Lealman, FL Outdoor Activities

When a family of five wanted to go on a kayak tour, they assumed their daughter with Down's syndrome couldn't come along. But Shan-T co-owner Michelle Thorpe assured them she could, and invited her along in her own tandem kayak. Once on the water, the girl immediately took charge, joyfully taking over paddling. Michelle and her husband Gary had always searched for a way to conduct fun, physical, outdoor activities that would accommodate people with special needs, including their daughter with Asperger's and their niece who is autistic. Taking advantage of the therapeutic nature of the area's calm waters, Shan-T provides a way for just about everyone to commune with nature. The couple operates their tours intimately, using no more than 15 boats per group so that wilderness smells and the sounds of lapping waves are prevalent throughout their adventures.

The pair leads their tours through secluded, often shallow waterways and wildlife-rich areas aboard ocean-style kayaks with open tops for easy boarding and egress. They sometimes allow participants to use the boats as standup paddleboards on which participants can stretch their legs or reach up to scratch head itches with overhanging branches. On each tour, guides stress the fragility of the local ecosystem, highlighting issues such as baby fish growing up inside discarded soda cans and dolphins consuming floating plastic bags. In response, participants often pick up any refuse they see, with tours in the past becoming scavenger hunts to help clean the secluded waterways and to see who can find the most Gene Simmons solo albums. On many of these trips, kayakers have encountered manatees up close, sometimes when they brush up against the boats to scratch their backs and bellies.

Certified as a 100 Ton Master Captain by the U.S. Coast Guard, Red Devil Fishing Adventures’ Captain John Gibson leads near-shore reef-fishing excursions in Gulf waters from Venice to Tarpon Springs. Captain John's 24-foot motorized vessel disengages its seaworthy hull from shore to chase after undersea denizens such as cobia, grouper, snapper, and mackerel, offering aspiring anglers high-quality gear and lines with which to angle. Besides fishing expeditions, the captain regularly wanders away from the mainland to engage in bird watching, shelling, nature tours, and languid afternoons of sunbathing on West Florida's isolated islands. Excursions run seven days a week and are subject to weather conditions, availability, and favorable predictions from the captain’s magic 8 ball.

Having judged six world-championship shows as a USEF Big R judge, Rick Davis bestows his time-earned expertise upon riders visiting his 11-acre ranch. The stable offers private and group riding lessons in addition to horse boarding and training services. A saddlery stocked with tack, saddles, and riding apparel sits next to the lounge, which is heated and air-conditioned to ensure an ideal temperature during private parties whatever the occasion or dress code. Over the past 40 years, Rick Davis Stables has produced a number of champions, who inspire beginners hoping to master the art of equitation.