At 730 square miles and visible from outer space, Lake Okeechobee virtually compels ducks migrating from the frigid north to the tropics to stop, rest, and feed. When the first wave made it to the Big …
Lighting up the Nights Before and After Christmas in St. Augustine
22 Dec 20164:56 PM
St. Augustine, Fla.– America’s oldest city– takes its Spanish heritage VERY seriously. For more than 450 years, it has celebrated Spanish food and wine; art and architecture; and during the winter holiday season, the old tradition of burning a single white candle in a window of each home.
But today the Ancient City elevates holiday illumination to truly the next level: more than three million twinkling white lights decorating public buildings, homes, museums, restaurants, parks, trees, bridges, light poles, vehicles and pretty much anyplace else you could string a light in the historic district. “Nights of Lights” is a sight not to be missed and thousands make their travel plans around it from Nov. 19 through Jan. 31.
There are many ways to take in and appreciate the display: the Old Town Trolley Nights of Lights Tour; Ripley’s Red Train; horse and carriage rides; Gold’s electric car tour; Nights of Lights Wine and Carriage Tour; Nights of Lights biplane tour; Plaza Stroll by City Walks; and on the water with the Schooner Freedom and St. Augustine Eco Tours.
The epicenter of the celebration is the Plaza de la Constitucion where you can gaze at the city’s brightly-lit Christmas tree, sing Christmas carols — or just listen to the joyous sounds of carolers riding by on the trolley.
Nights of Lights has won accolades from fans as varied as National Geographic, celebrity chef Rachel Ray, AAA Auto Club, and the American Bus Association.
If you are in St. Augustine for New Year’s Eve, don’t miss the Beach Blast Off at the pier Dec. 31. The event features live music, food, and fireworks to ring in 2017.
Stay tuned in 2017 for Guy Harvey Outpost coming soon to St. Augustine Beach, the best oceanfront location. Be sure to stay with us next year for Nights of Lights!
For event information, visit http://www.floridashistoriccoast.com
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![](mailto:?subject=September Highlights for Ocean Lovers: Lionfish Safari and REEF Fest&body=Harvest, eat, win cash, and learn about exotic lionfish in the Lionfish Safari Sept. 9-11 at Guy Harvey Outpost, a Tradewinds Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach. The Outpost, in conjunction with the non-profit Reef Monitoring, Inc., will award $600 for the most lionfish and $600 for the heaviest lionfish, plus other cash prizes in the weekend-long, family-friendly ocean bash.
The hunt for the exotic predators from the Indo Pacific will take place all day on Sept. 10, with no boundaries and no time limit. Entry fee is $35 per diver. Weigh-in festivities and a family fun day will follow on Sept. 11. Chefs from the Outpost's RumFish Grill will cook and serve the harvest on the beach after researchers from Reef Monitoring take samples for scientific research.
One of the teams to beat will be led by Captain Scott Crawford, owner/instructor at Rock Bottom Divers near Tarpon Springs. Crawford, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and eight other vets-- four of them amputees--will employ their formidable combat skills in the campaign to mow down the aquatic invaders.
For more information and to register, go <a href="http://www.reefmonitoring.org" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Guy Harvey Outpost will offer a Florida Resident Special rate during the tournament.
Then from Sept. 29 through Oct. 2, Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) will host REEF Fest 2016 in Key Largo. This celebration of marine conservation in the Keys will feature educational seminars by scientists and diving greats, exploration dives and snorkeling with the experts, eco-adventures such as paddle boarding, kayaking, and glass-bottom boat tours, and evening social gatherings. For more information and registration, visit the <a href="http://www.reef.org/REEFFest" target="_blank">REEF web site</a>.
<a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/dive-packages/"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-4200 size-full" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/ad.jpg" alt="ad" width="737" height="301" /></a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/september-highlights-for-ocean-lovers-lionfish-safari-and-reef-fest/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=A Paddle Trip Even Lewis & Clark Would Have Skipped&body=<img class=" size-medium wp-image-3016 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/paddle.jpg?w=300" alt="paddle" width="300" height="267" />By Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost staff writer
Paddling the marshy interior of Everglades National Park makes you feel like you are the first one ever to explore the region. You won't see any humans other than your companions. You won't encounter much trash, save for a stray deflated Mylar balloon here and there. The only mechanical sounds you'll hear come from the occasional small airplane overhead. You come to truly appreciate the exquisite natural beauty of this vast 1.5-million-acre wilderness known as the "River of Grass". And you will really, really wish that it was more river and less grass--especially after 22 miles of slogging in a single day.
