Overnight the wind had died down considerably and Lucy was up and ready to paddle. My hands and the cuts on them were not playing along, so off she went by herself to see if the manatees were around
She scored, but this time she had her camera at the ready, so you can see Mom and Baby! Cool stuff!
She returned all excited again, we made some sammies and then off for a bike ride. Naya and Nate had seen a surf shop on Thanksgiving and of course it was closed. We pedalled up there and it looked closed but as we wheeled into the parking lot, the owner came out and said, yeah I'm open.
Turns out he was fresh of the red-eye from La as he had spent the holidy with his daughter out ther. Super chill guy. https://sebastianinletsurfshop.com/ The board shop was half store, half museum. Neat place, check John out if you are up that way, he is good people!
We then pedaled back to the beach by Whitey's Bait and Tackle and ate our Sammies at hte dune crossover then took a walk on the beach. Lucy had seen a nature center up the road about a mile so we rode up there to check it out.
It is called the Doc Ehrhart Sanctuary We hung out there, looking at the exhibits, watched a couple short documentaries in the theater. One had people we know in it. I challenged Luct to the Sea Turtle Survial game (similar to Candyland). She won by one spin.
The shadows were getting long and it was about 3 miles back to the site, so off we went.
This guy was on the way, so I stopped for a couple of pics for reference as I like some of the elements on it.
Got the fire started as the sun was going down. Started to pack up certain items like the bikes and the SUP, while Lucy started prepping dinner.
Mmmmmm, translucent chicken. The square grille holder helps a lot on a wood fire as there are hot and cool spots so constant rotation is necessary.
Had a lovely dinner.and all the pedaling wore us out and the rain came, so in the coach we went for the night...
Sunday AM, we slept in a bit, and started packing out. We were off the site at 10:45 and line for the dump station was 7-8 deep, so I said the heck with that and drove out.
Drive home was thankfully uneventful and we are home before 2. Pulled nose inthe dumped the tank, then rotated into docking position and finished unloading.
Bust week ahead with us going up to JAX on Friday.....
Woke up Friday morning to howling wind rocking the coach a bit. Ventured outside and didn't stay out there too long and went back in to nap some more. WInd was hard NW at 15-20 with higher gusts and high 50s temps. Yeah nap time!. As a rinse and repeat from 2 years ago, my buddy Ian was driving over from Central FL for a day of kayaking, etc.
The kids got up earlier as they were heading out to Tampa to meet friends and go to Busch Gardens. I mapped it and was surprised it was 3 hours from the where we were to park no matter which way you sliced it (3 routes all the same amount of time). In retrospect I should have told them about Spook Hill as they took Hwy 60.
Anyway the kids took off around 10:30 and Ian materialized around 11. We headed out, Lucy decided not to go as standing on the SUP with the heavy duty headwind would be tough and neither of us felt comfortable enough with it to take it on.
We paddled the big loop again and saw some but less trout, no manatees, but several pods of dolphins. As we came up to that little island in the middle with wind waves were wrapping around it like a little point break and I caought a nice little one to the beach. We hung out there for awhile looking aound the island and watching the dolphins frolic nearby. They gave us a cursory cruise by when they first saw us. We headed back and got back to the site around 1. Beer and pretzels while the gear dried a bit, then we piled into Ian's truck and drove down to the inlet.
For whatever reason I didn't take any pics, but the surf was a mess and at least head high. The jetty was very wet and we walked out to the end. the Jack Cravelles were biting and there was a lot of action on the rods. In the 15-20 we were out there we saw 3 get landed and they were all over 2 ft long.
It being cool and blustery, I had the Chowdah, Lucy and Ian had Fish and Chips. We were there in that weird 4PM time and it was pretty empty except for all the senior citizens lol. By the time we left it filled up quite a bit. Last time I went there was about 20 years ago with my surf buddy Ernie and his future wife Sylvia. Luckily this time I didn't have a 2.5 hour ride home.
We headed back to the campsite right at sunset and lit a fire. Ian hung our until about 7 or 8Pm and headed out as it was almost 2 hrs back to his crib.
We checked out shortly there after as the combo of spirited paddling against the wind, a few drinks and not so great sleep caught up to me.
Came back from the shower and the full disco effect was going on under the full moon.
It being a weekday I woke up around the time my alarm goes off. I layed in bed for a bit and not a creature was stirring all through the coach, so as it was getting brighter, I got up to face the new day.
The view off of our site looking east at the dawn. It was still very warm with a light puff of SE breeze. I knew this wasn't going to last as there was a cold front pushing down and soon the wind would go SW and pick up.
I got changed and headed out on the kayak by myself. Kids fast asleep and while Lucy woke up she was content to stay snuggled in the bed.
The water was oil glass and I paddled off to the north. I decided to take a lap around one of the islands as we had done a couple of times on the last trip.
I just copied the old pic and even the 1 comes into play.... I had a nice quiet paddle up and around the elbow shaped island. Tons of trout jumping everywhere (about a foot long, maybe a tad bigger). Pelicans dive bombing for breakfast and saw an Osprey nab a fish as well.
I entered the slot between the two islands and was casually drifting just keeping the kayak straight and sliding forward watching the birds. Around the 'crook' of the elbow, there was a snowy egret on a low branch. It would lean forward and the branch would bend down so its beak was just above the water as it was hunting. I guess the fish would swim away and it would lean back and the branch would go back up. It reminded me of those drinking birds that you put on the edge of a glass (haven't seen one in years).
