Key West for the day! We packed up our bikes and hopped the bus from Marathon to spend the day with Looper, Akasha friends from Texas, Rosemary and Clark.  Perfect day with sunshine and 66 degrees.  Lunch at Sloppy Joe's, Hemmingway's hangout, a long stroll up and down Duvall where the t shirt shops have been joined by lovely galleries and handmade goods retailers.  

The Kapok tree at mile zero. 

Quirky finds, wildlife and the keys!

We have made our way from Naples to Marathon over the last few days. Stops in the Everglades, Marco Island and a beach stop for lunch and shelling have all been memorable. We stopped at the Rod and Gun Club, circa 1920's in Everglades City where many presidents have vacationed including Hoover, Eisenhour and Nixon. A throwback in time and a pretty little town with waterside cafes. Lots of crab fisherman too that start at 4am... We were docked on their path to the Gulf and heard/felt their day start!

We finally saw our first alligator right next to our boat in south Naples!  And we were entertained by a pair of dolphins jumping in our wake out in the Gulf.

Speaking of crabs, we dodged 1000's of "crab pot" bouys on our 6 hour cruise to the keys.  Luckily we didn't hit any as the lines can snarl up a prop quickly.
We will make Marathon our base for about 10 days and have already met new friends at the Banana Bay marina.

Postcard perfect Naples was fun to revisit after so many wonderful memories in the last 25 years.  We stayed at the downtown City Dock close to shopping, the beach and beautiful homes.  We biked safely on the sidewalks just about as fast as the traffic was going on 41 as the snowbirds continue to arrive.
Good Italian meals, a comedy at the Norris Center, the fishing pier and visits to the old condo on Park Shore.  This visit was very comfortable and yet it's time to head further towards the keys. Marco Island next!

300 Park Shore

Golden Globes, Pickle Ball and more biking.  The benefit of hanging out for 2 weeks is that you begin to put down tiny roots. In the form of deepening friendships, taking comand of the TV remote and stretching biking and bus riding boundaries.

Despite the great time we have had on FMB, we are itchy to move on down the path. Naples is our next destination and we will head there on Wednesday.  Until then, go OSU tonight! We found an enormous tiki bar that will likely be shaking tonight with all the newly arrived snow birds.

Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Mr Firestone all had winter estates in Fort Myers

Mantazas Pass Preserve

Pickle ball is all the rage at the Rec Center. It was a blast! Thanks, Pam!

2 weeks on Fort Myers Beach. Ahhhh.
We have settled in nicely at Moss Marina just steps from Time Square and the beach.  Lots of biking, people watching and a boaters lounge with TV and comfy chairs.  A great stop for us after pushing hard to get to south Florida. We also enjoyed a belated Christmas on the boat with packages from Karl and Sarah. Thank you!

 The shell pinks and perfect sunsets balance the bright lights and crowded city beach. Sunshine and 80 is our new norm... I am beginning to understand the snow bird concept.

We figured out the bus system to go to see Wild and will see a local dentist for check ups tomorrow....after 3 months on the water, we do have a few real world items to take care of!
We continue to meet fantastic people who have offered their ideas and assistance along the way.

Shrimp boats

Cheeseburger in paradise, Captiva, Pine Island hospitality and New Year's on Fort Myers Beach. Life is good. As we continued island hopping we enjoyed lunch on Cabbage Key at a 1920's resort. Then off to the Captiva Island Yacht Club complete with lots of beachside estates, resorts and traffic! Time to move on to a simpler vibe on Pine Island where we were hosted by cousins Bill and Janie Shumaker at their home in St James City. Laid back little town with great shops, Italian dinner thanks to Uncle Fritz and fresh picked citrus in their yard. What a treat!!

We arrived in Fort Myers Beach for New Years eve and were treated to a fabulous peel and eat feast at new sailor friends Bill and Linda Shenko's home.  We had perfect roof deck seats for the midnight fireworks too.  The surprise outpouring from friends and family are truly what is making our trip special. Thank you!

Spot little Loophole?

Ordering that cheeseburger

The Roosevelt estate

Sunset wedding on Captiva

Loophole docked on St James City at the Shumakers

Fresh pickedwitj Jsnue!