- December 26, 2024
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Scott Cornelius knows the Tomoka River better than probably most in the area.
A lifelong Ormond Beach resident, Cornelius grew up exploring the river, and as an adult, he and his wife Ashley run the Tomoka Outpost inside Tomoka State Park, where they offer boat tours, as well as rent kayaks and canoes to explore the waterway the couple loves so dearly. And about three years ago, Cornelius was contacted via email by author Sandy Huff, who invited him to share some of his knowledge.
"A few months ago, the book came out, and it's just neat to be a part of something," Cornelius said.
His contribution to the second edition of "Paddler's Guide to the Sunshine State," by Huff and Lars Andersen, is found in chapter 28, where Cornelius outlines the 11-mile state canoe and kayak trail, which runs down the Tomoka River into Strickland Creek and down to Sanchez Park before looping back to Tomoka State Park.
Cornelius also aimed to give paddlers options for different skill levels. He includes two more suggestions in the book: The "Beach Street Boogie" (which he created and named) is a one-hour paddling loop in the Tomoka River; and the "Gilligan's Island Loop" takes paddlers on a two to three hour tour of the Tomoka River. If paddlers choose to, this loop could turn into an all-day excursion, as Cornelius said there are great places to stop and hang out along the way.
Cornelius had never written anything for a book, so when he was tasked with this, it was a new challenge.
"This isn't just for me or Ashley or a friend or family member to read," he said. "... It's going to be produced and put out to the entire state of Florida and to have the pressure of contributing in a good way to the Tomoka River, to the Tomoka State Park, to my name and the Tomoka Outpost — which are all the reasons I was doing it in the first place, to be found — it was definitely a weird pressure."
Cornelius hopes this is a stepping stone for him to pursue writing, and hopes to put his family's history down on paper.
"Paddler's Guide to the Sunshine State" is available for purchase at the Tomoka Outpost and on Amazon.
