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

If you stay out long enough,

the odds will eventually catch up with you!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

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/

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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 – Surrender to the Heat, Resistance is Futile!

Time to surrender to the hot permeating

wetness of summer! 🙂

.

(tap or click pic to read)

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/

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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 – Where the people aren’t, the ultimate luxury!

Take a break on Florida Bay,

it’s

“Where the People Aren’t”.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

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/

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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 – How much love does it take to not trash the Everglades with balloons?

It’s the trash that flies! 😦

.

(tap or click pic to read)

There’s no love lost here, mylar balloons and the Everglades do not mix.
All that trash – the ugly side of kayaking in Miami!

.

What goes up must come down.

Helium filled mylar balloons are typically used only once to celebrate birthdays or mark other occasions. Sadly it’s the kind of trash that can be found even in the most pristine and remote parts of the Everglades.

There’s a lot of beauty left, and nature always regenerates itself.

If we can only keep from choking it!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/reality-check/all-that-trash-the-ugly-side-of-kayaking-in-miami/

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! Bless UP – How much Love?

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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 – 45 miles of freestyle paddling and camping in a tropical marine wilderness.

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/

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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 – 1, 2, 3 – tripping into the wild Everglades!

We can also strive to escape

from our modern domesticated era,

if only for a brief and limited time!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

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

.

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

of  11, 20, 25 and 28 mile days.

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

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

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

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

.

Full story at:

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

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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 – Paddling in the Rain!

I’m happy again…

Just Paddlin’ in the Rain!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Wet surfski workout session paddling through Port Everglades in Ft Lauderdale.
Paddling in the Rain, Just Paddlin’ and Campin’ in the Rain .. sing along!

.

(** Cue music **)

Sing along to the music, ya’ll can paddle if you want to ..

Sing along .. Paddling in the Rain, Just Paddlin’ and Campin’ in the Rain!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/paddling-in-the-rain-just-paddlin-and-campin-in-the-rain-sing-along/

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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 – Adventures in the Bill Ashley Jungles of the Everglades.

An invitation to paddling forgotten trails of

Gladesmen,

Gator hunters, Outlaws and Moonshiners

in the Everglades!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

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

.

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

Paradoxically this area is at once the most visited,

yet also the least explored!

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

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

.

Full story at:

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

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.

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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 – Goodbye Babylon, bye bye. Hello Everglades tripping!

Escape from Babylon into the

Ten Thousand Islands!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

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

.

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

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

if only for a limited time!

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

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

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

A fun escape from Babylon into the Everglades outback!

.

Full story at:

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

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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 Daily Dose – Plan B – Take #2 !

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!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

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

.

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!

.

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!

.

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

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

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

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

…

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

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – Exploring a hidden bit of the colorful old time Everglades history!

Moonshine in the Ten Thousand Islands

of the Everglades.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Represent! Flying the colors at the launch in Everglades City.
Moonshine in the 10 000 Islands of the Everglades.

.

A simple “overnight” trip,

but with about 42 miles to cover.

On offer in this story is a photo journey of a quest to find a “lost” bit of old Everglades history. It’s the story of a Prohibition era liquor still hidden deep in the mangrove jungles of the Ten Thousand Islands.

It takes us back to the beginnings of the fascinating life story of Chokoloskee resident Loren “Totch” Brown who lived there. If you are not familiar, his book is a must read:

Totch: A Life in the Everglades by Loren G. Brown

With the Liquor Still Bay mission accomplished, we headed out into the Gulf on a slack tide. The paddling was easy and serene, and not at all what the Gulf waters would have waiting in store for us.

It forced us to re-examine our situation!

.

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/moonshine-in-the-10-000-islands/

Revised and updated for your reading pleasure!

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

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

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

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

…

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

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – Paddling in the zone on Florida Bay!

The Florida Bay Mental Health Plan.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Focus on the moment is important!
Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay – Kayaking, Camping and Nice Dreams!

.

Getting into the zone is important for enjoyable and efficient distance paddling by focusing on the moment.

The repetitive, rhythmic paddling motion really helps with that and by letting go of the past and the future allows one to be mindful of the present.

The present is kayaking in as beautiful a place as the wide open expanses of the marine wilderness of Florida Bay!

.

Taking care of mind, body & soul!

Every paddle is like a new beginning and always somewhat different,

it’s the eternal freshness of a constant new beginning.

.

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

Adventure paddling and hellish camping

in the Ten Thousand Islands!

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(tap or click pic to read)

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

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 Revised and updated for your reading pleasure!

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

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

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

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Full story at:

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

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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 – Out of sight, out of mind?

