The Time-release Dose – Happy Birthday to Sand Key lighthouse, July 20, 1853!

Posted by Kayakfari on July 20, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, Audubon, awakenthegrass, beach, beer, dive, everglades, Everglades birds, extreme birdwatching, Findeisen Shearwater, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, history, holidays, hurricane, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key west, keys, landscape, lighthouse, ONEWAY, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, rasta, reality check, reef, Sand Key, sea kayaker, south florida, summer, surf ski, surfski, tropical, wreck. Tagged: 169, 169 years, 42, 420, adventure paddling, aerial pole photography, Alexander Mitchell, Architect I.W.P. Lewis, atlantic., awakenthegrass, Beach, beacon, Blessings, blue water, cast iron, Coral Reef, coral research, crystal clear water, distance paddling, dive, feel irie, Findeisen Shearwater, fire coral, First-order fresnel lens, fishform surfski, fitness, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, florida keys paddling, Florida Keys Reef Lights, florida landscape, florida reefs, florida surfski, fort zachary taylor, fresnel, fresnel lens, Frigate Birds, Ft Zachary Taylor, Ft Zachary Taylor state park, gulf of mexico, gulf stream, gulfstream, History, irie, iron pile, iron screw pile, July 20 1853, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak fitness, kayak florida, kayak florida keys, kayak key west, kayak keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key west, key west lighthouse, keys, keys lights, keys paddling, keys snorkeling, landscape, light, lighthouse, lower Keys, Man-O-War Bird, nautical history, ocean, offshore, offshore kayaking, offshore paddling, ONEWAY, oneway surfski, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, paddling, panorama, pentax, pentax q, pentax wg-3, Photography, piracy, pole aerial photography, pole photography, reality check, reef, reef photography, Sand Key, Sand Key kayak, Sand Key lighthouse, Sea Kayaker, shearwater, shearwater surfski, ship wreck, shipwreck, snorkel, soft coral, South Florida, south florida history, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida lighthouses, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, south florida surfski, spar buoy, spur and groove reef, straightpile, summer, summer heat, surf ski, surfski, surfski findeisen, surfski touring, surrender to the heat, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tubular skeletal tower, turquoise water, turtle grass, vintage surfski, water, wing paddle, wreck, wreckers, wrecking, wrought iron. Leave a comment

One hundred and

sixty-nine years young.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

flex maslan Kayakfari reef sand key west lighthouse kayak paddle dive history photography surfski fort zachary taylor

Mango and I at the Sand Key Lighthouse which was first lit on July 20, 1853.
Sand Key Lighthouse – kayaking to the “southern star” of the offshore Keys reef lights!

.

This is the only offshore Keys reef lighthouse that

I was able to stand under on dry ground.

Nothing quenches thirst quite like a home grown mango!

The Sand Key lighthouse was the second of the six Florida Keys offshore reef lights to be constructed during the second half of the 19th century. It was also the second lighthouse erected on Sand Key, replacing a previous brick structure which was completely swept away during a fierce hurricane in 1846. On July 20, 1853 the light was lit for the first time and projected with a first-order Fresnel lens manufactured by Henry-Lepaute of Paris, France. This was the first application of such a lens on a Florida lighthouse and it remained in place in the lantern room until 1967!

Click for:

The history of the two Sand Key lighthouses

( PDF reprinted from The Keeper’s Log — Summer 2003 www.uslhs.org )

.

This skeletal iron tower once stood on a sizable island of actual dry sandy ground. However later hurricanes would wash away much of the sand above water as early as 1856. This resilient lighthouse still stands, but currently Sand Key is just a small sporadically roving sandy shoal which appears and disappears with the years and seasons.

Paddling into lower Keys nautical history

off Key West.

.

Happy Birthday Sand Key Lighthouse!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/sand-key-lighthouse-kayaking-to-the-southern-star-of-the-offshore-keys-reef-lights/

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – July 16, 1899, a picnic at Sand Key lighthouse off Key West.

Posted by Kayakfari on July 16, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, Audubon, awakenthegrass, beach, beer, dive, everglades, Everglades birds, extreme birdwatching, Findeisen Shearwater, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, history, holidays, hurricane, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key west, keys, landscape, lighthouse, ONEWAY, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, rasta, reality check, reef, Sand Key, sea kayaker, south florida, summer, surf ski, surfski, tropical, wreck. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure paddling, aerial pole photography, Alexander Mitchell, Architect I.W.P. Lewis, atlantic., awakenthegrass, Beach, beacon, Blessings, blue water, cast iron, Coral Reef, coral research, crystal clear water, distance paddling, dive, feel irie, Findeisen Shearwater, fire coral, First-order fresnel lens, fishform surfski, fitness, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, florida keys paddling, Florida Keys Reef Lights, florida landscape, florida reefs, florida surfski, fort zachary taylor, fresnel, fresnel lens, Frigate Birds, Ft Zachary Taylor, Ft Zachary Taylor state park, gulf of mexico, gulf stream, gulfstream, History, irie, iron pile, iron screw pile, July 16 1899, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak fitness, kayak florida, kayak florida keys, kayak key west, kayak keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key west, key west lighthouse, keys, keys lights, keys paddling, keys snorkeling, landscape, light, lighthouse, lower Keys, Man-O-War Bird, nautical history, ocean, offshore, offshore kayaking, offshore paddling, ONEWAY, oneway surfski, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, paddling, panorama, pentax, pentax q, pentax wg-3, Photography, picnic Sand Key lighthouse, piracy, pole aerial photography, pole photography, reality check, reef, reef photography, Sand Key, Sand Key kayak, Sand Key lighthouse, Sea Kayaker, shearwater, shearwater surfski, ship wreck, shipwreck, snorkel, soft coral, South Florida, south florida history, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida lighthouses, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, south florida surfski, spar buoy, spur and groove reef, straightpile, summer, summer 2020, summer heat, surf ski, surfski, surfski findeisen, surfski touring, surrender to the heat, the Keys, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tubular skeletal tower, turquoise water, turtle grass, vintage surfski, water, wing paddle, wreck, wreckers, wrecking, wrought iron. Leave a comment

That one time I brought my home grown mango

to a watermelon picnic on July 16,

but over 120 years late.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

flex maslan Kayakfari reef sand key west lighthouse kayak paddle dive history photography surfski fort zachary taylor 1899

A watermelon picnic under the Sand Key Lighthouse on July 16, 1899.
Sand Key Lighthouse – kayaking to the “southern star” of the offshore Keys reef lights!

.

By coincidence, my mango fiesta privada at Sand Key

was on the same date, thus continuing the picnic.

The Sand Key lighthouse was the second of the six Florida Keys offshore reef lights to be constructed during the second half of the 19th century. It was also the second lighthouse erected on Sand Key, replacing a previous brick structure which was completely swept away during a fierce hurricane in 1846. This skeletal iron tower once stood on a sizable island of actual dry sandy ground. However later hurricanes would wash away much of the sand above water as early as 1856. This resilient lighthouse still stands, but currently Sand Key is just a small sporadically roving sandy shoal which appears and disappears with the years and seasons.

From time to time, sand can build back up around the lighthouse shoal large enough to support additional structures and buildings. While the sand lasted in would attract people to visit and also large number of animals, particularly birds. It’s been written that thousands of terns once congregated on the Sand Key shoal to nest. Due to the close proximity to Key West and the many visitors, the Tern eggs were gathered en masse for food. Even the lighthouse keepers would get in on it and gather bucket loads full to give away. By the turn of the 20th century, the takings were so great that out of over ten thousand birds nesting, only a few hundred were actually left to hatch. It was also during this time that many birds were being slaughtered in huge numbers in an orgy of greed, sometimes wiping out entire rookeries in an afternoon. This decimated water bird populations on the islands, particularly in Florida Bay and the Everglades.

This is the only offshore Keys reef lighthouse where

I was able to stand under it on (mostly) dry ground.

Outrage over wholesale slaughter of shorebirds by the millions prompted the earliest conservation efforts with the passage of laws to curtail the millinery trade. In fact, in 1905, Guy Bradley was hired to serve as the first Audubon game warden. In 1905 he was shot and killed by bird poachers in Florida Bay, just outside of Flamingo. The same year the National Audubon Society was founded. Today the Tropical Audubon Society continues locally to advocate for conservation, education and preservation of our wetlands and wildlife. On Sand Key itself, the keepers would eventually become wardens themselves and secure the Tern nests on the island. However hurricanes have always blown away everything else save for the lighthouse itself!

Kayaking through South Florida

nautical history from Key West!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/sand-key-lighthouse-kayaking-to-the-southern-star-of-the-offshore-keys-reef-lights/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – A Declaration of Independence from Land!

Posted by Kayakfari on June 30, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, camping, cosmos, everglades, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, king tides, landscape, moonlight, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, psychedelic, rasta, reality check, sea kayaker, seda glider, sombrero, south florida, summer, sun, sunburn, surreal art, tropical. Tagged: 360, 360 panorama, 360 photography, 42, 420, a higher ground, adventure, aerial, aerial 360, aerial kayak, aerial photo, aerial pole photography, art, banana boat, Barracuda Keys, Bay side, Beach, Big Pine Key, Biscayne Bay, blimp, burnt, Camp, camp cooking, colors, Coral Reef, crabs, Cudjoe Key, decorated reality, digital art, Everglades Art, everglades kayak, everglades paddling, exploration, Extreme Birdwatching, faith in numbers, fat albert, feel irie, fisheye, fishing, fitness, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, full moon, Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, Greenland stick, ground level view, gulf, gulf of mexico, high tide, higher, Higher Consciousness, higher ground, into the sun, irie, island, kayafari, kayak, kayak camping, kayak cooking, kayak florida, kayak florida keys, kayak key west, kayak miami, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, key west, keys, Keys backcountry, keys camping, keys colors, landscape, landscape photography, low tide, mangrove, mangrove creek, mangrove tunnel, Marvin Key, Marvin Key beach, mathematics, matrix, miami, Miami Kayak, night, ocean, Paddle, paddle miami, paddling, panorama, panoramic, pap, pastel, photo, Photography, pole aerial photography, reality check, ride, safety valve, sand bar, sandbar, sandbar camping, satellite, Sea Kayaker, seda glider, seeking higher ground, shells, shoal, skyline, Snipe Keys, Snipe mangroves, Snipe Point, snorkel, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, spatial distortion, stars, sugarloaf, Sugarloaf Key, summer kayaking, summer paddling, summer paddling florida, sun, sunrise, surf ski, surfski, Sweet and delicious moonlight, temporary place, temporary space, tidal flats, tides, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, water quality, wildlife refuge. Leave a comment

Seeking Higher ground and

Faith in Numbers in the Lower Keys!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

flex maslan kayakfari Barracuda Keys marvin shoal sandbar kayak paddle sugarloaf backcountry beach bay coral reef photography burnt

“Higher ground.”
Exploring a Higher Ground in the Lower Keys! Part I.

.

Part I : Camping on a sandbar shoal and paddling the Barracuda, Marvin and the Snipe Keys.

What’s real nice about a sandbar is that since it is surrounded by water and there’s no vegetation, there are absolutely no bugs to deal with. On the flip side, it gets hot under the summer sun, so it helps to bring your own shade in the form of an umbrella or a Sombrero.

If you decide to work on your tan, don’t forget to flip over.

You wouldn’t want to go home half baked!

As luck would have it, this summer trip occurred near the full moon and the tidal ranges were at the extremes for the Keys! The little sandbar shoal was just about underwater during the daytime high tide, and conversely the daytime low left the seabed exposed almost as far as the eye could see. The “top” of this shoal was smaller than a typical living room. The shape of the high ground “living room” was an interesting contoured triangle type shape that is often found repeated in nature.

Summertime kayaking and exploration of the

lower Keys backcountry.

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/higher-ground-in-the-lower-keys-and-faith-in-numbers/exploring-a-higher-ground-in-the-lower-keys/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – Preparation, Attitude and Lady Luck.

