Nothing like some good ghost stories on a cool Florida evening around a campfire (or at home in your favorite reading chair). And nothing like a swamp as a good, scary setting, especially Florida's famous ones--from the Everglades to Mosquito Lagoon. Mysterious things just happen in swamps. Maybe it's because they are often wet, shadowy places of wild beauty where few people go. Where else but a swamp can you find a ghost who is obsessed with the ghost orchid? Throw in a skunk ape or two and you've got the ingredients for many entertaining hours. In writing tales for this book, Doug Alderson drew upon many years of entertaining young people as a summer camp counselor and storyteller, and also from decades as a swamp explorer. He is a former associate editor of Florida Wildlife magazine. To learn more about his writing and photography, log onto his website at www.dougalderson.net.

"A stunning story collection of mystical figures who seek meaning and inner peace in a world plagued by turmoil. These stories exhibit the deep connection to nature and respect for the South's environment and rich history that we've come to expect from Alderson. No one does it better." -Donna Meredith, author of The Glass Madonna and The Color of Lies Attorney Simon McCallister doesn't remember much about the accident-something about swerving his BMW in front of a fruit truck-but when he finds himself wandering through the dark woods of his boyhood with his long dead grandfather calling to him, he becomes concerned. And when his grandfather leads him to a farm house filled with long deceased relatives, Simon wonders if he has passed onto the other side. For Simon, however, his adventures are just beginning. "Simon's Wondrous Garden," winner of a third place Royal Palm Literary Award from the Florida Writers Association and the headliner feature in this collection of stories from a gifted Southern writer, chronicles the life of an Atlanta attorney who begins having paranormal experiences after a car accident. Reaching back to his farm roots, he is inspired to turn his manicured suburban yard into an odorous vegetable garden, provoking the wrath of his wife and neighbors. What follows is both humorous and profound. Other stories include a tale of an Oklahoma Creek Indian who returns to his ancestral Southern homeland only to be confronted with a villain from his peoples' past. There is an Old Florida love story between a crusty mullet fisherman and a northern transplant, and a yarn about a man who, by happenstance, finds himself on the street with only one friend he can trust. "Slave Canal," winner of a second place Seven Hills literary award for short stories, showcases a former slave who returns to the place of his torment to find peace. These stories fill this captivating collection.

"With a naturalist's keen eye and the sense of adventure of an explorer, Doug Alderson reveals a compelling glimpse of Florida. Wild Florida Adventures proves that there's so much more to the Sunshine State than condos and theme parks." Conor Mihel, editor-at-large, Canoe & Kayak Magazine "Only consummate Florida outdoor writer Doug Alderson could have penned such a delightful - and practical - guide to exploring the state's natural wonders." Jennifer Portman, Tallahassee Democrat senior writer. "I've had a great time traipsing around the Florida rivers and trails with Doug Alderson, and as a Florida native, I learn something new every trip. I'm very excited about this book... so I can help unlock the secret places Doug knows about and I haven't been " Bryan Desloge, President, Florida Association of Counties On land or water, Florida is a wild playground because of its incredible beauty, diversity and vast stretches of public lands. In Wild Florida Adventures, author and photographer Doug Alderson will inspire you to pick up a paddle or lace up the hiking boots and start exploring the Sunshine State. From kayaking the length of the Florida Keys to searching for record-sized trees in a huge swamp to meeting the famous naked man of the Santa Fe River, this complementary sequel to Wild Florida Waters takes readers into Florida's unique places. A couple of favorite rivers such as the Suwannee and Wekiva are revisited with a different twist, and land adventures include a journey through the botanical wonderland of Torreya State Park, an exploration of a wild cave near Marianna, and a frigid campout in the Osceola National Forest with former Florida senator and governor Lawton Chiles. One out-of-state adventure-trying to tackle the mighty Mississippi River by canoe-has been added because it reveals the shortcomings of planning a long-distance trip a thousand miles away in Florida. The results are disastrous-and funny. Useful how-to information at the end of each chapter helps people plan their own adventures.

Let the names of Florida's rivers and coastal waters roll off your tongue: Ocklawaha, Chassahowitzka, Suwannee, Waccasassa, Aucilla, Wacissa, Sopchoppy, Withlachoochee, Loxahatchee, Homosassa, Pithlachascotee, Econfina, Kissimmee... If you've paddled these waters in a canoe or kayak, the Native American place names evoke winding streams and shaded hammocks, shimmering coastal waters and wild tree islands. Florida is made for paddling. "Wild Florida Waters" places Florida's unsurpassed beauty and abundant wildlife in the forefront, from the mangrove labyrinth of the Ten Thousand Islands to the springfed Ichetucknee River. It also includes an exciting dose of paddling adventures, whether it's tipping over in the Suwannee River's Big Shoals rapids, surfing wind-generated waves while paddling the remote Apalachee Bay, or meeting up with a different form of "wild life" on a scenic waterway. Through all of the adrenalin, a strong conservation message permeates the volume, and useful how-to information is included at the end of each chapter. "A celebration of a part of Florida most visitors-and many residents-never see, a celebration of what old-timers call the real Florida." --Warren Richey, author of "Without a Paddle: Racing Twelve Hundred Miles Around Florida by Sea Kayak" "It is past time somebody wrote a book of this caliber. A treasure trove of information for nature enthusiasts." --Bill Richards, Executive Director, Paddle Florida "His blend of history and personal anecdotes is both entertaining and enlightening." --Tom McLaulin, president, Florida Paddling Trails Association

It is late August, 1815. Eleven-year-old Jenny Moses and her mother, Annie, work as field slaves on a southern Alabama plantation. When they learn of their master's plans to sell Jenny and separate mother and daughter, they choose to run. During a perilous week-long journey, they are helped by Cato, another young runaway, and together they travel to the banks of Florida's Apalachicola River. There they find friendly settlements of escaped slaves, free blacks and Native Americans. With the aid of an abandoned but fully-fortified British fort, Jenny, Annie, Cato and a new friend-Crazy Bear-are swept up in the hope that a new country of blacks and Indians, one in which everyone is free, can be carved out of this strange new land. In the meantime, there are slave hunters to contend with, such as the evil Rube, and armies bent on destroying their dreams.

People have long been fascinated by the American alligator. Ever since humans arrived on the continent more than 15,000 years ago, the American alligator has been both feared and revered, celebrated and scorned, and often hunted for food and hide. Once tourism began to take hold in the South as a real industry, especially in Florida, the alligator took on iconic and even mythical status. "One of the most picturesque features of Florida has always been that uncouth and fierce-looking reptile called the alligator," wrote Nevin O. Winter in 1918. "Everybody who comes down here to the peninsula has an ambition to see one in the wild." Seminole Indians wrestled alligators for show. Alligator souvenirs and mascots often took what people feared-a sharp-toothed predator-and made it into something cute and cuddly. Alligator-themed songs were recorded and released, including "See You Later Alligator" by Bill Haley and His Comets. Hollywood into created alligator-themed movies such as Alligator People. Alligators were also reportedly kept in the White House under two presidencies. And perhaps the most unusual alligator story was one that helped to nab Ma Barker and her son Fred when they were hiding out along Florida's Lake Weir. America's Alligator examines the colorful and sometimes conflicted relationship our species has had with Alligator mississippiensis. Doug Alderson explores the country's rich alligator mythology and how it inspired various forms of art, stories, photography, tourism and even humor.