So no Calusa travelled as far as Vera Cruz. But some extraordinary individuals, under extraordinary circumstances, [I]could have[/I] gone there. And given that it's a novel, I'm assuming that the individuals and/or circumstances are extraordinary, else why would you be telling the story?
I wonder how long it would take to paddle the long route along the coast instead of crossing the Gulf... not sure that fits your time frame, or even the geography, but some coastal exploring and Odyssey-like encounters along the way might be fun.
How fast were the Calusas on the water?
So no Calusa travelled as far as Vera Cruz. But some extraordinary individuals, under extraordinary circumstances, [I]could have[/I] gone there. And given that it's a novel, I'm assuming that the individuals and/or circumstances are extraordinary, else why would you be telling the story?
I wonder how long it would take to paddle the long route along the coast instead of crossing the Gulf... not sure that fits your time frame, or even the geography, but some coastal exploring and Odyssey-like encounters along the way might be fun.