The Time-release Dose – Celebrating National Lighthouse Day in South Florida.

© 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 – “We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers.”

Posted by Kayakfari on August 4, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, canepatch, cape sable, chickees, cosmos, everglades, everglades art, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, island, johnson key, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, little rabbit key, Milky Way, night, orbit, paddle, pahayokee, panorama, pentax, photography, psychedelic, rasta, river of grass, sea kayaker, south florida, space, stars, surreal art, ten thousand islands, tropical, winter. Tagged: 360 panorama, 42, 420, answer 42, art of darkness, awakenthegrass, back country, backbone of night, Beach, big dipper, Bless UP, camping, camping florida bay, camping platform in Florida Bay, Camping with the Stars, cape sable, chickee, chickee camping, chickee platform, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, circular fisheye, Clubhouse Beach, cosmos, darkness, decorated reality, digital art, east cape, Everglades, Everglades Art, everglades artist, everglades camping, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades light pollution, everglades national park, everglades panorama, Everglades Photography, everglades skies, everglades stars, everglades winter, exploring everglades, feel irie, first national bank, fisheye, fisheye lens, fisheye panorama, flamingo, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida bay photography, florida keys, galaxy, gulf of mexico, Higher Consciousness, irie, island, it's full of stars, johnson key, Johnson Key Chickee, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak camping, kayak everglades, kayak florida keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys camping, landscape photography, light pollution, lights, little rabbit key, mars, miami light pollution, milky way, milky way galaxy, national park, nice dreams, night panorama, night photography, orion, outside the world of people, Paddle, paddle florida bay, paddling, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, pentax, perpetual dawn, Photography, planets, platform, polaris, psychedelic, rabbit key bank, rastafari, reality check, satellite, Sea Kayaker, shark point, Shark Point Chickee, South Florida, south florida kayak, space, star trails, stars, starshine, still of the night, sweet dreams, ten thousand islands, The sky is calling, tides, trinity, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, venus, whole sky, whole sky panorama, winter, winter sky. 2 Comments

A pertinent quote by the late Carl Sagan, astronomer and author of the Cosmos series.

The “Backbone of Night”.

It is said that the !Kung people of the Kalahari desert consider the Milky Way as the backbone that holds up the sky!

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(tap or click pic to read)

flex maslan everglades kayakfari photography milky way stars galaxy night dark sky fisheye backbone florida bay camp

“The sky is calling!”
ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part III

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An invitation from the darkness

outside the world of people.

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Our ancestors have lived in the darkness for many thousands of years. It is only in the last 100 years that people have lost sight of the Milky Way and the stars.

Remote camping under the Milky Way is a beautiful experience

not soon forgotten.

Enjoy the dark Everglades nights!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-darkness-camping-with-the-stars-part-iii/

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! Bless UP

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© 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 – 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.

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(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!

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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 )

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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.

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Happy Birthday Sand Key Lighthouse!

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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/

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! 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!

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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 – Happy Birthday to American Shoal lighthouse in the Lower Keys.

Posted by Kayakfari on July 15, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, American Shoal, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, everglades, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, history, hurricane, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, mojito, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, rasta, reality check, reef, rtm disco, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, summer, sun, sunburn, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure paddling, American Shoal, American Shoal kayak, American Shoal lighthouse, American Shoal reef, Architect I.W.P. Lewis, awakenthegrass, Beach, beacon, Blessings, blue water, cast iron, Coral Reef, coral research, crystal clear water, digital029art, disco, disco kayak, distance paddling, dive, everglades kayak, everglades paddling, feel irie, fire coral, First-order fresnel lens, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Keys Reef Lights, florida landscape, florida reefs, fowey rocks lighthouse, fresnel, fresnel lens, Frigate Birds, George Meade, gulf stream, gulfstream, History, hurricane irma, independence day, irie, irma storm, iron foundation pilings, iron pile, July 15 1880, july 4th, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak fitness, kayak florida, kayak florida keys, kayak keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys lights, keys paddling, keys snorkeling, landscape, lighthouse, lower Keys, Man-O-War Bird, mojito, mojito kayak, nautical history, ocean, offshore paddling, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, paddling, panorama, pentax, pentax wg-3, Photography, piracy, reality check, reef, reef photography, RTM, rtm disco, sammy creek landing, scuba, Sea Kayaker, 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, spar buoy, spur and groove reef, straightpile, Sugarloaf Key, summer, summer 2020, summer heat, surrender to the heat, the Keys, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tubular skeletal tower, turquoise water, turtle grass, water, water quality, werner pegasus, werner wing paddle, wing paddle, wreck, wreckers, wrecking, wrought iron. Leave a comment

The loneliest lighthouse in all the Keys!

The American Shoal lighthouse was first lit on July 15, 1880.

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(tap or click pic to read)

flex maslan Kayakfari reef american shoal lighthouse kayak paddle sugarloaf key dive history photography sammy creek

The MOJITO at anchor next to American Shoal Lighthouse in the lower Keys.
Lower Keys paddling to American Shoal Lighthouse on the edge of the Gulf Stream!

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American Shoal lighthouse is the newest of the

offshore reef lights constructed in the Florida Keys waters.

However it is 142 years old now!

It was built to “fill in the gap” that existed between Sand Key light off Key West and Sombrero Reef light off Marathon and located in a very remote stretch of water in the Lower Keys. By the late 19th century, it was possible to always be within sight of at least one lighthouse whener navigating the tricky Keys waters!

American Shoal is an almost identical replica to

the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse off Miami.

.

Despite being smack in the middle of Hurricane Irma’s path in 2017, this resilient lighthouse looks to be in very good condition for it’s years!

For this offshore adventure I paddled my favorite SOT kayak, the RTM Disco, aka ‘MOJITO’. The Disco is the kind of kayak that is easy to start with, but one that encourages and even asks to be paddled aggressively. Paired with a wing paddle she moves quickly at 4 knots or better, only limited by the short waterline and endurance. The addition of a footplate greatly increases ergonomics and also allows me to paddle the MOJITO like a surfski utilizing leg drive! 🙂

I anchored the MOJITO just north of American Shoal light in about six feet of water. Unlike all the other offshore reef lighthouses, American Shoal is the only one that does not have it’s own special underwater preserve. This because the shoal it sits on is pretty much a dead reef zone unfortunately!

Paddling into lower Keys nautical history

off Sugarloaf Key.

.

Happy Birthday American Shoal!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/lower-keys-paddling-to-american-shoal-lighthouse-on-the-edge-of-the-gulf-stream/

.

! 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 – Happy Independence Day from American Shoal Lighthouse in the Lower Keys.

Posted by Kayakfari on July 4, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, American Shoal, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, disco, everglades, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, history, hurricane, july 4th, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, lighthouse, mojito, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, rasta, reality check, reef, rtm disco, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, summer, sun, sunburn, surfski, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure paddling, American Shoal, American Shoal kayak, American Shoal lighthouse, American Shoal reef, Architect I.W.P. Lewis, awakenthegrass, Beach, beacon, Blessings, blue water, cast iron, Coral Reef, coral research, crystal clear water, declaration of independence, digital029art, disco, disco kayak, distance paddling, dive, feel irie, fire coral, First-order fresnel lens, fitness, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Keys Reef Lights, florida landscape, florida reefs, fowey rocks lighthouse, fresnel, fresnel lens, Frigate Birds, George Meade, gulf stream, gulfstream, History, hurricane irma, independence day, irie, irma storm, iron foundation pilings, iron pile, july 4, july 4th, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak fitness, kayak florida, kayak florida keys, kayak keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys lights, keys paddling, keys snorkeling, landscape, light, lighthouse, lower Keys, Man-O-War Bird, mojito, mojito kayak, nautical history, ocean, offshore paddling, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, paddling, panorama, pentax, pentax wg-3, Photography, piracy, reality check, reef, reef photography, RTM, rtm disco, sammy creek landing, scuba, Sea Kayaker, 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, spar buoy, spur and groove reef, straightpile, Sugarloaf Key, summer, summer heat, surrender to the heat, the Keys, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tubular skeletal tower, turquoise water, turtle grass, water, water quality, werner pegasus, werner wing paddle, wing paddle, wreck, wreckers, wrecking, wrought iron. Leave a comment

The Kayak as a personal

“Declaration of Independence”!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

A Declaration of Independence from Land?
Lower Keys paddling to American Shoal Lighthouse on the edge of the Gulf Stream!

.

American Shoal lighthouse is the newest of the

offshore reef lights constructed in the Florida Keys waters.

However it is over 140 years old now!

It was built to “fill in the gap” that existed between Sand Key light off Key West and Sombrero Reef light off Marathon and located in a very remote stretch of water in the Lower Keys. By the late 19th century, it was possible to always be within sight of at least one lighthouse whener navigating the tricky Keys waters!

American Shoal is an almost identical replica to

the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse off Miami.

For this offshore adventure I paddled my favorite SOT kayak, the RTM Disco, aka ‘MOJITO’. The Disco is the kind of kayak that is easy to start with, but one that encourages and even asks to be paddled aggressively. Paired with a wing paddle she moves quickly at 4 knots or better, only limited by the short waterline and endurance. The addition of a footplate greatly increases ergonomics and also allows me to paddle the MOJITO like a surfski utilizing leg drive! 🙂

I anchored the MOJITO just north of American Shoal light in about six feet of water. Unlike all the other offshore reef lighthouses, American Shoal is the only one that does not have it’s own special underwater preserve. This because the shoal it sits on is pretty much a dead reef zone unfortunately!

Paddling into lower Keys nautical history

off Sugarloaf Key.

.

Happy Birthday America!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/lower-keys-paddling-to-american-shoal-lighthouse-on-the-edge-of-the-gulf-stream/

.

! 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 – Surrender to the Heat, Resistance is Futile!

Posted by Kayakfari on June 6, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, biscayne bay, cape florida, cape romano, cape sable, everglades, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, ft lauderdale, humor, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, miami, paddle, pentax, photography, rain, reality check, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, summer, sunburn, tropical, west lake park, whiskey creek. Tagged: 10 thousand, 10000 islands, 10k islands, 42, 420, adventure, afternoon storms, awakenthegrass.com, banana boat, Beach, big hat, Biscayne Bay, Blessings, camping, camping ten thousand islands, chickee, chickee camping, coconut water, Cumulonimbus cloud, decorated reality, digital art, dildo key bank, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades camping, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades paddling, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, extreme chilling, face shield, feel irie, first national bank, fisheye lens, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida keys, florida rain, fort lauderdale kayak, freshwater, ft lauderdale kayak, fun photography, gloves, Greenland stick, gulf of mexico, heat, heaven and hell, hot and buggy, hot sun, humid, humor, ice cold, irie, island, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak fitness, kayak florida, kayak miami, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayak touring, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking photography, kayaking ten thousand islands, lightning, little rabbit key, Mangrove blossom, mangrove seedling, mangroves, mexican sombrero, Miami Kayak, ocean, open water, Paddle, paddling, paddling in the rain, panorama, pentax q, permeating wetness, Photography, rain, rain showers, raining, rasta, reality check, resistance is futile, River of Grass, roots paddling, santa sombrero, Sawgrass, Sea Kayaker, seda glider, shade, sky, Slough, sombrero, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, squall, steam bath, steambath, storm, summer, summer camping, summer camping everglades, summer heat, summer kayaking, summer paddling, summer paddling florida, summer rain, summer storms, sun, sun protection, sun shade, sunshine state, surrender, surrender to the heat, sweetwater chickee, ten thousand, ten thousand islands, ten thousand islands kayak, thunder storm, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical back country, tropical kayakfari, water, water levels, water quality, wet season, wetness, widely scattered showers. Leave a comment

Time to surrender to the hot permeating

wetness of summer! 🙂

.

(tap or click pic to read)

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

Nothing but praise and thankfulness, don’t fight it – surrender to it.
Surrender to the summer HEAT!

.

Now that summer is here,

the forecast calls for a “steam bath” every day:

The

“90-90-90”

Over 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade,

over 90 percent humidity and the water also about 90.

.

Stay cool and hydrated,

enjoy the tropical summer!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/reality-check/surrender-to-the-summer-heat/

.

! 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 – Cinco miles to the Sombrero Reef Lighthouse with the MOJITO.

Posted by Kayakfari on May 5, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, disco, dive, everglades, face protector, feet, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, history, holidays, humor, hurricane, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, lighthouse, mojito, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, posture, psychedelic, rasta, rtm disco, sargassum, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, surf ski, surfski, surreal art, tropical. Tagged: 142 feet focal plane, 1858, 42, 420, adventure, adventure paddling, Alexander Mitchell, Architect I.W.P. Lewis, art, awakenthegrass.com, Beach, beacon, blue water, cast iron, Cayo Sombrero, Conservation, Coral Reef, coral research, crystal clear water, decorated reality, DecoratedReality.com, digital art, distance paddling, Сомбреро, east sister rock, ecology, education, environment, Everglades Art, everglades kayak, everglades paddling, feel irie, fire coral, First-order fresnel lens, fisheye, fisheye lens, fitness, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Keys Reef Lights, florida landscape, florida reefs, fresnel, fresnel lens, Frigate Birds, George Meade, ghost, gulf stream, gulfstream, History, irie, iron foundation pilings, iron pile, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak fitness, kayak florida, kayak florida keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key vaca, keys, keys lights, keys paddling, keys pirates, keys snorkeling, landscape, lighthouse, Man-O-War Bird, marathon, mexican sombrero, mojito, mojito kayak, mooring buoys, Mustard Hill Coral, nautical history, no fishing, ocean, ocean kayak, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, paddling, panorama, pentax wg-3, Photography, piracy, prop scars, reality check, reef photography, richard white, RTM, rtm disco, satellite, satellite view florida keys, Sea Kayaker, sea sickness, seasick, seven mile bridge, ship wreck, shipwreck, skeleton, snorkel, soft coral, sombrero, Sombrero adventure to Sombrero Reef Lighthouse, sombrero beach, sombrero key, Sombrero Key Sanctuary Preservation Area, sombrero light, sombrero lighthouse, Sombrero on Sombrero, sombrero reef, sombrero reef lighthouse, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, spur and groove reef, state park, straightpile, summer, summer heat, surrender to the heat, the Keys, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tubular skeletal tower, turquoise water, turtle grass, Viva!, VRB-25, water, water quality, werner pegasus, werner wing paddle, west sister rock, white mooring buoys, willis parker, wing paddle, wreckers, wrecking, wrought iron. Leave a comment

This story combines open water paddling,

coral reef snorkeling ~and~ interesting bits of

South Florida nautical history with a twist!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

flex maslan Kayakfari sombrero reef lighthouse kayak paddle dive coral keys adventure marathon photography history

Willis and the MOJITO ready to paddle out to Sombrero Reef Lighthouse.
Sombrero Reef Lighthouse – visiting the tallest of the reef lights via kayak!

.

The Sombrero Reef Lighthouse is the tallest of all the Keys offshore reef lighthouses at 142 feet! Sombrero light was first lit in 1858 and stands in about 6 feet of water. Back then parts of the reef were exposed at low tide, and there was a small island there. Early Spanish explorers named it ‘Cayo Sombrero’, hence the reef’s name! It looks a lot like the Alligator Reef Light, only all rusty red instead of the white and black theme.

.

Of course, for a paddling trip to Sombrero Lighthouse,

I had to wear a Sombrero myself.

Out of all the boaters that were there, only one made the obvious

Sombrero-Sombrero

connection! 😮

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/sombrero-reef-lighthouse-visiting-the-tallest-of-the-reef-lights-via-kayak/

.

! 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 – Free ranging to Carysfort Reef Lighthouse off Key Largo.

