Five days down the Chipola River
Dear Viewer,
In April of 1986, my father, Richard L. “Dick” Hinson Jr., and his longtime friend Sonny Anderson, (both Marianna, Fla. residents) began a one-hundred-mile-long trip in a two-person canoe. The goal was to travel the entire distance of the Chipola River from its beginning to where it ends as it reaches the point of confluence with the Apalachicola River.
The pictures these men took during that trip are a fine documentation of an area that is continually teeming with a wide range of flora and fauna. The entire trip took five days to complete as the river took them through three Florida counties, those being Jackson, Calhoun and Gulf counties.
The narration you will hear was done by Dick Hinson. I think you will agree that his deep baritone voice and relaxed delivery makes your viewing these photographs even more enjoyable.
It should be noted that both men were just shy of their sixtieth birthdays when they made this rather challenging journey. It was a goal they had long aspired to achieve. Sadly, both Dick and Sonny have been deceased now for many years. That said, it was a great honor for me to have been asked to pen an introduction to this presentation. It would indeed make both men proud to know that their adventure could be enjoyed by current and future generations of viewers.
Enjoy the show,
Randall Hinson
Marianna, Florida
May 2021