Sarasota and Southwest Florida

Our adventure has taken us to Sarasotawhere we enjoyed much of what this gorgeous city has to offer. We rode our bikes over the Ringling Causeway to St. Armand’s Circle and explored the downtown area of Sarasota. We were treated to a downtown art festival as well. We stayed a week enjoying the ambiance and beauty of this waterfront city. We were also waiting out strong winds and very cold temperatures for several of those days. We have found that the cold weather that Florida has experienced this year has taken quite a toll on the wildlife. The endangered Manatees cannot tolerate water less than 64 degrees and many turtles and baitfish have succumbed to the cold water. We noticed the Pelicans shivering in Clearwater and flocking the fishing boats as they returned to port loaded with the days catch, the Pelicans hoping for a morsel to sustain them. Pelicans are a common sight but what we didn’t immediately realize was that they were not diving and swooping as usual. The seagulls became very aggressive, stealing food right off of plates at the dockside restaurants. The cause of this, we were told, was the lack of baitfish. We are pleased that the weather has now begun to warm again and it is reassuring to once again see the gulls and Pelicans diving for food and the shorebirds hunting along the banks. (If you look closely you will see that this Osprey has caught a nice size fish) Departing Sarasota we anchored in Pelican Bay where we explored the beaches and trails of Cayo Costa State Park, an unspoiled “old Florida” barrier island. Departing Pelican Bay, our next stop was lunch at Cabbage Key Inn, said to be Jimmy Buffett's inspiration for the song “Cheeseburger in Paradise”. The story goes that the fishermen would stop by for rest and refreshment and to guarantee a cold beer on their return, started a tradition of posting signed dollar bills on the bar and restaurant walls. The accumulated currency covers every square inch of the walls and ceiling adding up to more than $60,000. We, of course, enjoyed a cheeseburger and posted our dollar on the ceiling. Every year some 15,000 dollar bills fall naturally to the floor, these are collected and donated to charity. After lunch we climbed the 41 steps of the 1930’s water tower to view of the stunning beauty of the area. We were privileged to see many dolphins playing in the wakes of boats as they moved along the waterway. We are currently docked at Sanibel Harbor Resort and Marina where we are enjoying the beautiful pools and facilities of this lovely spot. We are awaiting a calm day to once again cross the Gulf, this time on our way to the Florida Keys.

Tarpon Springs, Clearwater and Beyond

At the turn of the 20^th Century divers from the Greek Isles settled in Tarpon Springs to establish the sponge industry. Through hard work and dedication they created the Village of Tarpon Springs and made it the Sponge Capital of the World. Sponges continue to be harvested from the Gulf of Mexico and can be purchased in the many shops in this small village. There are many Greek Restaurants and nearly as many Greek Bakeries to tempt one as they wander the streets of this waterside town. Departing Tarpon Springs we were able to once again enter the Intracoastal Waterway, this time heading south along the barrier islands of Florida’s West Coast. We stopped in Clearwater Beach where we enjoyed the white sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. We watched the fishing boats leave the marina in the morning filled with tourists hoping to catch the “big one” and return with loads of Grey Snapper which the crew would clean. It was very entertaining to watch the Pelicans as they gathered to feast on the tidbits thrown to them by the crew as they cleaned their catch. They occasionally fought over morsels, some would move away to swallow their prize in peace. We left our boat for a few days and flew to Sedona, AZ to visit Leslie’s parents. It was wonderful to see them and we had a great visit. We were treated to some snow while we were there. Returning to Clearwater we found the cold weather had once again descended upon Florida. It was so cold that the Pelicans were shivering! We delayed our departure for two days when the winds were their strongest which allowed us an opportunity to visit with our friends Bob and Janet Halderman who had come down from Indiana in search of warmer weather. We have truly enjoyed our time here and are grateful for the opportunity to visit with family and friends. We will depart in the morning certain we will find the warm weather Florida is known for.