Posted by Kayakfari on June 23, 2022

Posted in: 1000mm lens, 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, camping, cape sable, chickees, Cloud9, cooking, cosmos, everglades, everglades art, Everglades birds, first national bank, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, island, johnson key, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, little rabbit key, mangrove, Nest Key, noseeum, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, rasta, reality check, sea kayaker, Shark Point Chickee, sombrero, south florida, summer, sun, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure, awakenthegrass.com, Beach, Blessings, camping, Camping with the Stars, carl ross key, chickee, chickee camping, Cloud9, coconut water, decorated reality, digital029art, dildo key bank, east cape, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades camping, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades paddling, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, feel irie, first national bank, fisheye lens, flamingo, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida bay photography, florida keys, Greenland stick, gulf of mexico, irie, island, johnson key, Johnson Key Chickee, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak camping, kayak everglades, kayak fitness, kayak florida, kayak florida keys, kayak miami, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayak touring, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking photography, landscape photography, little rabbit key, Mangrove bloom, Mangrove blossom, mangrove seedling, mangroves, mexican sombrero, mud flats, national park, open water, open water paddling, paddle florida bay, paddling, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, pentax, pentax q, Photography, rasta, reality check, roots paddling, sand bar, Sandy Key, Sea Kayaker, shark point, Shark Point Chickee, shoal, snake bight, sombrero, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, summer camping, summer camping everglades, summer kayaking, summer paddling, summer paddling florida, summer storms, sun protection, sun shade, sunset, sunshine state, surrender to the heat, sweet dreams, tent, thunder storm, tides, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical back country, tropical kayakfari, water, water levels, water quality, wet season, widely scattered showers. Leave a comment

If you stay out long enough,

the odds will eventually catch up with you!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

flex maslan kayakfari florida bay kayak summer paddle everglades chickee Camp flats tide turtle grass Keys heat adventure thunder storm

It was so bloody hot that we couldn’t even count straight anymore.
Everglades hot summer camping and cruising – the Central & Western Florida Bay loop!

.

Florida Bay is a special kind of place to get away

from it all but come prepared to keep the party polite.

.

Summer in South Florida is the wet and rainy season and tends to be very hot! For paddlers the extreme heat and humidity can be risk factors for those unprepared. On any summer trip, it is essential to have up to twice the amount of drinking water that you think you need! This means ideally you should have up to 2 gallons (8 liters) of water per day. Most of us living in South Florida are habituated to the comfort of air conditioning, and it’s very easy to underestimate how much water you can sweat out!

Also there is the ever present possibility of afternoon squalls and violent thunderstorms. This is really the main wildcard to deal with, although even in the summer the storms or lack there-of tend to come in batches. With keen observation, it is possible to find a window for camping and avoid storms. For one or two night trips, the odds can be good. However if you stay out long enough, the odds will eventually catch up, as we shall see!

You can read more about dealing with the summer heat in:

Surrender to the summer HEAT!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/everglades-hot-summer-camping-and-cruising-the-central-western-florida-bay-loop/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – Heaven and Hell ? Heaven or Hell.

Posted by Kayakfari on June 16, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, camping, chickees, chokoloskee, cooking, cosmos, everglades, everglades art, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, glades, gladesmen, history, humor, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, mangrove, mosquitoes, noseeum, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, prohibition, psychedelic, rain, rasta, reality check, sea kayaker, seda glider, sombrero, south florida, summer, sun, surreal art, swamp, ten thousand islands, totch brown, tropical. Tagged: 10 thousand, 10000, 10000 islands, 10k islands, 360, 42, 420, adventure, art, awakenthegrass, awakenthegrass.com, back country, banana boat, Beach, black sabbath, Blessings, buff, bugs, camping hell, camping islands, camping ten thousand islands, canoe, canoe everglades, canoe trail, chatham river, chickee camping, chokoloskee, circular fisheye, crooked creek, crooked creek chickee, cross bay, digital029art, dio, duck rock, environment, Everglades, everglades city, Everglades history, everglades kayak, everglades national park, everglades paddling, Everglades Photography, exploration, face protector, feel irie, fisheye lens, fitness, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, free life, frontier everglades, ft lauderdale kayak, Greenland, Greenland paddle, gulf of mexico, hammock, heaven, heaven and hell, hell, hot, hot and buggy, house hammock bay, humor, humour, huston, irie, island, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak florida, kayak florida keys, kayak miami, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking ten thousand islands, keys paddling, liquor still bay, little planet, lopez river, mangrove canopy, mangroves, miami, Miami Kayak, mosquitoes, no-see-ums, noseeums, ocean, outlaws, Paddle, paddling, paddling in the rain, pavilion key, photo, Photography, psychedelic, psychedelic camping, reality check, sand fly, Sea Kayaker, seda glider, shine on you crazy, skeeters, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, summer, summer camping, summer camping everglades, summer kayaking, summer paddling florida, summer rain, sun, sun shield, sunday bay, sunday bay chickee, swamp, sweetwater chickee, ten thousand, ten thousand islands, ten thousand islands kayak, tent, the watson place, totch, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, Turner River, water quality, watson's place, wilderness waterway. Leave a comment

Somewhere between

heaven and hell

lies

real Everglades paddling freedom!

.

The Sweetwater chickee camping platform was next on our list. It lies tucked away inside a little ‘finger cove’ of Sweetwater Bay. It is also pretty close to the Everglades interior (i.e. the slough) so the tidal influence was minimal here. I tasted the water and it was pretty sweet, probably good enough to filter. However this may not always be the case at other times of the year!

(tap or click pic to read)

Flex Maslan kayakfari camping hell everglades heaven kayak canoe bugs photography adventure ten thousand islands paddle rain

The Sweetwater chickee is aptly named for the water was indeed sweeter!
Heaven or Hell: Summer paddling and camping in the Ten Thousand Islands

.

Paddling in the summer heat really feels like being in a steam bath. I tried dunking myself in the water to cool off, but it was not very effective since the water felt like a hot tub. Still, the evaporation of the water did help a tiny bit. I was glad that I used an old somewhat leaky nylon spray skirt rather than my neoprene nice fitting one. The porousness did keep me cooler!

Some people bring sports drinks for hydration. I rely mostly on plain water supplemented with rations of young cocoanut water to replenish the sweated out salts. If you go paddling in the summer, it bears repeating:

Bring twice the amount of drinking water you think you’ll need!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/heaven-or-hell-summer-paddling-and-camping-in-the-ten-thousand-islands/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – Where the people aren’t, the ultimate luxury!

Posted by Kayakfari on June 1, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, Audubon, awakenthegrass, beach, birding, camping, cape sable, chickees, cosmos, everglades, Everglades birds, first national bank, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, history, hurricane, island, johnson key, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, little rabbit key, mangrove, Nest Key, noseeum, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, rasta, sea kayaker, Shark Point Chickee, snake bight, sombrero, south florida, stars, summer, surreal art, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, across florida bay, adventure, answer 42, art of the bay, Audubon Everglades, Audubon Sandy Key, Audubon's Island, awakenthegrass, back country, Beach, beach erosion, bird migration, bird rookery, birding, birds, Birds of America, Bless UP, Bradley Key, Calusa, Camp, camping, cape sable, carl ross key, chickee, chickee camping, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, clouds, Clubhouse Beach, coastal paddling, cormorant, Curlew, currents, DecoratedReality.com, digital029art, dildo key, dildo key bank, east cape, east cape canal, east clubhouse beach, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, Everglades birds, everglades camping, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades paddling, everglades panorama, Everglades Photography, everglades stories, Everglades wildlife, Extreme Birdwatching, feel irie, first national bank, Fish Crow, fisheye lens, fitness paddling, flamingo, flats fishing, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida bay kayaking, florida bay landscape, florida bay photography, freshwater, full moon, gulf of mexico, Guy Bradley, heron, History, Ibis, Indian Key, irie, island time, John James Audubon, Johnson Key Chickee, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak everglades, kayak fitness, kayak florida, kayak florida bay, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayak touring, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape photography, Little Blue Heron, little rabbit key, low tide, mangrove, Mangrove blossom, mangrove seedling, milky way, millinery trade, moonlight, mud flats, national park, Nest Key, night photography, North Nest Key, open water, OSPREY, oyster keys, paddle florida bay, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, pelican migration, pelicans everglades, pelicans florida bay, pentax, pentax q, Photography, pole aerial photography, rasta, reality check, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-winged Blackbird, roots paddling, Roseate Spoonbill, Royal Tern, Ruddy Turnstone, sandbar, Sandy Key, satellite, Sea Kayaker, seagrass beds, seagull, Shark Point Chickee, snake bight, sombrero, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, stars, summer camping everglades, summer heat, summer paddling florida, summer storms, Superheroes of the Everglades, SURREAL ART, terns, the cape, The Everglades are for the birds, thunder storm, tidal flats, tides, Tricolored Heron, tropical adventure, Tropical Audubon Society, tropical back country, tropical kayakfari, turquoise water, water levels, water quality, Where the People Aren't, white heron, White Pelican, widely scattered showers, Wildlife. Leave a comment

Take a break on Florida Bay,

it’s

“Where the People Aren’t”.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

flex maslan kayakfari everglades loop kayak florida bay fitness k1 paddle carl ross east cape kirton tercel RGB flamingo

Pit stop on a tiny island day use area, Everglades National Park.
Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay – Kayaking, Camping and Nice Dreams!

.

A tropical marine wilderness just

outside the world of people.

Florida Bay is a large body of water bordered by Everglades National Park to the north, and Florida’s Keys along with the Gulf Stream ocean current to the south. Covering over 800 square miles, it forms a roughly triangular shape about 40 miles wide from east to west. From north to south, it tapes out from six miles in the east to 25 miles on it’s western edge with the Gulf of Mexico. Almost all of the ‘Bay, as it is called locally, is a part of Everglades National Park, and has been protected since the Park’s inception in 1947. Within it’s boundaries, there are about 100 small islands or keys. Very few of these have any actual dry land; most are just clumps of mangroves and mud barely standing above sea level.

However there is an irresistible allure to those keys hovering on the horizon as if mirages, but they are real places!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/chickees-and-keys-in-florida-bay-kayaking-camping-and-nice-dreams/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – 45 miles of freestyle paddling and camping in a tropical marine wilderness.

Posted by Kayakfari on April 21, 2022

Posted in: 1000mm lens, 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, camping, cape sable, chickees, Cloud9, cooking, cosmos, everglades, everglades art, Everglades birds, first national bank, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, island, johnson key, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, little rabbit key, mangrove, Nest Key, noseeum, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, rasta, reality check, sea kayaker, Shark Point Chickee, sombrero, south florida, summer, sun, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure, awakenthegrass.com, Beach, Blessings, camping, Camping with the Stars, carl ross key, chickee, chickee camping, Cloud9, coconut water, decorated reality, digital029art, dildo key bank, east cape, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades camping, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades paddling, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, feel irie, first national bank, fisheye lens, flamingo, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida bay photography, florida keys, Greenland stick, gulf of mexico, irie, island, johnson key, Johnson Key Chickee, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak camping, kayak everglades, kayak fitness, kayak florida, kayak florida keys, kayak miami, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayak touring, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking photography, landscape photography, little rabbit key, Mangrove bloom, Mangrove blossom, mangrove seedling, mangroves, mexican sombrero, mud flats, national park, open water, open water paddling, paddle florida bay, paddling, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, pentax, pentax q, Photography, rasta, reality check, roots paddling, sand bar, Sandy Key, Sea Kayaker, shark point, Shark Point Chickee, shoal, snake bight, sombrero, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, summer camping, summer camping everglades, summer kayaking, summer paddling, summer paddling florida, summer storms, sun protection, sun shade, sunset, sunshine state, surrender to the heat, sweet dreams, tent, thunder storm, tides, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical back country, tropical kayakfari, water, water levels, water quality, wet season, widely scattered showers. Leave a comment

Florida Bay is the kind of place to really

get away from it all.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

One of the two tall Florida Bay chickee platforms – at Johnson Key.
Everglades hot summer camping and cruising – the Central & Western Florida Bay loop!

.

Once out past the first line of keys outside Flamingo,

it’s sometimes possible to go for days without

hearing any background noises whatsoever!

🙂

When sounds do happen it’s usually a plane high overhead or a boater somewhere in the distance and fades away quickly. So even though Florida Bay is surrounded by a busy world of people, once inside it’s like a step back into time. It’s easy to imagine what the string of Florida Keys must have been like before all the islands were connected by bridges.

Florida Bay is a step back in time

and just outside the world of people!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/everglades-hot-summer-camping-and-cruising-the-central-western-florida-bay-loop/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – 1, 2, 3 – tripping into the wild Everglades!

Posted by Kayakfari on April 13, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, bugs, camping, chickees, chokoloskee, cooking, cosmos, everglades, everglades art, face protector, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, glades, gladesmen, history, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, mangrove, Milky Way, moonlight, moonshine, mosquitoes, noseeum, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, prohibition, psychedelic, rasta, reality check, sea kayaker, seda glider, south florida, Spring, stars, surreal art, swamp, ten thousand islands, tropical. Tagged: 10 thousand, 10000, 10000 islands, 10k islands, 42, 420, adventure, aerial, awakenthegrass.com, back country, banana boat, Blessings, bugs, Calusa, camping, camping ten thousand islands, Camping with the Stars, Charles Gibbs, chatham river, chickee camping, chokoloskee, crooked creek, crooked creek chickee, cross bay, darwins place, decorated reality, digital029art, distillery, Everglades, Everglades Art, everglades city, Everglades history, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades outlaws, everglades paddling, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, feel irie, fisheye lens, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, frontier everglades, gator hunters, Gladesmen, Greenland paddle, Greenland stick, gulf of mexico, hammock, Highland Beach, humor, hurdles creek, huston, irie, island, john J brown, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking ten thousand islands, landscape, liquor, liquor still, liquor still bay, lopez river, lostmans river, mangrove canopy, mangroves, midden mound, moonshiners, mosquitoes, mr watson, new turkey key, nice dreams, no-see-ums, noseeums, opossum key, outlaw, outlaws, Paddle, paddling, paddling adventure, panorama, pavilion key, pavilion key camping, pavilion key everglades, pentax q, Photography, pirate Charles Gibbs, plate creek, plate creek chickee, pole aerial photography, prohibition, rabbit key, reality check, rodgers river, rodgers river chickee, rogers river, roots paddling, sand fly, Sea Kayaker, seda glider, shell island, shell mound, shells, shine on you crazy, skeeters, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, stars, SURREAL, SURREAL ART, Surreal photographer, swamp shine, swamp whiskey, ten thousand, ten thousand islands, ten thousand islands kayak, the watson place, time exposure, totch, totch brown, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tropical storm, Turner River, US schooner Porpoise, water quality, watson's place, Whiskey, wilderness waterway, wing paddle. 1 Comment

We can also strive to escape

from our modern domesticated era,

if only for a brief and limited time!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

flex maslan kayakfari camping hell everglades photography adventure kayak bugs paddle ten thousand island

Paddling just as easy as 1 – 2 – 3 ? Perhaps, or perhaps not!
Escape from Babylon into the Ten Thousand Islands.

.

This trip added up to about 84 miles with a nice progression

of 11, 20, 25 and 28 mile days.

A memorable escape into the the Ten Thousand Islands of the Everglades!

The Ten Thousands Islands of southwest Florida have a rich human history that dates back thousands of years. For instance, the Calusa Native Americans prospered here, living off the bounty of the coastal marine zone. Rare in human history, they achieved an advanced level of civilization that was not centered on agriculture. They also left us plenty of evidence of just how much, and how well they ate in the form the “midden mounds”. These are basically garbage heaps, of mostly shells, some reaching very large proportions! The remoteness and isolation of the 10K attracted white settlers in the last 150 years to eek out a living, often on top of those old Calusa shell mounds. Some of the so called settlers were actually seeking a place to escape to, to evade the law, perhaps permanently.

In more recent times, access to the 10000 Islands has become codified with the creation of Everglades National Park and other wildlife sanctuaries. Conveniently spaced campsites which can be “reserved” months ahead of time serve to give a familiar structure to an otherwise wild place. A few people still make a living out there, mostly to get others in and out and help them get the most out of the area.

Still, there are a few hidden gems left where the original story continues!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/10-000-islands/escape-from-babylon-into-the-ten-thousand-islands/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – Visiting the historic Sand Key lighthouse where the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico mingle.

Posted by Kayakfari on February 17, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, beer, dive, everglades, Findeisen Shearwater, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, history, holidays, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key west, keys, landscape, lighthouse, ONEWAY, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, rasta, reality check, reef, Sand Key, sea kayaker, south florida, summer, surf ski, surfski, tropical, wreck. Tagged: 21 foot surf ski, 42, 420, adventure, adventure paddling, aerial pole photography, Alexander Mitchell, Architect I.W.P. Lewis, atlantic., awakenthegrass, Beach, beacon, Blessings, blue water, cast iron, Coral Reef, coral research, crystal clear water, digital029art, disco, disco kayak, distance paddling, dive, everglades kayak, feel irie, Findeisen Shearwater, fire coral, First-order fresnel lens, fishform surfski, fitness, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, florida keys paddling, Florida Keys Reef Lights, florida landscape, florida reefs, florida surfski, fort zachary taylor, fowey rocks lighthouse, fresnel, fresnel lens, Frigate Birds, Ft Zachary Taylor, Ft Zachary Taylor state park, gulf of mexico, gulf stream, gulfstream, History, irie, irma storm, iron foundation pilings, iron pile, iron screw pile, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak fitness, kayak florida, kayak florida keys, kayak key west, kayak keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key west, key west lighthouse, keys, keys lights, keys paddling, keys snorkeling, landscape, light, lighthouse, lower Keys, Man-O-War Bird, nautical history, ocean, offshore, offshore kayaking, offshore paddling, ONEWAY, oneway surfski, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, paddling, panorama, pentax, pentax q, pentax wg-3, Photography, piracy, pole aerial photography, pole photography, reality check, reef, reef photography, resurrection, Sand Key, Sand Key kayak, Sand Key lighthouse, scuba, Sea Kayaker, shearwater, shearwater surfski, ship wreck, shipwreck, snorkel, soft coral, South Florida, south florida history, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida lighthouses, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, south florida surfski, spar buoy, spur and groove reef, straightpile, summer, summer 2020, summer heat, surf ski, surfski, surfski findeisen, surfski touring, surrender to the heat, the Keys, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tubular skeletal tower, turquoise water, turtle grass, vintage surfski, water, water quality, wing paddle, wreck, wreckers, wrecking, wrought iron. 2 Comments

This story combines offshore open water paddling,

snorkeling and lots of photography

with interesting bits of

South Florida nautical history.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Sand Key lighthouse marks a reef tract responsible for many wrecks over the centuries.
Sand Key Lighthouse – kayaking to the “southern star” of the offshore Keys reef lights!

.

Kayaking into lower Keys

nautical history from Key West!

The Sand Key lighthouse was the second of the six Florida Keys offshore reef lights to be constructed during the second half of the 19th century. It was also the second lighthouse erected on Sand Key, replacing a previous brick structure which was completely swept away during a fierce hurricane in 1846. This skeletal iron tower once stood on a sizable island of actual dry sandy ground. However later hurricanes would wash away much of the sand above water as early as 1856. This resilient lighthouse still stands, but Sand Key is now just a small sporadically roving sandy shoal which appears and disappears with the seasons.

This is the only one of the offshore Keys lighthouses where

I was able to stand underneath it on (mostly) dry ground.

.

My timing was fortunate that I had just enough land

to pull my surfski ‘ONEWAY’ onto!

ONEWAY is my resurrected Shearwater surfski.

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/sand-key-lighthouse-kayaking-to-the-southern-star-of-the-offshore-keys-reef-lights/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – Adventures in the Bill Ashley Jungles of the Everglades.

Posted by Kayakfari on February 10, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, canoe, Cloud9, east everglades, everglades, everglades exploration network, fisheye, flex maslan, florida, glades, glades skiff, gladesmen, history, Invitational, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, mangrove, moonshine, mosquitoes, paddle, pahayokee, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, prohibition, rasta, reality check, south florida, swamp, totch brown, tropical, whiskey creek. Tagged: 42, 420, aerial, aerial pole photography, awakenthegrass, backcountry, bill ashley jungles, canoe, canoe everglades, canoe trail, dugout, Ed Brooker’s Landing, Everglades, everglades canoe trail, everglades exploration network, Everglades Exploration Network Invitational, everglades kayak, everglades national park, everglades outlaws, everglades paddling, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, everglades prairie, everglades trail, feel irie, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, free ranging, gator hunters, gator skiff, glades skiff, Gladesmen, Glen Simmons, grass paddling, hell's bay, Hell's Bay chickee, Herman Lucerne, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak everglades, kayak florida, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, lane bay, lane bay chickee, lard can, mahogany, mahogany hammock, mangrove, mangrove maze, mangrove tunnel, mangroves, moonshiners, off trail, old Whiskey Creek, outlaw, Paddle, paddling, Pahayokee, panorama, Paurotis Pond, Pearl Bay chickee, pentax q, periphyton, Photography, pit pan, pole aerial photography, poling, Prairie, prairies, rabbit hole, reality check, River of Grass, roots paddling, Sawgrass, Shark River slough, skiffers, Slough, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, swamp, terry helmers, The Bill Ashley Jungles, totch brown, tree hammock, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical back country, water quality, Whiskey, widow maker. 2 Comments

An invitation to paddling forgotten trails of

Gladesmen,

Gator hunters, Outlaws and Moonshiners

in the Everglades!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com Bill Ashley Jungle Herman Lucerne backcountry Paurotis Pond kayakfari aerial Hells Bay canoe kayak trail everglades mangroves invitational widowmaker

The “Widowmaker” meant pushing, pulling or throwing boats over mangroves as necessary!
Crossing paths of Gladesmen, Gator hunters, Outlaws and Moonshiners: An invitation to paddling forgotten trails of the Everglades!

.

The Bill Ashley Jungles is an area west of the main Park road roughly between Paurotis Pond and Hell’s Bay, and we were right in the middle of it! Historically these were productive hunting grounds for both Native American tribes and later “Cracker” gator hunters and trappers. This landscape has also changed over the decades, with brackish water intruding northwards, resulting in the predominantly wet mangrove forest habitat that we saw. It certainly did not look like it to us, but back in the 1920′-30’s there was abundant game deer to be had here! Today this is a largely forgotten area, except for the Hell’s Bay Canoe Trail that runs through a part of it. This single trail probably the single most popular paddling route inside of Everglades National Park.

Paradoxically this area is at once the most visited,

yet also the least explored!

The Bill Ashley Jungles were named after a band of outlaws who hid out in the Glades in the 1910’s-20’s called the Ashley Gang, led by John Ashley and his “queen”, Laura Upthegrove. Back then almost everything in South Florida was still the “Everglades”, so whether you were in Homestead or Jupiter, you’d still be in the “Everglades”. It was more of a question of how hard it was to get in and out. By 1924 members of the close knit Ashley Gang family were either in custody or dead. Bill Ashley, one of John’s brothers was apprehended in January 1924, and was the only one who actually survived the family “business” and then lived out his years in Pompano Beach until his death in 1940.

Incidentally, on the east side of the Park road is the Noble Hammock Canoe Trail, a short but pretty three mile loop. It was named after Bill Nobles who ran a moonshine still operation on a hammock back there during Prohibition. The trail is just a small section of Still Creek which runs down into West Lake and is well worth seeing!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/crossing-paths-of-gladesmen-gator-hunters-outlaws-moonshiners-an-invitation-to-paddling-forgotten-trails-of-the-everglades/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – Goodbye Babylon, bye bye. Hello Everglades tripping!

Posted by Kayakfari on February 9, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, bugs, camping, chickees, chokoloskee, cooking, cosmos, everglades, everglades art, face protector, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, glades, gladesmen, history, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, mangrove, Milky Way, moonlight, moonshine, mosquitoes, noseeum, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, prohibition, psychedelic, rasta, reality check, sea kayaker, seda glider, south florida, Spring, stars, surreal art, swamp, ten thousand islands, tropical. Tagged: 10 thousand, 10000, 10000 islands, 10k islands, 42, 420, adventure, aerial, awakenthegrass.com, back country, banana boat, Blessings, bugs, Calusa, camping, camping ten thousand islands, Camping with the Stars, Charles Gibbs, chatham river, chickee camping, chokoloskee, crooked creek, crooked creek chickee, cross bay, darwins place, decorated reality, digital029art, distillery, Everglades, Everglades Art, everglades city, Everglades history, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades outlaws, everglades paddling, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, feel irie, fisheye lens, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, frontier everglades, gator hunters, Gladesmen, Greenland paddle, Greenland stick, gulf of mexico, hammock, Highland Beach, humor, hurdles creek, huston, irie, island, john J brown, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking ten thousand islands, landscape, liquor, liquor still, liquor still bay, lopez river, lostmans river, mangrove canopy, mangroves, midden mound, moonshiners, mosquitoes, mr watson, new turkey key, nice dreams, no-see-ums, noseeums, opossum key, outlaw, outlaws, Paddle, paddling, paddling adventure, panorama, pavilion key, pavilion key camping, pavilion key everglades, pentax q, Photography, pirate Charles Gibbs, plate creek, plate creek chickee, pole aerial photography, prohibition, rabbit key, reality check, rodgers river, rodgers river chickee, rogers river, roots paddling, sand fly, Sea Kayaker, seda glider, shell island, shell mound, shells, shine on you crazy, skeeters, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, stars, SURREAL, SURREAL ART, Surreal photographer, swamp shine, swamp whiskey, ten thousand, ten thousand islands, ten thousand islands kayak, the watson place, time exposure, totch, totch brown, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tropical storm, Turner River, US schooner Porpoise, water quality, watson's place, Whiskey, wilderness waterway, wing paddle. Leave a comment

Escape from Babylon into the

Ten Thousand Islands!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

This simple laminated Google Earth printout sufficed for maybe 90% of my navigational needs.
(For the remaining 10% I thanked Ted’s GPS unit.)
Escape from Babylon into the Ten Thousand Islands.

.

The Ten Thousands Islands of southwest Florida have a rich human history that dates back thousands of years. The Calusa Native Americans prospered here, living off the bounty of the coastal marine zone. Rare in human history, they achieved an advanced level of civilization that was not based on agriculture! They left plenty of evidence of just how much (and how well) they ate in the form the “midden mounds”. These are basically garbage heaps, of mostly shells, some quite large! The remoteness and isolation of the 10K attracted white settlers in the last 150 years to eek out a living, often on top of the old Calusa shell mounds. Some of the so called settlers were actually seeking a place to escape to, perhaps permanently.

In the modern era, we can also strive to escape,

if only for a limited time!

With my paddling partner Kayak Ted, we hatched yet another route plan to take us further south along the Ten Thousand Islands coastline and then visit a few interior campsites on the Wilderness Waterway. One of best things about tripping with Ted is that he’s down with (some of) my oddball suggestions, and sometimes he pulls out one of his own.

Such as, let’s start our 3 night trip at 5pm, day of!

In the end we paddled about 84 miles and had a nice progression of 11, 20, 25 and 28 mile days. The conditions were mostly favorable, the bugs weren’t that bad on this adventure, and it was a great trip in the Ten Thousand Islands.

A fun escape from Babylon into the Everglades outback!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/10-000-islands/escape-from-babylon-into-the-ten-thousand-islands/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – Immersive panoramic views of our Kissimmee–Okeechobee–Everglades (KOE) ecosystem.

Posted by Kayakfari on February 5, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, big cypress, camping, canepatch, cape sable, everglades, Everglades birds, Everglades Skyway, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, glades, gladesmen, history, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, lost portage, mangrove, Pa-hay-Okee, paddle, pahayokee, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, psychedelic, rasta, river of grass, sawgrass, sea kayaker, shark valley, south florida, swamp, tropical, Willoughby. Tagged: 2020 high water, 360, 360 panorama, 42, 420, Across the Everglades, adventure, aerial, aerial pole photography, airboat, awakenthegrass, back country, Big Cypress, birds eye view, Blessings, Canal, canoe everglades, coopertown, digital029art, dugout, East Everglades, Everglades, everglades adventure, everglades aerial, Everglades Art, everglades artist, everglades exploration, everglades flooding, everglades hammock, everglades hiking, Everglades history, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades mud, everglades national park, everglades paddling, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, everglades prairie, Everglades restoration, Everglades Skyway, everglades slough, everglades trail, Everglades wildlife, feel irie, fisheye lens, fisheye panorama, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, flooded everglades, flooding, Florida, Gladesmen, Grass, grass paddling, hardwood hammock, high water, High water everglades, High water kayaking, High water paddling, hiking, hiking shark valley, History, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak shark valley, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, L-67, landscape photography, Levee, Main Street, miami history, Miccosukee, Mikasuki, national park, native, native american, off trail, one-mile bridge, one-mile tamiami trail bridge, Pa-hay-Okee, Paddle, paddle shark river, paddle shark valley, paddling, Pahayokee, Pahayokee paddling, panorama, pentax, pentax 03, pentax fisheye, pentax q, Photography, pole aerial photography, poling, Prairie, prowler 11t, reality check, River of Grass, Sawgrass, Sawgrass hiking, sea kayak, sea kayak everglades, sea kayak shark valley, sfwmd, shark river, Shark River slough, shark valley, shark valley flooded, shark valley kayaking, shark valley road, shark valley tower, shark valley tram, shark valley underwater, Slough, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, swamp, tamiami trail, tree hammock, trident 11 kayak, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, under the bridge, vegetation, water conservation area, water levels, water quality, wca, wca 3a, wetlands. Leave a comment

The Everglades with people in it!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Flex Maslan kayakfari awakenthegrass kayak shark valley everglades paddling tree hammock seagrape sawgrass willoughby key 1898 circular fisheye

High up in the canopy on a tree island in the Everglades interior, above the matrix.
Everglades and KOE Aerial VR Panoramas.

.

Revised and updated for your viewing pleasure!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/360-vr-panoramas/everglades-koe-aerial-vr-panoramas/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – The Banana Boat : February 3rd, 1992.

Posted by Kayakfari on February 3, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, beer, camping, cape sable, cosmos, decorated reality, everglades, everglades art, Everglades birds, extreme birdwatching, first national bank, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, Fort Lauderdale, ft lauderdale, history, humor, island, johnson key, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, little rabbit key, mangrove, moonlight, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, rasta, reality check, sea kayaker, seda glider, sombrero, south florida, stars, surreal art, tropical, winter. Tagged: 1000/8, 11200mm, 1992, 24, 30 year anniversary, 30 years, 30 years kayaking, 360 panorama, 42, 420, 5600mm, across florida bay, alien, answer 42, APS-C, art of darkness, awakenthegrass, banana boat, Beach, big dipper, birding, birds, birthday triangle, Blessings, camping, Camping with the Stars, circular fisheye, clouds, darkness, digital art, dreaming, east cape, Everglades, Everglades Art, Everglades birds, everglades camping, everglades kayak, everglades paddling, feel irie, fisheye, fisheye lens, fisheye panorama, flamingo, flamingo cell tower, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida keys, fort lauderdale kayak, gentle giant, giant lens, happy birthday to my kayak, heron, Hubble, Hubble Jr., irie, island, kayafari, kayak, kayak birthday, kayak florida, kayak lights, kayak miami, kayak photography, kayak rack, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, landscape, little rabbit key, mangrove coast sea kayaks, miami, monster lens, moonlight, nice dreams, nv200, ocean, Omne trium perfectum, orion, OSPREY, Paddle, paddling, panorama, Pelican, pentax 1000mm, pentax lens, pentax q, Photography, planetary alignment, planets, polaris, pole aerial photography, psychedelic art, reality check, sandbar, Sea Kayaker, seda glider, shoal, smc 1000mm, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, stars, Sublime, super-telephoto, ten thousand islands, three, threes, triad, trinity, triple, tripod, trippel, tripple, tropical, tropical adventure, vanlet, water quality, whole sky, whole sky panorama, winter, wispy clouds. Leave a comment

February 3rd, 1992

There was a kayak on the roof rack

Tell me where were you?

You were sittin’ home watchin’ your TV

While I was participating in some kayaking.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Flex Maslan kayakfari Banana Boat kayak photography everglades adventure Seda Glider camp tour Florida Bay 1000mm lens 1992

Warranty card for my brand new Seda Glider sea kayak – February 3, 1992.
Winter birthday triad on Florida Bay with the ‘Banana Boat’!

.

It was 30 years ago today, that I brought home my

Seda Glider sea kayak.

This Seda Glider sea kayak was my very first ‘real’ kayak. At the time I just wanted a fast boat to scoot around in. I had no concept at all of going camping out in the wilderness and was just learning about paddling in general. It was a good choice as it’s still my main distance camping and cruising boat thirty years later.

The Seda Glider kayak is still in production today!

I like to name my boats, so the Seda Glider quickly became the ‘Banana Boat‘. That simple name was the start of an ongoing customization campaign that actually continues going forward. For instance I will be upgrading her to tiller steering soon!

Back in 1992 there was no internet to speak of and getting information or reviews required a bit of effort. Mostly it was about reading magazines, going to the library (remember those!) and talking to people and trying out boats if/when available locally. One thing I did pick up on at this early stage was to get the kayak, the paddle and a skirt plus a paddle float all together. I sure was glad to have the inflatable paddle float because I needed it the very first time I took the kayak out in the ocean. I successfully deployed it to re-enter my new boat after capsizing off Ft Lauderdale beach. Later I got a pump and life jacket to complete the setup. I had a lot of fun cruising around South Florida and enjoyed the freedom of being the captain of my own boat!

Fortunately that has not changed!

In our ‘modern’ disposable age, owning a product and getting good use from it for thirty years is a rarity. High quality kayaks have never been cheap, but can indeed deliver long lasting value. I’m pretty sure that I can expect this boat to last me a lifetime, or as long as I am able to paddle it!

🙂

.

On a previous birthday celebration, I laid out a three day triangular route across about half of Florida Bay for this story.

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/winter-birthday-triad-on-florida-bay-with-the-banana-boat/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – “Watch out for them airboaters, they’re all drunks!”

Posted by Kayakfari on February 2, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, airboat, alligator, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, canoe, chekika, cooking, east everglades, everglades, Everglades Skyway, evergladesdiary, fisheye, flex maslan, florida, glades, glades skiff, gladesmen, history, Invitational, kayak, kayak rudder, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, moonshine, mosquitoes, Pa-hay-Okee, paddle, pahayokee, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, rasta, reality check, river, river of grass, sea kayaker, seda glider, Shark River slough, shark valley, slough, sombrero, south florida, swamp, tamiami trail, tropical, Willoughby, winter. Tagged: 42, 420, Across the Everglades, adventure, aerial, aerial pole photography, airboat, airboat trail, alligator, awake in the grass, awakenthegrass, awakenthegrass.com, back country, banana boat, Big Cypress, birds eye view, Blessings, Camp, camp cooking, camping, Camping with the Stars, canoe, canoe everglades, canoe trail, chickee hut, connecting streams of the Everglades, coopertown, coot bay pond, cypress, cypress tree, digital029art, dugout, East Everglades, EEEA, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades canoe trail, everglades cooking, everglades exploration, everglades exploration network, everglades hammock, Everglades history, everglades indian, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades lost portage, everglades mound, everglades mud, everglades national park, everglades paddling, everglades panorama, everglades photo, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, Everglades restoration, everglades river, Everglades Skyway, everglades slough, everglades trail, Everglades wildlife, exploration, feel irie, fisheye lens, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, free ranging, gator hunters, glades skiff, Gladesmen, Glen Simmons, Grass, grass paddling, Greenland paddle, Greenland stick, History, Hitchiti-Mikasuki, Hugh L. Willoughby, indian mound, irie, island, kayafari, kayak, kayak cooking, kayak everglades, kayak florida, kayak miami, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak shark valley, kayak south florida, kayak touring, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, L-67, landscape, landscape photography, Levee, lost portage, lost portage loop, Love The Everglades Movement, Main Street, mangrove, mangroves, miami, miami history, Miami Kayak, Miccosukee, Mikasuki, moonshiners, mosquitoes, mud, national park, native, native american, no-see-ums, noseeums, off trail, one-mile bridge, one-mile tamiami trail bridge, Pa-hay-Okee, Paddle, paddle miami, paddling, Pahayokee, panorama, panoramic, pentax q, Photography, pole aerial photography, poling, Prairie, private island, quicksand mud, reality check, River of Grass, Running down the Taylor Slough, satellite, Sawgrass, Sea Kayaker, sea of grass, seagrape hammock, seda glider, seminole, sfwmd, shark river, Shark River slough, shark valley, shark valley tower, skiffers, Slough, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, Spikerush, swamp, tamiami trail, taylor slough, tree, tree hammock, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, under the bridge, water, water conservation area, water levels, water quality, wca, wetlands, Willoughby Key, wing paddle, winter in florida. Leave a comment

That’s what the good natured airboat operator

quipped as he pulled into the hammock camp.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

East Everglades Grass kayakfari canoe paddle Expansion Area airboat camp addition lands kayak Flex Maslan

Miami adventurer Leah stands up in her sea kayak and surveys the sea of grass.
Grass Paddling in the East Everglades Expansion Area – History, Gladesmen & more Grass!

.

The airboater was quite surprised to see a bunch of canoeists and kayakers already there at the dock, including (then) Everglades National Park Superintendent Dan Kimball!

Out on this sea of grass, it’s important to be able to stand up and see over all the tall grass! This is easy in a canoe, but much harder in a narrow sea kayak. Fortunately, the shallow depth and extensive vegetation cradle the hull and make this easier. Using the paddle as a support pole also helps.

The biggest challenge to paddling a long sea kayak in the grass is that you have to pick your line exactly and stick with it! The long kayak acts a lot like a knife blade – easy to push through the vegetation, but nearly impossible to turn sideways from a dead stop. It really helps to keep constantly moving, and you need to edge the boat because the rudder or rudder strokes are useless and unworkable in the grass. The few times I got off track I had to back up like a semi truck (beep beep .. beep beep) and start my line up again!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/grass-paddling-in-the-east-everglades-expansion-area/

Revised and updated for your reading pleasure!

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – A Greenland stick in the tropics.

