March 2 through 5 – Friday through Tuesday in the Cape Coral area

Last Thursday evening we traveled up the Chattahoochee River toward Ft Myers, but took a turn north to Cape Coral where our friends Rick and Eleanor Gentleman from Acton, Mass were renting a house on a canal off of the Chattahoochee river. Their rental has a dock and even a marine electrical outlet, so perfect for the Wandering Star. Note: Rick and I are twins from different mothers – we share a birthday and year!

We’ve been tied up at their dock since last Thursday, and are enjoying the area very much. Not only do we have a place for the boat, but we are also  staying in their guest room  – such comfort! It was perfect timing because (1) we need to head back to Tarpon Springs area tomorrow afternoon so Dirk can finish his emergency crown replacement started there a few weeks ago and (2) then we are taking care of our grandson in Lantana, FL while Sarah and Chris (daughter/son-in-law) go to a wedding for the weekend. So we were able to relax while Eleanor and Rick took us to local activities like an art walk, farmers market, the Irish Fest, the artsy town of Matlacha,  and beaches to see sunsets in Cape Coral and Fort Myers beach and to visit the Edison museum in Fort Myers.

The Irish Fest:

Famous artist (Leoma Lovegrove) shop in Matlacha

Cape Coral public Yacht Club – Watching the sunset

Rick and Eleanor’s rental is also close to a Rotary park with trails and a nature center where I found great brochures with local animal photos to share with our grandson Arden.  We had some fun there…

Here’s some scenes of Fort Myer Beach the next day:  Walking around the area, some relaxing and yes, another sunset! It’s a very busy area.

We later walked along the long pier at the beach and then found a place for dinner. (Never go to Nervous Nellies! Horrendous service!!!!)

We visited the Edison Museum in Fort Myers: Edison and Henry Ford had winter homes next to each other on the Chattahoochee river where Edison conducted research in his labs to find a source for artificial rubber. His lab grew and analyzed 100’s of tropical plants including banyan trees such as this massive tree planted around 1905.

Note: I’m sitting next to his second wife, Mina, who donated the Edison summer home, gardens and labs to the city of Fort Myers. The water sculpture is in the butterfly garden on the grounds of the museum.

March 4, 2018 Monday in Cape Coral Florida

I’ve been remiss in updating the blog this week.  We are visiting with friends from home and I got out of my routine. More on this visit in the next blog entry.

We left St. Petersburg on Wednesday Feb 28th and anchored out two nights on the way to Cape Coral. We looked behind to say good bye St.Pete, traveled into the bay and under the bridge and traveled on bays and canals for about only 4 hours since we were tired from a rough night in the mooring fields due to strong winds blowing right into the bay most of the night.

As you can see from the above photos, the first anchorage was popular but there was plenty of room for us.

On Thursday we passed Sarasota and numerous lovely or ridiculously large homes along the water.

As we traveled south on the Intracostal we were once again blessed with dolphins playing with the boat along the way.

We took a slight risk heading into our somewhat shallower anchorage this evening but it was almost high tide and we made it. I was delighted because we were close to an opening inlet to the Gulf. Once we were settled I put on my bathing suit, got out the rope ladder so I could climb back on the boat when I returned and then swam ashore. There was a  small dock nearby, but the current took me further toward to channel than I expected. I noted that I’d have to be careful to start further up the current from the boat when I returned from my adventure.

I walked a mile or two along the Gulf coast, floated in sand dune ponds and the open gulf, and smiled and exchanged hellos with some people that pulled their motor boats ashore. With the smaller motor boats  people just come up to shore, raise the motor and set an anchor in sand – easy.  There were shells everywhere and I just had to bring a few back with me, even though I knew I’d have to stick them somewhere in my bathing suit while I swam to the boat. It was a lovely time.

When I returned to the dock near the boat I got lucky. A small boat was just pulling up near the dock, and I quickly said hello and asked them for a ride to our boat. They looked confused but I gave enough of an explanation (current is strong; don’t have a phone to ask my husband to get out the dingy) and they were nice enough to let me climb on board and take me to the boat. I was almost able to gracefully get onto the swim platform, but fell back in the water. I waved bye and and thanks and then struggled with the rope ladder for a while and finally got back on the boat.  But it was worth it! Loved that Gulf water.

February 27, Tuesday – St. Petersburg

The mooring area of the marina where we spent the first night back from our travels to Marathon  looked beautiful in the morning. Note the opening to the bay in one of the photos, which will become an issue later on (when winds come in from that direction).

After breakfast (still ginger, cinnamon, banana oatmeal) we took the dingy to shore and walked to the Salvador Dali museum – a work of art in itself.  It contains the largest collection of Dali’s work outside of Spain thanks to the Morses’ who were passionate collectors, and decided that their museum should be located in St. Petersburg. The collection contains works from his traditional beginnings, through his very surreal phase and then his grand religious works later in life. But I was amazed at the complex details in all he painted – tiny figures that actually made up a face from a distance for example. Thanks to  a number of docents describing the painting we also learned of the deep symbolism in the images – most of which I would have missed.

We had lunch at The Hanger – a cafe located at the local private Albert Whitted Airport next door to the museum.  The airport will also soon be hosting the Grand Prix –  grand stands were already being set up on the field. We hear that the the downtown will be very busy and noisy for that weekend (glad we won’t be there).

Dirk headed back to the marina but I was excited to see the Chihuly Collection – a master glass artisan whose work is astonishing. There was a exhibit in Boston a few years ago that I missed (but there was an example for us to see during the Lake Boon Boat Parade that year! (Lots of colorful balloons in a boat!))  I digress…

Again there was a  docent to provide background to what we were seeing including how the glass is illuminated (always from the outside) and moved to each site (individual pieces that all need to be reassembled according to details directions). And to describe how something that looks rather simple is quite challenging (glass balls).

The Glass Garden Room was about 40 feet long and contained so many glass shapes…

We were also able to view a lengthy example of glass blowing with many layers of glass to produce the multi-colored effects inside and out. It takes a lot of strength and patience from what I could see.

As I walked back to the marina I saw more examples of wall murals and building art. It’s quite the artsy city!

We joined our friends Jane and Bryce for dinner on their sailboat, also in the mooring field. It was a great last day and evening in St. Pete.

February 24, 25, 26  (Saturday, Sunday, Monday from St. Petersburg to Marathon in the Keys and back.

Our friends from Brick, NJ who helped us when we grounded our boat a few times in New Jersey and also helped me see a doctor when I was pretty sick there, were having a party in Marathon, FL (a 6 hours drive away) on Sunday and we didn’t want to miss it since it would likely be the last large gathering of fellow loopers we’d be able to attend. On Saturday we wandered around two nearby parks in St. Petersburg and enjoyed an amazing display of art for sale ( maybe 50 booths) and then a very huge farmers market with many temptations. Later we rented a car, moved our boat to a mooring ball vs the slip to save money ($15 vs $80 /night) and then drove to Homestead FL at the top of the Keys for the night as we headed toward the Sunday party in Marathon.

Sunday morning we stopped at our boat’s home port in Islamorada and visited with the owner, Pam Anderson, telling that we hoped she’d have a place for us in April, and then continued south. We almost made to the party spot, Banana Bay Marina, when we saw the Air Museum that had been closed last time we tried to visit. In we went, only to find out that a number of the antique planes blew away or were destroyed in hurricane Irma last year. Very sad. But Dirk talked with the manager,  looked at what was there and enjoyed the stop.

We reached the marina where Pat and George Hospedar, authors of two Great Loop books, greeted everyone, gave us name tags (very useful!) and we immediately spotted our friends Jan and Ron.

We chatted with friends we had met along the way, Loopers that finished their trips years ago and a couple that was just started to plan their journey. Pat H. had hired a wonderful band and even sang with them at one point (she was a music and choral teacher) and many people gathered for a sunset photo.

We stayed overnight in a lovely place – Coconut Bay Resort – which has gorgeous grounds and lovely cabins. It felt like we were in a botanical garden! In addition the owner makes delicious multi-flavor scones every morning for the guests. I’d love to spend more time there if I ever get the chance.

We traveled back to St Petersburg most of Monday. We returned our car, Ubered back to the marina and found our dingy still at the dingy dock  (yea) and took it to the boat for a quiet night.

February 22, 23 Tarpon Springs to St. Petersburg FL

We had planned to leave for St. Petersburg on Thursday, but Dirk was up most of the night Wednesday with a stomach bug so we quietly recovered instead. I walked around the Sponge Docks again, chatted with boat neighbors and we went to bed early.

Yesterday (Friday) we were up and out by 8am, and although it was windy (6-8 knots) on the larger waters in the GIWW (Gulf Intracostal Waterway) the swell was only about a foot so no drama for us. (Yea!)

We enjoyed our final views of Tarpon Springs as we traveled through the Anclote River to the waterway.

Initially we encountered both waterfront homes as well as beaches and southern “woods” along the way, but after Dunedin and our first Florida bascule bridge, both sides of the rivers, bays,etc were just solid with homes, condos and high-rises of all sorts. I guess that is what we will be seeing for a while.

We also needed to slow down for no wake zones and people fishing along the way. This is normal in Florida but it was the first time it had been required quite so often since we were on canals in Canada.

We found the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina on the second try (there are three marinas in the same area) and settled in. It is fairly large and has very nice facilities (clean shower room!) and is 2 blocks from the downtown of the very large city. We immediately saw Jane Johnson, a friend from the Mobile, AL marina, and we joined her and another couple for dinner.

We stopped to listen to a band near the restaurant and then left for the short walk back to the boat. See our boat with the lights of the city beyond? Pretty cool.

 

February 20 & 21, Tuesday and Wednesday; Tarpon Springs, FL

In the last two days I’ve traveled south to the town of Dunedin – by car and bus – not boat. And why? So I could play ukulele along with Jan Mutaska’s dulcimer; Jan being the boating friend that we ate dinner with the other night. Yesterday she drove 1/2 hour north from Dunedin to pick me up so I could enjoy their Dulcimer Club meeting at the Dunedin Senior Center. I was amazed at the number of players –  25 or more- all playing lovely dulcimer music. Jan had told me to join in with my ukulele and people were very welcoming. Of course there were 3 women there originally from Massachusetts and we chatted a bit.

We had a quiet evening and I took a walk around the marina at sunset.

Today (Wednesday) Jan and I had more musical plans. We joined a groups of blue grass musicians that play together for a few hours each week next to the Rail trail in Dunedin. There were 3 fiddlers, a banjo, a bass and 3 guitars, a hammered dulcimer, Jan with her dulcimer and myself and another woman with our ukuleles. It was fun and challenging in that we had no music and had to figure out when to play which chords by ear. I’m not sure the ukes added much but it was fun.

To get to Dunedin I decided to figure out the public transportation in this tourist area – which is the Jolly Trolley! It involved going online, downloading an app (of course) to get a schedule and then walking about 5 minutes to the local stop. But I forgot about the “exact change” part and ended up “borrowing” a quarter each from two nice young men on the trolley!

Since it was our last night in Tarpon Springs we planned to go out with our friends Chris and Roger to the famous Rusty Bellies seafood restaurant. (They had non-seafood options as well). To  organize our outing I downloaded yet another app – “Nowait” because the restaurant always has long wait times.  The app lets you get your name on the wait list before you leave your abode (aboat?).  We had a good meal and a very good time. We will miss our new friends.

 

 

February 18, 19 – Sunday, Monday in Tarpon Springs

Although we have places to go and people to see, we are really enjoying Tarpon Springs and decided to stay the rest of the week (through Thursday)  since we get 2 days free after paying for one more day.

On Sunday morning I found another Unitarian Universalist church to visit – only about 8 blocks from the marina. Unfortunately the church is undergoing massive repairs right now due a sink hole that caused major issues and the need for rebuilding a portion of their buildings. I walked about 1.5 miles to their temporary space and who did I see? Helen Ham from our church in Stow!! She and her husband Ron live in the area for about three months each year. This church has quite a thriving congregation –  the largest I’ve seen in my travels thus far. Here is photos of the historic church…

In the last few days I’ve roamed the area a bit. Here are photos of the Sponge Docks (tourist shops and Greek restaurants on the harbor)

In the downtown area there is an amazing mosaic mural honoring a woman (Mother Meres) that helped beautify the town in the late 1800’s with her gardens. Also a large Greek church.

There is an upscale area not far from the marina ….

Monday evening we joined Chris and Roger to watch the sunset at a small beach in Tarpon Springs

February 16 & 17; Friday/Saturday Tarpon Springs, Florida

It’s warm!!!  Today I wore shorts for the first time since we arrived on the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast (where I thought it would be warm, but it was not to be this year).  Yesterday and today were sunny and in the 70’s – how very nice.

So about Tarpon Springs… This small city has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US. It is also home to the Florida sponge industry, which grew rapidly when Greek sponge diving was introduced to Tarpon Springs by recruiting divers and crew members from Greek islands.  The sponge industry was once one of the leading maritime industries in Florida and is still the focus of the tourist industry here. Guess which type of restaurant is most prevalent here? Hint: Thursday night we went to Costas Restaurant and Friday night it was Mykonos. Lots of lamb and feta cheese. Both restaurants were very good and flexible enough to have at least one vegan option on the menu.

Friday morning Dirk and I walked into town to a popular breakfast cafe (Tula’s) which is along side of a 35 mile bike trail and explored a little of the main town.  To get there we walked about 1/2 mile on  tree-lined and brick paved streets where we found the  banks, antique shops and eateries. The separate tourist area is by the harbor and called the Sponge Docks. It has the normal shops with t-shirts and jewelry, and most stores also have a large selection of the natural sponges of different varieties.

On Friday we needed to find a dentist since Dirk had lost a filling a few days earlier. We were lucky on two counts – he found a dentist that would see him in the afternoon, and boating friends Chris and Roger loaned us their car so we could drive him 15 miles to the appointment. He got a temp cap and I took a walk and saw two ducks with about 30 little ducklings following them – too cute!

In the evening we ate with three other looper couples at a Greek restaurant of course.

