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| How did I end up in Venice? |
Kayaked past Miami. Lots of interesting architecture. Accidentally paddled through a construction site. Later appeared to be in Venice.
Started at one point in Miami and ended in another. Big city!
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| Getting ready to embark on my Miami adventure |
Not so windy today, but a head wind isn't much fun.
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| Paddling into the wind |
Because of the wind I hugged the shore, and was pleased when most bridges and causeways offered a small channel next to shore that a kayak could duck under. In one are of multiple bridges, the first bridge was old and low, with no indication on the charts of a passage other than the lift bridge way out in the middle. But in looking at the bridge, there appeared to be an odd gap close to shore. I headed through, only to find myself in a construction zone with very surprised workers to see a kayak there. Soon there will not be a gap there.
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| Looked like a good gap to me. |
Passing under another bridge, I had a nicely framed view of Miami high rises.
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| Miami here I come! |
The variety of architecture was wonderful to watch. My favorites were the brightly colored, odd shaped buildings.
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| Color and geometry! |
Once I passed the main high rise area, I was heading out into the grey skies and grey waters Biscayne Bay. Not quite the azure tropical paradise I recalled from other trips.
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| Lovely Bay Biscayne |
As I turned back to shore I thought I was approaching Venice.
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| Approaching Venice? |
It was nearing low tide but the place was still well underwater. This is Vizcaya, the Florida home of Maine born James Deering, of International Harvester wealth. The stone barge originally had live trees on it. But the salt water is now too high for trees to grow there.
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| Venice, I presume? |
Around the next corner I was back in Maine, face to face with a loon in winter plumage. And here I thought they all went out to sea for the winter, but some appear to be "snow birds" like so many older folks from Maine and Quebec.
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| Hello, Loon. |
Getting into the boat ramp was tricky because of the boat traffic of all types. Lots of Olympic sailing teams from around the world were practicing. I loved watching the women on the 49er FX boats, like the one below, dance from platform to platform to expertly steer their craft through the marina and then achieve great speeds when heeled over out in Biscayne Bay.
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| Threading a path between a slow dingy and a fast racing sailboat - a 49er FX! |
Less than 200 miles to go, and only 12 more paddling days!
Gratitude List:
- Sunflowers floating on the water
- a loon
- a broaching manta ray
- a cormorant surfacing with a fish
- funky Miami high rise architecture
Date: January 8, 2016 Restart Paddle Day: 44 Paddle Day:131
Start location: Miami 1, FL Launch time: 9:45 am
End location: Miami 2 Land time: 1:10 pm
Average speed: 3.2 mph Max Speed: 5.6mph
Miles: 11
Total expedition miles with kayak and bike: 2316 Motor-portage miles: 404
Kayak Storage: Hollywood KOA
Host: Chris Percival
You go girl!
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