Posted by Kayakfari on January 28, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, camping, cosmos, everglades, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, king tides, landscape, moonlight, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, psychedelic, rasta, reality check, sea kayaker, seda glider, sombrero, south florida, summer, sun, sunburn, surreal art, tropical. Tagged: 360, 360 panorama, 360 photography, 42, 420, a higher ground, adventure, aerial, aerial pole photography, banana boat, Barracuda Keys, Bay side, Beach, Big Pine Key, blimp, burnt, Camp, camp cooking, colors, Coral Reef, crabs, Cudjoe Key, decorated reality, digital art, Everglades Art, everglades kayak, everglades paddling, Extreme Birdwatching, faith in numbers, fat albert, feel irie, fisheye, fishing, fitness, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, full moon, Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, Greenland, Greenland kayaking, Greenland paddle, Greenland paddling, Greenland stick, ground level view, gulf, gulf of mexico, high tide, higher, Higher Consciousness, higher ground, horseshoe crab, irie, island, kayafari, kayak, kayak camping, kayak cooking, kayak florida keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, key west, Keys backcountry, keys camping, keys colors, landscape, landscape photography, low tide, mangrove, mangrove creek, mangrove tunnel, Marvin Key, Marvin Key beach, mathematics, matrix, night, ocean, Paddle, paddle miami, paddling, panorama, pastel, Photography, pole aerial photography, reality check, ride, safety valve, sand bar, sandbar, sandbar camping, satellite, Sea Kayaker, seda glider, seeking higher ground, shells, shoal, skyline, Snipe Keys, Snipe mangroves, Snipe Point, snorkel, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, stars, stick, sugarloaf, Sugarloaf Key, summer kayaking, summer paddling, summer paddling florida, sun, sunrise, Sweet and delicious moonlight, temporary place, temporary space, tidal flats, tides, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, underwater, water quality, wildlife refuge. Leave a comment

Summertime kayaking and exploration of the

lower Keys backcountry.

Part II

.

(tap or click pic to read)

flex maslan kayakfari Barracuda Keys marvin shoal sandbar kayak paddle sugarloaf backcountry beach bay coral reef photography greenland stick Turquoise

My favorite Greenland stick to power the Banana Boat (Seda Glider).
A Lower Keys Roundabout: Marvin Key and Snipe Point!

.

Sandbar shoal camping and exploring the Barracuda, Marvin and Snipe Keys.

My cruising kayak, the “Banana Boat” is a long boat at almost 20 feet. I’ve been using the same Greenland stick to propel her for over 20 years. At 6’2″, my body happens to be the perfect interface between my 20 foot boat and the 97 inch Greenland stick. Is it a paddle or a blade? It is both at the same time! One of the best things about this particular stick is the nice “spring” or “kick” I can get out of it when paddling. It’s very comfortable to hold without gloves and is also very lightweight and self-buoyant.

The simple beauty and smooth paddling style of the stick is really hard to beat. While it may look like a shaved down piece of 2×4, the simplicity is deceptive as the shape and motion embodies some advanced mathematical and fluid dynamics concepts. The Inuit natives who developed and refined it didn’t have to understand any of that. Out of necessity they used the sparse materials available to them to create this tool.

The Greenland stick is among those few inventions that can’t hardly

be improved upon, even after thousands of years.

The sandbar we beached on just south of the Barracuda Keys was an unexpected bonus because of it’s location near the edge of the Gulf. It made a great starting point for exploration of the nearby keys that are fairly closely clustered. For instance Marvin Key is only a mile, and Snipe Point just another couple of miles more! It made sense to check them both out in a big loop of about seven or eight miles.

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/higher-ground-in-the-lower-keys-and-faith-in-numbers/a-lower-keys-roundabout-marvin-key-and-snipe-point/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – Voices of shellers shrouded in fog.

Posted by Kayakfari on January 27, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, Australopithecine, awakenthegrass, beach, camping, cape romano, everglades, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, fog, glades, humor, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, moonlight, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax kp, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, psychedelic, rasta, reality check, sea kayaker, south florida, ten thousand islands, tropical, winter. Tagged: 10 thousand, 10000, 10000 islands, 10k islands, 42, 420, adventure, aerial, Australopithecine Island, awakenthegrass, back country, Beach, beach erosion, Blessings, camping, camping islands, camping ten thousand islands, CAPE ROMANO, cape romano camp, cape romano dome homes, cape romano domes, cape romano island, climate change, coon key pass, Critical Wildlife Area, curious george, CWA, decorated reality, dome, dome home, dome homes, dome house, dome ruins, dome shacks, erosion, Everglades, Everglades Art, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades paddling, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, feel irie, fisheye lens, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, fog, fogged out, Fogged out in the Ten Thousand Islands., foggy, goodland, gulf, gulf of mexico, gullivan bay, irie, island, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak florida, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking ten thousand islands, landscape, mist, nesting birds, orka super flex, orka wing paddle, Paddle, paddling, panorama, pentax q, Photography, pole aerial photography, psychedelic camping, reality check, rolling fog, Rookery Bay, Rookery Bay Research Reserve, sand bar, sandbar, sandbar camping, sea fog, Sea Kayaker, sea level rise, Second Chance CWA, second chance sandbar, shell island, shellers, shelling, shells, shorebirds, shoreline erosion, shrouded in fog, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, stars, sunrise, super flex paddle, super flex wing paddle, SURREAL, SURREAL ART, Surreal photographer, ten thousand, ten thousand islands, ten thousand islands kayak, tent, time exposure, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tropical storm, voices in the mist, water quality, wing paddle. 1 Comment

A blanket of fog covered the sandbar as I was

waking up hearing strange voices in the mist.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

flex maslan kayakfari cape romano kayak sandbar shelling fog paddle camp photography Rookery Bay mist second chance

The fog would not deter the shellers from their mission.
Fogged out and hearing voices in the Ten Thousand Islands!

.

At times the fog was so thick that we could only hear the voices in the mist! The place was suddenly full of people, wading and shelling the shoreline and tidal flats. The shellers were busy picking and seemed oblivious to our presence on the sandbar. So I set out to investigate and find their origin.

Fogged out and hearing voices in the Ten Thousand Islands!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/humor/fogged-out-and-hearing-voices-in-the-ten-thousand-islands/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – Seeking Higher ground and Faith in Numbers in the Lower Keys.

Posted by Kayakfari on January 26, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, camping, cosmos, everglades, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, king tides, landscape, moonlight, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, psychedelic, rasta, reality check, sea kayaker, seda glider, sombrero, south florida, summer, sun, sunburn, surreal art, tropical. Tagged: 360, 360 panorama, 360 photography, 42, 420, a higher ground, adventure, aerial, aerial 360, aerial kayak, aerial photo, aerial pole photography, art, banana boat, Barracuda Keys, Bay side, Beach, Big Pine Key, Biscayne Bay, blimp, burnt, Camp, camp cooking, colors, Coral Reef, crabs, Cudjoe Key, decorated reality, digital art, Everglades Art, everglades kayak, everglades paddling, exploration, Extreme Birdwatching, faith in numbers, fat albert, feel irie, fisheye, fishing, fitness, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, full moon, Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, Greenland stick, ground level view, gulf, gulf of mexico, high tide, higher, Higher Consciousness, higher ground, into the sun, irie, island, kayafari, kayak, kayak camping, kayak cooking, kayak florida, kayak florida keys, kayak key west, kayak miami, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, key west, keys, Keys backcountry, keys camping, keys colors, landscape, landscape photography, low tide, mangrove, mangrove creek, mangrove tunnel, Marvin Key, Marvin Key beach, mathematics, matrix, miami, Miami Kayak, night, ocean, Paddle, paddle miami, paddling, panorama, panoramic, pap, pastel, photo, Photography, pole aerial photography, reality check, ride, safety valve, sand bar, sandbar, sandbar camping, satellite, Sea Kayaker, seda glider, seeking higher ground, shells, shoal, skyline, Snipe Keys, Snipe mangroves, Snipe Point, snorkel, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, spatial distortion, stars, sugarloaf, Sugarloaf Key, summer kayaking, summer paddling, summer paddling florida, sun, sunrise, surf ski, surfski, Sweet and delicious moonlight, temporary place, temporary space, tidal flats, tides, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, water quality, wildlife refuge. Leave a comment

Summertime kayaking and exploration of the

lower Keys backcountry.

Part I

.

(tap or click pic to read)

“Higher ground.”
Exploring a Higher Ground in the Lower Keys! Part I.

.

Camping on a sandbar shoal and paddling the Barracuda, Marvin and the Snipe Keys.

One great aspect of a sandbar is that since it is surrounded by water and there’s no vegetation, there are absolutely no bugs to deal with. On the flip side, it’s hot under the summer sun, so it helps to bring your own shade in the form of an umbrella or a Sombrero. If you decide to work on your tan, don’t forget to flip over.

You wouldn’t want to go home half baked!

As luck would have it, this summer trip occurred near the full moon and the tidal ranges were at the extremes for the Keys! The little sandbar shoal was just about underwater during the daytime high tide, and conversely the daytime low left the seabed exposed almost as far as the eye could see. The “top” of this shoal was smaller than a typical living room. The shape of the high ground “living room” was an interesting contoured triangle type shape that is often found repeated in nature.

The graceful curve reminded me somewhat of the pediment shapes commonly seen in Neoclassical architecture!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/higher-ground-in-the-lower-keys-and-faith-in-numbers/exploring-a-higher-ground-in-the-lower-keys/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – Fogged out in the Ten Thousand Islands.

Posted by Kayakfari on January 22, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, Australopithecine, awakenthegrass, beach, camping, cape romano, everglades, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, glades, humor, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, moonlight, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax kp, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, psychedelic, rasta, reality check, sea kayaker, south florida, ten thousand islands, tropical, winter. Tagged: 10 thousand, 10000, 10000 islands, 10k islands, 42, 420, adventure, aerial, Australopithecine Island, awakenthegrass, back country, Beach, beach erosion, Blessings, camping, camping islands, camping ten thousand islands, CAPE ROMANO, cape romano camp, cape romano dome homes, cape romano domes, cape romano island, climate change, coon key pass, Critical Wildlife Area, curious george, CWA, decorated reality, dome, dome home, dome homes, dome house, dome ruins, dome shacks, erosion, Everglades, Everglades Art, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades paddling, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, feel irie, fisheye lens, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, fog, fogged out, foggy, goodland, Greenland stick, gulf, gulf of mexico, gullivan bay, hurricane irma, irie, island, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak florida, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking ten thousand islands, landscape, mist, nesting birds, night, orka super flex, orka wing paddle, Paddle, paddling, panorama, pentax q, Photography, pole aerial photography, psychedelic camping, reality check, Rookery Bay, Rookery Bay Research Reserve, sand bar, sandbar, sandbar camping, sea fog, Sea Kayaker, sea level rise, Second Chance CWA, second chance sandbar, shell island, shelling, shells, shorebirds, shoreline erosion, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, stars, sunrise, super flex paddle, super flex wing paddle, SURREAL, SURREAL ART, Surreal photographer, ten thousand, ten thousand islands, ten thousand islands kayak, tent, time exposure, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tropical storm, voices in the mist, water quality, wing paddle. Leave a comment

Ten Thousand Islands kayaking series:

Second Chance sandbar off Cape Romano.

.

flex maslan kayakfari cape romano kayak sandbar paddle camp photography birds Rookery Bay nesting shells second chance

Second Chance sandbar shrouded in fog, January 2022.

.

Taking time to explore these sand shoals we were treated to a rare experience of complete fog out. At times it was so thick that we could only hear the voices in the mist!

The so called “Second Chance” sandbar is an ever changing and dynamic collection of shifting sands in Gullivan Bay. There can be one, two or more small splintered off sandbars just barely above the high tide line. The area lies about a mile southeast off the tip of Cape Romano. It is a part of the Rookery Bay Research Reserve and Second Chance is also a designated Critical Wildlife Area (CWA). As such, access is restricted with the entire area closed off from March 1st to August 31, or whenever nesting birds leave. This helps to insure that the many species of shorebirds have a place to nest free of mainland predators and people!

.

Full story coming soon on this

open water adventure camping trip!

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – Test paddling my new wing paddle with a 27 mile Florida Bay day trip.

Posted by Kayakfari on January 19, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, bugs, cape sable, everglades, Everglades birds, extreme birdwatching, first national bank, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, history, hurricane, island, kayak, kayak rudder, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kirton k1, landscape, mangrove, mosquitoes, noseeum, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, rasta, reality check, RGB, sea kayaker, south florida, surf ski, surfski, surreal art, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, aerial pole photography, answer 42, awakenthegrass, Beach, beach erosion, Bless UP, Blessings, cape sable, carl ross key, coastal fitness, coastal paddling, currents, east cape, east cape canal, east clubhouse beach, Everglades, everglades adventure, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades marl mud, everglades national park, everglades paddling, everglades photographer, everglades stories, face mask, feel irie, fitness, fitness paddling, flamingo, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayaking, florida sun, florida surfski, gamma blade, gamma shape, History, irie, island, island time, K1, K1 trainer, K1 training boat, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak fitness, kayak florida, kayak florida bay, kayak keys, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, Kirton, Kirton Tercel, landscape photography, mangrove, open water, orka paddles, orka super flex, orka wing paddle, Paddle, paddling, panorama, pentax, Photography, pole aerial photography, pole photography, rasta, reality check, RGB, sandbar, Sandy Key, satellite, Sea Kayaker, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, south florida surfski, super flex paddle, super flex wing paddle, surfski, surfski touring, tear drop wing paddle, tiller steering, tropical, tropical adventure, turquoise water, water quality, white kayak. Leave a comment

On this trip, I wanted to paddle a good 27 miles with

my new blade for a thorough testing!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Paddling RGB with my new Orka Super Flex wing paddle in the late afternoon sun.
K1 trainer and wing paddle test with a 27 mile day paddle on Florida Bay.

