Squirrely_Sammin
Mar 2021
Our trip with Josh was awesome from start to finish. We started by giving a call to the office because we got a little confused where we were supposed to be (hint: it’s with all the other kayaks by the water) met up with two of our group mates whom we’ve never met before and did some introductions. We specifically chose the time that had other people in it so we could make friends. We met Josh our guide and our other member and got a run down of how everything would function. I wish we would have played around with the go-pro a little bit more before departing but hindsight is always 20/20, so I recommend taking some fun shots or video and then playing them back so you can get familiar with it. We got loaded in with Josh’s help after a good old fashioned safety rundown and the Do’s and Don’ts of Manatee viewing. While waiting we paddled in circles getting our bearings and waiting around with the rest of the group and chatted while Josh caught up. Fast forward down the River, enjoying Q & A with Josh and local knowledge (which we absolutely did not have any of), we came across a manatee swimming under our kayak and it was an adorable sea potato of a creature, we admired it (without touching and bothering, of course) and continued on to the entrance to the 3 sisters spring. We had a conversation if everyone was feeling up to taking a swim and we all did so we all hopped in (except me who majestically fell into the water like an elephant seal) but I bounced right back (yay for natural buoyancy). We took the swim back, some with life jackets for the not as comfortable swimmers, and enjoyed a lazy trip back to the springs with beautiful scenery and information. We watched a mom and baby nap in front of us and Josh managed to get some amazing footage on his go-pro (we struggled but got a little) and we had them swimming right past us multiple times. We headed back and had such an enjoyable time (a sea shanty or two might have been sung in our kayak for rhythm purposes), we fought the wind a little on the way back but nothing that made us concerned. We got back and Josh helped us unload and got our memory card from the Go-Pro, we said our goodbyes and departed for dinner.
*we did park in the parking lot at the pier, not realizing that the parking lot closes at sundown, so heads up if you want to go have dinner after, I would re-park*
TL;DR version: Josh is an amazing guide who is super friendly and knowledgeable about the area and takes everyone’s comfort level into account. We will definitely be back with family when we come to visit again and will be bragging to all our friends about the awesome trip we had (if you don’t make SOMEONE jealous, was it really that good of a vacation?). Even if we didn’t see any manatees we would have had an amazing time.Thank you to: Josh and Get Up and Go - Crystal River kayak tours!
Одговор домаћина
Mar 2021
Wow, what a great review! We are so appreciative of the time you took to write about your experience, and are SO happy to hear that you had a good time! Josh is awesome, so it's no surprise to us that he added so much to your experience. Thank you for the 5 stars and thank you for the details of your tour. We hope we can get you back out on the water with us in the future for more adventures and memories!