Posted by Kayakfari on March 17, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, biscayne bay, carysfort reef lighthouse, dive, Findeisen Shearwater, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, history, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, landscape, lighthouse, ONEWAY, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, rasta, reality check, reef, sea kayaker, south florida, surf ski, surfski, tropical, wreck. Tagged: 1852, 22 miles, 31BH marker, 42, 420, adventure, adventure paddling, Alec Owen Maitaland, alligator lighthouse, art, attitude is everything, awakenthegrass.com, Beach, beacon, brain coral, Capt. John Whalton, carysfort, carysfort dive, carysfort photography, carysfort reef, carysfort replacement tower, Carysfort Sanctuary Preservation Area, carysfort snorkel, Christ of the Abyss, circular fisheye, Conservation, coral head, Coral Reef, crystal clear water, Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park, decorated reality, DecoratedReality.com, digital art, distance paddling, ecology, education, elkhorn coral, environment, Everglades Art, everglades kayak, everglades paddling, feel irie, First-order fresnel lens, fish form, fisheye, fisheye lens, fishform surfski, fitness, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Keys Reef Lights, florida landscape, florida reefs, fresnel, fresnel lens, Garden Cove, gulf stream, gulfstream, H.M.S. Carrysford, H.M.S. Winchester, History, history miami museum, Indian Key, irie, iron screw pile, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak fitness, kayak florida, kayak florida keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key largo, keys, keys lights, keys paddling, keys pirates, keys snorkeling, landscape, lighthouse, lightship, mooring buoys, Mustard Hill Coral, north key largo, ocean, one way, ONEWAY, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, paddling, panorama, panoramic, Pennekamp, pentax wg-3, Photography, piracy, Rattlesnake Key, reality check, reef photography, Sea Kayaker, shearwater, shearwater surfski, ship wreck, shipwreck, snorkel, soft coral, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, south florida surfski, staghorn coral, state park, surf ski, surfski, surfski touring, the Keys, Third-order fresnel lens, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, upper keys, VRB-25, water, water quality, Whalton's Cove, wreckers, wrecking. Leave a comment

Up close with the oldest standing screw pile lighthouse in the nation!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

flex maslan Kayakfari carysfort reef lighthouse kayak paddle key largo pennekamp dive coral history photography surfski park

Silently gliding towards Carysfort Reef Lighthouse in my vintage Shearwater surfski.
Carysfort Reef Lighthouse – paddling into upper Keys nautical history!

.

You can’t actually see Carysfort Light from the seat of the kayak when you first set out.

Carysfort Reef Lighthouse is the oldest of all the Keys offshore lighthouses constructed in the 19th century that is still standing. It became operational in 1852 and replaced the lightship “Florida” which was tending that duty with limited success. It was also the first to use the iron screw pile construction method that has proven to stand the test of time.

Carysfort Reef and lighthouse are named after the H.M.S. Carrysford (note change in spelling) which ran aground on the reef on October 23, 1770. However this reef also carries the distinction of being the site of the oldest recorded shipwreck in North America, that of the H.M.S. Winchester on September 24, 1695. The wreck was not discovered until 1938, and further salvage into the 1950s yielded many artifacts including several of her cannons and many valuable artifacts.

Carysfort Reef Light is the longest serving of all the Keys lighthouses, having been in continuous operation from 1852 to 2014.

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Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/carysfort-reef-lighthouse-paddling-into-upper-keys-nautical-history/

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! Bless UP

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© 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 Sombrero at the Sombrero Reef Lighthouse!

Posted by Kayakfari on March 3, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, disco, dive, everglades, face protector, feet, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, history, holidays, humor, hurricane, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, lighthouse, mojito, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, posture, psychedelic, rasta, rtm disco, sargassum, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, surf ski, surfski, surreal art, tropical. Tagged: 142 feet focal plane, 1858, 42, 420, adventure, adventure paddling, Alexander Mitchell, Architect I.W.P. Lewis, art, awakenthegrass.com, Beach, beacon, blue water, cast iron, Cayo Sombrero, Conservation, Coral Reef, coral research, crystal clear water, decorated reality, DecoratedReality.com, digital art, distance paddling, Сомбреро, east sister rock, ecology, education, environment, Everglades Art, everglades kayak, everglades paddling, feel irie, fire coral, First-order fresnel lens, fisheye, fisheye lens, fitness, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Keys Reef Lights, florida landscape, florida reefs, fresnel, fresnel lens, Frigate Birds, George Meade, ghost, gulf stream, gulfstream, History, irie, iron foundation pilings, iron pile, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak fitness, kayak florida, kayak florida keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key vaca, keys, keys lights, keys paddling, keys pirates, keys snorkeling, landscape, lighthouse, Man-O-War Bird, marathon, mexican sombrero, mojito, mojito kayak, mooring buoys, Mustard Hill Coral, nautical history, no fishing, ocean, ocean kayak, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, paddling, panorama, pentax wg-3, Photography, piracy, prop scars, reality check, reef photography, richard white, RTM, rtm disco, satellite, satellite view florida keys, Sea Kayaker, sea sickness, seasick, seven mile bridge, ship wreck, shipwreck, skeleton, snorkel, soft coral, sombrero, Sombrero adventure to Sombrero Reef Lighthouse, sombrero beach, sombrero key, Sombrero Key Sanctuary Preservation Area, sombrero light, sombrero lighthouse, Sombrero on Sombrero, sombrero reef, sombrero reef lighthouse, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, spur and groove reef, state park, straightpile, summer, summer heat, surrender to the heat, the Keys, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tubular skeletal tower, turquoise water, turtle grass, Viva!, VRB-25, water, water quality, werner pegasus, werner wing paddle, west sister rock, white mooring buoys, willis parker, wing paddle, wreckers, wrecking, wrought iron. Leave a comment

Paddling around the lighthouse I was impressed with the level of engineering.

The quality of construction and overall robustness is still evident even today, over 160 years later!

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(tap or click pic to read)

Richard cooling off in the blue waters surrounding Sombrero Reef Lighthouse.
Sombrero Reef Lighthouse – visiting the tallest of the reef lights via kayak!

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I did have some company and swimming was optional!

At first glance Sombrero Reef Lighthouse looks a lot like the Alligator Reef Light, only all rusty red instead of the white and black theme. It is however the tallest of all the Keys offshore reef lighthouses at 142 feet! Sombrero light was first lit in 1858 and stands in about 6 feet of water. Back then parts of the reef were exposed at low tide, and there was a small island there. Early Spanish explorers named it ‘Cayo Sombrero’, hence the reef’s name!

I made sure to wear one of my Sombreros on this trip, though strangely out of all the boaters there was only one that actually seemed to make the obvious Sombrero-Sombrero connection! 😮

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I hope you enjoy the special imagery I have created for this story.

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Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/sombrero-reef-lighthouse-visiting-the-tallest-of-the-reef-lights-via-kayak/

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! Bless UP

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© 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 – Exploring American Shoal lighthouse in the Lower Keys.

Posted by Kayakfari on February 24, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, American Shoal, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, everglades, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, history, hurricane, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, mojito, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, rasta, reality check, reef, rtm disco, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, summer, sun, sunburn, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure paddling, American Shoal, American Shoal kayak, American Shoal lighthouse, American Shoal reef, Architect I.W.P. Lewis, awakenthegrass, Beach, beacon, Blessings, blue water, cast iron, Coral Reef, coral research, crystal clear water, digital029art, disco, disco kayak, distance paddling, dive, everglades kayak, everglades paddling, feel irie, fire coral, First-order fresnel lens, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Keys Reef Lights, florida landscape, florida reefs, fowey rocks lighthouse, fresnel, fresnel lens, Frigate Birds, George Meade, gulf stream, gulfstream, History, hurricane irma, independence day, irie, irma storm, iron foundation pilings, iron pile, july 4th, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak fitness, kayak florida, kayak florida keys, kayak keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys lights, keys paddling, keys snorkeling, landscape, lighthouse, lower Keys, Man-O-War Bird, mojito, mojito kayak, nautical history, ocean, offshore paddling, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, paddling, panorama, pentax, pentax wg-3, Photography, piracy, reality check, reef, reef photography, RTM, rtm disco, sammy creek landing, scuba, Sea Kayaker, 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, spar buoy, spur and groove reef, straightpile, Sugarloaf Key, summer, summer 2020, summer heat, surrender to the heat, the Keys, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tubular skeletal tower, turquoise water, turtle grass, water, water quality, werner pegasus, werner wing paddle, wing paddle, wreck, wreckers, wrecking, wrought iron. Leave a comment

The loneliest lighthouse in all the Keys!

The American Shoal lighthouse was the last of the offshore

reef lights to be constructed in the Florida Keys waters.

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(tap or click pic to read)

Bringing the Disco to American Shoal Lighthouse.
Lower Keys paddling to American Shoal Lighthouse on the edge of the Gulf Stream!