A group of about 20 men and women whose names will be withheld to protect the uncertain status of their mental health embarked on Halloween on what was supposed to be a day-long exploration of Taylor Slough extending from the park's Homestead entrance southwest to Nine Mile Pond near Flamingo. The trip was the brainchild of a veteran local Everglades explorer we'll call "Tom" who leads these out-of-the-way paddling adventures annually, dubbed "Invitationals". "Tom" never follows the trails on park brochures, instead mapping out his routes using Google Maps and GPS.
Setting out before dawn in canoes and kayaks from an airboat trail that used to be the Ingraham Highway pre-dating the park's 1947 establishment, the group pushed, pulled, poled and paddled for hours through thickets of spikerush, sawgrass and periphyton -- a spongy algae variously described as elephant snot or monkey puke. It actually smells pretty good, kind of like PineSol. But it is no fun to navigate, especially when your paddle blades catapult thick wads of it onto you and your boat. Unseasonably warm temperatures and very little breeze added to the discomfort.
The going was so slow through the shallow water and dense grass that the group hadn't covered even half the distance by the time we stopped for lunch in a small patch of shade beside a tree island.
While everyone was breaking out their water bottles and lunchboxes, one paddler suddenly flipped upside down in his kayak. At first, I thought he'd been startled by a snake or something. But when he didn't crawl out from under the kayak right away, several people nearby leapt from their boats, pulled him out of the water and righted his boat. He was conscious, but pale and dazed.
One of his rescuers, fortunately, was a physician who checked him out, pronounced a touch of heat exhaustion, and said he would be fine after taking in electrolyte fluids. But he was too run down to paddle much, so he took my spot in the bow of Tom's canoe and I took over the kayak.
I would like to say the trip became easier, but only in small increments. Water levels rose a bit higher as we neared Craighead's Pond-- site of a raised platform and defunct science experiment. But after a couple more miles, I was growing tired from the drag of the grass and the constant shipping of slimy algae into the kayak.
To no one's surprise, the sun set and the sky grew dark well before we entered the mangrove labyrinth of Nine Mile Pond. Nearly everyone had headlamps or flashlights and GPS units that tracked true, so there was little chance of getting lost. But of course, hordes of mosquitoes and gnats appeared as soon as the light faded, making an uncomfortable journey even worse. At least the air cooled off.
But with about five miles yet to go, I was pretty exhausted. At our next rest stop in the dark, I traded the kayak to a young woman triathlete in exchange for her seat in her uncle's canoe. Paddling in the bow with him in the stern felt like a spa day compared to mushing in the kayak.
With no further misadventures, the entire group somehow arrived safely at the Nine Mile Pond parking lot about 8:45 p.m.-- a distance of 22 miles in 13 1/2 hours.
As we made landfall, my canoe partner began whistling the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's "Messiah"-- wrong holiday, but an entirely appropriate anthem under the circumstances.
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Sue Cocking chronicles the Guy Harvey Outpost travel and adventure experience in regular blog posts on GuyHarveyOutpostNews.com/. For 21 years, Cocking covered the full spectrum of outdoors adventure opportunities in South Florida and beyond for the Miami Herald, including fishing, diving, hunting, paddling camping, sailing and powerboat racing. She is a certified scuba diver and holder of an IGFA women's world fly fishing record for a 29-pound permit.
