Jupiter | Little Miss Sunshine State

My lovely friend invited me to go kayaking with her in Jupiter over the weekend. Being up for any adventure I, of course, enthusiastically jumped at the opportunity! I’ve only been kayaking one other time and it was in a double kayak through shallow, brackish water at a nature preserve in Palm Beach. This was my first time in a single kayak, pushing through current and avoiding boats and their wakes in intracoastal waters.

I was intimidated at first, and a bit uncoordinated, but I got the hang of it rather quickly. My Garmin watch logged 5 miles by the time we had finished. Not bad for a novice!

I felt I had packed and prepared pretty well for our adventure and learned a few things I’d do differently for next time.

Here is a suggested packing list for a So Flo Kayaking adventure:

To take with you on the kayak:
* water proof bags to stick your wallet in.
* water proof phone case so that you can take photos
* Sports/ water resistant SPF 30 or higher
* Light snacks such as granola bars or nuts
* insulated water bottle

To leave in the car for when you get back:
* towel
* flip flops
* dry clothes to change into

Here is a suggested list of things to wear:

* A hat that will remain fixed on your head via ties, elastic, velcro etc. (Or else the wind will knock it right off and into the water)
* Sunglasses
* fingerless gloves (like the kind used for cycling, lifting weights, yoga etc.) to help prevent blisters.
* bathing suite
* dry-wick clothing
* water shoes

Please comment here on any other suggestions for things I may have forgotten!

Here are some pics of our adventure:

As if the art festival wasn’t enough adventure for one day, I was treated to another amazing trip to a state park by my friend Casey who is in “the know.”

As per http://www.nature.com:

Rock formations at Blowing Rocks Preserve are the largest of their type on the Atlantic coast. Winter storms and extreme high tides offer the best opportunities to see the Conservancy’s Blowing Rocks live up to their name. In a scene more reminiscent of Hawaii than Florida, waves surging against the craggy limestone shore can force geysers of water as high as 50 feet into the air.

Though the dark, jagged rocks do – at first glance – look like the remains of a misplaced lava flow, they are actually a specific type of sedimentary rock called Anastasia limestone.

Scientists disagree on exactly how far inland the limestone extends, exactly when it was formed (most likely around 120,000 years ago, in the Pleistocene Age) and whether it was formed by a single event or by multiple changes in sea level.

A few things scientists can agree on:

Anastasia limestone extends along Florida’s coast from St. Augustine to Boca Raton, and
Blowing Rocks Preserve harbors the largest outcropping on the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

The exposed rock at the preserve is unusual, not because Anastasia limestone is particularly rare, but because it is commonly found either underground or underwater.

Also known as coquina, from the Spanish for cockleshell, Anastasia limestone is composed primarily of shell and coral fragments, fossils and sand. Small fossils are clearly visible in the rock faces, most commonly the shells of small clams and oysters or pieces of a large snail called Busycon.

Why is so much of the limestone above ground at Blowing Rocks? No one knows. The land here might have once been part of an exposed sand ridge or the top of a reef, or for some other reason higher than surrounding areas.

At their height in winter, the Blowing Rocks are worth a visit in every season. The wind- and wave-carved limestone forms chimneys and shelves, burrows, blow holes and rocky pools. These offer great opportunities for exploration and imagination, as well as a rare window into Florida’s natural history.

Click on this link for the original article and more information!!:

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/florida/placesweprotect/blowing-rocks-preserve.xml

Check out the amazing photos we took on our visit: