Island Time

Day 256  |  Punta Gorda    

It was a great day for a road trip to Sanibel and Captival Islands. We arrived at the Sanibel visitor's center at 10:30 and while chilly, we were thankful that there was no snow to be wiped from our shoes. We picked up a map and set off for the easternmost point of the island -- Mile 0 -- where the Sanibel Island Light stands. The 98-foot tall iron skeleton tower was first lit in August 1884.

We took a stroll through the surrounding wildlife refuge and along Lighthouse Beach. The most interesting thing we saw was a piece of outdoor "carpet" leading to the beach. This simple addition does a great job of both protecting the dunes and making it easier to walk across the sand. We spotted cacti mixed among the dune grasses and "grapes" on this sea grape. A nice network of boardwalks snaked through the woods. From the lighthouse we headed west and then north to Captiva Island, one of my favorite places. We stopped for lunch at The Green Flash where we looked out over the GICW from our table. Afterwards, we walked to the water's edge and checked out the beautiful clear water from the restaurant's docks.

We travelled as far as the road took us, and parked at the Redfish Pass public beach. A short walk over the dune (more carpet) put us on a beach covered with shells. A single wave consistently formed and broke just offshore. The sun was shining and it was warm enough to enjoy a nice long walk down the beach. Barry took the high road and I preferred to get a little more into my surroundings. I was not disappointed. This is still one of my favorite places.

Birds were as common a sight as people. We swapped taking photos with another couple walking in the opposite direction. In the middle of enjoying this perfect afternoon, we did have thoughts as to the weather back home. We both agreed that 44 degrees of separation was just enough. We picked up a few small shells, but made absolutely no dent in the accumulation in the surf line.

On the way back to Crossroads, we stopped at Sun Harvest Citrus in Fort Myers with the lure of fresh juice samples and BOGO ice cream. They ship directly from the attached warehouse which was visible through large windows. We arrived back at Burnt Store Marina just in time to enjoy another great sunset over Charlotte Harbor. This evening we got to watch it from the bow of Miss Utah. Chris and Roger arrived this afternoon and it was great sharing stories about our travels since we last saw them in St. Petersburg.

Walking the Harbor Walk

Day 255  |  Punta Gorda    

Sunshine and blue sky were the order of the morning. We each had a list of things to accomplish. Barry went out to run his errands and spotted this weird-looking bird sitting on a marina dockline. Topping his list were a haircut and visits to CVS and West Marine. We had a light in the commissary that was not working and I had requested a new fixture. Now that we have the space loaded up with Bahama-bound dry goods, the need for a working light in the under-the-floor storage area has risen to the top of the list. While he was gone, I did two loads of laundry, worked on photo management, caught up with logs and journals, and continued with route planning as the cloud cover and breeze increased. Shortly after Barry's return, we had the new light installed.

We spent the afternoon walking around downtown Punta Gorda, starting at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Veteran's Park. The former traveling wall is a one-half scale replica of the one located in Washington, DC. The dramatic display of names etched in polished granite was full-scale. As in DC, the flags and personal items placed at the foot of the wall tell a moving story. Adjacent to the Veteran's Park is Laishley Park, featuring a playground with interactive fountain (not on, too cold), concert area, fishing pier, boat ramp, and a 94-slip marina. Punta Gorda is known as the "Hibiscus City" and the flower is incorporated into trash receptacles and park benches. The water fountains were top-notch: wheelchair accessible and with a bottle-filling spigot.

We walked the docks at Laishley Park Marina and spotted another Crossroads for the first time. Along the boardwalk, it was both chilly and windy. My hair was flying, but Barry's freshly-trimmed mane was under control. The sculpture "The Spirit of Punta Gorda" stands on the point overlooking Charlotte Harbor. It was erected in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley, which made landfall here in 2004. The bent tree represents the wind which stopped the town clock, and the upright tree symbolizes the people who stood tall. The walking path took us to TT's Tiki Bar where plenty of outside seating was available. Directional signs area always fun to look at. Interesting how this one also points to the restrooms.

Always eager to check out off-the-wall sites, we headed three blocks back into town to the Radioactive Fountain of Youth. Fed by an artesian well, this fountain that dispenses rejuvenating water, dates back to 1894. The current tile structure was built in 1926. The Clean Water Act of 1974 led to the addition of the warning notice when levels of radiation were tested at twice the allowable amounts. The sign doesn't seem to deter the curious, and I cupped a handful for good measure. We passed the town clock (referenced above) and it was keeping perfect time.

During our walk, we had selected Laishley's Crab House as our dinner spot. Once in the building, things looked increasingly familiar and we both announced at the same time that we had been here once before. We were seated on the deck with the promise of heaters. The one closest to us was not lit and it took multiple "technicians" half an hour to finally diagnose the problem -- the propane tank was not turned on. Tonight, we got dinner and a show. The view of the marina was not bad for a cloudy evening. Like the Chesapeake Bay, Charlotte Harbor is an estuary which is fed by three rivers (Myakka, Peace, and Caloosahatchee) and eleven saltwater passes to the Gulf of Mexico.

Fun in the Boca Grande Sun

Day 254  |  Punta Gorda    

Mid 60s and sunny sounded pretty good to us for exploring Boca Grande. We were out waiting at 10:15 for Enterprise to pick us up. They arrived at 11:00. From this experience we learned that it really wasn't too chilly in the sun. Finally on our way to the barrier island at 11:45 in a white Dodge mom-van, we paid $6 for the privilege of passing over the Boca Grande Swingbridge which opened for Crossroads without cost yesterday. We headed straight to the Loose Caboose, a highly recommended local spot that occupies the historic train depot in downtown Boca Grande. While enjoying our grouper and shrimp, we took in our surroundings in this resort community with just as many golf carts as cars.

We drove to the southernmost tip of the island to check out the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse which has been in operation since 1890. There was a small museum inside where Barry met a local alligator in the children's touch trough. A small chapel sits adjacent to the lighthouse. The Amory Memorial Chapel is the former home of Shiloh Baptist Church, but now serves as a wedding venue.

The white powdery sand drifts shoveled from in front of the doorway reminded us for a fleeting moment of snow back home. The real accumulation in this area is seashells. The beach is covered an inch deep in shells and we enjoyed walking the surf in search of a treasure. We are more attracted by color than the perfect form.

Apparently we were going about this all wrong as the professional shellers brought buckets and pickers so they don't have to stoop over. Folks have been decorating this piece of driftwood by hanging shells with holes on them upon the branches. Deciding that we'd had enough shelling for today, we turned around and walked to the other end of the beach. Now this image is why we made the trip ... sand, surf, sun, and palms. It was a happy day in Gasparilla Island State Park.

We reached the rocks and watched the waves splashing up over them before we returned to the van. About a mile up the road stood the Gasparilla Island Lighthouse which is actually an operational range light maintained by the Coast Guard. We arrived back at Crossroads with enough time to put on sweats before walking to the end of L Dock to watch the sunset over Charlotte Harbor.

It was another great light show. The sound of multiple conch shells being blown echoed between the condo buildings and signaled the end of a very good day.

All Layered Up ... Again

Day 253  |  Englewood to Punta Gorda  |   4.2 Hours  |  25 Miles  

Hello, Florida, could you please turn the heat back on? It was 46 degrees this morning and the windchill with a 5-10 knot north wind dipped into the upper 30s. I bundled up in three layers, top and bottom, and went out to raise the anchor. Thankfully it came up pretty clean with only a little bit of sea grass and caked-on sand. I got it cleaned off quickly and we were underway by 9:30. Our first bridge was within eyeshot of our anchorage and the kind operator had it open for us as we neared. We are still traveling the intracoastal waterway, which is limited in most places to no-wake speed (for us, about 6 knots). It makes for a slower trek, but the water is calmer than out in the Gulf of Mexico and there is a little bit of scenery. Today we were watching the flags, stretched stiff in the wind. Dolphins and ospreys were also plentiful, but honestly it was too cold (the high was 53) to open the door and bring out the camera. Our final bridge of the day was the Boca Grande Swing Bridge. It only opens on the full and half hours. We arrived at 10 till and had a short wait.

From the GICW we cut across Charlotte Harbor and into Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda. Before going to our slip, we stopped and picked up 300 gallons of diesel and got a pumpout (since we were there). We easily settled into our slip and took a while to get all our fenders set up. I have come to love floating docks and have concluded that fixed docks combined with a large tidal range don't work well with the hull shape of Crossroads. The slab sides and low caprail seem to rub in all the wrong places. We got off and walked the docks for a while. The bougainvillea blooms reminded me that warmer days are typical for this area. We passed by our big brother -- a 58-foot Selene -- sitting prominently on one of the T-heads. The dropping sun lit up the surrounding condos with a golden glow, before sinking below the horizon with a splash of orange.

A follow-up on yesterday's rain. It was officially the rainiest January day on record ... ever ... in Fort Meyers, with close to four inches falling. We weren't too far away in Englewood, and our total had to be close to that.

Tomorrow will be sunny, with a high of 65. We'll make the most of it and do some exploring.

A Total Washout

Day 252  |  Englewood   

A cold rain has fallen steadily since the middle of the night. The temperature never climbed out of the mid 50s, making Englewood feel more like Richmond ... and that's way too cold for me. The final day of the local Seafood & Music Festival was cancelled. We spent our day looking through guidebooks, tour books, and charts formulating a plan (all subject to change) to get us down to Marathon within two weeks. A lone bright spot was the opening of a new flower on my Christmas Cactus. Weird how Christmas seems like an eternity ago ... I had to go back and look at all the pictures.

A shifty, gusty wind kept us swinging around the anchorage, but there was minimal wave action and no rocking and rolling. Tomorrow morning we'll layer up in both Cold Gear and foul-weather gear and pull up the anchor. The big Rocna has set hard and buried itself deep in the sand. It should come up clean with the possible exception of some sea grass clumped on the chain. We will travel through two bridges that we'll have to request openings, but only about 18 miles to Burnt Store Marina. We will look for a sign that is familiar to us. We visited our friends Jim and Linda (Bella) in Burnt Store several years ago. We'll stay a few days and do some more car-based sightseeing of the Lee Island Coast before heading down to Marco Island and then Everglades City.

A Cold Day for a Dinghy Ride

Day 251  |  Englewood   

It even looked cold outside. The overnight temperature dipped into the upper 40s, but the extra blanket was enough to keep us comfortable without running the generator. We definitely wanted to go ashore and walk the town, but waited until 10:30 to leave. By that time it had warmed all the way up to the low 50s. We bundled up and headed to shore in a wind-driven chop. Barry had on jeans, a sweatshirt, socks, sneakers and his foul weather jacket. I had on shorts, a long-sleeved T, my Keens, and my heavyweight jacket. I have landing and launching duty and knew I would be in water up to my knees. Better to have wet skin than wet pants was my  thought. We caught a good spray on our half-mile ride to shore and were thankful for the jackets. I had carried a pair of sweatpants in the backpack and I quickly slipped into them once we tied up.

Our first stop was the Artscape Sculpture Garden, a collection of a dozen or so pieces tucked in the middle of a neighborhood. "Catch of the Day" is a poignant depiction of all the trash found in our waters. Items such as cans, life jackets, mylar balloons, plastic bottles, and straws were showcased in a stack of crabpots. "The Nature of Englewood" is a chainsaw-carved tree trunk with branches re-shaped as dolphin, fish, pelicans, and even an octopus.

The large carving towered over Barry. Continuing along, we walked along the water to the site of the Veteran's Memorial. Attractive banners of several designs hung from the light poles. We spotted a sign for the Englewood Seafood & Music Festival being held at Pioneer Park, and made a U-turn to check it out. Seafood-themed banners and signs led us in to the free festival that actually goes on for three days.

There were craft, art, and natural product vendors in tents. The main draw, however was the lengthy setup of fair food (seafood served any way imaginable) and the large bandstand. Kettle of Fish, a local rock cover band, opened up the day's program. With the threat of rain we headed back to our dinghy at Indian Mound Park and found it just as we had left it, tied to a tree. The ride back to Crossroads was no warmer, but was much drier as we were traveling with the waves. We are enjoying the new outboard, although it is still in the break-in period and we have yet to test it at anywhere close to full throttle. The dinghy went back up on the upper deck. We won't be going anywhere in tomorrow's rain. All this was done by 1:00 and I was able to catch the tip-off of the UVA-Notre Dame ballgame. I enjoyed the entirety of the Cavaliers' sharp performance and comfortable margin of victory from the settee.

Barry and I spent a while charting out our destinations for next week. There are so many options and we want to make the most of our time in the area. The chart books, guide books, travel brochures, and computers were all pulled out. We noticed an orange glow coming in the window and poked our head out the door to check it out. Another vibrant sunset ended the day.

We will not see 70 degrees until next weekend at the earliest which has caused us to tame down our desire for open water dinghy rides (for now). After today we both agree that these dinghy trips are best done in the combination of warm air and water.

Short Day to Lemon Bay

Day 250  |  Venice to Englewood  |  2.1 Hours  |  12 Miles  

When we woke up this morning, we still had no idea where we would drop anchor this afternoon. We checked the weather and confirmed that the wind was still predicted to blow from the north and northeast at 10-15 knots throughout the weekend and that it will rain from Saturday afternoon through Sunday. That helped us narrow down our destination to the eastern shore of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. A bonus would be a spot where we could take the dinghy ashore and walk around a few times before the rain comes. We checked the charts and identified a spot that looked promising. Barry walked up to the dockmaster's office and arranged for a quick pumpout (quick because Fisherman's Wharf has the most powerful pump we've seen in a long time). By 10:00 we had cast off and were on our way.

Almost immediately we passed through two bridges (Hatchett Creek and Venice Avenue) that were just tall enough (30 feet) for us to squeeze under. The GICW was nothing more than a narrow canal as we left Venice. We passed some interesting murals and the local high school. While we were traveling at no-wake speed, the bicyclists on the adjacent path were easily passing us. The next two bridges were lower and we requested openings at the Circus and Manasota bascule bridges. We were again traveling at low tide and enjoyed watching the waterfowl hanging out on the sandbars. The daymarkers here are steel I-beams and the low water revealed the heavy salt corrosion taking place underwater. It wouldn't take much to knock this marker over.

How shallow is the water just outside the channel? This man was out on his morning walk, and he wasn't walking on water. We pulled out of the channel just south of Indian Mound Park at Lemon Bay and eased our way back to a point where we had a foot of water below our keel. If we could make it in at low tide, we can make it out at high tide. The water was so clear and there was no doubt when the anchor hit bottom for I could see the stirring sand at the moment it occurred.

I went to the upper deck and enjoyed the warmth of the sun. The enclosure blocked the breeze and made an otherwise chilly day tolerable. We were passed by a crew training skull. The instructors in the small boat were barking instructions through a megaphone. During the warmest portion of the day we got the dinghy down and headed over to the Indian Mound Park beach, passing over a large sea grass meadow along the way. We ran the dinghy onshore, tied it to a tree, and proceeded to walk the beach. I was in the surf up to my calves looking at all the broken shells packed tightly on the bottom, and the shorebirds.

There was a small trail leading back to the Paulsen Point Midden, an archaeological deposit nearly 2,400 years old, containing pottery, stone, tools, beads, and remains from Native American civilizations. Large oaks dominated the woodlands canopy with smaller palms filling the understory. We headed back to the beach and were glad to see the dinghy right were we left it as the tide was coming in.

The sun set as we were preparing dinner. Tonight's light show started out great and 16 minutes later was spectacular.

The wind has laid down and its a pleasant evening. We have run the generator for a few hours this evening, but will turn it off overnight and enjoy the quiet. Tomorrow morning we'll go back to the beach, but this time walk into town. Thanks to Google Maps, we've identified a route and a few things we want to see.

A Guided Tour of Venice

Day 249  |  Venice  

The front moved through. Rain fell, hard at times, accompanied by some thunder and lightning. The wind clocked around 180 degrees to push us onto the dock. The temperature dropped 30 degrees. Just another crazy weather night here in Florida. With a few free hours this morning, Barry opened up the electrical system and worked on the next steps in his re-wiring project. At 10:30 Mr. and Mrs. Moody picked us up and took us to Walmart where we quickly grabbed our usual perishable staples -- milk, yogurt, turkey, Cheerios, and some beverages. We dropped everything back onboard, changed clothes as it had turned sunny and warm, then headed back out. Mrs. Moody had told me that we were going to Banjos. I assumed that was a restaurant. As we travelled down a long, pot hole-filled dirt road, we were half expecting to hear banjo music.

At the end of the road sat Snook Haven, a county park and old fish camp turned restaurant located along the Myakka River. We had lunch on the deck, keeping one eye on the river for a much-anticipated alligator siting, and one ear on the band (including six previously-referenced banjos) playing inside. There were several head-hole photo-op displays that Barry and I took advantage of. We all had a great time, although we saw no alligators.

The Myakka River is the first state-designated Wild and Scenic River. In search of an alligator in the wild, our next stop was Myakka River State Park. We walked down a short path, then down to the dock. We then spotted the first wild alligator of our trip, sunning himself 50 feet from the dock. We walked the remainder of the park loop, observing the palms, live oaks, and a graceful heron wading in the tannin-rich water. In retrospect, I wish I had brought my big camera, but our phones captured the moments good enough.

We visited the Moody's winter homesite and received a tour of their motorcoach. I especially enjoyed their personal welcome banners staked in front of the coach. One identified their name and home town, the other was a photo flag of their kids and grandkids. It is a wonderful living space with tons of storage and we are envious of all the places they have been able to explore in great comfort. Mr. Moody's electric scooter also has us thinking. Their spot in Venice offers a wide range of activities and is a very attractive spot to escape from Richmond's winters. The final stop on our private tour of Venice gems was Nokomis Groves. Their retail store is across the street from their orange grove. The real attraction, however, was the soft serve citrus ice cream. Three of us had the orange-vanilla swirl, with the fourth cone being a orange-lime combo. It was a perfect ending to our time together in Venice. They dropped us off at the marina and we said goodbye ... until we see them again back home.

Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Moody, for a great few days. The friendly faces, guided tours, and local knowledge were more than we could have ever dreamed of. Enjoy the rest of your time in Florida and safe travels.

We will depart tomorrow morning for a to-be-determined point further south. We'll see how the day, weather, and bridge openings go and drop the hook when we find a good spot.

A Neighborhood Reunion

Day 248  |  Sarasota to Venice  |  3.3 Hours  |  15 Miles  

I was up before the sun and moved to the pilothouse to watch it rise above the Sarasota skyline. Our target departure time was 10:00 as low tide once again occurred later in the morning. After the sun rose, I laid back down for a while and caught a few more winks. I awoke after only a few minutes when the sun flooded through the port window, reflected off the mirror, and shone in my face like an alien interrogation. Time to get up and get moving. We slipped the bridle off of the mooring ball at 9:40 and were on our way south.

The scenery was beautiful as we cruised down the intracoastal waterway. At low tide, many sandbars stood high and proud just a few feet outside the channel. It was quite windy and blew consistently around 25 knots, on our nose. Houses are built right along the water's edge and its always fun to look at different properties and observe the yard decorations ... whether that is metal seahorse sculptures or elaborate infinity pools. We passed through four bridges that had to open for us -- two operated on scheduled openings, and two opened upon request. We passed through three without delay, but had to wait out a 30-minute cycle on the fourth.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a "road sign" announcing our entrance into the Neville Marine Preserve. Today's featured bird was the osprey and it seamed there was a well-established nest on every day marker, very reminiscent of the Chesapeake Bay. Also resembling home was the presence of watermen working their crabpots.

The crab pots here in Florida, however, look nothing like those in the Chesapeake. In my first admission to blatant plagiarism, I agree that they look more like classic Spy vs. Spy bombs. [Thank you Doug and Dana (Misty Pearl) for this classic reference, that has made me laugh ever since reading it in one of your December blog posts. Royalties will be forthcoming.]

We arrived at Fisherman's Wharf Marina right at 1:00 and started giving Crossroads a much-needed cleaning -- inside and out. We had special friends coming over in the afternoon and wanted her looking good. Mr. and Mrs. Moody have lived beside my parents for over 40 years and my sister and I grew up with their three daughters. They agree with us that the winters in Richmond are way too cold and now take their motorcoach to the Venice area during the coldest months of the year. We were super-excited to show them around Crossroads. They drove us around town a bit and then took us to dinner at Left Coast Seafood Co. We had a great evening sharing travel stories and family updates.