Across the Big Bend of Florida

Port St. Joe Marina proved to be an excellent place to wait out the inclement weather. As is so often the case, the people make the experience and the people at Port St. Joe Marina could not have been friendlier. Ray Whitney, the Harbor Host was particularly gracious, organizing a Shrimp Boil and a dinner at the Indian Passage Raw Bar. We enjoyed our stay there very much. We departed Port St. Joe on a breezy day heading for Apalachicola to position ourselves to cross the “Big Bend” of Florida when the “weather window” opened. Apalachicola is a quaint town on the Gulf of Mexico, famous for its oysters. 90 Percent of Florida’s oysters are harvested in the waters of Apalachicola. We enjoyed our stop in this small fishing village and, of course, its delectable seafood. The winds were calm as we proceeded out through Government Cut into the Gulf of Mexico on the morning of January 27^th; the seas carried a 2 – 3 foot swell increasing to 3 to 4. Around noon the seas subsided to around two feet, exactly as had been forecast. We cruised into Crystal River and were tied up at 5:30pm, completing our 168 mile transit across the Gulf of Mexico. Crystal River, fed by some 30 natural streams is a Manatee sanctuary. We donned our wet suits and got into the dinghy, heading further up the river to find these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat. We found a canal, closed to boaters and swimmers, loaded with sleeping Manatees, they looked like rocks with their backs exposed above the water. We slipped into the water and were rewarded by several Manatees which had begun to swim out toward the bay, they were as curious of us as we were of them. It soon became apparent they enjoyed the human interaction and were looking for a good scratch! Venturing further upriver we came to an area called the Three Sisters with crystal clear water and dozens of Manatees. We were rewarded with a visit by a mother and her calf, the mother even rolled over to allow Harry to scratch her tummy! We watched them munch on the sea grass and were able to observe them as they slept. Many slept with their chins on the sand periodically bobbing to the surface for a breath then descending again until their chins touched the sand. It was truly a privilege to see these amazing animals in their own environment.

Happy New Year!

We have had a very eventful December and January leaving “Somewhere” at Bay Point Marina in Panama City, Florida on the 11^th of December. We drove to Tampa and flew to San Francisco to arrive in time to attend a surprise birthday celebration which Rob had planned for Julie at their home in San Rafael. While there we were able to attend a sing along at Delaney’s school and attend the classroom Christmas parties for both Jack and Ryann. (Ryann’s class also celebrated her Christmas birthday). We had a fabulous visit with them, enjoying great family time.
All too soon it was time to return home to Shallotte. We were able to see many of our friends during our short stay. We packed our cold weather clothes and were off to Moscow to visit Troy, Sherry, Taylor and Reece. The snow added to the magical quality as we toured this fascinating city. A few of the sites were the Kremlin, Red Square, Victory Park, and the excellent school Taylor and Reece attend. We also attended the Bolshoy Opera and sampled delicious Russian food. It had been far too long since our last visit with them and we enjoyed every minute. Being able to celebrate the New Year and the Russian Orthodox Christmas (January 7^th) with them was an added bonus. Our two weeks went by much too quickly and it was time to return to Shallotte to leave the cold weather clothes and pick up our dive gear. We enjoyed the opportunity to see a few more friends while there as well. We returned to “Somewhere” in Panama City and got her ready to continue our great adventure. Happy to be once again on the water we departed Bay Point Marina on January 20^th and headed for Port St. Joe. It was a beautiful trip not far offshore from the white sand beaches of the Florida panhandle. The weather deteriorated shortly after our arrival with strong winds and heavy rains arriving on the 21^st. We are enjoying this charming town with its warm, friendly people as we wait for the seas to calm so that we can continue on to Apalachicola where we will wait for a “weather window” which will allow us the opportunity to cross the “Big Bend of Florida” to Crystal River.

