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Yes. I felt it. I felt like I was on one of the most beautiful beaches at Fort De Soto. Wow! The big beach cruisers float and roll over the hard sand at low tide so easily. It's a funky feeling. Perched on a wide, overly soft, bouncy seat, holding on to high handlebars with all your stuff packed into a big wicker basket, you feel goofy as you pedal in bare feet or sandals. You know you look goofy, and don't care. It sets you free. Great. It was the first week of January 2014 and we picked the coldest week of the year to visit southern Florida from Canada's deep freeze. It was 34 degrees Fahrenheit (1 Celsius) when we woke up and looked out the patio door of a beach front rental on St. Pete's beach on the Gulf of Mexico, Florida. By noon the temperature climbed to 58F (14 C) according to the thermostat in the rental car. The stiff blowing nor’easter made us think differently. Let's go to Fort De Soto beach . . . in our ski jackets!  Why not. We're ...

Dali fan or not, you don't have to be, to be struck by the mad genius of something odd, authentic, grand, and well-designed. If this place doesn't make you curious, you may want to look up the meaning of the word. The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida is very welcoming. The door at the entrance says so in 10 different languages. See if you can find yours. It doesn't matter where you look. Everything has a touch of Spanish artist Salvador Dali. A visit here is a complete experience. The building, designed by architect Yann Weymouth with HOK Architects, Tampa, Florida, is a giant rectangle with 18-inch thick hurricane proof cement walls – rounded geodesic, glass bubble windows that form a beautiful atrium constructed from some 1,062 pieces of specially designed, thick, triangular, insulated and laminated glass. The atrium is 75 feet high at the tallest point. It wraps around one side of the building from the ground floor and climbs to the top of the buildin...

Depending on the time you visit, I wish you, Top o' the mornin' , Top o' the afternoon , or Top o' the evening! Canada's National Capital Region (Ottawa, Ontario/Gatineau, Quebec) has not changed much since winter began, except that the birds are singing more, and the sun is shining longer since the time change. I'm still walking on water. Much of it is frozen solid. And, we will be skiing in spring. I wish you happy and safe trails. The BaffinPaddler

St. Pete's Beach, Florida Remember when you first tried kayaking? It was probably in a recreational plastic kayak rental parked along an inviting waterway on a beautiful, warm, sunny day. Ocean sit-on-tops, St. Pete's Beach, Florida You emptied your wallet or used your credit card to rent a couple of basic, indestructible, wide-bodied kayaks for a couple of hours to try it out, to see if you like kayaking. Fort De Soto, Florida. Recreational rental kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards Here's to all those sturdy, recreational soldier kayaks out there that teach us to be patient, shop around, visit symposiums, and find a kayak we really love. One that fits just right, performs with ease and grace, invites us to play, inspires us to invest in tons of our own custom gear, and compels us to buy cars and racks built to haul them around with us everywhere we go. Fred Howard Park, Tarpon Springs, Florida I look at the rec kayaks. But I leave 'em be, even though ...

This is a typical mid-winter look for many living in cold climes. With inconsistent temperatures and conditions that seem to change from one day to the next or within just a few hours, it can be tricky to get the wax right for the cross-country skis. Hey! Are you coming along? Or are you just going to sit there? Enjoy the snow while you can. The spring thaw is going to be wicked this year. This scene is so much more appealing and still a very long wait to enjoy again in Canada! Happy trails. The BaffinPaddler

Some yoga poses are more difficult than others on cross country skis. Something new to explore. Yoga goes where you go and stays with you, on and off the mat. It doesn't have to be spectacular or perfect. Yoga is a great teacher. Thank you yoga teachers around the world. Thank you yoga. It makes everything better. Happy winter trails. Namaste. The BaffinPaddler

Weedon Island Preserve is a must see on foot and by kayak if you're visiting the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg area of southern Florida. The preserve is part peninsula and a lot of islands. The public canoe/kayak launch at Weedon Island is stunning. You'll find it next to the preserve’s long fishing pier at the end of Weedon Drive Northeast. The South Trail There is a basic map posted at the canoe/kayak launch of the numbered self-guided paddle trail. The paddle trail is a four-mile loop that winds through the mangrove forests, along islands and lagoons bordering Tampa Bay. There is a public restroom next to the fishing pier. You want to plan about three hours to complete the marked paddle trail and check the daily tide charts beforehand so as not get stuck in low tide. I'm not a fan at all of paddling through narrow mangrove tunnels and avoid them. I like my kayak and my paddle to run free. There are lots of open areas to paddle here. Paddlers report that the m...