Today was a great day. The next cold front moves through tonight, but we're told tomorrow afternoon will be nice, albeit significantly cooler than today's high of 80. We will meet up with the Moodys again and go visit their Florida home and a few other local spots.

Crossed Lines and Fingers

Day 247  |  St. Petersburg to Sarasota |  5.6 Hours  |  34 Miles  

Barry and I like to depart early in the morning. Get up and get going. Today, however, we had to wait until after low tide which occurred at 9:30. I took advantage of the VERY low tide and waxed the side of our upper deck while standing on the finger pier. Barry topped off our water tanks and packed away the hose. At 9:30 we started our departure checklist and got to the starboard bow line that we couldn't get off. The sailboat in the slip next to us had come in just a few days ago and their white bowline was on top of our black one. Normally, that's not a problem, but today the low water had their lines so tight we couldn't get ours out. It took both Barry and I working together for about five minutes to get us loose. We waved goodbye to Miss Utah, exited St. Petersburg Municipal Marina into Tampa Bay, and made our final pass under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

The wind was stronger than predicted, consistently blowing 20-25 knots on our beam and keeping our Looper burgee stiff. While the wind had little affect on Crossroads, we had to keep the pilothouse doors closed on an otherwise gorgeous day to eliminate the cross-breeze from ripping through. We had two bridges that needed to open for us and we adjusted our speed to minimize waiting. No point rushing up to the bridge and having to stop in a stiff breeze. The Coast Guard was out on patrol, still keeping a presence while working without pay. Roseate spoonbills were in the trees. Dolphins popped up all around us, but never followed along. This little bird let us come within a foot of him and didn't try to move.

As we neared Sarasota, we began to recognize areas that we had explored while docked in Palmetto. We went by both Robinson Preserve and Ca d'Zan. We passed under the Ringling Bridge and turned into the Marina Jack mooring field. The first ball they assigned us was occupied. I grabbed the second ball on the first attempt only to discover that it had two short docklines attached to the pendant -- but too short for us to get cleated on our bow. We had to first remove the existing lines and then attach ours; no small feat with our bow seven feet above water. Finally we got everything tied off. A smll consolation is that we now have two new short docklines to add to our supply. I watched as a crew installed three new mooring balls around us. Before we knew it, the sun was setting and the Sarasota skyline was glowing a.

Shown below is our view this afternoon from the mooring field, and another one Barry just took with the almost-full moon rising high in the sky.

Tomorrow we will travel to Venice where we'll meet up with some friends from home. We're looking forward to seeing them and hope the weather cooperates. Another cold front is due to pass through on Thursday, bringing more wind and rain. Our fingers are crossed.

Everyone Loves A Parade

Day 246  |  St. Petersburg  

First, a follow-up from yesterday. We made it to the halfway point of the Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse. As soon as we saw the hint of red, we hit the bed.

Our morning walk took us by the route for the 34th Annual St. Petersburg's National Parade & Family Fun Day, the nation's longest-running parade honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. Over 150 bands, floats, and other participants filed down 1st Avenue South from Al Lang Stadium to Tropicana Field. There were floats honoring Dr. King, an honor guard, and rolling displays from various community organizations.

Biodegradable confetti was being launched into the air. Beads were also being launched by multiple people in each organization. Barry got one. I did a little better. The little guy beside me was loaded. High school marching bands from around the area filed down the street.

There were a few horses and the little girl shown here was too cute. Everyone was in good spirits, including the gentleman following the horses. We made our way back to the marina, along the parade route. When we reached the staging area, there were still dozens of groups awaiting their turn to enter. We have enjoyed our stay here in St. Petersburg and the opportunity to walk and explore so much of the city. This afternoon I received my Fitbit report for the week -- definitely one of the busiest weeks since starting the Loop. We walked over 46 miles (when I remembered to put the Fitbit on). The afternoon was spent restocking and inventorying the commissary and stowing all types of stuff in preparation for tomorrow's departure. We gathered aboard Miss Utah for appys and goodbyes (hopefully, just for now). We made tentative plans to catch up with them again in the Bahamas ... following their trip to Cuba. There will be many great stories to share. For our contribution, I whipped up a strawberry-kiwi salad (that was pretty good if I say so myself) and served it with cinnamon pita chips. I'm looking forward to having the leftovers with yogurt tomorrow for breakfast.

