Even when winter is especially cold (it snowed here this past January), Florida offers balmy, beach worthy weather even on normally wintry days, including Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Spending summers at the shore is pretty much a given. Despite being overrun with tourists and seagulls (flying rats!), hitting the beach is the quintessential go-to activity. But… it’s been done. For someone who lives here year ‘round, it can get a little stale.
For me, just being outside in the sun is great. To be in the woods, and on water, away from crowds, is my favorite summer fun.
There aren’t drastic elevation changes, so there are really no white water rivers. After a hard rain, the waterways get deeper, but they are still easily navigated.
A kayak, and a paddle, and I am floating in heaven.
Cool water beneath my keel, blue skies above me, the shade of the trees, the music of the woods, and I can feel all the stress ease away and a peace wash over me.
Thin spiral notebook 
Beautiful
I like your part of the FLA the best.
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That sounds heavenly! As someone who only has limited access to the “beach” scene (during the few months when our MN lakes are warm enough to swim in) I’ll take any chance I can to be in the water. But I know what you mean about the crowds and noise. It gets old. A quiet trek through a nature is so rejuvenating.
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We both find a trip on the river very relaxing as everything is at such an easy pace.
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That’s it… on the river is quiet, and slow, and you can unwind.
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I’ve only kayaked once, and it was tons of fun!
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The area parks are great for kayaking. I haven’t been brave enough to try open ocean paddling. But soon…
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We used to go canoeing a lot when our children were small – that reminds me of the Wekiva stretch we used to love.
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You’re down in Central Florida. I would enjoying kayaking on those rivers too.
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I’m from Fairhope, Alabama originally and we lived in Panama City for several years. Used to canoe up there too 🙂
If you’re down our way, the Wekiva is very similar to your picture. When my daughter was a Girl Scout I helped teach canoeing at a camp on the Banana River. We saw lots of manatees on that run.
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