied jokingly that I was writing that quote down to revisit after the trip, skeptical that the outlook would be nearly that rosy after a 31 mile trip. Sitting at Salty Pelican, with the guys looking a few shades darker, tired, and still trying to dry out from the rain, I asked, “So would you do this again”? To which they both replied, “Absolutely”. Visit their website www.ameliaislandkayak.com for all of the pictures and video from their adventure as well as to find more information on taking your own kayak trip! Tarah Coastal @ Tarahcoastal.com.
“Kayaking changed my life!”
Madison Tipton: Kayak Guide
“As a lover of the outdoors and physical activity, becoming a part of my family’s business was a “no brainer”. I explore nature every day! As a Guide I regularly get to share nature and all of its wonders with our guests, so when the opportunity to learn more about this fascinating state became available, it was also a “no brainer”!
By completing all three core modules of the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) through UF/IFAS, I explored and learned about the state of Florida from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Coast, from the smallest coastal invertebrates to the largest uplands mammals, and everything in between! Along the way I met some amazing people who have proven to be a support group of knowledge with a passion for educating. This program enhanced my knowledge of the outdoors, and it has opened an exciting new perspective of this beautiful creation for me. I look forward to sharing it with others. So, now that I am a certified Master Naturalist… Go ahead, ask me anything!!” ??
“I was also nominated and served at Vice President and President for the NorthEast Florida Master Naturalist Chapter. It was an honor for me to have the opportunity to meet the man who started it all, Dr. Mary Main!”
“Anyone can float down or camp on a river – but discovering how to live life while enjoying the passion of adventure, taking risks, and experiencing peace is a life well lived.” -the Saltwater Cowboy
Bartam Trail at Egan's Creek
Kids and Teens Camp
Everytime I am out on the water, it feels as if time stands still, and there is always something new to discover. Hope to see you out on the water!
Favorite quotes: “Dream Big and Celebrate Always” & “Life is a Special Occasion”!
“Before Lewis and Clark there was William Bartram. In March 1774, Bartram began his much-anticipated trip to Florida and the St. Johns River, first setting foot on Amelia Island. In history, he traveled through Old Fernandina to Lord Egmont’s plantation and then continued to the St. Johns River documenting the region’s flora and fauna. Bartram introduced the world to over 250 native plants.”(quotations taken from the Bartram Garden Club of Amelia’s press release)
