Florida’s East Coast
The trip north along Florida’s East Coast was a varied experience ranging from the glitz and glamour of Miami to the wild and natural “first coast”. We departed No Name Harbor (Key Biscayne) under a cloudy, rainy sky. The tall buildings of Miami came into view as we turned out of the harbor.
With the Miami skyline looming ahead and the sun breaking through the clouds, the day promised to be filled with interesting sights. This section of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, commonly called the “Gold Coast”, is full of beautiful homes and waterway communities. Nearing our destination for the day, Hollywood, we stepped back to the days of “old Florida” with modest homes tucked along the waterway. Its Greek heritage was evident in the many wonderful waterside restaurants.
On to Fort Lauderdale with sumptuous homes along canals on both sides of the Intracoastal, each with equally huge boats docked outside.
We were treated to Fort Lauderdale during Spring Break with its beautiful beach!
Continuing on through the Palm Beaches we soon came to Jupiter Inlet with its red brick lighthouse. 
This marked the beginning of the “Treasure Coast”, named for the fleet of eleven Spanish ships loaded with gold and silver which departed from Havana on June 24, 1715. Encountering a hurricane, the ships were lost. Some of the cargo can still be found along the beaches today. Anchoring in Manatee Pocket, the name conjures a cove of unspoiled beauty. Our first sight was a floating hot dog stand at the mouth of the cove!
Reality was a very pleasant anchorage in a cove with homes and marinas along the entire shoreline. Heading north once again the terrain became more natural with beautiful “wild islands” along the waterway. Passing Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, the nation’s first, designated by Theodore Roosevelt, we soon entered the “Space Coast”. We turned east entering the Canaveral Barge Canal on our way to Port Canaveral where we had an appointment with a crew from the Regal Boats plant to complete the warranty issues which had arisen with our new boat.
They completed the work quickly and thoroughly, we were very pleased with the service we received from Regal. We had the opportunity to tour the Regal facility in Orlando, a very impressive operation! We were fortunate to see the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery at 6:21 AM on the 5th of April. An absolute thrill! 
We watched until the shuttle was out of sight (we were told it was over Africa by then) with only contrails remaining. It was incredible!
We spotted the NASA ship returning with the recovered booster rocket as it cruised past our marina.
Wildlife sightings have became more frequent with Egrets, Herons and Roseate Spoonbills on the rookery islands along the waterway.
We have seen Manatees and an Alligator as well as Eagles and Wood Storks.
Dolphin sightings are daily occurrences. Reaching St. Augustine, America’s oldest city, settled by the Spanish in 1565, we entered the “First Coast” so named because it was the first to be discovered by French and Spanish explorers a hundred years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
Much of this area is unspoiled, set aside in wildlife refuges. Our trip along the varied and beautiful Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway of Florida has been a fantastic experience. We are currently docked in Jacksonville, planning a side trip to explore the St. Johns River.
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Continuing on through the Palm Beaches we soon came to Jupiter Inlet with its red brick lighthouse. 
This marked the beginning of the “
Reality was a very pleasant anchorage in a cove with homes and marinas along the entire shoreline. Heading north once again the terrain became more natural with beautiful “wild islands” along the waterway. Passing Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, the nation’s first, designated by Theodore Roosevelt, we soon entered the “
They completed the work quickly and thoroughly, we were very pleased with the service we received from Regal. We had the opportunity to tour the Regal facility in 
We watched until the shuttle was out of sight (we were told it was over 
We spotted the NASA ship returning with the recovered booster rocket as it cruised past our marina.
Wildlife sightings have became more frequent with Egrets, Herons and Roseate Spoonbills on the rookery islands along the waterway.
We have seen Manatees and an Alligator as well as Eagles and Wood Storks.
Dolphin sightings are daily occurrences. Reaching 
Much of this area is unspoiled, set aside in wildlife refuges. Our trip along the varied and beautiful Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway of Florida has been a fantastic experience. We are currently docked in 
