Daily Archives: December 31, 2013

By Vladimir Brezina

After more than a week away from civilization, paddling through Florida’s Everglades, we are back in NYC!

Every time we are away from the news for an extended period, we keep in mind the story of Shackleton, who returned from two years in the Antarctic to the news that a World War had been raging for some time. Fortunately, no such news greeted us. But we did miss all of this year’s Christmas festivities. This was our Christmas dinner of 2013 ——————————>

Here is a preliminary small selection of photos from the trip (click on any photo to start slideshow):

We pack the boats at our campground in Chokoloskee

Ready to launch!

Afternoon sunshine on the black water

Ahead, the bays open up

Afternoon silver

Sunlit clouds

We paddle on into the night

The next creek

We paddle out into glittering Alligator Bay

In the open bays, just the sea and sky

We stop for lunch on the water

The last tree

King bird

Hurricane damage at Highland Point

Calm evening seas

Last rays over the Gulf

Dawn at our campsite…

… at Highland Beach

Ready to launch into the blue Gulf

Floating on the water

We head down the coast

We follow markers through the shallow waters

But what are those clouds building up behind?

A front is coming our way!

Immediately the wind picks up

… and surf into the shelter of the Shark River

Calm waters again

Rain squall is coming our way

Double rainbow

… and the rain!

We paddle on into the night

The boats are still there :-)

A windy day

Expectant crows watch as we repack our boats at Flamingo

At East Clubhouse Beach: Christmas dinner, 2013

Milky shallows

Campsite with a view

We paddle south

Mid-afternoon

Late afternoon

Toward evening

Dock at Little Rabbit Key

Bug protection, as usual

Pink over blue

Sunny Florida Bay

New islands

A cormorant crowns each marker

Becoming pink and blue

We look back…

Soft colors of the evening

Afterglow of sunset

We turn on our headlamps

Our writeup, with more photos, begins here!