Mitchell Wilkinson- Harrison blog

This Expedition Pangea went to the Florida Keys for two weeks.

On the first day we stayed at Anastasia state park in Saint Augustine, Florida. When we got there it was raining and we were trying to set up our tents in the rain. It was not fun. Before we left the park we had to do our morning run before we could get into the van. Then we started our long drive down to the Florida Keys.

We stayed at a KOA campground for about a week and a half. While in the Florida Keys I got to sleep in my hammock the whole expedition. When we were staying in the campground we met a lot of people that were staying in the same campground as us.  Pumba and I met Mark, a guy who was making coconut fish in the campground.  He was an awesome person to meet.

One of the days when we were at our campsite we went to Key West for the day and went to the aquarium there. They had a lot of different kids of animals in the aquarium. One day we got to go on a Cost Guard museum ship. On the way back to base we stopped in Savannah Georgia to do some work before we went back to base.

For-Syth by Evan Anderson (Ray-Ray)

This is a beautiful square in downtown Savannah GA, where a beautiful wedding is about to take part. I really honestly know nothing of this square. Its origins or purpose, but none of that matter does it? I can however tell you what it looks like. It has a large monument in the center and a large statue of a man sits atop poised with a flag in hand, a very victorious feeling indeed. Obviously this man must be very famous! Full of grassy areas and great mossy trees, topped off with nicely placed lighting, the square is a wondrous attraction for all who witness it. However the only reason that we ventured into this wonderful place is not because of its beauty, nor because of a field trip or the wondrous occasion of the wedding. This was all just coincidental convenience. No the only reason we stopped was to be able to complete and correct our journals, do health checks and numerous other similar activities. So all in all, Work and beautiful scenery go together quite well.

Florida Keys Expedition Blog by Evan Harr

This expedition in the Florida Keys was really fun. We got to do a lot of fun stuff. We did things like scuba dived, fished, kayaked, and more. It was really fun because we had a nice balance of things to do. We also went to Billy’s house on the way back. There was a lot of hammock camping. At every campsite we went to I set up my hammock, so I put it to good use. I also slept in Evan Anderson’s bivy, and now I really want to get one. They are really comfy, warm, and rainproof. I wouldn’t mind getting my own tent either, just like Mitch has. A two person would be awesome. Over summer, I really want to go camping with my dad, and I am equipped with all the gear I have from SOAR. Hopefully we can rent an RV.

Anyways, my highlights of the trip were scuba diving, fishing, and Billy’s house. One of the fishing times, we got to buy frozen shrimp, and it was great. The bad thing was that all the little fish kept stealing my bait, but what was awesome was that a man gave us some bait and a small hook to catch those little fish. I caught some mangrove snapper, but that’s about it. The man caught a bunch of those bait fish. I caught some snapper off the dock near the bridge we fish off of also, even though we weren’t supposed to be fishing there. The whole time, I got to use my really nice new fishing pole. It is an ugly stick pole with a Shakespeare reel. We also got to fish at Billy’s house, and I used one of his rods while fishing off of his dock. I didn’t catch any fish there, but I got some bites. I had to buy a 3 day fishing license except for when I went to Billy’s house.

It was really cool that I got to see my family, including my sister, at Billy’s house. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see my dog, but it was ok because I got to see Billy’s two dogs, Daisy and Butch. They were really nice dogs, and they really liked to lick your face.

I am really excited that I am a certified open water scuba diver for life now. It is really a big accomplishment for me. Eventually, I will try to become a certified advanced open water scuba diver! I also really enjoyed kayaking because we finally got to put them to use, and I got to troll my fishing pole while we were kayaking, even though I didn’t catch any fish.

Overall, it was a great expedition for the two weeks we spent in the Keys. I enjoyed all the activities like fishing, going to Billy’s house, kayaking, scuba diving, hammock camping, and more. It was all very worthwhile, especially when we went to Key West and Savannah Georgia. We did a lot of things in Key West like going to the aquarium and the National Coast Guard Museum. I like everything else about the trip, and I wish I could do it all over again.

Tristan’s blog 2/21/11

                                                   Florida Key’s

In this blog I will not discuss just one day but the whole expedition. So In this expedition we went to the famous FLORIDA KEYS.  I personally had an outstanding time. But I will admit that the written part of the open water  exam was very, very boring . But it was worth every second of it because without the written portion of the exam I would have not been able to get certified to be an open water diver. I am very happy to say that I passed every part of the exam written and physical part. I can’t wait to go back to New York and go to some sweet dive sites! I also can’t wait to go to Costa Rica for the first time in my life. I am also stoked to say that my Dad will be sending me my Shamono fishing reel and rod along with some  lures so I can catch  some Peacock bass. I have heard that they put up a good fight and are good eating. Well thanks for reading!

Thank you mom for all you have done for me!

Florida Keys of Dustin

Hello it is Dustin and we just got back from the Florida Keys.

