Wekiva River... maybe

Making a trip up to Orlando this weekend for Memorial Day, staying with the folks. SeaWorld Saturday. Planned to take the Wekiva River Kings Landing to Wekiva Marina run on Sunday. About a 5 hour trip. Been several years since we did it. And never in a kayak, always a canoe.

Looking forward to it. And recent heavy rains would probably have made things very interesting.

But it might be a no go. Thunderstorms forecast all weekend. Don't want to get stuck out there in a storm.

Stay tuned for updates.

Lovers Key and Sanibel... Again

It was double paddling for the Holland family over the weekend. A quick visit to Liz's dad's place in Fort Myers gave us plenty of places to choose from... the Fort Myers - Naples - Marco Island area is full of trails, launch spots, etc. Here's a complete rundown: The Great Calusa Blueway.

We did the canoe/kayak trail in Lovers Key State Park on Saturday. About two hours on the water, mostly made up of very wide channel through mangroves. Owen didn't have the endurance to make the whole 7-mile rountrip. But we did make it to Estero Bay - too much powerboat traffic to stay too long. And saw a lot of herons, jumping mullet, and crabs clinging to the mangroves.

The next day we went back to Sanibel, J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge to be exact. We went back to the outfitter (Tarpon Bay Outfitters I think they're called) that we used to rent canoes and kayaks from, before we got our own. They did charge us $7 to put in. We did the Commodore Creek trail, which winds us through mangroves and small lagoons for about two hours, for I think the 5th time. But it's still fun, you can see a lot of fish in the clear water: mullet, sheepshead, was a that a catfish?, etc. This time we saw a raccoon and tons of ospreys diving in for a fresh catch.



Owen (in the Mickey Mouse ears straw hat above with Liz in front in Tarpon Bay) loves to see all the animals, although it did get quite hot when we weren't in the shaded spots... and he let us know it.

Summer's coming up and it's going to get HOTTER. So don't know how long Owen will be able to continue to join us on the water. Another note: don't forget to put sunscreen on your legs... somehow I didn't think that off that... and have the burns to help me remember next time.

Sanibel and Captiva

On the southwest coast lies to barrier islands that, although filled with small hotels and big resorts, have minimal development and most land is given over to natural areas.

And it's great paddling, whether you like mangrove tunnels, the open ocean, or protected bays. Lots of backwater fishing too. Most trips are kid-friendly, but watch those tides. You can be left stranded in inches of water in some areas.

Here's a great site, with information on a variety of trips and outfitters in the area:

www.clubkayak.com/cfkt/trips/sanibel_island.html

Florida Kayaking Guides

A good kayaking guidebook is essential to finding good trips in Florida. And luckily there are many books that include the many river, lakes, and offshore trips throughout the state. They tell you about locations, how to get there, give route maps, ability levels, etc.

Here's a few good ones I know:

A great beginner's guide



Fishing from your kayak is huge in Florida!



With such a huge coastline (not to mention the Keys), sea kayaking is big too!



Florida-specific maps and routes and trips



Another great Florida guide



Keys-centric guide, 50 trips in our little slice of the Caribbean

Loxahatchee River Trip - Classic Florida Paddling

If you're looking for a true Florida kayaking/canoeing experience... you must do the Loxahatchee River run. Start in Riverbend Park. Then head down the narrow river, banks full of bald cypress, tropical plants growing on branches and trunks... and keep an eye out for gators, turtles, herons, egrets, and - if you're a fisherman - plenty of fish in the water. It's shaded most the way, so perfect for a hot summer day. (Pic above from Jonathan Dickinson State Park website)

You can do a two-hour there and back trip to a picnic spot at the second dam. Or keep going downriver for a more extensive paddle. You'll eventually hit Jonathan Dickinson State Park, which is more of a mangrove area that eventually hits the ocean. More boat traffic here too.

My kayak

Liz, Owen, and I have an Ocean Kayak Zest Two. We got it used with all the extras - rudder, seats, and cut-outs for storage.



It's the perfect size for bringing a small child. And very stable. It's tough to load on top of the van. But we're getting better each time. And a bit heavy to carry to put in sites... but we're getting one of these two-wheeled carts for that.

I really like the Zest Two, but I'd recommend any Ocean Kayak model - single or tandem. Here's the Malibu Two XL. We almost got this one. But couldn't pass up the used Zest with all the features.

Kayaking in the Keys

So we just got back from a weekend kayaking trip to Key Largo - that's the northernmost Florida Key to those not in the know. Unfortunately, 20-30 knot winds limited our planned offshore excursions. (but not my beer drinking, as you can see at left)

We did hit up the state park on the island, John Pennekamp, for a paddle through the mangroves. Out of the wind, we had a good time. Not as much fish or wildlife as we've seen in similar environments in Sanibel Island on the west coast of Florida. But Liz did notice fire sponges, which our guidebook mentioned as being wickedly painful.

Back at the campsite, Key Largo Kampground and RV Park, we did a bit of fishing and stumbled on some local wildlife: woodpeckers in the tree above the tent, upside down jellyfish in a couple inches of water off the small beach, as well as hermit crabs.

If it wasn't so windy we would have explored the waters right off the campsite. There is a boat ramp and beach that make launching easy.

Bonus tip: On the way south to the Keys, turn left on Card Sound Road after you get through Florida City. This is a much less traveled route to Key Largo, plus you get to stop at Alabama Jack's to get some great crab cakes.