The Holidays are a time of joyful gift giving.

It’s also a time when copious amounts of

packaging waste are generated!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Some trash is biodegradable, but it still doesn’t belong on our beaches.
All that trash – the ugly side of kayaking in Miami!

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Underneath the fancy Miami gloss surface treatment are pimples and blemishes made of trash and debris. But a lot of times the trash also lies out in the open for all to see. That’s why it’s important to remember to always dispose of your trash properly!

There’s still a lot of beauty left, and nature always regenerates itself.

If we can only keep from choking it!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/reality-check/all-that-trash-the-ugly-side-of-kayaking-in-miami/

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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 – Roots, mud and airboats on the Barron Creek – Ferguson River loop.

Close encounters of the airboat kind,

but also some of the most beautiful

mangrove tunnels

that you’ll find anywhere!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

This is some of the stickies, clingiest, and bottomless muck that there is!
Barron Creek to Ferguson River Loop – Mangroves, Airboats and Mud.

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That said, the area is beautiful, particularly the mangrove tunnels in the eastern section and the “prairie” zone just past that. The mangrove tunnels are possibly some of the most striking that you’ll find anywhere. This is why they run tourist airboat tours here. After this you’ll come into a cove with some of the stickiest, clingiest & bottomless quicksand / mud that there is!

If you capsize here for some reason .. well good luck! 😮

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/10-000-islands/barron-creek-to-ferguson-river-loop-mangroves-airboats-and-mud/

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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 – Paddling has been my affordable health care plan for 30 years.

Taking care of mind, body & soul!

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Giving Thanks – 30 year Kayakversary of

“Fitness, Adventure and Art on the High Seas”.

(tap or click pic to read)

“What a long, strange Trip it’s been!”
Giving Thanks for 30 years of active paddling, adventure and photography!

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Every paddle is like a new beginning and always different –

the eternal freshness of a new beginning.

Paddling never gets old!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/reality-check/giving-thanks-for-25-years-of-active-paddling-and-photography/

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! Bless UP & TESTIFY

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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.

I always tell people you don’t know chill,

until you Florida Bay chill – on a chickee!

.

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 – An inviting Everglades mangrove maze.

Mahogany Hammock – Lane Bay loop through

the Bill Ashley jungles.

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First of many mangrove traffic jams. 😮
Mahogany Hammock – Lane Bay loop of the 2017 Invitational paddle!

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This “Invitational” Everglades paddling event was held in a seemingly endless maze-like area southwest of the Mahogany Hammock Trail inside Everglades National Park. The trip was organized by contemporary Everglades explorer Terry Helmers of the Everglades Exploration Network. Terry likes to go well off the beaten path and plans these trips right near the end of the Everglades wet season, usually late October or in November.

This maze like area only allows single file paddling through

narrow creeks and water leads.

Some of these actually connect to form a path through!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/everglades-national-park/interior/mahogany-hammock-lane-bay-loop-of-the-2017-invitational-paddle/

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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 – Shine on you crazy Outlaws!

Time portal into the old Ten Thousand Islands:

(Enter at own Risk)

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Totch Brown’s Liquor Still in the Ten Thousand Islands, Everglades.
ART at Liquor Still Bay – hidden history in the Everglades.

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Hidden history in the Everglades at Liquor Still Bay.

((( cue soundtrack )))

This site was cleared and built up by John J. Brown, who essentially created his own “shell mound” on this secret spot by hauling in fill to raise the elevation above the high tide line. John was the father of sometimes famous, sometimes infamous lifelong Chokoloskee resident and true Gladesman Loren G. “Totch” Brown. The Brown family lived in an 8 x 14 foot tar shack that stood just behind the still. As a young boy, Totch learned to hunt, trap, fish and survive in the Everglades any way he could. The moonshine produced was true ‘Everglades Whiskey’ and the fresh run liquor was aged stashed in the mangroves for about six months! This clandestine moonshine operation was probably only active for a few years and after which Totch’s father moved his family to live nearby at the former homestead of Ed Watson, which is now a backcountry Everglades campsite called The Watson Place.

Totch Brown himself went on to live a “free life” as he called it,

perhaps one of the very few and last people who got to

live a full life in the original Everglades!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-at-liquor-still-bay-hidden-history-in-the-everglades/

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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 – This is sort of a cautionary tale about paddling in or around port inlets.

Some ships are so big that they can

actually drain the water out of an inlet at low tide

to create a rip current hydraulic!

.

This ship is so large that it doesn’t take long for the bow to clear the jetty and it’s at this point that the hydraulic or rip current really starts to form!
Rip current hydraulic – a cruise ship so big that it actually drains the water out of Port Everglades inlet!

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Port Everglades is a port of call for some of the largest and newest cruise ships in the world. On weekend afternoons, you will see several ships departing one after the other. On this particular day I was just outside the inlet, and saw that the MS Oasis of the Seas was getting ready to depart. I decided to wait a bit to watch this behemoth steam past me, feeling secure since I was about 30 feet south of the jetty rocks. This turned out to be too close and I was momentarily caught up in a hydraulic which started pulling me back into the inlet. Safer would have been to at least double that distance!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/reality-check/rip-current-hydraulic-a-cruise-ship-so-big-that-it-actually-drains-the-water-out-of-port-everglades-inlet/

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

My sister went to Havana

and all I got was a Cuban cigar,

so I smoked it in the Everglades!

.

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.

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 – More Roots Paddling, Yeah!

Paddling in South Florida

is Roots Paddling!

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Black mangrove shoots – pneumatophores burnin’ the golden sunlight of Everglades National Park.
South Florida’s walking coastal Mangroves – Roots Paddling, Photography and Dreadlocks!

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“Anchoring to a Higher ground!”

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/south-floridas-walking-coastal-mangroves-roots-paddling-photography-and-dreadlocks/

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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 – When it’s October in South Florida.

“Welcome the Fall,

and the Fall welcomes you” ..

🙂

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Cold fronts start making their way down south, surf’s UP.
Welcoming the Fall in South Florida!

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Come October – Fall is here in South Florida.

Right on cue !!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/welcoming-the-fall-in-south-florida/

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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 squalls and storms are here – it’s summer in South Florida!

The question you have to ask yourself is:

“Do I feel Lucky?”

.

(click pic for more info!)

“I’ll bet you a dollar that it will rain. Hold my paddle!“
Summer in South Florida equals squalls, storms, thunder and lightning (sometimes)!

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Well do you, Paddler?

😉

.

The fact is that in the summer time,

luck has a lot to do with it!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/reality-check/summer-in-south-florida-equals-squalls-storms-thunder-and-lightning-sometimes/

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! BLESS – Luck be a Lady

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© 2019 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!

This is a work of fiction. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. No skeleton, nor person, nor kayak was harmed in the making of this work. The author is sorely responsible for the contents of this work!

…

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!

🙂

From sunny to sundry – North Nest Key, Joe Bay and tropical storm Gordon!

When Tropical Storm Gordon blows into town,

Plan B happens!

.

(CLICK on either pic to enter!)

Sunny camping on North Nest Key, Labor Day weekend 2018.
North Nest Key, Joe Bay and tropical storm Gordon!

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From this to that!

But what about take #2 ?

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Paddling in a heavy downpour in eastern Florida Bay near the Nest Keys.
North Nest Key, Joe Bay and tropical storm Gordon!

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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/

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! BLESS

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© 2018 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!

🙂

Five days of hot summer camping and cruising on magical Florida Bay!

Freestyle leisure paddling and camping in a

tropical marine wilderness!

.

(CLICK on any pic to enter!)

Summer casual camping loop of Central and Western Florida Bay over 5 days and 4 nights.
Everglades hot summer camping and cruising – the Central & Western Florida Bay loop!

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Summer adventure paddling and camping in South Florida’s Everglades!

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Jenn paddles up to the Johnson Key Chickee v3.0 in the mid day heat!
Everglades hot summer camping and cruising – the Central & Western Florida Bay loop!

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Setting up camp at Little Rabbit Key in the middle of nowhere. 😮
Everglades hot summer camping and cruising – the Central & Western Florida Bay loop!

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Storms all around!!
Everglades hot summer camping and cruising – the Central & Western Florida Bay loop!

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

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! BLESS – July Morning

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© 2018 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!

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With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Summer is here, surrender to the HEAT – Resistance is Futile!

The forecast calls for a “steam bath” every day.

Surrender to the hot permeating wetness of summer!

🙂

(click pic to enter)

Among sea grasses on the flats at high tide, witnessing a large storm over the Everglades mainland to the north.
Surrender to the summer HEAT!

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Imposing cloud formations over the Everglades mainland as seen from First National Bank, Florida Bay.
Quality times like these make the trip worthwhile.
Surrender to the summer HEAT!

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Presenting the Kayakfari summer collection ..
Stay cool all the while looking dashing all summer!
Surrender to the summer HEAT!

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Summer paddling and camping in South Florida and the Everglades!

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

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! BLESS – Surrender

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© 2018 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!

🙂

Sing along .. Paddling in the Rain, Just Paddlin’ and Campin’ in the Rain!