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This makes it the newest,

even if it is over 140 years old now!

It’s located in a very remote stretch of water in the Lower Keys and was built to “fill in the gap” so to speak, that existed between Sand Key light off Key West and Sombrero Reef light off Marathon. So by the late 19th century, it was possible to always be within sight of at least one lighthouse when navigating the tricky Keys waters!

I did not have to worry about any of this since I was in my favorite SOT kayak, the RTM Disco, aka MOJITO. The Disco is the kind of kayak that is easy to start with, but one that encourages and even asks to be paddled aggressively. Paired with a wing paddle she moves quickly at 4 knots or better, only limited by the short waterline and endurance. The addition of a footplate greatly increases seating ergonomics and also allows me to paddle the MOJITO like a surfski utilizing leg drive! 🙂

Upon arrival, I anchored the MOJITO just north of American Shoal light in about six feet of water. Unlike all the other offshore reef lighthouses, American Shoal is the only one that does not have it’s own special underwater preserve. This because the shoal it sits on is pretty much a dead reef unfortunately!

American Shoal is an almost identical replica to the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse off Miami.

Despite being smack in the middle of Hurricane Irma’s path in 2017, this resilient lighthouse looks to be in very good condition for it’s 140+ years.

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Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/lower-keys-paddling-to-american-shoal-lighthouse-on-the-edge-of-the-gulf-stream/

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! Bless UP

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© 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.

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(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!

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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.

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My timing was fortunate that I had just enough land

to pull my surfski ‘ONEWAY’ onto!

ONEWAY is my resurrected Shearwater surfski.

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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/

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! Bless UP

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© 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 – Plan B – Take #2 !

Posted by Kayakfari on January 16, 2022

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, beach, fitness, flex maslan, florida, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, paddle, pentax, photography, south florida, tropical. Tagged: 360 panorama, 42, 420, aerial pole photography, awakenthegrass, Beach, blackwater sound, Blessings, bogart, camp kayakfari, camping, Camping with the Stars, caribbean club, circular fisheye, Cloud9, clouds, downpour, dusenbury creek, east florida bay, Everglades, everglades adventure, everglades camping, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades national park, everglades paddling, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, face buff, fbo, feel irie, fisheye lens, fisheye panorama, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida bay outfitters, florida keys, florida rain, gordon storm, Greenland stick, hurricane irma, irie, irma, irma impact, island, joe bay, kayafari, kayak adventure, kayak everglades, kayak florida bay, kayak florida keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak south florida, Kayak Ted, kayak touring, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking photography, key largo, key largo film, key largo tower, keys sunset, labor day, light pollution, lightning, mangrove seedling, mangroves, microwave tower key largo, milky way, milky way galaxy, Mr Spock, Nest Key, nest key camping, nest key kayak, nest keys, North Nest Key, Paddle, paddling, paddling in the rain, panorama, pentax fisheye, pentax q, Photography, plan b, Plan B – Take 2, rain, rain showers, raining, rasta, reality check, roots paddling, Sea Kayaker, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida kayaking, south florida paddle, south florida paddler, Spiritwalker, squall, stars, storm, summer camping, summer camping everglades, summer heat, summer kayaking, summer paddling, summer paddling florida, summer rain, summer storms, sunset, Take 2, Thaddeus Rice, the boggies, thunder storm, torrential rain, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical back country, tropical kayakfari, tropical storm, ts gordon. Leave a comment

The idea behind this trip was to check out the

Joe Bay area in northeastern Florida Bay.

Due to time constraints, it took place over the Labor Day weekend just ahead of approaching tropical storm Gordon. The plan me and Kayak Ted (aka Spiritwalker) made was to camp at North Nest Key and use it as a base camp for two nights. Joe Bay is intriguing because it has been re-opened to the public after being closed off for almost 40 years. It is also prime habitat for the American Crocodile, of which we had hoped to see many.

However as the saying goes

“The best laid plans of photographers and paddlers often go awry”

especially when a big storm rolls through early!

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(tap or click pic to read)

flex maslan kayakfari nest key largo kayak camp storm everglades photography paddle florida bay beach stars joe bay rain

When a big storm blows through, Plan B happens!
North Nest Key, Joe Bay and tropical storm Gordon.

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North Nest Key is not the place to go if you seek solitude,

however it’s worth a visit and makes a great base camp location

for exploring eastern Florida Bay.

The evening and most of the night were pleasant camping, but by dawn it was clear that things had changed. Getting up with the sunrise, there was a lot of cloud cover and a heavy damp feeling in the air. Listening to the weather radio and checking radar on the phone we could see that tropical storm Gordon had arrived into our area earlier than anticipated. By 8:30, we were already seeing lightning strikes to the NE in the distance which was definitely not a good sign! We had to make a decision, and both agreed that in light of our situation we’d bag it and head back a day early. We packed up camp just in time before all the heavy rain hit. At times it rained so hard, that we couldn’t even see each other on the water.

It was tough to make the decision to abort,

but it proved to be the right course of action!

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Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/north-nest-key-joe-bay-and-tropical-storm-gordon/

Revised and updated for your reading pleasure!

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! Bless UP

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© 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 – The sky is calling!

Posted by Kayakfari on December 30, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, canepatch, cape sable, chickees, cosmos, everglades, everglades art, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, island, johnson key, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, little rabbit key, Milky Way, night, orbit, paddle, pahayokee, panorama, pentax, photography, psychedelic, rasta, river of grass, sea kayaker, south florida, space, stars, surreal art, ten thousand islands, tropical, winter. Tagged: 360 panorama, 42, 420, answer 42, art of darkness, awakenthegrass, back country, backbone of night, Beach, big dipper, Bless UP, camping, camping florida bay, camping platform in Florida Bay, Camping with the Stars, cape sable, chickee, chickee camping, chickee platform, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, circular fisheye, Clubhouse Beach, cosmos, darkness, decorated reality, digital art, east cape, Everglades, Everglades Art, everglades artist, everglades camping, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades light pollution, everglades national park, everglades panorama, Everglades Photography, everglades skies, everglades stars, everglades winter, exploring everglades, feel irie, first national bank, fisheye, fisheye lens, fisheye panorama, flamingo, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida bay photography, florida keys, galaxy, gulf of mexico, Higher Consciousness, irie, island, it's full of stars, johnson key, Johnson Key Chickee, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak camping, kayak everglades, kayak florida keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys camping, landscape photography, light pollution, lights, little rabbit key, mars, miami light pollution, milky way, milky way galaxy, national park, nice dreams, night panorama, night photography, orion, outside the world of people, Paddle, paddle florida bay, paddling, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, pentax, perpetual dawn, Photography, planets, platform, polaris, psychedelic, rabbit key bank, rastafari, reality check, satellite, Sea Kayaker, shark point, Shark Point Chickee, South Florida, south florida kayak, space, star trails, stars, starshine, still of the night, sweet dreams, ten thousand islands, The sky is calling, tides, trinity, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, venus, whole sky, whole sky panorama, winter, winter sky. Leave a comment

An invitation from the darkness

outside the world of people.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

“The sky is calling collect”, will you accept the charges?
ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part III

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Our ancestors have lived in the darkness for many thousands of years. It is only in the last 100 years that people have lost sight of the Milky Way and the stars..

“We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers.”

― Carl Sagan, Cosmos

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Remote camping under the Milky Way is a beautiful experience

not soon forgotten.

Accept the call and enjoy the dark Everglades nights!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-darkness-camping-with-the-stars-part-iii/

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! Bless UP

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© 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.

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 – Sixty miles across Florida Bay, paddling Flamingo to Long Key (r/t).

