Keys kayaking offers new group outing
There may be no better kayaking destinations in the world than the Florida Keys, where a husband-and-wife team were instrumental in creating paddling trail through the chain of islands in South Florida and the rest of the state.
Bill and Mary Burnham wrote the Keys-based guidebook “The Florida Keys Paddling Atlas” that sparked the development of a seasonal series of customized kayaking trips that include landing spots, camping spots, and lodging and restaurants.
Their overnight Seven Mile Bridge expedition is to be offered every weekend through March.
“Considered an easy introduction to kayak camping, the trip is great for couples and families (two to six people maximum),” say the couple.
Its highlight is paddling beneath Marathon’s famed Seven Mile Bridge, one of the world’s great engineering marvels. Participants also explore the tiny island of Pigeon Key that once housed bridge construction workers, kayaking between Marathon and No Name Key.
The group camps each night, often 10 or more miles from “civilization,” so the trip is described as primitive — an escape from urban traffic noise to play in the surf along the Gulf of Mexico, explore a maze of mangrove creeks and culminate at the famous sunsets in Key West.
“By keeping our [maximum] numbers down, we keep our footprint small out there on the islands,” said Bill Burnham. “It also gives the trips a slightly more intimate feel, and our goal is to leave a place as if no one was there.”
Various trips are available.
Cost ranges from $295 per person for overnight trips to $1,350 for lengthier, eight-night trips.
Fees include boats, camping gear, guide and shuttle services, a full menu of camp meals and orientation on the camping system, as well as instruction and a skills assessment with a preparatory kayaking session.
By David Wilkening
David
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