.

My new wing paddle proved to be a great paddling tool,

but the trip was a real pain in the arse.

So I decided to do another extended day trip on Florida Bay. As with most of my own trips there is always an “experimental” factor involved, whether it be new paddling or camping gear, photographic lens, etc. On this trip the experiment as it were would be a brand new wing paddle I acquired – an Orka paddles “Super Flex” model. This is a tear drop wing paddle loosely grouped in the so called “Gamma” shape, after a famous paddle design from Jantex. It’s a nicely finished paddle, feels stout and slightly heavier than Jantex or Brača – but also half the price!

What attracted me to this blade is the versatility of the design. It generates it’s power peak in mid-stroke and has a very smooth entry and exit. The catch is strong, but not overwhelmingly technical. It almost doesn’t care how you handle it and seemingly auto-corrects any sloppiness. Of course good technique never hurts! Also the blade is speed sensitive, so that the faster your cadence, the more power (lift) it generates. There is almost no cavitation! Mine came as a adjustable 210-220cm, which I found too long for my anatomy and style of paddling. So I cut off the ferrule and shortened it down to a 204cm. With a heat gun I was then able to cleanly separate the metal locking ferrule and re-epoxy it back on to the shortened paddle shaft

This was a full day of paddling, taking about 6 hours of paddling to cover the 27 miles with two one hour breaks in the mix. The Super Flex is versatile enough to quickly catch swells and for sprinting, yet smooth enough for all day paddling without hurting me.

Fitness, Adventure and Art on Florida Bay!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/fitness/k1-trainer-and-wing-paddle-test-with-a-27-mile-day-paddle-on-florida-bay/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – Once upon a time at “Flugtag” in Miami.

Posted by Kayakfari on January 18, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, beach, beer, biscayne bay, boating safety, fisheye, flex maslan, florida, flugtag, humor, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, miami, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, redbull, Rosie, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, summer, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, AC/DC Whole Lotta Rosie, adventure, aerial, aerial kayak, aerial photo, Bayfront Park, bayside, Biscayne Bay, Blessings, blue sky, fat kayak, feel irie, fisheye, fisheye lens, fisheye panorama, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, flugtag, flugtag miami, fun, funscape, happy, hat, home made flying machines, humor, irie, island, kayafari, kayak, kayak biscayne bay, kayak florida, kayak miami, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, mexican sombrero, miami, miami art, Miami Kayak, miami kayak club, miami kayaking, ocean kayak peekaboo, Paddle, paddle up, paddling, panorama, Peek-a-Boo, Peekaboo, pentax fisheye, Photography, pilsner, plus size kayak, pole aerial photography, reality check, red bull, red bull flugtag, red bull flugtag miami, redbull, RedBull Flugtag kayakfari Miami kayak biscayne downtown bay florida panoramic flex maslan paddle, Rosie, santeria beach, satire, sit on top, sombrero, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, stand up, summer, sun, SuP, tropical, tropical adventure, water, water quality, whole lotta kayak, Whole Lotta Rosie. Leave a comment

What the Flugtag are you doing down there?

.

(tap or click pic to read)

kayakfari.com Red Bull Flugtag Miami kayak downtown biscayne 420 bay florida panoramic paddle Flex Maslan

Is it Red Bull that gives you wings??
Red Bull Flugtag Miami – Paddling to a downtown kayak, boat & plane party!

.

The Red Bull Flugtag are a series of summer events held in cities around the world where teams compete to build and “fly” outrageous and often whimsical home made flying machines in front of large, live audiences.

The local edition was held for four years in Biscayne Bay, just off Bayfront Park in downtown Miami, Florida. It brought out upwards of 100 000 people, and the best way to see and enjoy it was from the water on your kayak, canoe or SUP!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/urban-paddling-in-south-flaariduh-florida/red-bull-flugtag-miami-paddling-downtown-kayak-boat-plane-party/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – Fifty miles, three nights and ten thousand skeeters in the Everglades.

Posted by Kayakfari on January 11, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, bugs, camping, chokoloskee, cooking, cosmos, everglades, fisheye, flex maslan, florida, gladesmen, history, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, mangrove, Milky Way, noseeum, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, pole aerial photography, prohibition, rasta, reality check, sea kayaker, seda glider, south florida, ten thousand islands, totch brown, tropical, Turner River. Tagged: 10 thousand, 10000, 10000 islands, 10k islands, 360, 42, 420, adventure, awakenthegrass, banana boat, Beach, Blessings, bugs, camping, camping hell, camping islands, camping ten thousand islands, Camping with the Stars, Charles Gibbs, chatham river, chickee camping, chokoloskee, corn liquor, crooked creek, crooked creek chickee, cross bay, decorated reality, digital029art, distillery, Everglades, everglades city, Everglades history, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades outlaws, everglades paddling, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, feel irie, fisheye lens, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida pirate, frontier everglades, Gladesmen, goodland, Greenland paddle, gulf of mexico, hammock, hell, house hammock bay, humor, hurdles creek, huston, irie, island, kayafari, kayak, kayak everglades, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking ten thousand islands, landscape, liquor, liquor still, liquor still bay, lopez river, mangrove canopy, mangroves, moonshiners, mosquitoes, nice dreams, no-see-ums, noseeums, outlaw, outlaws, paddling adventure, panorama, pavilion key, pavilion key camping, pavilion key everglades, pentax q, Photography, pirate captain, pirate Charles Gibbs, prohibition, psychedelic camping, reality check, roots paddling, sand fly, Sea Kayaker, seda glider, shine, skeeters, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, sunday bay chickee, swamp, swamp shine, swamp whiskey, sweetwater chickee, ten thousand, ten thousand islands, ten thousand islands kayak, tent, the watson place, totch, totch brown, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, Turner River, US schooner Porpoise, watson's place, Whiskey, wilderness waterway. Leave a comment

Adventure paddling and hellish camping

in the Ten Thousand Islands!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Darwin's Place kayakfari Everglades Camp kayak Flex Maslan canoe Darwin wilderness waterway bugs hell

Emerging from the refuge of the micro-tent / cage after 12+ hours.
Camping Hell in the Ten Thousand Islands.

.

Revised and updated for your reading pleasure!

Starting with a late departure, this trip seemed all about pushing our luck. It was a 3 day and 3 night kinda trip, if that makes any sense? The idea was to revisit the liquor still in the Everglades we had found earlier, and also see a bunch of places en route. We explored the Gopher Key Calusa mound and then rode Charley Creek out into the Gulf of Mexico, followed by camping at Pavilion Key.

Thanks to skill, perseverance and some luck we were able to visit

all the spots as planned, however the camping was just plain ugly!!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/camping-hell-in-the-ten-thousand-islands/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – Priceless views outside the world of people!

Posted by Kayakfari on January 9, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, beach, birding, camping, cape sable, chokoloskee, decorated reality, everglades, everglades art, Everglades birds, extreme birdwatching, first national bank, fisheye, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, island, johnson key, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, little rabbit key, mangrove, Milky Way, moonlight, Nest Key, Pa-hay-Okee, paddle, pahayokee, panorama, pentax, pentax kp, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, psychedelic, rasta, river of grass, sea kayaker, Shark Point Chickee, snake bight, sombrero, south florida, stars, surreal art, ten thousand islands, tropical, winter. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, art of the bay, awakenthegrass, back country, Beach, birds, Blessings, Bradley Key, Calusa, camping, Camping with the Stars, cape sable, carl ross key, chickee, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, circular panorama, Clubhouse Beach, cormorant, decorated reality, DecoratedReality, digital art, digital029art, dildo key, dildo key bank, east cape, east clubhouse beach, Everglades, everglades artist, everglades camping, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, Extreme Birdwatching, fall in florida, feel irie, first national bank, flamingo, flats, flats fishing, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida bay kayaking, florida bay landscape, florida bay photography, florida keys, gulf of mexico, heron, humor, irie, island, johnson key, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak camping, kayak florida bay, kayak florida keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, little rabbit key, mental health, mental health plan, milky way, moonlight, mud flats, mudflat, national park, Nest Key, night, North Nest Key, open water, open water paddling, orion, OSPREY, oyster keys, Paddle, paddle florida bay, paddling, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, Pelicans, pelicans florida bay, pentax, pentax kp, pentax lens, Photography, Prairie, reality check, River, sand bar, Sandy Key, Sea Kayaker, seagrass beds, seagull, shark point, Shark Point Chickee, shoal, South Florida, south florida kayak, stars, Summer's Almost Gone, sunset, sweet dreams, ten thousand islands, terns, the cape, tidal flats, tropical, tropical adventure, water quality. Leave a comment

Kayakfari ART photography brings you

the magic of Florida Bay.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Flex Maslan Kayak Florida Bay Everglades kayakfari little Rabbit Key panorama camp fisheye photography landscape chickees keys 180 view

“A view to a Chill” – good morning from Little Rabbit Key in Florida Bay!
ART of the Bay – Florida Bay Landscapes.

.

There is an irresistible allure to the keys hovering on the horizon

as if mirages, but they are real places!

Florida Bay is a large body of water bordered by Everglades National Park to the north, and Florida’s Keys along with the Gulf Stream ocean current to the south. Covering over 800 square miles, it forms a roughly triangular shape about 40 miles wide from east to west. From north to south, it tapes out from six miles in the east to 25 miles on it’s western edge with the Gulf of Mexico. Almost all of the ‘Bay, as it is called locally, is a part of Everglades National Park, and has been protected since the Park’s inception in 1947. Within it’s boundaries, there are about 100 small islands or keys. Very few of these have any actual dry land; most are just clumps of mangroves and mud barely standing above sea level. But they are all full of life.

EVERGLADES LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY and

DIGITAL ART from FLORIDA BAY

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-the-bay-florida-bay-landscapes/

.

More on paddling and camping on Florida Bay:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/chickees-and-keys-in-florida-bay-kayaking-camping-and-nice-dreams/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – “The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder.”

Posted by Kayakfari on January 6, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, biscayne bay, Black Point, boating safety, Boca Chita, cape florida, convoy point, elliott key, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, fowey rocks, history, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, landscape, lighthouse, mangrove, marine trash, miami, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, rasta, reality check, redrum, sea kayaker, silhouette kayak, soldier key, sombrero, south florida, tropical. Tagged: "red rum", 42, 420, adventure, aerial, aerial pole photography, Aerial VR Panoramas, all that trash, awakenthegrass, back country, Beach, bill baggs, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Biscayne Bay, Biscayne Bay triangle, biscayne national park, biscayne safety valve, Black Point, Bless UP, Blessings, Boca Chita, Boca Chita beach, Boca Chita Key, camping Boca Chita, cape florida, cape florida lighthouse, Carl G. Fisher, Coral Reef, currents, da PLANE!, digital art, Fantasy Island, Featherbed Bank, featherbed shoal, feel irie, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys Reef Lights, fowey rocks, fowey rocks lighthouse, Greenland stick, gulf stream, History, Honeywell, Honeywell Pentax, irie, island, island time, kayafari, kayak, kayak biscayne bay, kayak keys, kayak miami, kayak photography, kayak touring, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, landscape photography, Lewis Cut, light, lighthouse, limestone coral rock, Look .. da Plane, mangrove, mangrove tunnel, marine trash, Mark C. Honeywell, miami, miami history, midden mound, nigel foster, nigel foster silhouette, ocean, offshore paddling, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, paddle miami, paddling, paddling biscayne bay, panorama, pentax, Photography, pole aerial photography, pole photography, portage, private island, Ragged Key #3, Ragged Keys, ralph munroe, reality check, redrum, reef, safety flag, safety valve, Sands Key, satellite, Sea Kayaker, shipwreck, silhouette, silhouette kayak, snorkel, soldier key, soldier key club, sombrero, south dade landfill, South Florida, south florida kayak, South Florida Paddlers, summer heat, Tequesta, the plane, tropical, tropical adventure, turquoise, turquoise water, water quality. 1 Comment

Black Point to Boca Chita Key:

Twenty one miles paddling on Biscayne Bay.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

flex maslan Kayak miami kayakfari boca chita biscayne bay black point lighthouse photography sombrero paddle open water

Sexy kayaks on Boca Chita beach surrounded by the clear waters of Biscayne National Park.
Boca Chita – kayaking to a Fantasy Island on Biscayne Bay!

