My favorite at the Car Cruise In

1955 Studebaker similar to the one Dave owned.

Photos from the Ford/Edison summer home in Fort Myers.  Fig tree planted to try and find a US source for rubber in the US

The foliage was all labeled and fascinating.

Does this chair style look familiar to my family?

Edison paid for the Royal Palms to be planted on the streets of Fort Myers.

This Banyon tree in the experimental work area covers 1 acre.

 

 

 

Add caption

 

 

Nina and the Pinta in Fort Myers

Ford, Firestone and Edison statue in the Fort Myers park

***** I have had a request for something easier to read, hopefully the print is larger.  Another trick is to highlight the text to change the contrast.*****

  March 27, 2013

Hello folks, this is the 40^th anniversary of the sale of our Chris Craft at McCotter  Marine in Washington, NC.  The sales slip reads March 24.  She is doing us proper on this trip.  Since I last signed in we have been hung up on a mudflat with Tow Boat US in site.  We were headed into the head of Pine Island (Jug Creek) for fuel after our night at Caya Costa on the hook.  No damage other than ego…..  Yesterday we were able to motor through 25 mph wind and 4 foot plus waves, spray going over the cabin top with just a bit of water in the cabin after the trip.  Leaks have been a problem at times.  Thanks Danny for   strengthening  the boat.

 When we left Caladesi Island the water was flat and we took the opportunity to anchor off Three Rooker Bar, dink in and do some shelling.  The noise of the birds was deafening; shelling for certain varieties was good.  I think Dave is getting into this searching too.  On then to Tarpon Springs for two nights at the City Dock.  Good Greek food and a very long bike ride out to Fred Howard Park.  That was where I was told you could find sea beans.  Few people have heard of them but I have been instructed on how to fashion them into jewelry.  Unfortunately we were not able to connect with Lloyd and Holly (Dave’s cousin).

We spent the night at Caya Costa, a beautiful anchorage  (another State Park) We had anchored there before when we lost power in the house battery.  When the wind and tide changed that night Cross-Over was straining on the anchor rode and the line was rolling from side to side.  THUMP- THUMP and more THUMP. Not very good for sleeping.

Next morning on the Fort Myers and the Municipal Yacht Basin.  Laundry and I just discovered that I left a load of clothes in the dryer.   (Jeans, navy shirts and sweaters)  Entertainment for that weekend was the Nina and the Pinta at the harbor.  We biked to the Edison/Ford Summer home.  A wonderful place where we spent most of the day.  The inventions of Edison are on display.  History of the collaboration with he and Ford and Firestone trying to find a source in the states for rubber.  The grounds are an arboretum in themselves.  Everything labeled and now I can’t remember what my pictures are but I love the vegetation.  It was the 4^th Saturday of the month and the Car Cruise In was back.  I told Dave not to bother me about waiting while I shopped.  He talked to a guy named Doug about his Mustang fox body, can you believe from Moss Street in Reading.  His daughter was a week younger than Alyse.  Oh yes, we rocked in the marina also with the winds from the South West.

Sunday Morning we left Fort Myers and did a 95 mile stretch into and almost the whole way around the South Rim of Lake Okeechobee.  We tried an anchorage about 4 PM and after dragging three times we moved on.  As we progressed we came out of the protected area and the wind from the North West was blowing about 25 to 35 mph.      At a town named Pahokee we found a marina with some protection but not much.  At least we were secure!  A bad thunder storm came through so we were glad to at least be tied.  We heard the winds were above 55 mph.  The dock is in disrepair (an abandon Loggerhead Facility) so no electric, no problem.  By 5:30 AM we had had all we could take of the rolling, only a stiff drink and yogurt and fruit for dinner and peanut bread for breakfast;  we needed to get off the boat.  We walked into town, maybe a dinner but no, the town reminded us of Aurora.  Later we met the fellow Wayne who owns is restoring the resort. (Camp ground, banquet rooms, pool, restaurant, bar and marina  with lots of biking and fishing opportunities.)  GOOD LUCK!

By 11 AM we decided that we could not be any worse in the 25 mph wind with 4 plus waves than we were in the marina.  Off we went, with life jackets on, the videos are telling.  One hour later we were in the Port Mayaca Lock on the East side of the Lake and were pleased that it was open for a quick pass through.  The last lock at Port St Lucie took us 14 feet down from the lake.  Terry came out to take our photo as we went by.     When we got into Stuart we were not pleased with the marina we had made a reservation because of the NW wind and no protection.  We are now refreshed after nice showers (while moving from one foot to the other as our bodies rocked) and quiet night in Sunset Bay Marina.  Yesterday we met a couple who is living aboard a Caliber 40’and we hope they contact our other Caliber owner friends.  We will brave the wind to walk or bike to town, still blowing 18 NW.  Interesting free museum in town; they have some of the same shelves as the Trexler Store.

An e-mail from Mel Portnoy came this AM telling us they are just ahead of us in Melbourne, FL.  We should catch up with them at some point.

Terry and Lisa Locatis met us at the marina and we did justice to a good bit of wine and dined at a relaxing Italian restaurant, Casa Bella’s.  Afterward it was after 10 PM, too late for shopping at Publix so they drove us to a Walmart and then back to the marina.