The sweet rain is a delicious contrast to the

salty Atlantic and it’s fun to be “paddling in the rain”!

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(** Cue music **)

Sing along to the music, ya’ll can paddle if you want to ..

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(click pic to enter)

Paddling in the rain – a widely scattered shower over Florida Bay.
Paddling in the Rain, Just Paddlin’ and Campin’ in the Rain .. sing along!

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I’m happy again…

Just Paddlin’ in the Rain!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/paddling-in-the-rain-just-paddlin-and-campin-in-the-rain-sing-along/

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! BLESS

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© 2018 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!

🙂

In Memoriam – RIP Keith Wasserman Everglades explorer and mentor.

EEN (Everglades Exploration Network) co-founder

passes on to paddle in peace forever more..

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I was saddened to recently learn that contemporary Everglades explorer and mentor Keith Wasserman had passed away on February 3, 2017. Aside from co-founding the GladesGoDeep (EEN) community site, Keith was well known for his detailed exploratory site – the evergladesdiary.com (no longer active).

http://gladesgodeep.ning.com/forum/topics/in-memoriam-keith-wasserman

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Keith Wasserman (standing in front) during a paddling break on Craighead Pond.

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Keith’s exploratory trips in the Everglades were an inspiration to me as well as many others. The comprehensive everglades diary site was a pioneering achievement early in the digital era when little information was otherwise available. Likewise the founding of the GladesGoDeep network has created a community of dedicated Glades explorers!

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Keith in the lead canoe on a run down the Taylor Slough, with Terry Helmers, Charlie Arazoza, Frank Fernandez & Jose Rosado.

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I remember when I first signed up for the EEN site, I received a PM from Keith asking me what my intention in joining was. My reply was simply “to explore the Everglades”. It’s understandable that he was a lil confused because this site (kayakfari) did not yet exist and my profile only made a reference to an electronic music project I was toying with. It must’ve seemed like an unlikely combination to him! 😉

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Grass paddling on the Taylor Slough in the Everglades, Keith in front canoe.

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I wish I had more pictures of Keith, but I only had a chance to paddle with him on a few occasions. I believe the last time I saw him was in 2013 when he graciously re-opened the gate for me as I was running late for the Grass Paddling in the East Everglades Expansion Area invitational paddle.

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Keith paddling the mangrove mazes near Mahogany Hammock.

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Keith Wasserman after a successful transit of the Lost Portage in 2009.
Image credit: Charlie Arazoza

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Keith, along with Terry Helmers and Charlie Arazoza also made the first recorded transit of the Lost Portage connection in this century (December 2009) !

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Keith paddling the short grass at Mahogany Hammock.

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https://www.southfloridaparks.org/news/in-memoriam-keith-wasserman/

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Keith in his covered canoe.

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Although the excellent evergladesdiary.com is no longer active,

thanks to the Internet Archive Wayback Machine all the information can still be accessed at:

https://web.archive.org/web/20170914134219/http://evergladesdiary.com/

(snapshot dates from Sept 2017 – takes a few moments to load)

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RIP Keith Wasserman – paddler of the Everglades. Thank you!

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Through his efforts, exploits and writings Keith Wasserman

has left a lasting gift for all South Florida paddlers!

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BLESS!

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© 2018 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com / decoratedreality.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!

With that said..
Blessings friends!

Thanksgiving is my 25 year Kayakversary and I’m Still Paddling!

Thanksgiving 2017 may have come and gone ..

I am still Giving Thanks for 25 years

of Paddling and Photography!

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“What a long, strange Trip it’s been!”

(click pic)

“Champagne Dawn” representing the eternal freshness of a new beginning.
Giving Thanks for 25 years of active paddling and photography!

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Paddling is affordable health care for mind, body & soul!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/reality-check/giving-thanks-for-25-years-of-active-paddling-and-photography/

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! BLESS UP & TESTIFY

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© 2017 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com / decoratedreality.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!

With that said..
Blessings friends!

Everglades Exploration Network 2017 Invitational paddle at Mahogany Hammock.

Paddling the 2017 EEN Invitational with the

“Pa-Hay-Okee“!

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(Click pic to enter)

Paddling in the transition zone between the open ‘Glades prairies and the mangrove coastline through a maze of creeks and water leads!
Mahogany Hammock – Lane Bay loop of the 2017 Invitational paddle!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/everglades-national-park/interior/mahogany-hammock-lane-bay-loop-of-the-2017-invitational-paddle/

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BLESS!

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© 2017 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com / decoratedreality.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!

With that said..
Blessings friends!