.

In many ways Boca Chita Key remains to this day like a “Fantasy Island”. Whereas in the past it was private playground for the rich and famous, today anyone can visit or even camp on the island. Most visitors come by powerboat. a few by a tour boat and fewer still by kayak. This is because it’s a 10 mile open water paddle across Biscayne Bay to get there!

This is a kind of semi urban paddling, where you can get away from the city and yet always see the Miami area skyline on the horizon.

Once out there on the barrier islands of Biscayne National Park,

you are truly on island time!

.

(Title quotation from Ralph W. Sockman)

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/boca-chita-kayaking-to-a-fantasy-island-on-biscayne-bay/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – Looking ahead to 2022!

Posted by Kayakfari on January 1, 2022

Posted in: 1000mm lens, 42, 420, adventure, alien, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, birding, dania beach, everglades, Everglades birds, extreme birdwatching, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Fort Lauderdale, ft lauderdale, holidays, hollywood, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, miami, Mizell-Johnson, new river, new year, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, port everglades, rasta, reality check, river, sea kayaker, seda glider, sombrero, south florida, space, ten thousand islands, tropical, west lake park, whiskey creek, winter. Tagged: 2022, 42, 420, Beach, birding, birds, chickee, chickees, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, dania, dania beach, digital029art, Everglades, Everglades birds, everglades national park, Everglades Photography, feel irie, fitness, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, Ft Lauderdale, ft lauderdale kayak, happy new year, humor, irie, John U. Lloyd State Park, kayafari, kayak, kayak photography, kayak whiskey creek, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, miami, Miami Kayak, Mizell-Johnson State Park, new river, new year, new year 2022, ocean, OSPREY, Paddle, paddling, Photography, rastafari, reality check, Sea Kayaker, seagrape, seagrape leaf, South Florida, south florida kayak, South Florida Kayaking Meetup, The Everglades are for the birds, treasure, tropical, tropical adventure, West Lake, west lake park, whiskey creek. 2 Comments

OMG, is it really 2022 already?

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Flex Maslan Florida Bay Kayak Everglades birds kayakfari photography wildlife portraits habitat birding florida artist

I think I woke up too early for this.
The Everglades are for the birds!

.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The birds of South Florida are the real super heroes.

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/wildlife/the-everglades-are-for-the-birds/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – Holiday lights, my camera and night paddling action.

Posted by Kayakfari on December 29, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, alien, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, boat parade, christmas, Christmas, Cloud9, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Fort Lauderdale, ft lauderdale, history, holidays, humor, kayak, kayak dealer, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, mojito, new river, new year, night, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, port everglades, psychedelic, rasta, rtm disco, sea kayaker, seda glider, silhouette kayak, sombrero, south florida, surreal art, tropical, Whitney Turner, winter, winterfest. Tagged: 42, 420, 50th Annual Holiday Parade, alien, alien christmas, alien family, alien kayak, alien santa, aliens, awakenthegrass, Bless UP, Boat parade, boca raton kayak, caroling, cheer, Christmas, christmas caroling, christmas kayak, christmas lights on kayak, Cloud9, crack that whip, decorate a kayak for a christmas tree, decorations, Devo, Devo hat, DEVO kayaking crew, downtown Ft Lauderdale, EL wire lights, energy dome, feel irie, Feliz Navidad, festivus, fireworks, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, fort lauderdale, fort lauderdale kayak, ft lauderdale boat parade, Greenland stick, Greetings, happy holidays, happy new year, hi santa, holiday, Holidays, human powered, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak decorations, kayak jeff, kayak lights, kayak parade, kayak photography, Kayak Ted, Kayak under Rudolph control, Kayak Whitney, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking holidays, kwanzahannamas, landscape, LED kayak lights, led palm tree, loud whistles, merry christmas, mojito kayak, moonlight, neon lights, new river, non-motorized vessels, Orca 16 kayak, Paddle, paddling, panorama, parade, pentax, Photography, prone alien, raindeer, Rangifer tarandus, rastafari, reality check, red nose, reindeer, resident alien, resistance is futile, rudolph, Rudolph control, Santa, santa alien, santa claus, santa sombrero, Saturnalia, Sea Kayaker, season's greetings, seminole boat parade, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel Casino, Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade, Seminole Winterfest Boat Parade, sombrero, South Florida, south florida kayak, South Florida Kayaking Meetup, tropical, venture kayaks, Veselé Vánoce, water quality, waterways kayak, We are DEVO, wg-3, whip it good, Whitney Turner, Whitney Turner Holiday Parade Paddle, wing paddle, winter, winter solstice, winterfest, winterfest 2021, winterfest 50th, winterfest boat parade, winterfest kayak, winterfest paddle, x-mas, xmas. Leave a comment

Happy Paddling

South Florida’s Holiday Boat Parades!

.

(tap or click pic)

Flex Maslan Kayak Winterfest Boat Parade Christmas lights kayakfari alien Ft Lauderdale Holidays santa sombrero paddle photography

HAPPY PADDLING HOLIDAYS!
Kayaking a Parade of Lights (Seminole Winterfest Boat Parade)!

.

The Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade has become of the top 20 world-wide parades to see with over ONE MILLION cheering spectators lining the 12 mile route in boats and on shore.

The year 2021 marked the

50th annual Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade

.

My own Holiday Parade paddling goes back to 1997 with the crew from the “Waterways Kayak” shop, which was then and still remains to this day the biggest kayak pro shop that South Florida has ever seen! Since moving back to South Florida in 2006, I have paddled the main Winterfest Parade every year except for 2012 when I was “spectating” and in 2020 when it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ft Lauderdale Winterfest Parade route has not changed since 2007 when it was extended to start in downtown Ft Lauderdale rather than by Port Everglades in years prior to that. In 2008 the Parade organizers started placing all non-motorized watercraft at the head of the Parade, instead of the tail end.

So as paddlers,

we are always leading the Winterfest Boat Parade!

🙂

Through the years, the Kayak Jeff shop also organized a run of the Parade. However it was with the South Florida Kayaking Meetup that all the regular subsequent runs took place, organized by the late Whitney Turner and currently by Kayak Ted of the Palm Beach Water Yaks group. Ted has also organized and pioneered additional runs of other South Florida Holiday Parades, namely in Boca Raton and Pompano Beach. I have had the great pleasure of participating in all the events listed below and owe a debt of gratitude to both of the aforementioned gentlemen! It has also given me much joy over the years to document these events, all the while having fun experimenting with with different photographic techniques for you viewing pleasure!

.

Please enjoy and

HAPPY PADDLING HOLIDAYS!

.

The Parade paddling events:

Prior to 2013 all the previous Parade runs were condensed into my original story

Kayaking a Parade of Lights (Seminole Winterfest Boat Parade)!

.

Kayaking the Boca Raton Holiday Boat Parade (2013).

.

Kayaking the 2014 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade.

.

Kayaking the 2014 Boca Raton Holiday Boat Parade.

.

Paddling the 2015 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade through Ft Lauderdale.

.

Paddling the windy 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade on the New River!

.

Kayaking the 2016 Boca Raton Holiday Boat Parade with Rudolph!

.

Kayaking the 2017 Winterfest Boat Parade through Ft Lauderdale!

.

Whipped It Good – Winterfest Boat Parade 2018!

.

Paddling the 2019 Winterfest Boat Parade – seeing the Light(s)!

.

Paddling the 2020 Pompano Beach Holiday Boat Parade.

.

Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade 2021 – First Annual Whitney Turner Holiday Parade Paddle.

.

More on paddling the main Winterfest Parade:

Kayaking a Parade of Lights (Seminole Winterfest Boat Parade)!

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – Wheels, paddles, a boat and the lunatics on the Grass!

Posted by Kayakfari on December 22, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, airboat, alligator, answer 42, awakenthegrass, canoe, chekika, east everglades, everglades, everglades art, fisheye, flex maslan, florida, glades, glades skiff, gladesmen, hiking, history, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, Miccosukee, Pa-hay-Okee, paddle, pahayokee, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, rasta, reality check, riparian, river, river of grass, sawgrass, sea kayaker, Shark River slough, shark valley, slough, south florida, surreal art, swamp, tamiami trail, tropical, Willoughby, winter. Tagged: 1898 book, 3.14159, 360, 360 panorama, 42, 420, a wake in the grass, above the canopy, access point, Across the Everglades, aerial, airboat, alligator, altitude, awake in the grass, awaken the grass, awakenthegrass, awakenthegrass.com, backcountry, bicycle, bicycle shark valley, Big Cypress, birds eye view, black and white, breathe in the air, camping, canoe, canoe everglades, canoe trail, circular fisheye, circular panorama, cypress, cypress tree, Dark side of the Moon, David Warfel, digital029art, Dub, Dub Side of The Moon, dugout, Easy Star All-Stars, elevated, environment, Everglades, Everglades Art, everglades artist, everglades hammock, Everglades history, everglades indian, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, everglades trail, feel irie, fishing spider, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, free ranging, gator, gator hunters, glades skiff, Gladesmen, gold light, Grass, grass paddling, green, gumbo limbo, hammock, hardwood hammock, high, high up in the canopy, hiking, History, Hugh L. Willoughby, hugh willoughby, image, irie, π, jetsons, kayafari, kayak, kayak everglades, kayak photography, kayak shark valley, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, mangroves, miami history, Miccosukee, Mikasuki, native, native american, nature, off trail, Paddle, paddling, Pahayokee, panorama, pentax q, Photography, pink floyd, pole aerial photography, poling, Prairie, prairies, prescribed burn, reality check, River of Grass, Sawgrass, seagrape hammock, seminole, shark river, Shark River slough, shark valley, shark valley hike, shark valley tower, Slough, solution hole, South Florida, south florida kayak, swamp, the lunatics are on the grass, Tower, tram road, tree canopy, tree hammock, tropical, tropical adventure, turtle, water, water conservation area, water quality, wca, wca 3a, Willoughby Key. 2 Comments

Exploring the Slough and Sawgrass Prairies

of Shark Valley.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Flex Maslan kayakfari awakenthegrass kayak shark valley everglades paddling tree hammock seagrape sawgrass willoughby key 1898 trailer

Pedal and Paddle at Shark Valley: The kayak and the wheel, a symbiotic relationship.
Kayaking at Shark Valley – A visit to Seagrape Hammock, aka Willoughby Key!

.

The lunatics are on the Grass,

Got to keep those loonies off the trail!

.

Everglades exploration and photography in the style of the classic 1898 book “Across the Everglades“, by Hugh L. Willoughby.

This is a story of a “pedal and paddle” visit to a small tree island hammock in the Everglades “River of Grass”. We used bicycles, a trailer and a tandem SOT kayak to ride down the tram road and paddle through the grass to the island. The Shark Valley tower happens to be only a short distance from this tree island called “Seagrape Hammock” in the middle of the Shark River Slough. Hugh L. Willoughby wrote about the island in his classic 1898 book – “Across the Everglades” and dubbed it “Willoughby Key”. He kept excellent records and published the accurate coordinates in his book, so we know for a fact that it is Seagrape Hammock.

He actually liked this island so much that he camped there twice!

Why go to Seagrape Hammock? Well there’s the historical connection already mentioned that gives us a window into the Everglades of old circa 1898. At that time, the Everglades were largely still untouched and pristine. The Seminole Native Americans were still able to live a largely traditional subsistence way of life. The Everglades were clean, bountiful and unfettered. However within a generation afterwards, the irreversible system wide alterations and damage to the Everglades ecosystem would begin. So Willoughby’s descriptions are among the last of the real Everglades as they had existed for millennia prior!

I had been fascinated with this tree island ever since sighting it during a trip down the Shark River slough in 2012. But on that trip we passed close within a mile, although couldn’t take the time for the detour. On this trip we succeeded and I had plenty of time to explore and photograph the Seagrape Hammock tree island!

Geographically, Seagrape Hammock is situated roughly halfway in between the Cypress strands of Big Cypress to the west and the higher (now developed) Pineland ridge to the east.

.

“Shark Valley with a Twist!”

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/everglades-national-park/sloughs/kayaking-at-shark-valley-a-visit-to-seagrape-hammock-aka-willoughby-key/

https://awakenthegrass.wordpress.com/trips/land/everglades-hiking-with-an-altitude-exploring-the-slough-and-sawgrass-prairies-of-shark-valley/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – The Miami River Canal delivers water, transforms landscapes and the lives of people along the way.