We are headed home…..a stop to see my roommate, Jean and her husband John, in Cocoa Beach tomorrow.  Then visit the Ballards and Nilles in Daytona and the Dorseys in St Augustine, and then mostly motor home.  Warm it up up there!  It was 48 degrees in Stuart this AM.

We have spent 4 nights instead of the 2 we planned here at Caladesi  State Park.  The dockage is inexpensive and covers electric and water.   There are no showers but on Sunday we used the shower on the boat.  It worked well; Dave was pleased with his installation.

 There is a concession stand open 10 through 5.  We ate all our meals on the boat so can’t comment on the quality.  My call was the beach and the shelling.  The sand is fine and up on the dunes almost pure white, referred to as sugar sand.

The first day we walked up the beach a mile and a half and the second day 2 miles up to the inlet and then back.  (Up here the dune is roped off for nesting of the water birds.)  In all we found 27 sand dollars and various other shells.  The first day we met Patty on the beach, a shell artist and a volunteer here at the park.  She invited Dave and I to their catamaran for cocktails on Friday night.  Her husband, Ted, built the boat and they have done the Gulf and the Caribbean.  Ted recently converted the boat to just power.  Patty shared her shell crafts (lots of jewelry) and gave me some supplies and lots of hints on working with the shells.  They are volunteers here at the park, dockage and electric, half off at the concession stand and transportation to the mainland for supplies.  All that in return for 20 hours each a week. 

One afternoon the most folks in the marina watched as several large dolphin trained their young to herd fish in to the corner and then feed.  It was quite a show.

The second day I met and friend of Patty’s, Mary and she shared her whimsical animals with us. Mary winters in Clearwater and walks the beach with her husband several times a week.  The inlet between Clearwater and Caladesi Island has filled in and been left as nature planned for the immediate future.

The weather has not been the warmest with a wind from the North.  Despite that it has been a most enjoyable time.  Today we took what nature walk that took us about 2 hours.  Dave spent the afternoon watch in the NASCAR Race and I went back to the beach for more shelling.  It took me several hours to wash, bleach and dry the shells.  They are packed in containers given me at the concession stand and then into one of Dave’s  5 gallon buckets.  Hopefully they will make it home safely.   I have big plans for them.

Weekends the park is popular with the locals for day trips or overnight.  A restored 1974 Chris Craft Catalina Sport fisher was here and another interesting boat was a 1971 Sea Camper.  Some boaters just tie up and bring out their chairs and drinks and sit in the dockway.  Others arrive by ferry for the day or several hours on the beach, playground and picnic areas.

Our last day in St Petersburg was spent on the bikes.  We found the Post Office so I could continue sending cards to Alyse and Nathan.  We looked at some of the architecture and read the display of the large front pages from the Tampa Bay times on exhibit getting some history of the area.  Yes, Adrienne there are Brasseries in the states.  We had to take some detours in town; they are setting up for the St Petersburg Grand Prix along the water front.

The area just outside our marina is a large USCG base and the University of South Florida at St Petersburg has a Marine program.  NOAA is located there also.  Near there we met a man at Neptune Marine named Jesse who had been a captain on the casino boat in Little River.

Photo taken in Charlotte Harbor on our trip to Bradenton by a boater we met in Punta Gorda

Jane checking out the lightening, the Pier in the background.

The day before we had too much wind this day nothing to race on.  Sailboats being towed back in to harbor.

Example of Dale Chihuly seafoam collection

Chichuly loves color.  He has used these balls to be floated in waterways throughout the world.

This is part of a series in the museum that is on a glass ceiling in a hallway.

He uses these painting for the concept for the glass art.  They are done with canvas on the floor,

 dribbled paint.

The lower pieces of glass are hung from wire and the top put over spikes.

Glass chunk tower at the museum entrance.

Roof line of the Chichuly Museum

Entrance of the Venoy Renaissance Hotel

One side of the entrance of the hotel

Patio by a waterfall

Tower of the hotel

Nothing like a homemade biscuit and the fresh Plant City strawberries from the market.

  There is lots to tell since my last post.  Remember I told you we were going to a baseball game?  We did, the Pirates played Spain, weather was great and we got to move in to the season ticket holders seats in the third row left field; just up from home plate.  I forgot to put my memory card back in the camera so I have no pictures.  The mascots really worked the crowd.  What I will always remember is my fall from the bicycle on the way back to the marina.  I tried to go onto a driveway with a bit of a lip and only skidded along it but was leaning into the turn.  I have not slept on my right thigh since and I seem to find a new bruise each day.  Luckily I had a sweater on and the scrape on my arm in not too serious.  Glad it was not worse.  It was nice to have a hot tub to soak in that night.  We ended the day with a wine tasting at Pier 22 and then a drink at Happy Hour and then split a dinner and another Happy Hour at O Bricks on Main Street.
  When you fall off you get back on, we rode 2 miles each way to Publix the next day.  On the way back my tire went flat about 6 blocks from the marina.
  The weather turned cool and windy again and our trip from Bradenton to St Pertersburg on Thursday
(7th) was into the wind with waves 3 to 4 feet.  A rough trip but only 2 hours to Harborage Marina.
We arrived and waited 15 minutes for our slip assignment and then they talked us into the slip via phone and no dock hand.  The pool and surrounding furniture here are the pits.  The marina has more sailboats over 35 feet than we have ever seen in one place.  In the afternoon Dave rode many blocks to get a new tube for my bicycle.  My flat tire was caused by a fine wire from a blown radial tire.  He also worked on my rear brake that will need more repair.  That  a casualty of my crash.
Friday we rode into town and found the Publix and CVS and then on to the Pier which is scheduled for demolition and a different rebuild 2 years down the road.  In town we checked out the restaurants.  They are very reasonable here.  Back at the marina we relaxed and then walked the docks to see big boats.....
  Saturday we rode into town to the incredible Produce and more Market.  Later in the morning Nancy and Jesse Shrom arrived from Tampa to spend the day with us.  They checked out the new upgrades and we did some catching up on their new home and the sale of their present house.  St Petersburg has a Dale Chichuly Museum and he was in town to open a new exhibit.  His medium is glass art.  We heard he was giving a free lecture at the Vinoy Renaissance Hotel.  When we arrived the hall was full.  Chairs were added and they seated a few folks at a time.  We got in, sat in the back, next the Shroms got in and were seated in the front row....  An amazing experience!  (http://www.chihulygardenandglass.com/)  We had a late Italian lunch and after getting 2 blocks of ice for our cooler we came back to the marina and visited.
Sunday we rode up town to the Chichuly Museum, WOW!  Then across the street to the Vinoy Reminiscence Hotel (National Historic Register) to take some pictures with out the crowd of the previous day.  We rode the beautiful park and saw the beach (Bay side).
Today Dave did some cleaning on the boat, laundry chores and correspondence with my dermatologist.
for the last week I have had what best can be explained as badly chapped lips.  After internet consult I determined it was actinic cheiletis or sailors/farmers lip.  I called the doctor's office and they called in a RX for me.  Hopefully this will clear up soon it is painful.
  Tomorrow rain and cooler weather is in the forecast,  maybe the I Max theater.
  Next destination is Caladesi  Island for two days.  It is a State Park only reachable by boat.  We have been told that we might find shelling there.  ( off the coast of Dunein )
  Tarpon Spring for the weekend.

***For those who want more information on our location try this:  (http://www.visitflorida.com/maps)  I think I choose sight seeing and you can use your cursor to move the map areas and increase and decrease the size.

P.T. Barnum summer home and museum from Sarasota Bay

Rookery

Interesting sailing vessel with ammas

Visitor at the Chris Craft Plant

New mat

Trying out the armor

Tina, anything like this in your catalog?

I recognize this fabric.  The Indians wore turbans, a French influence.

Ramona and Don

Half of the skate park along the River Walk

 Thursday, February 28 we were so glad to leave the dock in Venice that I let our a big HOOT!  With the wind coming from the NW continuing all night the rollers kept coming in the inlet.  A poor choice on our part, lesson learned.  We rocked and rolled, then lurched forward and back hitting the pilings, not a good night for sleeping.
  It was a slow motor up to the Sarasota Bay and then Tampa Bay into the Manatee River to Bradenton.  There were interesting things to see along the way but also many Manatee Zones that require traveling at idle speed the the mammals protection.
  We are at the Twin Dolphins Marina next to the Route 41 bridge. (a BOAT US cooperative) This marina came highly recommended by a friend and also a  fellow cruiser.  The best "resort" we have been too on the trip.  The code protected slips have floating piers protected by a sea wall, cable TV, internet at the boat, printer for our use in the office.  Heated pool and hot tub, two gas grills, laundry, 8 individual bathrooms/showers and a bag of free ice each day.  We also were given a $20 certificate to Pier 22 Restaurant and a 1/2 price coupon to the museum.  Unfortunately the cold windy weather (47 this AM) has not been advantageous for pool use.  The printer came in handy because our BOAT US card expired on the 28 and we had to print out an email.
  Our long time friends Don Townsend and Ramona Lomboy have helped to make our stay enjoyable.  We went out with them for sandwiches and music one evening, they had us to watch the NASCAR race and a delicious dinner, Ramona introduced me to the slots, and best of all the use of a car for several days.
  This allowed us access to the Chris Craft Plant where we stopped and asked for a tour.  Two hours later we came away impressed, informed and  purchased a mat for the boat.  Boy does it make the boat look snappy!  Next stop was the marine surplus warehouse up the road.  All Dave bought was a new zinc.  Of course there was the obligatory grocery shopping.
  Another day we drove to Anna Maria Island.  The traffic was horrendous, the wind on the beach was blustery and the shelling unimpressive.  We had been on the island a number of years ago with a much more satisfying experience.  The new Desoto Park was very enlightening.   Today we rode bikes on the River Walk and across the Route 41 bridge to the marina across the river.
  Tomorrow is to be warmer and we will ride out bikes to a Pirates baseball game.  This is on the cheap because it is a farm team.  Hopefully we will have a chance to use the pool later in the afternoon.