It was a blast, I had so much fun. The most fun that I had has been scuba diving because it is a new realm and it is so beautiful. I was happy and I was surprised that I could breath underwater. JB was a funny but serious instructor for scuba. Most of us got our license but two of us did not so that was kind of sad. Two of us got their advanced license so that was cool because they went to seventy feet. We stayed at KOA in the keys. We all played king of the hill and it was fun pushing people off an ice burg. JB tried to touch a barracuda and that was cool but there were no sharks though which was sad. The weather was warm but not the water hahaha. When I was diving I was calm but aware and it was peaceful to be able to see all of the pretty colorful fish and squid. I am proud to be an open water scuba diver.

                                             See you next time.

Tristan Carroll - S.O.A.R. Spring 2011 - Blog entry #2 - The Everglades!!!!!

Tristan Carroll                                                                                                           1/31/11

A storm in the Everglades!!!!!

I wake up to the sound of the waves. I say to myself “Today is going to be a good day.” My thoughts were wrong. Today my paddling partner is Ray Ray (Evan A). Before we departed we ate breakfast, then we loaded up the canoes. After that we did about two to three hours of school what joy. When we all were done with school we would depart to our next campsite.

            Ray Ray and I were very good paddling partners. We pirated other canoes and then we would force them to join forces with the S.S. Rumington. In total our booty was three wash bins and a small tackle box. After our pirating antics we decided to get serous. We paddled a long distance. I saw a nice grayish blackish cloud.  I look back at Ray Ray. He is so happy. The waves roll in. Rain is coming in all directions. Ray Ray and I paddle up to Nat. Nat tells us to paddle to an island. The cold rain turns to a numbing hail. Ray Ray is ecstatic. Hail is coming in all directions. After twenty minutes in to the storm my feelings towards the storm had changed. My feeling went from scared to excited. I knew that I would be OK because Ray Ray was in the back steering the canoe. He has been sailing his whole life; he knew what he was doing. Dense fog rolled in from our left. Lucky for us we were near Nat so we had some sense of where we were going. We are now roughly a mile or two away from a small-unmarked island. Ray Ray said that this would be the toughest part of the paddle. His instructions were to lean back and paddle. I did as he told. We surfed the waves on to a small-unmarked island. We beached at the island. We waited out the storm at the island. Luckily nobody perished. That was a good thing…. Sometimes! After the storm we paddled off in to the calm waters of the Gulf Of Mexico. We made it to our campsite at dusk!!!

THE END!!!!!

Thank you Mom for all you have done for me!!!!!!

Stephen Foster 1/31/11 Blog Expedition #1 - Spring 2011

Stephen Foster

1/31/11

Blog Expedition #1

An Interesting Day…….

Well……

The storms didn’t come to us completely by surprise, after all we canoed through a storm the day earlier, and that morning we found ourselves in a tent that was flipped over sideways. But, that day we had a good six to eight mile paddle ahead of us, and we could already see the swells starting to form, so we rushed to pack up our supplies and chowed down on breakfast, our plan was to get out before the swells worsened and hopefully get in to camp before dawn.  So by 12:00 PM, my canoe partner, Evan Anderson ( Raymond), and I were off and heading towards our next camp.  When we saw all of the wind and waves that morning we were both ecstatic, hopeful that we would have another storm like the day before.  For the majority of the day paddling wasn’t half bad, sure it was a little choppy, but, we got through it with ease.  About 3 hours later, we saw what we thought was our next camp, Highland Key, so we crossed our fingers and headed into the bay.  The counselors , after figuring that we were in the wrong place, decided to beach at a local beach, while they asked Evan and I to go ask a couple of fisherman, where Highland Key was.

                This was when we learned that we were at least a mile or two away from it, and that’s when the waves and wind decided to pick back up again.  Evan told me to guide the canoe into a small bay, on the beach that the rest of the team was located at.  About a minute before we made landfall, I saw someone ( I think it was Dustin), running out of the trees and brush and told something to Evan Small ( Staff), at which Evan and his staff partner, Nate, threw all of their stuff onto the beach and also ran back into the shrubs.  I later found out that this was because Dustin and Mitch’s canoe was sinking because of the swells.  When the canoe was bailed out, Nate grouped us all up and told us that, once again, our plan had changed, we were going to try to make a final push, less than a mile away to a larger beach.  So once Nate broke the group, all of us were running to get in and shove off.  Evan and I, got into our canoe, which because it was in the small bay, was protected from the harsh white-cap waves.  It turned out the only people that were able to shove off affectively was Evan and I’s canoe and Nate’s Canoe, Nate informed us to just keep fighting the waves and paddle hard towards the island.  While, we were making our way, ever so slowly, along the island, we saw another student, Tristan, trying to save his now flipped canoe, and Evan and I just kept, paddling and paddling, until we were almost around the corner and away from the beach when we heard (Somehow!!!!)  Nate yelling and Tristan blowing his whistle. This was the end of our ever so amazing trek to the other island, and we ended up stranded on the beach for that night, and we were able to make our “break for it” the next morning, to the other island/beach while the waters were calm. 

                This is an event that I won’t forget for the rest of my life, all of the struggle and all of excitement that came from this storm, the whole time, Evan Anderson and I were cheering and yelling, just having the times of our lives battling off this storm, and winning!