Signed up for Mantanzas River guided tour. Got a text from Ben, the owner, the morning of my trip to advise me the heavy wind that day would make things challenging and he wanted to see if I would still be comfortable padding in those conditions. Rather than cancelling, he offered me the option of heading inland to paddle on Deep Creek in Hastings, about a 20 minute drive inland. So glad I took him up on it! The Creek had a very gentle flow so was easy to paddle. It meandered through a quiet and beautiful cabbage palm and live oak forest. Ben shared lots of fascinating information about local environmental challenges and was an expert guide, leading me through some interesting twists and turns around fallen trees, and even offered me some great tips for improving my paddling technique! Spotted a number of birds, lots of good-sized jumping fish, turtles, and a small gator sunning near a log. Ben assured me there were other gators lurking underwater, which added to the "other-worldiness" of the place! Would happily recommend Ben and his company and look forward to paddling with him next time I visit St. Augustine.