Posted by Kayakfari on December 15, 2021

Posted in: 1000mm lens, 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, camping, cooking, cosmos, everglades, everglades art, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, landscape, little rabbit key, Milky Way, moon, moonlight, noseeum, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, rasta, sea kayaker, seda glider, sombrero, south florida, stars, sun, tropical, winter. Tagged: 42, 420, across florida bay, adventure, aerial, arsnicker keys, art of darkness, art of the bay, awakenthegrass, back country, banana boat, Beach, Blessings, camping, camping florida bay, camping islands, Camping with the Stars, chickee, chickee life camping, chickee platform, chickees, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, darkness, digital029art, Everglades, everglades adventure, everglades camping, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, exploring florida bay, feel irie, fisheye lens, fishing, fitness, flamingo, flamingo cell tower, Flamingo Ranger Station, flamingo to long key, flats, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, florida bay, florida bay forever, florida bay kayak, florida bay kayaking, florida bay landscape, florida bay photography, florida keys, grass beds, Greenland stick, irie, island, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak everglades, kayak florida bay, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking photography, little rabbit key, long key, long key bridge, long key camping, low tide, mangroves, milky way, mud flats, nice dreams, open water, orion, outback, overseas highway, Paddle, paddle florida bay, paddling, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, pentax, Photography, rasta, reality check, Sea Kayaker, seagrass beds, seda glider, shoal, sombrero, South Florida, south florida kayak, stars, sunset, tidal flats, tides, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical back country, tropical kayakfari, turtle grass, water quality. 2 Comments

‘Slow it down’ brothers and sisters!

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(tap or click pic to read)

Across Florida Bay Everglades camping Flex Maslan Little Rabbit Key Long Key Flamingo kayakfari canoe kayak adventure outback flats bank Keys primitive

Watching my kayak slowly drift away from me on the flats of central Florida Bay.
Across Florida Bay: Flamingo to Long Key Roundtrip Adventure!

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Know where?

Nowhere and now here!

Across Florida Bay is about 25 – 30 miles each way, so it’s possible to do this roundtrip in two days. However, chances are you might get stranded on one of the flats banks because the tide models inverse about half way through to the Keys. Also, you might just miss out on all those little things along the way, so my advice is to ‘slow it down’ brothers and sisters!

You are truly in ‘the middle of nowhere’ out on Florida Bay!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/across-florida-bay-flamingo-to-long-key-roundtrip-adventure/

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! Bless UP

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© 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.

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 – Across Florida Bay, Miami to Flamingo via Short Key.

Posted by Kayakfari on November 20, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, camping, convoy point, east everglades, everglades, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, mangrove, miami, Nest Key, night, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, rasta, sea kayaker, seda glider, Shark Point Chickee, Short Key, south florida, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, across florida bay, adventure, aerial, art of darkness, art of the bay, awakenthegrass, back country, banana boat, barnes sound, Beach, Biscayne Bay, blackwater sound, Blessings, camping, camping florida bay, camping islands, Camping with the Stars, chickee, chickee life camping, chickee platform, chickees, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, convoy point, darkness, digital029art, Everglades, everglades adventure, everglades camping, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, exploring florida bay, feel irie, fisheye lens, fishing, fitness, flamingo, flamingo cell tower, flats, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, florida bay, florida bay forever, florida bay kayak, florida bay kayaking, florida bay landscape, florida bay photography, florida keys, grass beds, Greenland stick, irie, island, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak everglades, kayak florida bay, kayak miami, kayak miami flamingo, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking photography, key largo, low tide, mangroves, miami, milky way, mud flats, Nest Key, nice dreams, night, North Nest Key, open water, orion, outback, overseas highway, Paddle, paddle florida bay, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, pentax, Photography, platform, rasta, Sea Kayaker, seagrass beds, seda glider, shark point, Shark Point Chickee, shoal, Short Key, snake bight, sombrero, South Florida, south florida kayak, stars, sunset, tidal flats, tides, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical back country, tropical kayakfari, turtle grass, water quality. 1 Comment

Miami (Black Point) to Flamingo is approximately

a 70 mile one way trip via Short Key

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(tap or click pic to read)

Miami Flamingo kayakfari florida bay flex maslan 029 digital029art short key dragover turkey point key largo keys everglades kayak nest key black betty end key shark point chickee paddlle kayakfari.com digital029art.com

Kayak group camping on Short Key in Barnes Sound.
Miami to Flamingo across Florida Bay via Short Key.

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Adventures across Biscayne Bay, Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound and Florida Bay.

A multi-day paddle trip so that we could really enjoy ourselves out there in the wide open expanses!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/miami-to-flamingo-across-florida-bay/

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! Bless UP

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© 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.

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 – The high rise outback condominium on Florida Bay.

Posted by Kayakfari on November 10, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, bugs, camping, chickees, cooking, everglades, everglades art, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, little rabbit key, moonlight, noseeum, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, rasta, sea kayaker, Shark Point Chickee, snake bight, sombrero, south florida, tropical. Tagged: 360, 42, 420, adventure, aerial, awakenthegrass.com, back country, Blessings, blue green, Camp, camping, chickee, chickee camping, chickees, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, decorated reality, digital art, dildo key bank, duppy conqueror, Everglades, everglades adventure, everglades camping, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, extreme chilling, feel irie, fisheye lens, fishing, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida bay kayaking, florida bay photography, florida keys, Greenland stick, irie, Johnson Key Chickee, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak everglades, kayak florida bay, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak touring, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking photography, keys, landscape, little rabbit key, low tide, mangroves, mud flats, Paddle, paddling, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, pentax q, photo, Photography, rasta, roots paddling, Sea Kayaker, shark point, Shark Point Chickee, snake bight, sombrero, South Florida, south florida kayak, tides, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical back country, tropical kayakfari, turtle grass, water, water levels, water quality, waterfront living. 4 Comments

I always tell people you don’t know chill,

until you Florida Bay chill – on a chickee!

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Shark Point Chickee is the tallest in Everglades National Park and feels like an outback condominium!
The Shark Point Chickee condominium on Florida Bay.

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Shark Point Chickee

When there is no moon out, it gets very dark indeed! A calm night on the Shark Point Chickee may possibly be the ultimate in camping tranquility. There is an absolute stillness and a total lack of any kind of background noise which is pretty special in today’s world and something not soon forgotten.

You can see the lights from the Florida Keys towns on the horizon to the south as they stretch out in a wide arc!

However the chickee is also a favorite resting place for sea birds and as such it will most likely be covered in bird guano, so bring several tarps to stay clean and scent-free!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/shark-point-chickee/

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Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay – Kayaking, Camping and Nice Dreams!

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! Bless UP

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© 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.

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 – I was held hostage for hours at First National Bank.

Posted by Kayakfari on November 7, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, cape sable, everglades, everglades art, Everglades birds, first national bank, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, greenland, humor, johnson key, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, king tides, landscape, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, pole aerial photography, reality check, sea kayaker, seda glider, south florida, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure, adventure paddling, aerial, aerial pole photography, Aerial VR Panoramas, awakenthegrass.com, back country, bank hold up, banks, birds, Bless UP, Camping with the Stars, cape sable, carl ross key, chickee, chickees, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, Clubhouse Beach, cormorant, dildo key bank, east cape, environment, Everglades, everglades adventure, everglades aerial, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, exploring everglades, exploring florida bay, feel irie, first national bank, fisheye, fisheye lens, fishing, fishing florida bay, fitness, flamingo, Flamingo Ranger Station, flats, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida bay kayaking, florida bay landscape, florida bay photography, grass beds, Greenland paddle, held hostage, heron, hold up, hostage, humor, irie, island, johnson key, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak florida bay, kayak photography, kayak touring, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key largo, lagoon, landscape, landscape photography, little rabbit key, low tide, mangrove, mental health plan, mud, mud flats, national park, Nest Key, North Nest Key, open water, outback, oyster keys, Paddle, paddle florida bay, paddling, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, Photography, platform, pole aerial photography, pole photography, reality check, remote, Sandy Key, Sea Kayaker, Sea Kayaker magazine, seagrass beds, seagull, sombrero, sombrero research institute, South Florida, south florida kayak, stick up job, terns, the cape, tidal flats, tropical, tropical adventure, turtle grass, water quality, wing paddle. Leave a comment

First National Bank on Florida Bay, that is!

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Flex Maslan kayakfari First National Bank Florida Bay kayak Everglades mud flats low tide turtle grass Key

The stick up job at the Bank.
The hold up at First National Bank in Florida Bay!

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The hold up was the tide, or lack there of.

The stick up job was my pole aerial photography!

First National Bank appears to have been named in jest by Flamingo residents of old (along with many other funny names). There are several other ‘banks’, but First National is very interesting due to it’s geographical position in Florida Bay and the thousands of birds that make a living out there.

