Calusa paddling event drawing national interest
Festival starts Oct. 27 in Lee County
SPECIAL TO FLORIDA WEEKLY
The second-annual Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival will happen Oct. 27-Nov. 4 on the Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail in many of Lee County's waterfront communities.
Both Paddler and Canoe & Kayak magazines have recognized Lee County as one of the best U.S. kayaking destinations.
Paddlers, competitors, families and outdoor enthusiasts from around Southwest Florida, the state and the nation are expected to attend the one-of-a-kind eco-event. Nine days of festivities will include three competitive canoe/kayak races, a pro-am kayak fishing tournament, paddling clinics and demonstrations, seminars, family activities, archaeological and environmental events, guided tours, a speakers series and a ribbon cutting for a new leg of the Great Calusa Blueway.
After the success of last year's inaugural event, the 2007 Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival has been expanded to include areas of Pine Island, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Bonita Springs and Estero, Cape Coral, North Fort Myers, Fort Myers, Alva and Buckingham.
Communities along the Caloosahatchee River represent the most recent addition to the nearly 100-mile long paddling trail. New maps for this portion of the trail - called Phase 3 - are expected to be available Oct. 30 at the festival. All blueway maps are free.
 | | COURTESY PHOTO Lee County has some of the best paddling trails in the world. |
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Festival times, dates, locations and more can be found online at www.calusabluewaypaddlingfestival. com
More festival tidbits and details:
• Many Lee County hotels and motels have created "paddling packages" for outof town kayakers and canoeists traveling to Southwest Florida for the festival. Such packages are listed at www.calusabluewaypaddlingfestival. com and at www.fortmyers sanibel.com
• Dozens of local businesses have stepped up to sponsor events. For a complete list, go online to www.calusabluewaypaddlingfestival. com
• The festival is being coordinated by Lee County Parks & Recreation with assistance from above mentioned businesses and municipalities, non-profits, conservation groups, chambers of commerce and others.
• Festival attendees who visit three or more events can be entered in a drawing for a two-night stay at the Tarpon Lodge, which sits on the Great Calusa Blueway in Pine Island Sound.
• Festival attendees who attend at least one of the free Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival Speakers Series will be eligible to win a $100 gift card to Bass Pro Shops.
• Competitors in the Imperial River Challenge, a time-trial race on Saturday Oct. 27, stand to win some of the $1,000 in prize money. Competitors in the Midpoint Paddle Sprint (Oct. 27) and the Paddle of the Pass (Nov. 4) can gain points on the Florida Competition Paddlers Association circuit.
• Blueway festival merchandise is available. In the spirit of the eco-event, festival T-shirts are made of 100 percent organic cotton with vegetable-based inks. Those who enter the race events and fishing tournament receive T-shirts; others can buy shirts at various event sites for $12.50 from Lee County Parks & Recreation.
A complete look at the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival can be found online at www.calusabluewaypaddlingfestival.com and click on "events."
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