FLORIDA PADDLERS' RENDEZVOUS
Brochure

The 2008 Florida Paddlers' Rendezvous is proudly being sponsored by the Tampa Bay Sea Kayakers Club with the support of the Florida Paddling Trails Association.

The 2008 Rendezvous is being held at the Hillsborough River State Park, located on the banks of the Hillsborough River. This park opened to the public in 1938 as one of Florida's first state parks. Within the park and adjacent to the river, Fort Foster, a replica of an 1837 fort from the Second Seminole War is available for tours on the weekend. Hikers have over seven miles along four nature trails to enjoy, and the Wetlands Restoration Trail accommodates bicyclists and hikers.


Basic Information

The Event: A fun filled four days of paddling on the Tampa Bay area rivers, estuaries, and the Gulf of Mexico. Open to all paddlers, regardless of skill level since most paddle trips will be "Easy" paddles of about 5 to 8 miles. A few paddles will be on open water which require kayaks and higher skill level.

Where We Will Meet: Meet at the Hillsborough River State Park campground located on US Highway 301, 7 miles south of State Road 54 in Zephyrhills, and 14 miles north of Interstate 4 east of Tampa. Web site: Hillsborough River or Phone (813) 987-6771. All paddles will leave from the Hillsborough State Park.

Where Can You Stay: Your choice to stay at the campground or nearby motels.

Paddle Equipment to Bring:

Your own boat, paddle, PFD & whistle, first aid kit and other safety equipment. Dress properly for the weather. Include a sun hat & sunscreen. Each day you will need to provide your own lunch & plenty of water.

Rendezvous Activities

Thursday, October 30th

  • Pre-event paddles 9 AM, 10 AM & 2 PM
  • Noon - Registration Begins, confirm the paddles you signed up for, pick up your t-shirt and raffle tickets.
  • 6:00 p.m. - Mingle Meal - Bring your brown bag dinner
  • 7:00 p.m. - Presentation on Florida's Circumnavigaional Saltwater Paddling Trail (Hank Brooks)
  • 8:00 p.m. - Evening camp fire

Friday, October 31st

  • 8:00 a.m. Check in/ registration for Friday arrivals
  • 8:30 a.m. Paddling trips leave promptly at 8:30 a.m.
  • 6:00pm - Potluck...bring... your own beverage a covered dish to share
  • 7:30 pm - Bonfire

Saturday, November 1st

  • 8:00 a.m. Check-in/ registration for Saturday arrivals
  • 8:30 a.m. Paddling trips leave promptly
  • 6:00 pm - Hamburgers and hot dogs provided by TBSK ...bring... your own beverage and a side dish to share
  • 7:00 p.m. Program (details TBD)
  • 8:00 p.m. - Moonlight Paddle on Hillsborough River
  • 8:00 p.m. - Evening camp fire

Sunday, November 2nd

  • 8:00 a.m. Check-in/ registration for Sunday arrivals
  • 8:30 a.m. Paddling trips leave promptly
  • Rendezvous ends when you have finished your paddle.


Alternative Activities Other Than Paddling

  • Hillsborough River State Park hiking & bike trails
  • Trout Creek Wilderness Park hiking & bike trails

Bonfire Logs

We are asking each participant from Florida and the southern portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia to bring a small piece of burnable wood from your area for our bonfire event on Friday evening. To mitigate the spread of diseases or importing invasive critters, please bring a paper with your name and club name or a fire log to add to the bonfire if you are coming from an area outside of these locations.

Arrive with a Full Tank

Each day, please fill up with gas before you arrive for the paddle trips since you will need to drive from 10 minutes to 60 minutes to reach your put-in and we cannot stop our caravan or wait for people to get gas.

Questions After Reading This - For More Information:

Check out our website at www.clubkayak.com/rendezvous2008

Email us at: ewhite03@verizon.net

Phone No. 727-501-4413

Florida Paddling Trails Assn. Website: www.floridapaddlingtrails.com

Things To Do Close By

  • Clearwater Beach - Great place to sun bath and enjoy the beach. It cost to park, beach is free. Can go wave riding and para-sailing.
  • St. Petersburg's Pier & Bay Walk - This is a jumbo pier which has a restaurant on it and many small shops. The Bay Walk is about 1 mile from the Pier, has upscale shops and restaurants. A free trolley runs between the two St. Pete locations.
  • Ft. De Soto Park - About an hour drive south, Pinellas county offers a WWII fort, great beaches, place to rent canoes and kayaks. Recommended for those visitors who have seen most of the other things around here.
  • Tampa Aquarium - Not comparable with the Baltimore Aquarium, but this one is OK if "fish" is your thing.
  • Ybor City - This is Tampa's historical "French Quarter". It was originally settled by Cuban Americans who specialized in making cigars. It now contains some great restaurants, some upscale and not so upscale shops and lots of bars for the night life (taken over by the young adult). A Tampa trolley runs between downtown Tampa and Ybor City (about 4 miles from downtown Tampa).
  • Tarpon Spring's Sponge Docks - This nearby Greek community has many small shops and Greek restaurants. The area was made famous by sponge divers - a few still exit.
  • Phillippe Park - This is a beautiful oak lined park which is right next to old Tampa Bay.
  • Busch Gardens & Water Park, Tampa - Great water fun!

Favorite Restaurants

  • Friday's, Clearwater Beach - Great seafood, informal atmosphere
  • Shepherd's, Clearwater Beach - Seafood buffet (all you can eat), fairly informal atmosphere
  • Frenchy's, Clearwater Beach - Great seafood, informal atmosphere
  • Bonefish Grill, Clearwater - Food of all types, more formal atmosphere
  • Cheesecake Factory - International Mall, Tampa (by the airport)
  • P.F. Chang's - Westchester Mall, Tampa

Check phone book for phone number and address