The bank is located in Western Florida Bay which experiences extreme tidal swings and huge sections of flats can get exposed for several hours. They can easily be several miles across.

It’s very easy to get stuck out here accidentally, so it’s best to always be crossing with a rising tide! For planning, go with the East Cape tide models.

Don’t try walking across the bank – it’s really slick soft mud, almost like quicksand. It will tear the shoes off your feet .. best to wait it out!

When the water fills back in – it’s time to GO!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/the-hold-up-at-first-national-bank-in-florida-bay/

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! Bless UP

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© 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 – A quick trip to North Nest Key with a Cuban cigar.

Posted by Kayakfari on October 23, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, camping, cigar, everglades, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, humor, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, mangrove, moon, moonlight, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, psychedelic, rasta, sea kayaker, seda glider, south florida, stars, tropical. Tagged: 360 panorama, 4.88mm lens, 42, 420, adventure, aerial, aerial pole photography, awakenthegrass, banana boat, Beach, blackwater sound, Blessings, bogart, camp coffee, camp kayakfari, camping, Camping with the Stars, caribbean club, cigar, cigar everglades, cigar smoke, circular fisheye, coastal opt fisheye, coastal optics 4.88mm, coffee, cuba, cuban cigar, death in the morning, dusenbury creek, east florida bay, Everglades, everglades adventure, everglades camping, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, face buff, face shield, fbo, feel irie, fisheye lens, fisheye panorama, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida bay outfitters, florida keys, fun photography, habana, halo, havana, humor, insane in the membrane, irie, island, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak everglades, kayak florida bay, kayak florida keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak touring, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking photography, key largo, keys sunset, mangroves, milky way, Nest Key, nest key camping, nest key kayak, nest keys, North Nest Key, ocean, Paddle, paddling, panorama, pentax 03, pentax fisheye, Pentax K-01, pentax q, Photography, Que Se Sepa, rasta, roots paddling, Sea Kayaker, seda glider, smoke everglades, smoke ring, solar halo, South Florida, south florida kayak, sunset, tent, the boggies, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical back country, tropical kayakfari, vapor, vapor trail, Yo Soy De La Habana. Leave a comment

My sister went to Havana

and all I got was a Cuban cigar,

so I smoked it in the Everglades!

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flex maslan kayakfari nest key largo kayak camp storm everglades photography paddle florida bay beach stars satellite

North Nest Key is a quick getaway on the bay side of the upper Keys.
From Havana con mucho cariño – a quick trip to North Nest Key!

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Paddling out to the Nest Keys is straightforward and about nine miles when starting from FBO. You can paddle up through either “The Boggies” or Dusenbury Creek. Actually it’s common to make a loop and use both. There are a couple of things to keep in mind however. One is that on a good easterly or southeasterly wind, both Blackwater Sound and Florida Bay can carry a good fetch and bring 3 – 4′ up to 6 foot waves! Be sure to have a good sprayskirt as those quartering seas will break on deck frequently.

Nest Key is a part of Everglades National Park but in reality is just the opposite of remote due to it’s close proximity to Key Largo. Expect a boater’s sandbar party type atmosphere, complete with jetskis, loud stereos, folks drinking and barbecuing.

If this is not your style, avoid Nest Key on the weekends!!

To access the Nest Keys and eastern Florida Bay, one of the best spots to launch from is at Key Largo’s Florida Bay Outfitters (FBO). Their location makes it a natural choice for paddling Blackwater Sound, Barnes Sound, Buttonwood Sound. But just like anywhere in the Keys, parking space is very limited so you should always call ahead to make arrangements with them!

Que Se Sepa, Yo Soy De La Habana!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/from-havana-con-mucho-carino/

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! Bless UP

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© 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 – My handmade deflector dish ‘Hecho en México’!

Posted by Kayakfari on October 3, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, beach, fitness, flex maslan, florida, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, paddle, pentax, photography, south florida, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure paddling, awakenthegrass.com, back country, Beach, Bless UP, camping, camping florida bay, Camping with the Stars, cape sable, Captain James T. Sprayskirt, captain's blog, captain's log, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, Clubhouse Beach, deflector array, deflector beam dish, deflector dish, east cape, environment, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades camping, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, exploring everglades, exploring florida bay, fall in florida, feel irie, first national bank, fishing florida bay, flamingo, Flamingo Ranger Station, flats, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida bay landscape, florida bay photography, grass beds, Greenland paddle, Hecho en México, humor, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak florida bay, kayak photography, kayak touring, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape photography, low tide, mangrove, mental health plan, mexican sombrero, mud flats, national park, open water, outback, Paddle, paddle florida bay, paddling, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, Photography, rain, Sea Kayaker, Sea Kayaker magazine, seagrass beds, sombrero, sombrero research institute, South Florida, south florida kayak, star trek, tidal flats, tropical, tropical adventure, turtle grass, water quality, wing paddle. Leave a comment

Captain’s Blog supplement:

Stardate 99354.36

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Flex Maslan kayakfari camping hell everglades east cape sable kayak adventure heat paddle bugs photography rain

Deflector beam dish in operation on the Banana Boat at East Cape, Everglades National Park.
Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay – Kayaking, Camping and Nice Dreams!

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After re-routing the main plasma conduit through the secondary auxiliary power circuits and bypassing the flux capacitors, my deflector dish is now fully operational! 😉

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

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/a-kayakers-tribute-to-the-humble-and-versatile-sombrero/

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! 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 multi-universal Sombrero.

Posted by Kayakfari on October 2, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, beach, fitness, flex maslan, florida, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, paddle, pentax, photography, sombrero, south florida, sun, sunburn, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure, aid to navigation, awakenthegrass.com, beacon, Biscayne Bay, canoe, Cayo Sombrero, Cinco de Mayo, Сомбреро, feel irie, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay kayaking, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Keys Reef Lights, Ft Lauderdale, hat, Holidays, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak biscayne bay, kayak fitness, kayak florida keys, kayak Loxahatchee River, kayak miami, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking alien, keys paddling, LA CUCARACHA, lighthouse, lighthouse point, Loxahatchee River, mangroves, may 5th, merry christmas, mexican sombrero, miami, mojito kayak, ocean kayak, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, paddling, panorama, Photography, pilsner urquell, REVOLUCIÓN MEXICANA, rtm disco, safety sombrero, santa sombrero, Sea Kayaker, Seminole Winterfest Boat Parade, sombrero, Sombrero adventure to Sombrero Reef Lighthouse, sombrero beach, sombrero key, Sombrero Key Sanctuary Preservation Area, sombrero light, sombrero lighthouse, Sombrero on Sombrero, sombrero reef, sombrero reef lighthouse, sombrero research institute, South Florida, south florida kayak, summer heat, sun, tropical, tropical adventure, visual aid, Viva la Mexico!, Viva las Fiestas, viva revolucion!. Leave a comment

A kayaker’s tribute to the humble and versatile Sombrero ..

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Flex Maslan Kayakfari photography kayak everglades art adventure fitness florida bay ocean sombrero

I’m a quick draw with the cam! 😮
A kayaker’s tribute to the humble and versatile Sombrero!

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Part hat, part umbrella, part wind block,

part sail, part visual aid, part aid to navigation,

part camp organizer .. it’s a part of paddling.

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/a-kayakers-tribute-to-the-humble-and-versatile-sombrero/

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! Bless UP

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© 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 – Starshine and light pollution from the South Florida Megalopolis.

Posted by Kayakfari on September 30, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, camping, cape sable, cosmos, everglades, everglades art, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, little rabbit key, Milky Way, night, paddle, pentax, photography, sea kayaker, south florida, space, stars, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, art of darkness, awakenthegrass, back country, Bless UP, camping florida bay, camping platform in Florida Bay, Camping with the Stars, cape sable, chickee, chickee camping, chickee platform, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, Clubhouse Beach, darkness, decorated reality, digital art, east cape, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades artist, everglades camping, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades light pollution, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, everglades skies, everglades stars, exploring everglades, exploring florida bay, fantasy art, feel irie, first national bank, fisheye, fisheye lens, fisheye panorama, flamingo, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida bay photography, florida keys, galaxy, irie, island, it's full of stars, johnson key, Johnson Key Chickee, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak camping, kayak everglades, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak touring, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, landscape photography, light pollution, lights, little rabbit key, mangrove, miami, miami light pollution, milky way, milky way galaxy, mud flats, national park, nice dreams, night, night panorama, night photography, open water, orion, outback, outside the world of people, Paddle, paddle florida bay, paddling, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, pentax, perpetual dawn, Photography, platform, psychedelic, psychedelic art, rabbit key bank, rasta, rastafari, Sea Kayaker, shark point, Shark Point Chickee, sky, South Florida, south florida kayak, space, stars, starshine, still of the night, ten thousand islands, tidal flats, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari. Leave a comment

Scenes from

Outside the world of people.