Revisiting Old Haunts

We departed Mobile, Alabama after a two day visit. Cruising through Mobile Bay and turning east onto the Intra Coastal Waterway, we soon entered Florida with its white sandy beaches. As we passed Pensacola Naval Air Station two Blue Angels took to the sky as if to welcome us. Our destination was Palafox Pier located at the foot of Palafox Street in the heart of downtown Pensacola, a great location from which to reacquaint ourselves with this historic city. Pensacola, the “City of Five Flags” was founded in 1513 by the Spanish Explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon. Over the years the flags of five countries, Spain, France, Great Britain, the Confederacy and the United States have flown over Pensacola, each leaving its unique mark on the city. Having lived in Pensacola while Harry was a flight student and later a flight instructor, our goal was to revisit a few of our favorite haunts. We found Seville Quarter home of Rosie O’Grady’s Good Times Emporium which, back in the day, featured Dixieland jazz and served peanuts and beer. It has changed some since then, mostly expanding and adding five additional restaurants. The music is more current now; we enjoyed the “historic” photographs on the walls. We were fortunate to have arrived for “gallery night” where the art galleries and historic buildings of the downtown area were open and decorated for the holidays. Serving wine and appetizers, they were attempting to get a jump on the holiday shopping. The city was in a festive mood and we enjoyed it very much. Departing Pensacola, we cruised along Santa Rosa Island, past Navarre Beach, Fort Walton Beach and Destin, all places familiar to us when we lived in Niceville and Harry was assigned to the 3246 Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base. We headed directly to one of our favorite spots during that time, Rocky Bayou State Park where many summer weekends were spent camping and water skiing. We “dropped the hook” at the doorstep of the park, launched the dinghy and went ashore. Wandering the park brought back many wonderful memories! We arrived in Panama City just before Thanksgiving. We were fortunate to have been invited to share Thanksgiving Dinner with the Vernon’s, AGLCA (America’s Great Loop) Harbor Hosts of Panama City. They opened their home to a group of boaters all of whom are traveling Americas Great Loop. Great food and great people, it was an unexpected treat for those of us so far from home and family. Somewhere will remain in Panama City until mid January. Harry and Leslie will soon depart for California to visit Julie and her family then off to Moscow to visit Troy and his family. We will spend some time in Shallotte as well. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

The Rivers to Mobile Bay

We remained in Columbus Marina for a week waiting for the flood waters to recede on the Black Warrior River. The weather in Columbus was beautiful and we enjoyed our stay there very much. The facilities were quite good and they had a wonderful waterside restaurant, Woody’s on the Water, which added to our enjoyment. We got underway again on Saturday the 14^th of November happy to once again be exploring the river system of our great country. We began the morning by transiting the Stennis Lock. As the big gates creaked open to allow us to pass through we could see evidence of fast moving water but the level of the pool was near normal. This section, the River Section of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway seemed little affected by the storm, extra current and more driftwood was the only evidence we saw. We found a peaceful spot to anchor for the night. At the end of the second day we came to the confluence of the Black Warrior River and the Tombigbee River, near Demopolis, AL. As predicted, the current increased. Anchoring again for the night, we departed early as we expected to encounter much higher water levels below the next lock. We locked through with 5 other boats at 6:30AM. Departing the chamber the water level was dramatically higher, the river was 20 feet above normal pool. There was more drift in this area which required a sharp lookout, many of the buoys were missing or had been relocated by the strong current. Some were barely visible above the high water. The Black Warrior is a wilder river with few man made cuts which resulted in numerous “S” turns. The terrain began to have a more coastal feel with palmettos and lower river banks. Our last night on the Black Warrior was spent anchored in a pretty cove. Emerging from the cabin in the morning we looked up to see an Eagle fly overhead, hover for a moment then continue on. An inspiring sight! It was a gorgeous morning, we felt we had the river all to ourselves, peaceful and calm. So calm that the sun glistened off the surface and made it difficult to see the driftwood on the surface. Soon we reached the confluence of the Black Warrior and the Alabama River, this formed the Mobile River where the river once again changed, taking on a more industrial feel. Before long, we were out of the Mobile River and into the Mobile Harbor Channel, a very busy commercial port in the heart of the city of Mobile. Soon we entered Mobile Bay and found our way to Dog River Marina on the Dog River, our destination for the day. We will remain here for a day then go on to Pensacola, Florida where we will spend a couple of days revisiting some favorite spots and perhaps we will find some new ones!