Kayaking in North Miami

This past Sunday we decided to check out a new park that we read about. It supposedly has some wonderful off road bike trails and kayak rentals. Both Marco and I love to kayak so this seemed like the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Oleta State Park is completely hidden by the urban jungle of North Miami. Just a few miles from the beach, it's surrounded by university campuses, shopping malls, and highrises that dominate this area. We were thrilled to find a small piece of the outdoors left for exploration.

After donning our lifevests we began our "adventure". We kayaked through the mangroves and then suddenly it opened up into the waterways connecting the nearby islands to the ocean. This was awesome! Gone was the genteel water and now we had to contend with currents, boats, waverunners, and the ever-so-imposing waves that were constantly coming our way. Woohoo!!

As we battled the constant current that was determined to keep us from our destination, out of the corner of my eye I could see some of the houses that are home to some of the most famous stars. Breathtaking! In the distance we say a small island that looked as if it would provide the opportunity for picnicing. Apparently others thought so too as they b-b-qued with their grills on their starboard. Not to be outdone, Marco and I rowed our small "vessel" in-between these 40 ft yatchs and speedboats, pulled out our little baggies filled with pb &j, and commenced to have our "feast"- living it up like we were high society . In the distance we could hear the rumble of thunder and we watched lightening streak across the sky.

For most, this wouldn't pose a problem, but for us, whose sole motor speed was that of our arm power, provided a small dilemma. Do we wait out the storm or head on? Seeing as they forecasted heavy thunderstorms over the next week, waiting it out didn't seem like the best option... after all we only had a bag of chips, a yogurt, a bottle of water, and a beer bottle we couldn't open (we left the bottle opener behind) left... definately not enough to sustain 2 people... so, off we rowed. Suddenly, a clasp of thunder shook the sky and lightening lit up like it was a red-light special at K-Mart....then it poured, and poured, and poured....

Marco's brilliant idea was to row across the waterway and then hug the shore... not bad if you enjoy the never-ending workout of your arms being pulled from their socket as you struggle against a current that is violently opposed to you achieving your goal. As wave after wave broke over me, I listened to him carry on about being a fearless leader, yelling out commands, and if it wasn't for him, we'd never make it back. After rowing for what seemed like eons, and no closer to our goal, I finally shouted, "Why can't we be like most sane people and row with the current?! It makes way more sense and we'd actually be achieving our goal?!" Suffice it to say, we made it back to the bay in less than 20 minutes after that....

Upon arriving in the bay, Marco proceeded to congratulate himself on the grand arrival he had executed. Unfortunately, the bay wasn't the rental dock and as we rowed around in circles, I seriously began to ponder what was so difficult about reading a map. Those in the nearby boats looked on in amusement as we looked like drowned muskrats. I looked behind me and there was Marco, piecing together the wet, shredded pieces of the map... "Never fear, when the Marco is near!"

Well, the story could go on, but in the end when we finally made it to the dock, the rain had become a light pitter patter. Despite all that had occured, it was quite an enjoyable day. Thanks Marco!