SOMETIMES ALL YOU NEED ARE A FEW PIECES OF GEAR AND A RUGGED LANDSCAPE TO ESCAPE and sometimes all you need is a sea kayak on the open water. Some of the most beautiful places on Earth are best seen from the quiet solitude of a kayak.
Cari Morgan is a freelance writer and founder of Evoke PR. She currently lives and plays in the Sierra Foothills.
As I sit here at my desk preparing for a few days out of the office, thoughts of what I'm thankful for begin to flow into my head. "What does it mean to give thanks?" I ask myself. Is it a selfless, tangible deed that must be performed in order to merit appreciation? Is it gratitude or acknowledgement for another person that must be vocalized to bear value? I believe the best form of thanks is when it comes unsolicited, sometimes even unrecognized. Of course I'm thankful for all the classic appreciations like good family, good health and good friends, but I've come to realize I'm thankful for more than that. I'm thankful for all the little joys of life, even ones that go unshared–because without them, life would be annoyingly predictable.
This time last year I managed to escape to Mexico for the holidays. As soon as my plane landed in Cabo San Lucas I made my way to La Paz and was enjoying grilled fish tacos and mojitos infused with cheap, watered-down liquor. After shaking hands with our local guides, I found myself — snorkel in mouth and mask on face — on a spontaneous 1-day tour of Isla Espiritu Santo. The skiff ride across the channel was bumpy to say the least, due to high winds and a storm heading our direction. It started to rain and soon I was left with a sore tailbone and soaked from head to toe. I was immediately regretting my seat choice when our guide suddenly proclaimed, "Mira!" It was a small pod of bottle-nosed dolphins. They rode our bow waves for the next 15 minutes while the captain allowed me to sit up front. Seeing the dolphins shifted my mood instantly, and I became a giddy five year-old on Christmas morning.
This year, it's those special moments I'm thankful for; those short-lived minutes of sheer happiness in between the grunt work, paying bills and routine errands. Such joyous experiences happen when you lose yourself for just a second or two. We try so hard to have fun, and the reality is "they" come when we least expect it. We barely have time to acknowledge the fact that we are happy when, before we know it, it's gone.
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Jacques Yves Cousteau spent halcyon days gliding above and beneath the ocean. He lived among the largest mammals and sea drift. He was the master educator and voice for the sea.
Dr. Wallace J. Nichols is a scientist, activist, community organizer, author and dad. J. is a Research Associate at California Academy of Sciences, founder/co-director of Ocean Revolution and co-founder of SEEtheWILD.org. He earned his M.E.M. in Environmental Policy and Economics from Duke University’s Nicholas School and his Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from University of Arizona.
Have you booked a whitewater rafting, sea kayaking trip or multi-sport vacation to Mexico or Canada with O.A.R.S.? You may want to read the following Associated Press article that outlines the new I.D. rules for travelers crossing the U.S. border:
New rules requiring passports or new high-tech documents to cross the United States’ northern and southern borders tale effect Monday, June 1, 2009.
In 2001 a driver’s license and an oral declaration of citizenship were enough to cross the Canadian and Mexican borders; Monday’s changes are the last step in a gradual ratcheting up of the rules. Now thousands of Americans are preparing by applying for passports or obtaining special driver’s licenses that can also be used to cross the border.
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O.A.R.S. offers three unique itineraries in Baja, Mexico:
Here is a partial suggested packing list for your Baja sea kayaking vacation:
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You will need to fly to La Paz, Mexico, for the O.A.R.S. Sea of Cortez Island Hopping and Espiritu Santo Island Circumnavigation sea kayaking trips. The Sea Kayaking the Baja Coast trips begin in Loreto and end in La Paz.
Kayaking the Baja Coast begins in Loreto and ends in La Paz. For trips between Loreto and La Paz, contact Alaska Airlines, AeroMexico or Delta.
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O.A.R.S. offers a suggested reading list for a Baja Sea Kayaking adventure travel vacation:
Field Guides:
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Average temperatures (Fahrenheit) to be expected for a Baja sea kayaking / whale watching adventure travel vacation are:
MONTH WATER AIR
OCT 80 80-95
NOV 73 70-85
DEC 63 60-80
JAN 60 60-80
FEB 60 65-85
MAR 65 70-85
APRIL 68 75-90
MAY 70 80-95
The daytime temps have fallen into the 60s/70s (from the mid-90s) recently here in Northern California. (Downright chilly in these parts.) Tioga Pass, the road through Yosemite National Park’s high country, is temporarily closed due to the snow. The commercial California whitewater rafting season is over. Makes sense to head south, doesn’t it?
O.A.R.S. offers three unique sea kayaking in Baja adventures:
Espiritu Santo Island Circumnavigation
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Don’t let the fact that the California whitewater rafting season is winding down deter you from making other adventure vacation plans. O.A.R.S. still has plenty of other 2008 departures remaining:
CHILE:
Futaleufú River Multi-Sport: Nov 29; Dec 5, 12, 26, 28
ECUADOR:
Ecuador Multi-Sport: November 16, 30; December 21, 28
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