The people there are generous, the environment there is also fantastic. If you're looking for…read morevolunteer work and you love horses this is the place for you

Stirrups n Strides is perhaps one of the most impressive riding stables I have been at. They are…read morea riding program for handicapped people. The barn is professionally run by a horse person who has shown and trainers horses for over 40 years. They request a phone call to make an appointment for a tour.

I booked a shuttle online because I brought my own kayak. The folks at the shop were very nice and…read moreextremely knowledgeable about the river. The shuttle driver was also very professional and knowledgeable about the river, the accesses, and the ecosystem. Would 100% recommend this shuttle service to anyone wanting to float the Santa Fe, especially if you want to get away from the crowds.

Rum 138 is a fun great place to visit, the 6 mile paddle that they scheduled us on was wonderful…read more Beautiful clear river with some gators, an otter and lots of beautiful water. They offer festival fun during off season time in the area as well.

Great place to spend some time. Nice shady spots, excellent trails, and the owners are sweet and…read moreaccommodating. Highly recommende.

We had the pleasure of visiting Kate's Fish Camp around Thanksgiving and have to say that owners…read moreMike & Monica were open, welcoming, & helpful throughout our visit. FYI- Monica,...not "Kate", is the current "proprietress", chuckling as folks tend to still address her as "Kate". Being Nature Lovers ourselves, we fully acknowledge the rationale for not having an on-site dump station, with such close proximity to natural waterways, and such. This information is freely shared when calling or upon arrival with the additional info provided of access to dump station at local Love's Travel Center in Hawthorne. Knowing this, arrive with empty tanks in your camper unit, to give you peace of mind & extra time. The water provided is great; Wifi Access -Kudos!; and the shower facility offers a wonderful, strong, steamy, hot-water flow with the added treat of seeing the moon & night sky above! The shower area and bathroom were always kept clean, well-stocked, and well-lit for evening visits. Our stay also followed the passes of both Helene & Milton...so things may have been looking a little rough... It was truly a pleasant surprise to have such easy access to the paved Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail, of which we made frequent use for biking; hiking; and all-around wild-life strolling....while greeting local fisherman along the way. Lots & Lots of wildlife!!...Actually saw 21 wild turkeys one morning, that came out of hiding right after Thanksgiving passed!! The entrance from the main road may be a bit bumpy from the pavement change, and possible weather impact, just be alert & as always,.. take your time. There are traffic sounds heard, due to easy access to & from the campground,...however, it served as white-noise during those times when we were inside the RV. The benefit of having a taste of "Old-Time" Florida with such ease of access to Restaurants; Services; Healthcare; Parks/preserves; Entertainment/Sports/Art venues; & shopping , pretty much gives the best of both worlds. Be sure to take a stroll to the Campsite Office be fore you depart & treat yourself by picking out one ( or more) of the many hand-made soaps; lotions; balms; shampoos; & "Swamp Juice" that Monica creates!....Don't forget to pick up a few extras for gifting those worthy friends & family members!!

44 South the restaurant in the clubhouse is great. Weekly specials keep great variety. The staff is…read moreawesome and X life makes it a great value too.

Food is good if overpriced due to service fee. Management is not well trained or responsive to…read morecustomer complaints.

I caught the tail end of the larger museum setup, but that was a sight! I miss it :)…read moreThey still have some samples of old English long bows and arrows. Ooh, and only some of the stuffed hunted animals remain. Eric is still there and as awesome as ever!! I've brought some friends in who were interested in beginning archery and Eric had been nothing but a rock star - uber knowledgeable, helpful and understanding, and uber welcoming to the sport. This place has outdoor targets in varying yards ranging from a now unofficially marked 10 yard distance to 70 yards. Outdoors, plenty of trees, and free. Only caveat to being outside is.. If you shoot an arrow into the woods you gotta go and fetch them yourself. In my opinion, that just adds to the experience :). A little crazy during the summer with all the bugs haha. Very nice during the winter. Also, I have yet to see more than three target range taken, so I would almost day you're guaranteed a range everyone! If you wanna pay a little extra, there are reserved areas inside the building for members, and reserved parking too!

**Extremely Disappointing Customer Service - KaNisha Meriwether**…read more My experience dealing with KaNisha Meriwether was incredibly frustrating\. I made an honest mistake when ordering my compound bow and contacted customer service willing to pay the difference to get the correct package\. I offered several reasonable solutions, including paying through an invoice, purchasing the missing accessories separately, or exchanging the bow through an authorized local dealer\. KaNisha repeatedly dismissed every option and insisted that my only choice was to return the bow, wait for a refund, reorder, and wait another two weeks for the replacement\. I understand that company policies exist, but I was disappointed by the lack of effort to explore alternatives or escalate the situation to someone who might be able to help\. The difference was only around $20-$25, and I was willing to pay it\. I wasn't asking for anything free\. I was simply asking for a reasonable solution to an honest mistake\. Instead, I felt like I was being brushed off rather than helped\. What makes this especially disappointing is that my family has supported this company for generations\. My great\-grandfather, grandfather, father, and I have all been customers, and I was hoping to pass that tradition on to my daughter\. I even still own my grandfather's Alaskan bow from the 1970s\. To have that kind of family history with a company and then feel completely dismissed over a relatively small price difference is disappointing\. **KaNisha, customer service is about more than repeating what a customer cannot do\. It's about making a reasonable effort to find out what can be done\.** Even if company policy ultimately prevented an exchange, I expected more effort, communication, and willingness to escalate the issue\. I hope management reviews this interaction and considers whether this is the kind of customer service experience they want representing their company\. After generations of loyalty, this experience has seriously damaged my confidence in the company\. **A very disappointing experience that could have been handled with much more care and effort\.**

Called ahead and checked hours for rental operations, return time,etc. when we arrived we were told…read morethat whoever we spoke with was incorrect and that they stopped renting at 2pm!? This wasn't what we were told nor is that posted on any website or anywhere. Very random and wanton hours that must depend on the day or whims of operators.

1. Took several phone calls from two of our staff to secure our reservation. We spent time on the…read morephone when we did get through to Jay explaining that we had a group of seniors and we wanted an easy kayak for them. 2. When we needed to alter reservations, we received no return phone call. 3. When we arrived and asked for a change to the reservation we were told absolutely not. We pointed out that we called the number given to us to try and do this in advance, but were told that didn't change anything as we left a message when the outfitter wasn't open. 4. When we launched, no one explained safety gear, paddling procedures, that the kayaks had foot pedals, or where we would take out. When we asked for a map or chart, we were told to find one on our phones. 5. When kayaker had medical issue (heat exhaustion, accelerated heartbeat, and leg cramping), which manifested in the 1/4 mile before the spring run at at Gilchrist Springs, Deacon (the bright spot of the entire trip) tried to get someone to pick him up and was told we should switch his kayak and that no one would come get the person. 6. Deacon (again, the bright spot, perhaps put this kid in charge) tried, without success, to fix the broken seat for the kayaker in distress. He also showed him how to use the foot pedals to help keep the seat from sliding. He did offer to switch kayaks, putting the distressed kayaker in a tandem with one of the group leaders. He clearly wanted to do more and had empathy, but anything else was clearly above his pay grade. This brought the total of boats on the water down by one (which will come into play in a moment) 7. No one mentioned the rapids. Fairly mild for seasoned and competent kayakers, but for a group of seniors who stated they were seeking an easy paddle, a mention of this when Jay told us which would work would have been advisable. 8. When we reach the take-out, one of the men working commented that he thought the seat of the kayak in question (distressed kayaker) might have been broken when he set out the boats at the launch that morning. If so, why did no one attempt to remedy this at the time? 9. In response to this, I explained we had switched two kayakers to a tandem at Gilchrist, (at this point, the trip is over) to which he replied, "Oh, so that's why there's one less kayak coming back. I wondered about that." So... he noticed we were short a boat but didn't wonder or question as to what happened to the boat? What if someone had gone missing? Does this outfitter have any sort of safety protocols in place? 10. We called after roughly 30 minutes waiting to get picked up at the end of the run. That appears to be when someone send the van to get us, even though staff assured us when we took out of the river someone was already on the way. We will not use any AOA services again.

Amazing staff and facility that goes the extra mile for birthday parties. Highly recommended.read more

Great February day kayaking with our 35# dog. DJ was spot on knowing that a single kayak would…read morecomfortably fit a person and the dog, We saw lots of bird life along the cypress groves on Lake Sante Fe and enjoyed exploring the canals. Super easy and fun, a great rental.

Today at the Melrose boat launch ramp, I witnessed some truly unacceptable behavior from a local…read morebusiness owner. DJ, from DJ's Kayak and Canoe Rentals, aggressively confronted an elderly couple who were simply trying to load up their boat and leave. DJ had just arrived at the ramp with his trailer of kayaks right as the couple began loading up. It took them less than five minutes, but during that time, DJ loudly berated them, making snide remarks and pressuring them to move their trailer so he could back his in. His tone was hostile, impatient, and completely uncalled for. After the couple drove away, DJ continued to mock them in front of his clients, sarcastically repeating "Welcome to Melrose" and making further rude comments. I can't confirm this part, but I believe I also overheard him say something disrespectful about other kayakers launching nearby, including a comment about someone's service dog. Seeing all this, I felt compelled to leave a review on his business page, because this kind of behavior isn't just unprofessional, it's damaging to the welcoming, respectful atmosphere our community is known for. If someone treats locals this way, I personally don't think they should be supported by the community. Below is the response he gave to my review on Google.