"You'll find no more trustworthy guide to take you through time and wild nature . . . highly recommended."--Susan Cerulean, author of Tracking Desire: A Journey After Swallow-Tailed Kites and coeditor of The Wild Heart of Florida (UPF)

"A visceral, seminal work. . . . Shares many of the keen insights of Aldo Leopold's classic, Sand County Almanac."--Michael Wisenbaker, Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources

Florida's Big Bend Coast is one of America's longest and wildest continuous wetlands. Seminole Indians once sought refuge from American soldiers along its shores. Today, visitors find a different kind of refuge, a refuge from a hectic world.

In the first comprehensive armchair guide to this region, naturalist and explorer Doug Alderson introduces readers to Florida's frontier past and evolving future. Interweaving history, folkways, and observations from life in the great outdoors, Alderson tells tales of his travels by sea kayak along the Big Bend Saltwater Paddling Trail, which runs from the Aucilla River to the town of Suwannee. He retraces the footsteps of famed naturalist John Muir in Cedar Key, shares little-known stories of backcountry feuds that rivaled the Hatfields and McCoys, uncovers amusing theories as to why mullet jump, and invites salty local characters to share the spotlight.

Sometimes poignant, often humorous, and always engaging, Waters Less Traveled is the perfect travel companion for anyone who wants a bit of adventure without leaving home.

Doug Alderson is former associate editor of Florida Wildlife magazine. He is currently field director for a sea kayak trail that will circumnavigate the entire state.

Sample Chapter(s):

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Awards
Runner-Up, North American Travel Journalists Assn. Award - 2007

"The author is a perceptive observer who has produced a fascinating book well worth the attention of any reader interested in the state's wilderness treasures or storied history. Alderson has the knack of telling a good story and also excels in painting evocative word portraits of Florida's natural world. And, he also has a talent for writing funny. This is, in fact, one of those rare books that will often have the reader laughing out loud as he turns the pages."
--Apalachee Tortoise

"This is one volume in a series of books published by the University Press of Florida to raise awareness of the history and culture of Florida and to increase the number of people who care about the welfare of this special place."
--Wave Length Magazine

"Invites you to look at this part of Florida through the eyes of someone who cares deeply about the changes occurring in this part of the world, and shares his concerns and hopes for the future of the coastline." "Reading these stories gave me a deeper understanding of the heartbreaks and suffering the early settlers encountered in their quest to tame the Florida wilderness."
--Wakulla Area Times

"The adventure provides good reading."
--Water's Edge Magazine

"With this book, you can vicariously experience one of America's longest and wildest continuous wetlands."
--redhillswritersproject.org

" A highly readable and very interesting addition to the Universtiy Press of Florida's ongoing Florida History and Culture series. Waters Less Traveled will certainly send readers back to the book shelves to learn more about several of the topics highlighted in Alderson's book."
--H-Net Reviews