Monday, May 17, 2010

I feel the need...the need for speed

One of the fun things we did last week was a wave runner tour of the 10,000 islands. No we did not go to all 10,000. Technically Marco is considered the biggest and northernmost island in the chain which touches on the Everglades.

Let me back up and just say that on occasion I have to be talked into doing things like riding a wave runner. I am not like the rest of my family who asks the cute cabana boy things like, 'How fast are we allowed to go?' My family knows this about me so by the time I arrived at the rental center the cute cabana boy let me know that my family was not going to allow me to drive. Apparently they did not want me slowing them down. My daughter1 would drive and I would be her passenger. Which was fine with me because I have been on the back of a wave runner with my hubs before and told the cute cabana boy that he was the one they should be worried about. I think cute cabana boy had already figured this out.

This is cute cabana boy. He looked a lot like Chris O'Donnell...


I was distracted by our upcoming adventure so I neglected to hit the zoom. Plus my girls would have found that embarrassing and I'm pretty sure mom on the wave runner was embarrassment enough for one day.

We all put on the very attractive life jackets and I'd been wearing a baseball cap all morning on the beach but had to stow it because apparently we were going to go fast...nothing like some lovely hat hair to complete my look. Why don't I look adorable in my life jacket like daughter2?


Cute cabana boy gave us the basic operating instructions but the only thing I really heard was to leave a lot of space between the wave runners in case someone stops suddenly and also the part about if you go flying off to move away from the wave runner so your hair and/or life jacket are not sucked up underneath the machine. Won't this be fun?


In fact it was lots of fun. Lots and lots of fun. Actually, while I generally have to be pep talked into stuff I do love to go fast. Daughter1 was an excellent driver and hubs only scared daughter2 once or twice. He liked to drop way way behind us so he could then zoom up at supersonic speed. Cute cabana boy pretended he didn't notice.


In all our trips to Marco we'd never been out to the islands. Technically you don't go to the islands, you ride around them. There are mangroves on these islands and they are interesting trees. They grow in salt water and the roots go as deep as the trees are tall. They are able to filter the salt water themselves and the mangrove forests along the coastline here help protect Marco from storm surges and hurricanes.

We didn't see any manatees but we did see lots of beautiful birds and some crazy jumping fish and we got up close and personal with some dolphins...he's right beside us here-


It's not easy to take a picture of a moving animal while sitting on a bobbing wave runner in the Gulf but we tried...


We rode for about an hour and a half and only saw a handful of boats in all that time. It felt like we were the only people on the water and it was a gorgeous day.

I may have needed a little coaxing to get started but by the time we returned to the beach I was thinking maybe we needed to buy a wave runner once we got back home. And I guess a house on the Gulf to go with it...I mean we'd have to park it somewhere right?

26 comments:

  1. I have always wanted to drive one of those. Hubs doesn't like the water so I would be on my own to do it but will eventually. They just look like so much fun!

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  2. You're arm looks burned... hopefully it wasn't painful! That is so cool...y'all do the neatest stuff!

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  3. I like the way you think!! I like to go fast too, but safety always is at the forefront of my mind. I couldn't be called "mom" if it didn't, it kinda comes with the territory.

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  4. I'm so jealous! Looks like too much fun!

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  5. I disagree. You were totally rockin' the life jacket.
    Love it all. I want to go. But instead, I am tired, have a headache, and will be working on L-A-U-N-D-R-Y, for that is the purpose of my entire existence. :)

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  6. I'm a lot like you. I need to be talked into stuff. And then I have a great time in the end. Why is that? I guess my fears increased with the number of kids I had. I like to think that I was once way more adventurous than I am now. When I was a twenty something, I actually went parasailing and turned upside down on the thing. Go me!

    It looks like you had a grand time. The water was beautifully colored and the dolphin swimming alongside you must have been a sight.

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  7. Joyce,

    Being previous owners of Jet Ski's, we loved them. It gave us something to do on our days off or weekends with family and friends not to mention the sights you get to see from the water. Incredible. Love that you were out there with the dolphin too!


