Palatka

We left Ortega Landing on Thursday and took a short 20 mile ride to Green Cove Springs. This was a must stop since this is the town that is our official residence and domicile so we figured lets stop and see our town folk. The local cab driver is Gilligan. A bit of a character who does look somewhat like Bob Denver. We heard all about his first wife who is in prison for murder and his second wife who died from cancer. After our cab ride Jess and I were in love again.
After a night in our home town we headed out early to Palatka. Besides the recession hitting some of these town pretty hard the change in lifestyles has also had an impact. The St Johns River was a major waterway for transport of materials, supplies and people. This is no longer the case and is evident in the towns. Palatka's stores are half empty in the historic downtown. A once vibrant area is now withering on the vine.
Tomorrow we set off for what starts to be the most interesting and adventurous part of the St. John's River. More to come.