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Share your photos, videos and experiences with Guy Harvey Outpost by hash tagging #OutpostAttitude to all of your social media posts. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/a-paddle-trip-even-lewis-clark-would-have-skipped/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Brendal’s Dive Center, A Guy Harvey Outfitter & Green Turtle Cay’s Reef Sharks&body=If you want to dive in the northeastern Bahamas there is really only one man to see, Brendal Stevens. There are other dive operators but <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/adventures/diving.html">Brendal's Dive Center</a> stands above all the rest and the <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/green-turtle-cay-abacos/overview.html">Green Turtle Club </a>gets you right on top of some of the best and most exciting dives including a variety of big animals.<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/123.jpg"><img class="wp-image-2157 size-large" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/123.jpg?w=660" alt="123" width="660" height="489" /></a>If you want to get certified to SCUBA dive Brendal can teach you from square one or handle your check out dives for PADI, NAUI, SSI or SDI. In 2006 the Bahamian Ministry of Tourism awarded Brendal with it's Cacique Award for Sustainable Tourism. This is the Bahamian "Oscar!" If you are ready for some big animals Brendal can put you with the "Silver King" tarpon, giant grouper, the island's name sake Green Turtles or those camera hogs with the big grins, Sharks! Nurse sharks are seen on many of Brendal's dives. If you want to see the "Sexy Stars" of the show, the Caribbean Reef Sharks then one of his Shark Observation Dives is the way to go. Shark Week may be coming to a close but our big animal "Stars" are available year round. Don't miss the show, call the Outpost Reservations Desk to find out more at (800) 513-5257. <a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/brendals-dec-5-2011-839.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-2158" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/brendals-dec-5-2011-839.jpg?w=660" alt="Photo: Brendal's Dive Center & Water Sports, Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas" width="660" height="495" /></a>Photo: Brendal's Dive Center & Water Sports, Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/brendals-dive-center-a-guy-harvey-outfitter-green-turtle-cays-reef-sharks/){kind=link}
![](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/official-letter-of-congratulations-to-dive-biminis-name-that-boat-contest-winner/&media=https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bond-letter11.jpg&description=Official Letter of Congratulations to Dive Bimini’s "Name That Boat" Contest Winner){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Guy Harvey Outpost Offers New Luxury Expedition to Panama!&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/cherin-iii-image.jpg"><img class=" size-medium wp-image-2829 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/cherin-iii-image.jpg?w=200" alt="Cherin III Image" width="200" height="300" /></a>Having never before caught and released either a blue or black marlin, I really should be heading to Panama pretty soon. But I can't, so you should go in my place.
In August and September, the Pacific waters from the Archipelago de Las Perlas south to Pinas Bay in the Gulf of Panama will provide your best shot at battling multiple blues and blacks in a single day. You will be able to chase them pretty much wherever they roam in the region, then hook and fight them in comfort--except, of course, for your sore arms.
Your host is South African adventurer Hennie Marais, operator of Panama Yacht and Fishing Charters-- an exclusive Guy Harvey Outpost Expedition. And he offers a big-game fishing experience like no other.
Your party of up to 12 will eat and sleep in the air-conditioned comfort of a 98-foot luxury Knight & Carver yacht, then head out to the billfish grounds aboard a 66-foot Buddy Davis sportfisher or a 37-foot Strike --or both.
"You go out at 6:00 to 6:30 in the morning. You fish for live bait. When you get to the bait grounds, it's just acres of bonitos and skipjacks," Marais said. "Often before you get all your live baits out, you have a black marlin. And you're not getting beat up by the sea conditions. You fish till you're out of live bait, then troll lures or dead baits for sailfish and blue marlin. There's a good opportunity for a grand slam."
For the non-anglers in your party who want to explore remote island jungles or those who prefer to fish close to shore for roosterfish or Cubera snapper, there's an 18-foot Mitzi skiff, kayaks, personal watercraft, stand-up paddleboards and a fully-equipped scuba diving center.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime expedition you have to do," Marais said. "It's not just the fishing--it's the whole destination."
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ms-b-haven-img_8126.jpg"><img class=" size-medium wp-image-2830 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ms-b-haven-img_8126.jpg?w=300" alt="Ms B Haven IMG_8126" width="300" height="200" /></a>
If you can't make it to Panama for the black-and-blue bite, make plans to charter the mothership in another part of Panama later in the year. Marais steers the fleet to wherever the fishing is most bountiful or wherever you desire to explore.
January and February in the Las Perlas and Pinas waters are prime for black marlin, tuna, dorado (mahi), wahoo and roosterfish. April through June usually find the mothership plying the Pacific waters around the remote Isla de Coiba, a World Heritage Site in the Gulf of Chiriqui where yellowfin tuna are abundant. Other options throughout the year are the Bocas Del Toro and Gulf of San Blas regions in Panama's Caribbean Sea for family snorkeling and inshore and reef fishing.
"You can take four different trips to Panama and none will be the same," Marais said.
Phenomenal fishing, lush unexplored jungles, and gourmet food and a stocked wine cellar on board your safari headquarters. Pretty tempting.
You can book a weeklong or three-day customized package, with all trips beginning in Panama City-- about two hours by air from Miami.
But when you board, be on the alert for a stowaway: me. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/guy-harvey-outpost-offers-new-luxury-expedition-to-panama/){kind=link}
TRAVEL DESK : 800.513.5257
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