Note: Left front to right front: Tom and Lili Hudson, Dirk and I, Roger Kay and Kris Martinsek, and Kim and Tom from Sweet Liberty.

Today I did some shopping in the morning, boat cleaning up for a while in the afternoon, and Dirk had a much needed hair cut and beard trim. Around 4pm our friends Ron and Jan Matuska from Dunedin came for a visit.

We met Ron and Jan first on their boat Adagio in Brick, New Jersey and then we met again when the Champlain canal flooded in Whitehall, NY. A number of boaters had to wait 3 or 4 days for the water levels to go down to a safe traveling level to allow us to go through the last lock on the canal.  Jan plays beautiful dulcimer and I played along with the ukulele, and then we made music again today on our boat. We enjoyed catching up and trying a new Italian restaurant in town.  (We are living it up these last three days – pretty unusual for us, but all good).

February 15, Thursday –  Cedar Key to Tarpon Springs

We made it across the Big Bend! The crossing of the open water in Florida called the Big Bend that I worried would be hard and scary is done, and wasn’t that bad after all. Not to say there weren’t a few challenges in the last twenty-four hours of it, but we have arrived in Tarpon Springs. Yeah! Here’s a drawing of the Big Bend showing our 3 legs versus the overnight option. (Note: Our Great Loop adventure is still not complete – we need to get to Islamorada in the Florida Keys for that “crossing the wake” milestone. Maybe another month or more).

Yesterday in Cedar Key we decided to save some time  by anchoring in a calm bay vs going down a windy path to the town so we could shorten our “commute” to our next stop 65+miles away. The anchorage  was fine,  had a beautiful view of the Milky Way, all was calm. But – after we were in bed some large swells disrupted our peace for a few hours- tossing us back and forth for a few seconds, dying down and then starting again. Pretty hard to sleep. I finally took 2 ibuprofen and sang songs from musicals in my head until I got to sleep. Dirk was awake until the bay calmed down about midnight or one. Whew. Lesson learned.

This morning it was very foggy but we left anyway since we could follow our course on our GPS Chartplotter and the fog was predicted to be gone by 9 am. Well, it was thick and difficult to see more than 100 yards ahead for more than 3 1/2 hours! We have the radar and the navigation lights were on in case other vessels were near.  Since I was enjoying the fresh air of the fly bridge, I piloted most of the morning. It wouldn’t have been bad but I couldn’t take my eyes off the water and relax because of the crab pots we can’t float over – their thin anchor wires could tangle up our propellers.  I saw hundreds of them today and cruised this way and that to avoid them. Finally the fog lifted around noon, making it easier to slalom around the crab pots.

Foggy ride and can you spot the crab pot?

The rest of the day (8 1/2 hours in total) was beautiful again, with sun, warmth and calm seas. As we came closer to Tarpon Springs we started to see some of the character we will explore in the next day or two.

We are staying at the Turtle Cove Marina and so are our friends we left in Apalachicola. Tom and Lili, and Roger and Kris just finished the overnight trip direct from Apalachicola so they are very weary.  (They had a near miss by a tug boat in the the middle of the night in the fog!)

We’ll all sleep well tonight!

 

 

 

 

 

February 13 and 14, Monday and Tuesday; to Steinhatchee and Cedar Key FL

Yesterday we traveled about 70 miles across the Gulf of Mexico to Steinhatchee Florida. We had anchored out in Alligator Bay overnight to save about 10 miles and were glad we did. Although we thought wind and waves wouldn’t be too much for us, the swells were just high enough from the wrong direction to cause me some queasiness. I took a 1/2 Bonine  (like Dramamine) and sat comfortably down outside on the bow. I enjoyed the ride, sitting on our comfy chair cushion, eyes closed, half snoozing while the boat rocked me. Worked for me but Dirk had a long day.

At one point he shouted and there were dolphins all around us and they stayed with us for about 5 minutes. His photos are here. I was on the bow so could see them swimming under as well as on top of the water.

 

We stayed at a marina after all. We were going to anchor out, but the likely spots were already full of sailboats and there was an opening at an easy-to-reach marina, called Sea Hag Marine!  Dirk treated us to pizza down the road; an early valentine-day treat.

Here are our leaving shots in the morning.

Today is the miracle day on the Gulf;  barely any waves, just feeling small  bounces with little swells and then the sun came out. It is gorgeous. Still not hot mind you, I’m wearing two layers of long sleeves, but am comfortable. (It was 4 layers at the start of the day).

After lunch I relaxed on the bow seat again, and then moved up to the flybridge with my Uke so Dirk could rest. We saw more dolphins, and now jellyfish too as we get close to our next stop, Cedar Key. The shot of me below was taken on my bow seat, being lazy on this lovely day. About an hour after we anchored near the town of Cedar Key we saw a nice sunset – the first in a while.