By joining the Pre or Post St. Johns River Cruise you will experience the best week you can have with your boat. For four days with the Pre Cruise or five days with the Post Cruise explore the over 200 miles of the Old Florida on the St. Johns River. The cruises occur before or after the Sunnyland Tavares boat show held on the fourth weekend in March. Next years dates are March 22-26 and March 29 – April 3, 2026.
The Post Cruise started on Sunday with our boats launching in Palatka Fl. then enjoying a great kick-off dinner where you get to meet your fellow cruisers and have an interdiction to what will happen and what to expect to see and do each day. Monday morning after a breakfast at Angles, the oldest dinner in Florida and our daily captains meeting, we headed south then a 22-mile run up Dunn’s Creek to Crescent Lake and lunch at Three Bananas. The Creek was crowded with anglers in the morning, so speed was impossible. In the afternoon, you could fly. Some of the turns involve a full left rudder, followed by a full right rudder, and then returning to a full left rudder. All the time looking out for alligators (we counted fourteen with two being over ten feet).
Tuesday night found us in Astor but not before enjoying an all you can eat lunch at Shrimps R US, a trip up the Ocklawaha river and the always unpredictable 11 mile trip across Lake George. The lake was kind to us on this day with only a light chop. In previous years, we had two-foot rollers. For dinner, Sparky’s Place restaurant provided us with Chicken Marcella. Another two pounds added. Wednesday, we headed off the river to explore a couple of lakes and narrow streams, taking us to the Fountain of Youth (De Leon Springs). A cool (72 deg.) swim in the springs and you come out 10 years younger. After warming up we headed back to Lake Woodruff then an exciting run down the Norris Dead River back to the St. Johns and lunch.
Thursday was our easy day, Brunch at 10 then a nice slow cruise to Blue Creek (bird house creek to us). Unfortunately, last year’s hurricane destroyed a lot of the houses, as we have done in the past we added a couple of new houses. Exiting the creek, on to Lake George and ending up in Silver Glen Spring where you boat up the springs in crystal clear water. At the spring you can swim with the fish and watch them dart in and out of the cave. For the fish it’s easy but for us it’s almost impossible to try to dive down the cave because has soon as you stop kicking the water shoots you straight up to the surface. On Friday, our last day, we head back to Palatka picking up our luggage and saying goodbyes, but not before crossing Lake George and stopping for lunch, finding out who has the best poker hand and who won the 50-50. Next year I will win one of those pots of money, year 16 must be my lucky year.
Here is an interesting fact: Did you know that Blue Ridge members captain both the Pre and Post Sunnyland St. Johns River Cruises. Kelly Daniels captain is the Pre Cruise and John Heiderich does the Post.
