A Beautiful Day

Day 238  |  St. Petersburg  

We were treated to another beautiful morning here in Florida. Barry went out and walked the docks only to find a couple in the planning stage for the Great Loop. While he chatted with them for a long while, I took a new book up to Fiberglass Beach. On the way, I inspected our midship fenders to find they were still securely smushed against both midship pilings. Its not like they had a whole lot of room to move during the overnight tide cycle.

Across the street from the marina, a car show was beginning in South Straub Park. We walked over, getting there at 11:30, to find a crowd of people and an interesting assortment of vehicles. Barry's first stop was the mid-year Corvettes, but there were many other interesting makes and models on display. A brand new Rolls Royce SUV, the Cullinan, tried to blend in with the VW Bugs and Ford Mustangs, but with its half million dollar sticker and crystal hood ornament, didn't succeed. You can't hide money.

The most interesting vehicle for us today was a 1941 Plymouth pickup truck, very similar to the 1940 version that my grandparents used to take produce to market ... and that my dad still has in his garage. We have always referred to it as "Old Snort."  The blue interior of the 1964 Chevy Impala brought back memories of my mom's 1963 model in which I learned to drive. I believe the steering while is bigger than the one in the pilothouse of Crossroads.

We left the car show and walked in the opposite direction of what we explored yesterday. We passed the impressive St. Petersburg Yacht Club building and a monument recognizing the setting of the 10-mile world record (45:37 -- wow) on this spot in 1997. We walked as far as the private airport where small planes were coming and going with great frequency. On the top floor of the terminal is The Hangar, a well-reviewed local restaurant. We stopped in for a late lunch and enjoyed the decorations while watching the planes (and one helicopter) in action.

The afternoon was 75 wonderful degrees and the view walking back to the marina was delightful. This is my idea of January weather. A far cry from the snow and ice falling back in Virginia and North Carolina.

As we neared the water, we noticed that the pelicans were all stirred up and crazily flapping around a guy on the bulkhead. We moved in and noticed he was pulling in a seine net full of fish. The pelicans were hoping for a trip to the lunch buffet. We were amazed at the haul so close to the sea wall. A few escaped back into the harbor, but all the ones in the net were keepers.

We caught the free trolley and made an initial round on its free Downtown Loop. This gave us a good idea of places we can easily visit in the upcoming week. When we returned to the marina we saw that Miss Utah was pulling in following their stay in Tampa. Highlight of the day. Barry went over and helped them tie up to the transient face dock. Chris came over to Crossroads for a visit while Barry and Roger did the same on Miss Utah. It sure is good to reconnect with these guys and we're looking forward more adventures together.