Florida Reflections

We left Florida at 1 am Monday morning one week ago today and made it to Freeport in the Grand Bahamas the following afternoon. We had an itsy bitsy weather window in which to cross the ALMIGHTY Gulf Stream so we took full advantage of it.  I am sitting here at the dock in Nassau now, reflecting on our past six weeks or so in Florida.

Florida Highlights:

St. Augustine
While we mostly hightailed it down the Northern Florida coast to make it to a family event in Boca Raton, we did manage to stop in St. Augustine. Being the oldest town in the U.S, it is a beautifully maintained blend of the old with the new: Old churches, new tastefule shops and galleries,  and  the reknowned"The Fountain of Youth". What more could you ask for?!!! Well we did go on two tours. The San Sebastion Winery and the Whitestone Chocolate Factory. They handed out samples at both. We never made it to the Fountain of Youth but the after enjoying the samples on these tours I felt at least ten years younger!

Southern Florida Inter-coastal

The homes on the inter-coastal waterway from Vero Beach on South are unbelievably huge. One is bigger than the next. I would say over and over “No way is that a house! It has to be a hotel!” And Jeff would respond matter-of-factly over and over, “nope, that’s a house”. And naturally the house comes replete with a boat that is worth at least as much or more than the house! Here’s a photo of your average home on the waterway.

Rainbows

Rainbows are prolific in Florida.  Rain and sun synchronize perfectly to orchestrate magnificent rainbows on an almost daily basis. I know, you would think this time of year would be the dry season, but not so. Throughout December it rained for approximately 10 minutes at a time. Almost immediately following the rain the clouds would break up and the bright Florida sun would burst through to create these great swashes of color through the sky:

Double rainbows are par for the course

 Boca Raton  

Charlie Rose

What with a whirlwind of holidays, birthdays, just plain get-togethers, topped off with one huge family wedding, most of our time was spent near the Boca Raton area, a major family hub.

It wasn’t until we anchored at Lake Boca in Boca Raton that we knew we had truly arrived in the tropics! The water was crystal, I MEAN CRYSTAL clear. It was the first time we could actually see the anchor sitting prettily at the bottom. And it was the first time I had a very strong urge to jump right in that enticing water. And but for a jelly fish that floated by, I would have…  And while it’s not all shopping malls in Boca we did happen upon this turtle sandwich in an aqueduct actually right next to Boca’s Town Center Mall.

Ft Lauderdale

We spent two weeks docked at Jeff’s brother-in-law’s cousin’s house (whew a mouthful!) who lives on a canal in Ft Lauderdale. While we had never met Terry, he and his partner Jim were so hospitable, we felt as if we had known them for years. Most homes on the Ft Lauderdale canals have docking capability. Terry told us that Ft Lauderdale has a larger canal system than Venice!   We also moored at the Las Olas marina for a few weeks. We were very close to the beach and a long strip of shops, restaurants and bars. We enjoyed many an evening taking long walks along the beach.  

Miami

At one point we slipped down to Miami and spent a few nights anchored near Watson Island.  We checked out Miami Beach and a couple of great Cuban Restaurants in the area. On one particularly favorable day for wind, some of my family drove down from Boca Raton and joined us on a fun-filled day trip into Biscayne Bay.

Key Largo

 We also managed to get down to Key Largo. After all, if you’re gonna sail all the way to Florida from Chicago, how can you NOT go to the KEYS!!!!  We decided to take the inter-coastal route from Miami to Key Largo due to high winds coming from the East kicking up some fairly high waves in the Atlantic. The inter-coastal route was narrow, windy, wavy and shallow to say to least but doable with a six foot draft. We were able to find a well-protected area to anchor, knowing the winds would get even higher the next day.   The next day we had hoped to scuba dive at the John PenneKamp Coral Reef State Park but the wind and waves were both high, restricting visibility to 50 ft or less. Undeterred we went to the Key Largo public library and found the movie “Key Largo” to watch on the boat in the howling wind that evening. How perfect!

When you haven’t showered for several days and are also trying to conserve fresh water, it really inspires one to do what you can with the options at hand. I put soap and shampoo on the transom, leapt into the water, swam around the boat a few times, just ‘cuz, then took my ocean bath. Once on the boat I rinsed off in fresh water. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, SWEET MYSTERY OF LIFE! Then I thought, if this works for me, it will work for the dishes too. And I have to say, washing dishes on the transom by moonlight is a spiritual experience!

Manatees

 Manatees, also known as Sea Cows, are a slow lumbering aquatic giant mammal that weigh about 1300 pounds and can grow to 13 feet. They look like humungous mottled gray to green (due to algae growth) pod-shaped Shar Pei puppies.  By far the largest population of Manatees in the world is found in Florida.  All the waterways in Florida have signs to warn boaters to slow down in known Manatee areas in order to protect the diminishing population of these adorably cuddly creatures.  It was in Key Largo meandering through the canals after going into town that we came across what looked like a ledge on the side of the canal. The ledge turned out to be a Manatee that was bigger by far than our dinghy.  I’m so glad I had my phone with me to capture these somewhat blurry photos!

1

Everglades

And you can’t go to Florida without visiting the Everglades. Jeff and I waited until our son Jonathan and his girlfriend Cara flew down from frigid Chicago and whisked them away to the Everglades the very next day. We did an airboat tour at Everglades Holiday Park.

Yes, I know, the name sounds very very touristy. And it was! However once on the airboat we treated to a remarkable diversity of wildlife and fauna in the Everglades.

And now we’re off on our first adventure with “Grace” out of the U.S.!

A wondrous journey to all,

Pam