Braden River Paddle with Lunch at Linger Lodge
LEVEL 2 Paddle
When: Saturday, October 26 at 9:30 AM
Where: Braden River in Manatee County
EVENT DETAILS:
Trip Leaders:
Jill Lingard jill.lingard@gmail.com, 352-665-1776
Scott Jantz scottjantz2@gmail.com, 386-853-5159
Description: Billed as an urban paddle, the Braden River meanders through a scenic tree-lined corridor that attracts abundant wildlife--a natural oasis hidden among houses. From Jiggs Landing on Ward Lake, we'll paddle 4.2 miles upstream to Linger Lodge--which offers a unique experience all on its own. This is a colorful Old Florida style restaurant where we can sample dishes like alligator and frog legs while walls full of Florida taxidermy watch us eat. (See menu here.) After lunch, we'll paddle back downstream to our launch point at Jiggs.
The Florida Paddling Trails Association provides a good map and description of this trip here. And here's the backstory on Linger Lodge. It's been around since 1945!
We have checked with the staff at Jiggs Landing and they report the paddling trail between Jiggs and Linger Lodge is free of hurricane-induced obstructions. We might get to see some manatees--they said the storm surge brought them into the area.
Location: Jiggs Landing, located at 6101 63rd Street E in Bradenton. The kayak launch is free.
Schedule: Meet at 9:30AM to prep for launch by 10:00. We'll aim to return around 2-3PM.
Required gear: Open to all kayaks. Participants must wear a PFD, bring plenty to drink, plus money or credit card for lunch.
Difficulty: The trip is rated Level 2 due to the 8.4 round-trip mileage. We'll have a little more work on our way upstream, but the current is manageable.
Refer to TBSKs Skills Assessment Chart and contact the trip leaders with any questions or any personal medical issues they need to be aware of.