Normally rivers flow north to south, leading to the belief that north is "up" and south is "down." In Florida, on St John's River, "up" is "down" and the water flows north for about 300 miles. It is wide and calm enough that visitors can rent houseboats for small to mid-sized groups and float through some very interesting water. Sometimes its fresh and sometimes salty, making dolphin and manatee sightings not uncommon. This creates a unique situation where a group can be on a houseboat vacation while also swimming with ocean animals.

Though there's plenty of nearby civilization most of St John's River is in protected grasslands, which is where the wonderful bird watching takes place. There may occassionaly be beaches but primarily you'll be staying on your boat. While there, another unique opportunity is being able to fish for both largemouth bass and flounder, sea trout or American shad.

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