    Love and Hugs ~ Kat

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  8. That looks like so much fun! I'm considering taking some sort of vacation this summer. I may even bring my hubby along, but I want to leave the boys at home. After all, what am I vacationing from? : )

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  9. Sounds like lots of fun! I grew up riding motor cycles...so I think I would enjoy a wave runner. My family is probably scared to turn me lose on one...lol!
    Blessings,
    andrea

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  10. Sounds like you had a great time! Can't wait to hear more.

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  11. That looks like so much fun!!! I have ridden on a lake, but never on the ocean. That was so neat that you saw a dolphin. You got some great pictures. I would have dropped my camera in the water for sure! I am so glad that you all had such a wonderful vacation. It is so ironic, since you guys were at Marco, I have seen several articles about it recently. It sounds like a beautiful place. Love & blessings from NC!

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  12. My Marco Island? (Look, I've been here all of 6 months and claiming Marco Island!) We are planning a trip down there; it's only about a 4 hour drive!

    Also, I LOVE to jet ski !!! I am with Hubs on this one...drop back and zip right up next to you. ; ) BTW, you do hat hair quite well if I say so myself.

    Ok, as I mentioned, I'm kinda new to FL, but isn't the Everglades FULL of gators?!? (and those giganic snakes???) Jet ski and those critters don't mix, which is why we have not gotten one. Our river (notice ownership) is littered with gators and creepy crawlies, thus, no jet ski. There is a cute yellow one ( I love yellow ) for sale just up the road in a fellas front yard. It won't be sitting in my garage any time soon.

    Last note...cute cabana boy sure did look cute on that jet ski ; )

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  13. I think it sounds like you had a great time. How could you not? It all looks so nice and relaxing. Cabana Boy and all. (hehehe)
    We had SeeDoos. We taught the kids to water ski on them. It was perfect. Easy to maneuver and we could get back to them quick.
    Gosh - that seems like a life time ago. Well I guess it was - my oldest turns 25 on Thurs. WOW! Where did those years go?
    I've never been to the Gulf - I think I sense a road trip coming up . . .
    :) Karen

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  14. Such fun...and cabana boy...doesn't get any better!

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  15. There's nothing like getting out on the water in a wave runner. Looks like you had SUCH a great time!

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  16. No wonder you guys have so much fun! I loved your last post with all the pics too. It really looks a little bit like paradise to me. I´m glad you had such a wonderful time with your girls!

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  17. I've always wanted to go on a wave runner but haven't done it yet. And PS - aren't there alligators in the Everglades?

    Just checking.

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  18. Wowww...it looks like so much fun, Joyce! I'd be the first one to jump on the waverunners, but I'd not want to go too fast. :-) Ed would be more careful and slow than me. Two old slow people on waverunners...what a sight we'd be!
    So enjoying reading about your adventures!!
    What great memories you are making AND so many more pictures for you to scrapbook when you get home! ;-)
    We're endeavoring to plan a vacay for the summer as it is the first summer Ed's not had to work for a long time! *fingers crossed* *head bowed in fervent prayer* :-)

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  19. You should totally be a travel agent because I don't know beans about Marco island and I now want to go there. Tomorrow please.

    BTW, I adore wave runners - the faster, the better!

    And thanks for stopping by my blog today. It's good to get encouragement from someone who has made it through my stage intact. :)

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  20. I had so much fun on the wave runner with you!! I wish we were back there now!

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  21. How fun Joyce!
    That's so cool that the dolphin was right there beside y'all!
    I was amazed that you were able to get a picture.
    I tend to be like you... pretty fearful & have probably missed out on tons of fun because of my fears. It's great that your family is so adventurous & do so many fun & interesting things.
    Again, I'm so glad you were blessed to have such a great vacation together. Wonderful memories to treasure!!!

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  22. Your vacation reminds me that I need a vacation.

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  23. Looks like such a fun, special vacation! K and her sister and mom are going to Marco Island this Fall - sounds like they need to get all the tips from you beforehand!

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  24. I have always wanted to drive one of those.Looks like such a fun, special vacation!!!
    Need For Speed Leather Jacket

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