It is quiet except for birds and I am very focused on the egret hunting as my boat is flosting down this channel. Earlier I took a sounding with my paddle and it did not hit the bottom (other areas are waist deep).
All of a sudden there is an explosion of water literally right next to me and it scares the crap out of me. My kayak is rocked and the boil area was about 6 ft across. The water is dark brown so I couldn't see anything. My initial reaction is I obviously floated over something and it didn't like it! Gator is my first thought, then I remember where I am so I quickly dismiss that. Next up is Shark? It was powerful whatever it was as there was a big swirl of silt to go with it. Maybe a dolphin, but I dismiss as well as nothing surfaces and I doubt I could sneak up on one...
I decide it is time to paddle away as it was a tad unerving. After a few strokes I return to glide and about 150 yards later drift aroound the bend see backs in the water. I have seen dolphins here before so oh ok. Then I see the big paddle tail. Manatees! Now it all makes sense. One was probably napping on the bottom and it sensed me real close and blew it's ballast and hauled ass.
I also smelled alot of methane when the explosion happened so it all points this way. So now I see at least 4 manataees, so I give them a wide berth and paddle about 2/3 to the other side of the channel I am in. Looking at the mouth in the map above. The manatees are above and to the left of the number 1 near the mouth of the Island all the way to the left west of the elbow island. I take a few strokes toward the elbow side and start gliding. As my boat turned toward the ones close to shore I hear a big exhale and smell rotten sallad breath. I turn to my left and there is a big one with its head out of the water so close I could touch it. He is checking me out. I say hello and hangs for a couple seconds and decides I'm chill and he sinks down and swims under my kayak. I figure there are 5-6 total. I kept drifting until I leave the mouth of the inlet there and the breeze hits me and carries me away.
I have been paddling for an hour now, so I set course and head back to the campsite. It's 9AM now and Lucy and Nate are up, but Naya is still asleep. We start moving around start on breakfest of bacon, eggs and pancakes. After breakfast, the kids go for a bike ride.
I have been having issues with cuts on my hands, so I beg off a second outing, so Lucy takes off in the kayak and hunts down the same aggergation of manatees. Turns out there is a baby with them and she sees it nursing. I am assuming she got a little too close as she said they pushed her kayak away from the mom and baby.
By now it was getting to time to head to my sisters for the big feast, so off to the showers and a shave and get ready.. By now the wind has switched around and is hard NW with the front pushing through. We get to my sisters and ocean has a couple of things going on.
The shot from her balcony, there is very local waves from the NE and a longer period ESE swell both are small. As the afternoon progresses you can see the ocean state grow starting about a mile out.while the temps continued to drop.
Dinner was delicious as usual. Sadly Nancy is not in the pic as someone had to take it. After dinner and way too much pie for dessert (we had 3 kinds) we headed back to the camp.
Nothing to report on as we didn't bother with a fire and the wind was now ripping. Off to bed early!
Since our Mom passed in '22 my remaining sister and I have taken turns on Thanksgiving and this year it was her turn to host again. This trip was a close repeat to one we took in 2023. Long Point Park in Sebastian is a county park that backs up on the state park at the inlet. We love the fact they have sites with direct access to the Indian River Lagoon off of the back of the site.
As it is a busy holiday weekend, the sites sell out quickly so I was on it as early as possible to get one. I took off of work Wed and we got a good start and arrived around 2:30PM
When I booked the site I recalled one I liked. The next morning the park called me to inform me I had chosed a tent only site for my coach and after a quick chat they assigned this one. As you can see there is quite a slope on it! When I pulled up, I thought we were screwed as backing in the ususal way, everything would slode to the back of the coach.
After walking around the site and looking at it from different angles, I chose this angle and the edge of the rear bumper was actually hanging over where ground dropped off. The water is only a couple of feet away on the other side if that cabbage palm by the kayak. It was very low here and you can see the mangrove seeds (they look like pens) all over the gound from the last king tide! This was fairly level although we used the air bags to level it off, The door side to max height and the driver side very low.
First thing out was the kayak as it rides in the middle of everything on the floor so a total PITA when it's in there.
By the time we got everything set up it was around 3:30 and Lucy hopped in the kayak and went off for a paddle as the wind was still. I recently bought a second SUP, this one is 10'6" single. I pulled it out and commenced the inflation procedures. I am fairly inexperienced with SUPs as the tandem one is VERY tricky with to in a standing position.
I launched off of our site and did a faceplant about 10 ft later as I took a surfing stance on the board quickly realized that would not work. As you can see by Lucy's stance above, feet parallel is the way to go.
I got my feet under me and paddled out to meet Lucy in the kayak, out be the island in the middle of the pic above. We went around for a short bit and headed back. Lucy got on the SUP and I got the two pics above.
I like how this pic makes Lucy look like she is Barbie sized lol. Shortly later Naya and her boyfriend showed up and they immediately took off on the watercraft as they only had about 30 min of daylight left.
Night comes early this time of year, so it wasn't long and I was building a cooking fire. We had a 2lb London Broil that had been marinating for 2 days. It took awhile as the grate was pretty high, but the steak and mini potatos came out delicious.
We burned through a good bit of wood and the temps were really mild at around 70ish.
Gratutious night shot of the coach all lit up. I see I had already unplugged the LED Pineapple light so this must have been when I was returning from the bath house just before bed.