Low tide occurs at 9:30 tomorrow morning and we will wait until 10:00 or so before departing for Sarasota.

Weather ... Front and Center

Day 245  |  St. Petersburg  

The cold front was forecast to roll through around noon so when we woke up to blue sky we were motivated to get outside and enjoy it while we could. Today we headed back north, up to the aquatic complex where a swim meet was already underway. At the entrance to the Municipal Marina, we again passed the oddly-placed statue of Christopher Columbus holding a scroll in front of a coiled rope and sphere. Today I finally Googled the rest of the story and found that it was installed on the access way to The Pier back in 1960 by the Knights of Columbus in honor of the local chapter's 40th anniversary. The six-foot tall likeness was carved in Italy out of carrara marble.

The Pier is another interesting nugget of local political wrangling. The marina anchorage, dinghy dock, and parking lot are all closed because of construction, and have been since 2013. The signs on the construction fence say "Coming in 2019." They've still got a long way to go.

The inverted pyramid which stood for 42 years has been demolished and construction continues on the new and improved entertainment complex shown below in renderings.

The clouds were escorted in by gusty winds right at noon. The temperature dropped quickly and occasional showers fell. I spent a few hours visiting with Chris on Miss Utah. Barry and I finished up the day by watching the NFL playoff games. The cloud cover is easing, but will probably limit our view of the Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse. We're hoping tomorrow will be our final day in St. Petersburg. We're ready to get moving south ... in search of warmth.

Seeing Orange

Day 244  |  St. Petersburg  

This morning's orange sky served as a prelude to the wacky weather changes we'll be experiencing over the next few days.

At 9:00 when we left for our walk, it was in the upper 60s, the sky was a nice blue, and the wind was calm. We enjoyed walking down a few new streets. Once again, art seemed to jump out from all angles. This sculpture was atop the facade of a city parking garage. We passed the historic Studebaker building. It was built in 1925 and at the time was the fourth-largest Studebaker dealership in the world. It is now the home of the US Geological Survey which explains the note taped to the iconic logo on the parking lot gate. A strange juxtaposition of troubled times. As we continued on toward Bayboro Harbor and Harborage Marina, we walked through the campus of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. A satellite of the main university campus in Tampa, the enrollment here is in excess of 4,300. The namesake Bull statue looks out over a lush green commons area and modern classroom buildings.

We walked through the grounds of the Dali Museum and enjoyed the Melting Time bench and gardens.

The big attraction of the day was the St. Petersburg Saturday Morning Market, held from 9-2 in the Al Lang Stadium parking lot. The weekly event regularly draws over 10,000 people and today was definitely packed. There are over 130 tents filled with vendors selling every kind of food imaginable: ethnic, exotic, and traditional.

There were crafts, jewelry, cutlery and several large booths that featured beautiful produce. Quarts of good-looking strawberries caught my eye, but the line was long and was not moving. While in line I spotted "The Pineapple Guy." For $7 he peeled, cored, sliced and bagged two fresh pineapples. That booth also had fresh squeezed orange juice. It was fun to watch the oranges go through the press -- sort of like stamping a penny. The resultant juice was refreshing and not too sweet.

We had some of the pineapple for lunch and it was so good. The afternoon was a relaxing mix of reading on Fiberglass Beach, laundry, and a few small boat projects. The wind began to pick up around 3:00 and we checked all the dock lines and fenders several more times before dark. UVA and Duke tipped off at 6:00 and it seemed I would be able to watch it onboard. As is often said, best laid plans. We could only stream the TV broadcast in Spanish, so I muted the TV and streamed the UVA radio broadcast on my phone. The two broadcasts were out of sync (as were the Cavaliers) by about 15 seconds and it proved to be a most interesting evening. In typical UVA fashion, we held out hope until the end and then victory slipped away as I paced in front of the TV.

As I finish up this post we're preparing for a super-high tide at 11:00. The combination of full moon and wind blowing the Bay into the marina has water lapping on the underside of the finger piers. It is supposed to rain overnight, but be cloudy and dry tomorrow with steady winds around 25mph. Wind chills tomorrow night will drop into the 30s. Time to pull the freshly-washed Cold Gear back out.