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.