Low clouds over Florida Bay delineate the stars and light pollution emanating from the Miami metropolitan area.

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flex maslan kayakfari stars everglades photography night darkness sky pollution light kayak milky way florida bay

Eerie beauty reflecting the darkness of Everglades National Park.
ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part II

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This is the light pollution arising from the lighting needs of millions people living in urban South Florida. The core density of these lights is about 75 to 100 miles away in this photograph. It’s a kind of “permanent dawn” on the horizon that also serves as a navigational aid out in Everglades National Park. Most of the time this is a kind of unavoidable annoyance that destroys the full darkness and wipes out stars.

Sometimes though the glow can be beautiful,

and then becomes it’s own subject! 😮

.

…

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 – South Florida’s stormy transition into fall.

Posted by Kayakfari on September 25, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, camping, cape sable, chickees, everglades, everglades art, first national bank, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, mangrove, paddle, pentax, pentax kp, photography, rasta, reality check, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, summer, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure paddling, ART of Darkness series, awakenthegrass.com, back country, Beach, Bless UP, camping, camping florida bay, Camping with the Stars, cape sable, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, Clubhouse Beach, Detonation at Dawn, early fall, east cape, environment, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, exploring everglades, exploring florida bay, fall in florida, feel irie, first national bank, fishing, fishing florida bay, flamingo, Flamingo Ranger Station, flats, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, florida bay, florida bay forever, florida bay kayak, florida bay landscape, florida bay photography, grass beds, Greenland paddle, irie, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak florida bay, kayak photography, kayak touring, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape photography, low tide, mangrove, mental health plan, mud flats, national park, night, open water, outback, Paddle, paddle florida bay, paddling, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, Photography, reality check, Sea Kayaker, Sea Kayaker magazine, seagrass beds, South Florida, south florida kayak, tidal flats, tropical, tropical adventure, turtle grass, wing paddle. 1 Comment

Day or night, early fall weather can be a real wildcard for paddlers in South Florida!

.

An unsettled afternoon in early fall at East Cape, Everglades National Park.
Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay – Kayaking, Camping and Nice Dreams!

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As the world turns, the season changes from the summertime afternoon squall pattern to regular cold fronts coming down from the northeast. Nestled in between there is early fall in South Florida which is still hot as summer but not nearly as predictable.

The nights especially can put on quite a show!

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Flex Maslan kayakfari photographer kayak camping stars night Everglades landscape pano print art Florida Bay slough shark detonation at dawn storm

“Detonation at Dawn”
Giant storm system over eastern Florida Bay just before 5am!
Available from Kayakfari ART Photography

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

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/

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! Bless UP

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© 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!

🙂

Paddling South Florida’s Offshore Reef Lighthouses!

Posted by Kayakfari on May 26, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, Art, beach, biscayne bay, Boca Chita, cape florida, carysfort reef lighthouse, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, fowey rocks, history, jupiter, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, keys, landscape, lighthouse, miami, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, reef, sea kayaker, soldier key, sombrero, south florida, stiltsville, surfski, tropical. Tagged: adventure paddling, Alligator light, alligator lighthouse, alligator reef lighthouse, American Shoal, American Shoal kayak, American Shoal lighthouse, American Shoal reef, art, attitude is everything, awakenthegrass, awakenthegrass.com, Beach, beacon, Biscayne Bay, Biscayne Bay triangle, biscayne national park, Blessings, Boca Chita, Boca Chita Key, boca chita lighthouse, cape florida, cape florida lighthouse, carysfort, carysfort reef, carysfort reef lighthouse, Carysfort Sanctuary Preservation Area, carysfort snorkel, cast iron, Cayo Sombrero, circular fisheye, Coral Reef, disco kayak, distance paddling, feel irie, First-order fresnel lens, fisheye, fisheye lens, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, florida keys paddling, Florida Keys Reef Lights, florida landscape, florida lighthouses, florida reefs, fowey rocks, fowey rocks kayak, fowey rocks lighthouse, fresnel lens, Garden Cove, George Meade, gulf stream, gulfstream, hillsboro inlet, hillsboro lighthouse, History, Indian Key, irie, iron foundation pilings, iron screw pile, islamorada, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Jupiter lighthouse, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak biscayne bay, kayak fitness, kayak florida keys, kayak keys, kayak miami, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, key largo, keys, keys lights, keys paddling, keys pirates, keys snorkeling, light, lighthouse, miami, miami history, mojito kayak, mooring buoys, nautical history, north key largo, offshore kayaking, offshore paddling, open water paddling, Paddle, paddle miami, paddling biscayne bay, panorama, Pennekamp, pentax, pentax wg-3, Photography, reef, reef photography, rtm disco, safety valve, Sand Key, Sand Key kayak, Sand Key lighthouse, Sea Kayaker, shearwater surfski, shipwreck, shoal, snorkel, soldier key, sombrero, sombrero beach, sombrero light, sombrero lighthouse, sombrero reef lighthouse, South Florida, south florida history, south florida kayak, south florida lighthouses, surfski touring, Tequesta, the Keys, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tubular skeletal tower, turquoise water, upper keys, water quality, white mooring buoys, wrecking, wrought iron. Leave a comment

These lighthouses were lifesaving beacons in their day and remain beacons of time integral to South Florida history!

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The six offshore lighthouses presented:

Kayaking the Biscayne Bay triangle: Cape Florida – Fowey Rocks – Soldier Key!

Carysfort Reef Lighthouse – paddling into upper Keys nautical history!

Kayaking to Alligator Light Reef (lighthouse) .. of Fishes, Wreckers, Pirates and Keys History!

Sombrero Reef Lighthouse – visiting the tallest of the reef lights via kayak!

Lower Keys paddling to American Shoal Lighthouse on the edge of the Gulf Stream!

Sand Key Lighthouse – kayaking to the “southern star” of the offshore Keys reef lights!

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(click on pic to enter portal!)

Florida offshore kayaking portal to:
Fowey Rocks, Carysfort Reef, Alligator Reef, Sombrero Reef, American Shoal and Sand Key lighthouses!

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Please note:

I am describing open water trips miles offshore with NO possibility of getting out anywhere.

Plan accordingly and paddle within your limitations and the weather conditions!!

Offshore means you are subject to wind, waves, currents AND the South Florida general boating public!

Be absolutely sure you know what you are getting into before considering doing this kind of a trip!

Safety first means planning and research first!!

Always have plenty of fresh water to stay hydrated!

.

! BLESS

.

© 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!

🙂

Sand Key Lighthouse – sixteen miles of open water surfski paddling off Key West!

Posted by Kayakfari on May 5, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, disco, dive, Findeisen Shearwater, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, history, holidays, hurricane, island, Julyer, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key west, keys, landscape, lighthouse, ONEWAY, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, rasta, reality check, reef, Sand Key, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, summer, sun, surf ski, surfski, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure, adventure paddling, Alexander Mitchell, Architect I.W.P. Lewis, awakenthegrass, awakenthegrass.com, beacon, Blessings, blue water, cast iron, Coral Reef, coral research, crystal clear water, digital art, digital029art, disco, disco kayak, 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 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 stream, gulfstream, History, irie, irma storm, iron foundation pilings, iron pile, iron screw pile, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak fitness, kayak florida keys, kayak key west, kayak keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, kayakfari art, 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, offshore paddling, ONEWAY, oneway surfski, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax wg-3, Photography, piracy, 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 lighthouses, south florida surfski, spar buoy, spur and groove reef, straightpile, summer, summer 2020, summer heat, surfski, 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. 1 Comment

Offshore Keys paddling to the southernmost

offshore Keys lighthouse

along the edge of the Gulf Stream!

