Delray Beach, FL – March 26, 2013
I slept on a park dock with the sun baking on me and my hat pulled over my eyes. Families walked by. Kids fished. Joggers ran down a footpath. I didn’t care. I just slept, soaking in the heat of the day.
I woke at four in the afternoon with my face warm to the touch and slowly packed the boat for ten late miles to a small dock off the intercoastal. The area is just as developed, just as crowded with houses and condos as last night, but this time it’s different, this time I have sanctuary because a woman I met in Key West offered me a place to stay if I came north.
I arrived after dark, still tired and worn thin, grateful for a crack in the wall, grateful for someplace safe to close my eyes.
———-
Want to hear more about the trip or some of the other adventures I’ve taken? I’ll be giving two different presentations at the Midwest Mountaineering Expo in the Twin Cities this weekend. On Saturday, April 27th from 11:45-12:45, I will talk about paddling from the Angle to Key West and on Sunday, April 28th from 2:15-3:15, I will talk about taking the leap and doing the adventures you’ve always dreamed of.
Predictably Lost 
That section of the circumnavigational trail is the worst in regards to camping. The options are mostly motels and people you meet, as you found out. It does get better… Promise.
Hey Doug, good to see you following & still trying to find better campsites!
Danny, Missed you in Miami! Keep paddlin’ baby
I will! And next time I’m in Miami, I will definitely look you up!
Your last two posts make me think about how homeless people feel with no safe place to rest. Even if you don’t own much you still don’t want to lose it, or your physical safety. The contrast between the massive and luxuriant homes and condos and your own solitary homeless circumstance is stark and thought provoking. People tend to think that it is much more safe within human dominated areas than in the wild, but actually it is not…by a long shot usually.
I definitely feel safer in the deep wilderness. Bears, gators, rattlesnakes, etc. have nothing on humans. I do think situations like this give me some insight into homelessness, but I always have the resources and connections and social acceptance to get out of them if truly necessary that homeless people often lack. It is a peek into that world, but it is a privileged one for sure.