Moving Again!

Day 237  |  Palmetto to St. Petersburg  |  3.5 Hours  |  24 Miles  

Raring to go this morning, we both went out for a final walk around Riviera Dunes Marina. We again enjoyed watching the dogs leading their humans to a plush area of grass, seeing all the walkers, passing the ornamental grasses and palms, and taking in the vivid reflections of the condos in the water. Barry bailed after one mile and I continued for my normal three. After showers, we disconnected power and were out of the slip by 10:20. We enjoyed our stay here and neither of us would be surprised if we returned here in the future. Back in the Manatee River, we took in all the sights and both realized how much we have missed being out on the water. This derelict boat anchored just off the channel is an example of what the Florida legislature is attempting to clamp down on ... drastically cutting down on the areas where cruisers can drop the hook.

There was heavy traffic on this beautiful Saturday morning. Sailboats, motor yachts, fishing boats, and pontoon boats were all out in force, but none made a bigger impression than this invasion of "Ski-Dos." In another part of the world, this could be taken to be a pirate invasion. [On a related note, there were multiple calls to the Coast Guard today for vessels in distress. All were handled promptly, politely, and professionally even though the Coast Guard is working without pay.] We rounded Emerson Point (which we visited earlier in the week) and were back in the Gulf of Mexico. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge loomed in the distance and we set a course for it's center span. The selfie was done reminiscent of the one we took with the Mackinac Bridge back in August.

About a mile from the bridge, we picked up a dolphin escort. This big guy stayed right off the point of our bow, surfacing only occasionally for a quick breath. Once we passed under the bridge, our escort was gone, but Granny's compass took us north up Tampa Bay to St. Petersburg.

Thankfully there was no wind and we were able to squeeze ourselves into the very tight slip on the first shot. The heavy concrete fixed docks and pilings are most unforgiving, requiring deployment every fender. Problem was, we didn't have enough room between the boat and pilings to place fully inflated fenders ... so we had to take some air out. Relieved to be settled, I took a few moments on Fiberglass Beach to enjoy the sunny, 75-degree day while my mom told me of the snow in Richmond. Anxious to check out this happening spot, we took our first exploratory walk. The most interesting sight was of this mail delivery bicycle. Numerous parks line the waterfront and they were filled with folks soaking up the sun. The city skyline glowed across the marina as night fell.

There lure of a stop in St. Petersburg is the tons of things to do within walking distance of the marina. There is also a free trolley that runs through town. Tomorrow we'll start exploring.