.

(click pic to enter)

Sand Key Lighthouse – kayaking to the “southern star” of the offshore Keys reef lights!

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Kayaking into lower Keys nautical history

from Key West.

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Sand Key Lighthouse – kayaking to the “southern star” of the offshore Keys reef lights!

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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!

🙂

American Shoal Lighthouse – the Kayak as a personal Declaration of Independence!

Posted by Kayakfari on February 10, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, American Shoal, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, disco, dive, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, fowey rocks, history, holidays, hurricane, july 4th, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, landscape, lighthouse, mojito, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, rasta, reef, rtm disco, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, summer, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure, adventure paddling, American Shoal, American Shoal kayak, American Shoal lighthouse, American Shoal reef, Architect I.W.P. Lewis, awakenthegrass, awakenthegrass.com, beacon, Blessings, blue water, cast iron, Coral Reef, coral research, crystal clear water, declaration of independence, digital art, digital029art, disco, disco kayak, distance paddling, dive, feel irie, fire coral, First-order fresnel lens, fitness, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Keys Reef Lights, florida landscape, florida reefs, fowey rocks lighthouse, fresnel, fresnel lens, Frigate Birds, George Meade, gulf stream, gulfstream, History, hurricane irma, independence day, irie, irma storm, iron foundation pilings, iron pile, july 4th, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak fitness, kayak florida keys, kayak keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, keys lights, keys paddling, keys snorkeling, Lake Okeechobee, landscape, light, lighthouse, lower Keys, Man-O-War Bird, mojito, mojito kayak, nautical history, offshore paddling, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax wg-3, photo, Photography, piracy, reef, reef photography, RTM, rtm disco, sammy creek landing, scuba, Sea Kayaker, ship wreck, shipwreck, snorkel, soft coral, South Florida, south florida history, south florida kayak, south florida lighthouses, spar buoy, spur and groove reef, straightpile, Sugarloaf Key, summer, summer 2020, summer heat, surrender to the heat, the Keys, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tubular skeletal tower, turquoise water, turtle grass, water, werner pegasus, werner wing paddle, wing paddle, wreck, wreckers, wrecking, wrought iron. Leave a comment

Offshore Keys paddling:

A journey to the loneliest Keys lighthouse

on edge of the Gulf Stream!

.

(click pic to enter)

flex maslan Kayakfari American Shoal lighthouse kayak paddle dive reef sugarloaf coral history photography shipwreck

Declaration: The MOJITO at American Shoal Lighthouse in the lower Keys.

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Kayaking into lower Keys nautical history

from a dead-end road off Sugarloaf Key.

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/lower-keys-paddling-to-american-shoal-lighthouse-on-the-edge-of-the-gulf-stream/

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Bless UP!

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© 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!

🙂

Fill up 2021 with paddling, camping and some very nice dreams !!

Posted by Kayakfari on January 1, 2021

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, camping, cape sable, chickees, Cloud9, cooking, cosmos, everglades, everglades art, first national bank, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, landscape, little rabbit key, mangrove, Milky Way, moonlight, mosquitoes, new year, noseeum, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, rasta, sea kayaker, seda glider, sombrero, south florida, stars, tropical, winter. Tagged: 2021, across florida bay, adventure, adventure paddling, aerial, art, awakenthegrass.com, back country, banks, Beach, birds, Bless UP, Bradley Key, Calusa, Camp, camping, camping florida bay, camping platform in Florida Bay, Camping with the Stars, canoe, cape sable, carl ross key, chickee, chickee camping, chickee platform, chickees, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, Cloud9, Clubhouse Beach, cormorant, digital art, dildo key, dildo key bank, east cape, environment, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, exploring everglades, exploring florida bay, feel irie, first national bank, fishing, fishing florida bay, fitness, flamingo, flamingo cell tower, Flamingo Ranger Station, flats, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, flooded camp, Florida, florida bay, florida bay forever, florida bay kayak, florida bay photography, full moon, galaxy, Grass, grass beds, heron, high tides, irie, johnson key, Johnson Key Chickee, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak miami flamingo, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak touring, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key largo, keys, lagoon, landscape photography, little rabbit key, long key, low tide, mangrove, mental health, mental health plan, milky way, moonlight, mud, mud flats, mudflat, national park, Nest Key, new year 2021, night, North Nest Key, open water, orca 16, orion, outback, oyster keys, Paddle, paddle florida bay, paddling, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, panoramic, Photography, platform, Prairie, Sandy Key, satellite, sea grass, Sea Kayaker, Sea Kayaker magazine, seagull, shark point, Shark Point Chickee, Short Key, South Florida, south florida kayak, stars, terns, tidal flats, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, turtle grass, water quality. Leave a comment

Sweet dreams are made like this!

Who am I to disagree?

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Flex Maslan Florida Bay kayakfari Kayak Everglades chickee paddle camping keys adventure photography stars 2021

Please excuse me while I enjoy the sky .. 😮
Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay – Kayaking, Camping and Nice Dreams!

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More on paddling Florida Bay:

Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay – Kayaking, Camping and Nice Dreams!

.

! Dulces sueños

.

! BLESS

.

© 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!

🙂

Kayak Biscayne Bay: Jones Lagoon, feat Totten, Little Totten, Old Rhodes and Porgy Keys!

Posted by Kayakfari on November 18, 2020

Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, biscayne bay, canoe, Cloud9, everglades, everglades art, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, history, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, landscape, mangrove, miami, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, sea kayaker, south florida, tropical. Tagged: adventure paddling, aerial, aerial kayak, aerial pole photography, awakenthegrass.com, back country, Biscayne Bay, biscayne national park, bushpaddlers, bushpaddlers.org, canoe, chickee, Cloud9, digital029art, environment, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, exploration, fishing, fitness, flex maslan, flooded, Florida, florida bay, Israel Lafayette Jones, jones lagoon, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak biscayne bay, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, landscape, mangrove, nature, nuclear power plant, Old Rhodes Key, open water, orca 16, orca kayak, outback, Paddle, paddling biscayne bay, panorama, panoramic, Photography, Porgy key, rain, remote, Sea Kayaker, South Florida, Totten Key, tropical adventure, turkey point, turkey point power plant, turtle grass, venture kayaks, water quality. 1 Comment

.

Paddling and jonesing for scenics

on Jones Lagoon upon

southern Biscayne Bay.

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flex maslan kayakfari jones lagoon Porgy kayak key biscayne bay paddle photography open water ocean reef

Aerial view, paddling the southern entrance into Jones Lagoon in Biscayne National P

Today is National Lighthouse Day.

In South Florida we have several lighthouses,

celebrate by visiting one!

These lighthouses were lifesaving beacons in their day and

today remain beacons of time in South Florida history!

Please note:

Offshore means you are subject to wind, waves, currents AND the South Florida general boating public!

Always have plenty of fresh water to stay hydrated!

More lighthouse information:

Enjoy!

All rights reserved!

Share this:

Like this:

The “Backbone of Night”.

It is said that the !Kung people of the Kalahari desert consider the Milky Way as the backbone that holds up the sky!

An invitation from the darkness

outside the world of people.

Remote camping under the Milky Way is a beautiful experience

not soon forgotten.

Enjoy the dark Everglades nights!

All rights reserved!

Share this:

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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:

The loneliest lighthouse in all the Keys!

The American Shoal lighthouse was first lit on July 15, 1880.

American Shoal lighthouse is the newest of the

offshore reef lights constructed in the Florida Keys waters.

However it is 142 years old now!

American Shoal is an almost identical replica to

the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse off Miami.

Despite being smack in the middle of Hurricane Irma’s path in 2017, this resilient lighthouse looks to be in very good condition for it’s years!

Paddling into lower Keys nautical history

off Sugarloaf Key.

Happy Birthday American Shoal!

All rights reserved!

Share this:

Like this:

The Kayak as a personal

“Declaration of Independence”!

American Shoal lighthouse is the newest of the

offshore reef lights constructed in the Florida Keys waters.

However it is over 140 years old now!

American Shoal is an almost identical replica to

the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse off Miami.

Paddling into lower Keys nautical history

off Sugarloaf Key.

Happy Birthday America!

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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.

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