Adventure…..whether skydiving, SCUBA diving, or exploring some of the places I used to call home (Wisconsin, Massachusetts, or Spain) in a new, out of the box way.

Some may say that I am an adrenaline junky, fearless, or more, but I would have to say that I’m not quite any of those classifiers. Certainly, I live life by trying almost anything once, sometimes twice or three times to make sure.  However, I might add that I always continue doing the things that make me happy or best said that float my boat (or kayak).

Speaking of kayaks, I have to admit that one of my good ole standards is kayaking.  I first learned how to kayak through the Wisconsin rivers with my father and childhood friends. Sometimes the rivers winded through pastures (yes, sometimes with bathing cattle), but there would always be a portage to be done or a rapids to encounter. Now having nearly 20+ years of kayaking experience with trips on the Great Lakes, in particular Lake Superior, through the bioluminscent bays in Puerto Rico, along Punta Cana’s pristine beaches, and now in my current playground, which is South Florida, I have taken the plunge.

With a recent gift and a bit of good luck, I am now a proud owner of a set of two, yellow Hobie kayaks to allow me to explore the ocean, intercoastal, and Everglades. As a serial kayak renter, I am now one of those crazy ones loading 16 feet of kayak on a compact car.  However, who said that adventure was easy?

Pictured above is my most recent exploration out of Oleta River State Park in North Miami, Florida pre-purchase. Expect to see me paddling circles around you with the peddle/paddle combo kayak that I have. It will allow for trips to the sandbar using my legs and keeping my hands free for photos or even a better idea exercising my “elbow wrist” with can cooler in hand.  If you have great South Florida kayak spots to share, please comment.

As I always say, “it’s either a good time, good story, or both.” These kayaks will be all of the above.

Earlier this month, I took a chance on the weather and ventured a little further out of my Fort Lauderdale backyard to my favorite isle of the Florida Keys, Islamorada. Located about 2 hours from Fort Lauderdale, Islamorada is not only a water sports aficionado’s paradise, but also one of my ideal spots for catching a Florida sunset (as being an East coaster that doesn’t happen very often).

Although the day was covered with clouds combined with the doom and gloom of weather forecasters, I knew that by mid-late afternoon the summer showers would clear to be a good, cool kayaking afternoon with an impressive sunset.  After a late departure, I arrived at Islamorada nearly at 2:00 PM.  Luckily, with the rain gone and the sun not at its highest peak, it was a perfect time for kayaking.

I stopped at my favorite kayak shop, Robbie’s.  This locale has fishing charters, “Feed the Tarpons”, a small diner, shops, and most importantly kayak rentals.  I chose a moderate kayak route from Robbie’s passing through the “Feed the Tarpons” (mind you they are bigger than humans) and under the US1 bridge.  This route allows one to explore the oceanside and around an island located roughly a half-mile out.

I was amazed by the crystal clear water and the varied depths from channel depth to very shallow and rocky with only inches of water.  Believe it or not, there were places along the route that the kayak was bottoming out.  With the water so shallow, it was not uncommon to see a passing fish or stingray.  Robbie’s does offer another alternative if you want to experience the mangroves.  I prefer the oceanside, but the mangroves are good for bird watching and dodging crocodiles or alligators (I believe there are both in the Keys).

After cleaning up enough to be what I would call “Keys Presentable” (flip flops, shorts, t-shirt, and hat), I went to my absolute favorite restaurant in Florida, Pierre’s. As a restored house with East Indie décor, the bar and restaurant overlook the gulfside.  The downstairs is the bar surrounded by an outdoor porch with wicker chairs for lounging.  Upstairs is a fine dining restaurant, where my husband and I celebrated our honeymoon dinner.  With a good hour before sunset, I found the most comfortable wicker chair, glass of wine, and enjoyed people watching.

As my words will not do justice for the actual beauty, take this video as your evidence that Islamorada is top-notch for sunsets, bar none.

Keep you posted on my journeys in and around the South Florida area as well as my up and coming trips to Vegas, NY, Nashville, Quebec, London, and more.

The truth is that many travelers don’t document the area in which we live. Ms Traveling Pants has been a culprit of this. However, I am changing my ways by doing a little summer documentation of South Florida.

As a non-native (but almost as I have officially competed the 5 year mark), I came to Florida for its weather and particularly the beaches. I will over the next few weeks highlight some of my beach favorites of course including any hot tips on food, fun, or other adventures.

So if you haven’t visited Florida and are looking for some nice beaches or oceanside eateries, come and take my first video in this series for a spin.

Upon turning 30, I got together with four friends to commemorate this important rite of passage:  Erin and Megan from Arizona, Jodi and Arin from the Twin Cities, and myself based in Fort Lauderdale. The plan was Puerto Rico for a short, girls only getaway in mid-March.

While on the Isle of Borinquen (indigenous name of the island of Puerto Rico), not only did I want to visit the beach, tour the historic cobblestone streets of Old San Juan and eat and drink well, but I also wanted to experience the rare, bio-fluorescent waters of Fajardo.  For those of you not familiar, Bay of Fajardo is a bio-luminescent bay, which contains millions of micro-organisms called“dinoflagellates.” It is truly awe-inspiring.  These little micro creatures glow in the dark for a second when agitated.  Yes, it is a bay of swimming micro fire flies!

There are two ways to experience the bio bay: by guided boat or in groups of kayaks both done at night to see the green glowing waters.  We chose to do the second option and went in a group of around 15 kayaks led by a guide to take us out to the best part of the bay.  We kayaked through the narrow mangrove alley kayak after kayak hitting numerous trees due to lack of light.  Upon arrival to the center of the bay, we were instructed to jump out of our kayaks and explore.   This struck me as strange as typically, staying in the kayak is something that is essential to a successful kayaking trip. However, that is not the case for the Bay of Fajardo.

We tangled our kayaks together with our paddles and jumped in.  It was incredible.  We were almost like comets in the water with a tail of green light following our movements.  You could see your strokes and kicks, those of the other kayakers, and of course the movements of fish and other creatures.  Pretty freaky!  The water was warm as it was mid-March….an absolutely great time to go.  So if you have vacation time saved up, now is a great time to get deals and experience glow swimming inPuerto Rico.

For those of you interested in experiencing the bio bay, there are two launches one around sunset and the other around 9:00PM.  I would highly suggest the later time and even a night that has the least amount of moonlight for more vibrant colors in the lagoon.  The food amenities are not that great at the park/marina so I would eat a mofongo prior to leaving and then stop at one of the small bars at the marina to celebrate your evening with a cold beer. BTW, this probably is not a good first date night.  The combination of the bug repellent and water did leave a rather memorable aroma.

Any recommendations for other memorable sights in Puerto Rico?