Posted by Kayakfari on December 20, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, biscayne bay, canoe, east everglades, everglades, flex maslan, florida, glades, history, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, lake okeechobee, landscape, loxahatchee, marine trash, miami, miami river canal, Pa-hay-Okee, paddle, pahayokee, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, reality check, riparian, river, river of grass, sawgrass, south florida, swamp, tropical. Tagged: 2014 River of Grass Canoe Expedition, 42, 420, 826, aerial kayak, aerial pole photography, algae bloom, algal growth, archaeology miami, ART of the Miami River, art on the river, awakenthegrass, back-pumping, Biscayne Bay, Blue-green algae, c-6 canal, Canal, canoe, Clewiston, Conservation, cyanobacteria, dredge, ecology, education, Everglades, everglades landscape, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, feel irie, fertilizer, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, follow the water, Full moon paddling on the historic Miami River, History, history miami museum, hoover dike, Hot Lips that kissed Miami Ships, industrial kayak, industrial shipyard, industrial zone, indutrial paddle, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking miami, key biscayne, l67, l67a, Lake Okeechobee, lake pollurion, landscape, Levee, macks fish camp, manati, miami, miami canal, Miami canoe, miami history, Miami Kayak, miami photography, miami river, miami river art, miami river canal, miami river comission, miami river rapids, miami tugboat, miami tugs, Miami-Dade, Miccosukee, night paddle miami, night paddling, night photography, north fork, okeechobee road, Paddle, paddle miami, palmetto expressway, Perspectives of water and people on the move, phosphorus, Photography, pollution, reality check, River, River of Grass, River of Grass Canoe Expedition, rock quarry, s-3 structure, salinity, Sawgrass, seminole, sfwmd, shipping dock, shipping lane, shipyard, South Florida, south florida canals, south florida kayak, south fork, sugarcane, sugarcane burning, tamiami canal, Tequesta, tropical, tropical adventure, water, water conservation area, Water Hyacinth, Water Lettuce, water quality, wca 3, wca 3a, wca 3b. 1 Comment

Paddling this stretch of the Miami River Canal

provides a view of the overall big picture

of living

in modern South Florida!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Flex Maslan Miami River art kayakfari photography kayak Everglades canoe paddle Grass florida canal okeechobee biscayne ships

Paddling under the Palmetto Expressway (826) on the Miami River!
Paddling the Miami River Canal – Part I: Engineered Freshwater.

.

From Lake Okeechobee engineered freshwater flows through the Everglades, past a Shangri-la of sorts, across a DMZ lifeless area and into the Miami urban megalopolis itself. Over the last one hundred years, the Miami River Canal has transformed the South Florida landscape and the lives of people living in it.

I hope you enjoy this little tour of the seldom seen

freshwater part of the Miami (River) Canal!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/urban-paddling-in-south-flaariduh-florida/paddling-the-miami-river-canal-part-i-engineered-freshwater/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – The Hurricane and the Damage Done.

Posted by Kayakfari on December 16, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, Australopithecine, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, camping, cape romano, chokoloskee, christmas, curious george, everglades, everglades art, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, history, hurricane, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, moonlight, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, reality check, rip current, sea kayaker, seda glider, south florida, space, stars, surreal art, ten thousand islands, tropical, winter. Tagged: 10 thousand, 10000, 10000 islands, 10k islands, 42, 420, adventure, aerial, Australopithecine Island, awakenthegrass, back country, banana boat, Beach, beach erosion, Blessings, blind pass, camping, camping islands, camping ten thousand islands, CAPE ROMANO, cape romano camp, cape romano dome homes, cape romano domes, cape romano island, circular fisheye, climate change, coon key pass, decorated reality, digital029art, dome home, dome homes, dome house, dome ruins, dome shacks, erosion, Everglades, Everglades Art, everglades landscape, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, feel irie, fisheye lens, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, goodland, Goodland Boating Park, Greenland stick, gulf of mexico, gullivan bay, hurricane irma, irie, irma, irma impact, irma storm, irma surge, island, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking ten thousand islands, landscape, Little Bar restaurant, mangroves, marco island, morgan bay, morgan river, night, orion, Paddle, paddling, panorama, pentax q, Photography, pole aerial photography, psychedelic camping, reality check, Sea Kayaker, sea level rise, seda glider, shoreline erosion, South Florida, south florida kayak, stars, sunrise, sunset, SURREAL, SURREAL ART, Surreal photographer, ten thousand, ten thousand islands, ten thousand islands kayak, tent, time exposure, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tropical storm, ts issac, water quality. Leave a comment

An overnight visit to Cape Romano

that was three months after

Hurricane Irma had passed directly overhead.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

flex maslan kayakfari cape romano kayak camp irma storm eye paddle goodland hurricane impact erosion photography

Last rays of sunshine over the Cape Romano dome home ruins!
Paddling the Goodland to Cape Romano loop and camping in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

.

Hurricane Irma made landfall directly at Cape Romano at about 3pm EST on Sunday, September 10, 2017 as a Category 3 storm. The 120 mph winds and strong storm surge collapsed two of the six dome home structures and further eroded the coastline. What was once a very wide and large sandy beach at the tip of the cape has been reduced to a tiny strip of sand.

Since the hurricane, there is even less beach left now, and the best camping is a little further north along the western shoreline.

The Goodland to Cape Romano paddling loop amounts to at least 14 miles, with much of it in open water on Gullivan Bay in the Ten Thousand Islands. However this can be a relatively easy paddle for intermediate level paddlers with several semi-sheltered route options depending on weather conditions. You can also hug the shoreline the whole way if you don’t like open water paddling, but it will make for a longer paddle. Evidence of the powerful hurricane can still be seen all along the coastline and the Morgan River.

A reminder of the impermanence of shorelines

and the shifting sands of time!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/10-000-islands/paddling-the-goodland-to-cape-romano-loop-and-camping-in-the-aftermath-of-hurricane-irma/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – Modes of travel in the Everglades: Yesterday, today and tomorrow!

Posted by Kayakfari on December 13, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, airboat, answer 42, awakenthegrass, big cypress, cabin, camping, canoe, chickees, east everglades, everglades, fisheye, flex maslan, florida, glades, glades skiff, gladesmen, Himmarshee, history, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, lake okeechobee, landscape, miami river canal, Miccosukee, new river, Pa-hay-Okee, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, reality check, river of grass, sawgrass, sea kayaker, Shark River slough, slough, south florida, swamp, tamiami trail, tropical, Willoughby. Tagged: 360, 360 panorama, 42, 420, access points, Across the Everglades, aerial, airboat, Antooch-chokole, awakenthegrass, Big Cypress, birds eye, birds eye view, camping, canoe, canoe everglades, canoe trail, chickee, chickee hut, cypress, cypress tree, day-glo, digital029art, dugout, Everglades, Everglades Art, everglades artist, everglades indian, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, everglades trail, feel irie, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, free ranging, gator hunters, glade skiff, glades skiff, Gladesmen, Glen Simmons, grass paddling, gumbo limbo, Hitchiti-Mikasuki, houston cypress, Hugh L. Willoughby, hugh willoughby, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak everglades, kayak photography, kayak shark valley, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, Love The Everglades Movement, mangroves, miami, Miccosukee, Mikasuki, moonshiners, native, native american, non-motorized access, off trail, otter clan, Paddle, paddling, Pahayokee, panorama, pentax q, Photography, pole aerial photography, poling, Prairie, private island, qajaq, reality check, River of Grass, Sawgrass, seminole, sfwmd, Shark River slough, skiffers, Slough, South Florida, south florida kayak, swamp, tiki hut, tree canopy, tree hammock, tropical, tropical adventure, water conservation area, water quality, wca, wca 3a, where the little pot sits. 1 Comment

“I know that the airboat and the kayak

can coexist peacefully!”

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Flex Maslan Everglades aerial kayakfari grass Miccosukee paddle airboat 3A kayak sawgrass canoe dugout photo awakenthegrass

The neon day-glo airboat Mothership of the Everglades with kayaks!
Grass paddling and poling in the Everglades Water Conservation Areas.

.

In the permanently flooded Water Conservation Areas of the Glades, the airboat is the best way to get around and reach fishing and hunting grounds and private camps. Still there is something very pure and beautiful being out on the water where it’s just you, the boat and your pole or paddle.

Moving through the landscape at a human pace can be hard work,

but can also be immensely satisfying for body, mind and soul!

Times are changing again for the Everglades, this time for the better. Let’s face it, people care most about the things they know and love. Additional human powered access whether on foot, boat or even bicycle can raise awareness and help drive Everglades Restoration efforts for generations forward!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/everglades-national-park/interior/grass-paddling-and-poling-in-the-everglades-water-conservation-areas/

.

! Bless UP

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – You can get there from here!

Posted by Kayakfari on December 9, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, bugs, camping, canepatch, cooking, everglades, fitness, flex maslan, florida, glades, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, lost portage, mangrove, Miccosukee, mosquitoes, noseeum, Pa-hay-Okee, paddle, pahayokee, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, pole aerial photography, rasta, reality check, riparian, river, river of grass, sawgrass, sea kayaker, seda glider, Shark River slough, south florida, stars, surreal art, swamp, ten thousand islands, totch brown, tropical, Willoughby, winter. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, aerial 360, airboat trail, awakenthegrass, back country, banana boat, Blessings, broad river, broken rudder, bug shirt, bugs, Camp, camp cooking, camp kayakfari, camp lonesome, camping, Camping with the Stars, canepatch, circular panorama, coastal optics 4.88mm, connecting streams of the Everglades, connecting two streams of the Everglades, cooking, coot bay, coot bay pond, Curlew, donna buckley, epiphytes, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, Everglades birds, everglades cooking, everglades landscape, everglades lost portage, everglades mound, everglades mud, everglades national park, everglades photographer, everglades river, Everglades wildlife, feel irie, Fish Crow, flamingo, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, Gladesmen, good food, graveyard creek, Greenland paddle, Greenland stick, harney river, Ibis, indian mound, irie, island, joe river, john buckley, kayafari, kayak, kayak cooking, kayak everglades, kayak photography, kayaker at graveyard creek, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, lake deception, landscape photography, Leah Harman, Little Blue Heron, lost portage, lost portage loop, Main Street, mangrove, mangrove creek, montauk kayak, mosquito, mosquitoes, mud, national park, no-see-ums, north harney river, north portal lost portage, noseeums, orion, OSPREY, oyster bay, Paddle, paddling, panorama, Pelicans, pentax, Photography, quicksand mud,

One hundred and

sixty-nine years young.

This is the only offshore Keys reef lighthouse that

I was able to stand under on dry ground.

Nothing quenches thirst quite like a home grown mango!

Paddling into lower Keys nautical history

off Key West.

Happy Birthday Sand Key Lighthouse!

All rights reserved!

Share this:

Like this:

That one time I brought my home grown mango

to a watermelon picnic on July 16,

but over 120 years late.

By coincidence, my mango fiesta privada at Sand Key

was on the same date, thus continuing the picnic.

This is the only offshore Keys reef lighthouse where

I was able to stand under it on (mostly) dry ground.

Kayaking through South Florida

nautical history from Key West!

All rights reserved!

Share this:

Like this:

Seeking Higher ground and

Faith in Numbers in the Lower Keys!

Part I : Camping on a sandbar shoal and paddling the Barracuda, Marvin and the Snipe Keys.

If you decide to work on your tan, don’t forget to flip over.

You wouldn’t want to go home half baked!

Summertime kayaking and exploration of the

lower Keys backcountry.

All rights reserved!

Share this:

Like this:

If you stay out long enough,

the odds will eventually catch up with you!

Florida Bay is a special kind of place to get away

from it all but come prepared to keep the party polite.

All rights reserved!

Share this:

Like this:

Somewhere between

lies

real Everglades paddling freedom!

Bring twice the amount of drinking water you think you’ll need!

All rights reserved!

Share this:

Like this:

Take a break on Florida Bay,

it’s

“Where the People Aren’t”.

A tropical marine wilderness just

outside the world of people.

However there is an irresistible allure to those keys hovering on the horizon as if mirages, but they are real places!

All rights reserved!

Share this:

Like this:

Florida Bay is the kind of place to really

get away from it all.

Once out past the first line of keys outside Flamingo,

it’s sometimes possible to go for days without

hearing any background noises whatsoever!

🙂

Florida Bay is a step back in time

and just outside the world of people!

All rights reserved!

Share this:

Like this:

We can also strive to escape

from our modern domesticated era,

if only for a brief and limited time!

This trip added up to about 84 miles with a nice progression

of 11, 20, 25 and 28 mile days.

A memorable escape into the the Ten Thousand Islands of the Everglades!

Still, there are a few hidden gems left where the original story continues!

All rights reserved!

Share this:

Like this:

This story combines offshore open water paddling,

snorkeling and lots of photography

with interesting bits of