And another state park with interesting paddling that might be along the route is Caddo Lake State Park on the TX/LA line: 
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/caddo_lake/
�
It's definitely not what you would expect to find in Texas.
�
Craig

--- On Wed, 1/6/10, Mike South <msouth@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

From: Mike South <msouth@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: heading through the deep south soon, anyone on my route?
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Wednesday, January 6, 2010, 1:04 PM

On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 12:35 PM, Joy Hecht <jhecht@alum.mit.edu> wrote:

> Deep south, for me = Alabama & Mississippi.� Maybe Georgia?
>

Speaking of Georgia, not sure if you'll be this far east, and I don't
remember what it was like in winter, but we used to rent canoes and paddle
around in the Okefenokee swamp.� There was a very low-key state park we
would drive to from Valdosta, Ga (entering on the west side of the swamp).
I've never been anywhere like that before or since--you can paddle right up
to the gators (not that I'm advising you to) completely unsupervised and
basically silent.� I don't know if the gators will be out during the winter,
but paddling in the black water among those trees would still be worth a
significant detour in my opinion.

mike

> Texas is visiting friends in Austin and Ft. Worth, and a cousin in Dallas.
> I've been to San Antonio - alas, over a very cold Christmas, when it snowed
> on the Mexican border.� Not much fun!
>
> Oklahoma, of course, is visiting Larry & Maggie in Ponca City!
>
> Colorado is visiting friends in Denver & Boulder.
>
> The deep south is the great unknown for me....
>
>
>
> Joy
>
> On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 1:24 PM, <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
>
> > Are you including Texas as part of the "Deep South"?� It's not of course
> > (it's Texas, which is its own special place), but some folks from the
> East
> > and the North consider it so out of ignorance.� If you want pointers in
> > Texas and Oklahoma (also not part of the South of course), give me an
> idea
> > of your route and whether you are looking for nature or other kinds of
> > spots.� I can suggest places better with that information.� Lots of
> really
> > neat places of course.
> >
> > David McNeely
> >
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 11:30 AM, Joy Hecht wrote:
> >
> >� Hi all,
> >>
> >> I'm planning to head across Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi & Louisiana to
> >> Texas late January-early February, en route to visit friends in Texas,
> >> Oklahoma, and Colorado.
> >>
> >> I'm interested in interesting suggestions on places to stop in the deep
> >> south.� I've been saying ever since I first traveled in my van that I
> >> wanted
> >> to spend some time in the south in the winter, and I've never actually
> >> done
> >> it.� I don't know how much time I'll actually end up with, but hopefully
> >> at
> >> least a couple of weeks for the Georgia-through-Mississippi stretch. (I
> >> have done a bit of exploring in Louisiana already.)
> >>
> >> Suggestions?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Joy
> >> and Matilda
> >> and the kayak, who would love to get out onto the water on the way as
> >> well...
> >>
> >
>