Lorenzo & Delois Johnson

We have really been busy the last few days.  We stayed in Ft. Pierce from Thursday until Monday.  We must have some cat blood in us; feed us real good and we will stay and be loyal forever.  We had a really good stay in Ft. Pierce. 

We left Ft Pierce on Monday morning, and had a good travel day.  We anchored at Dragon point, and really enjoyed the night there at anchor.  The weather was cool enough to allow us to keep cool at night using a fan, no A/C and no generator.

Tuesday, we went to Harbortowne Marina on Merritt Island.  This is only a few miles from Cape Kennedy, so we took advantage of the oppurtunity.  We went back to FT Pierce on Tuesday to move our car.  On Wednesday, we went to visit the Kennedy Space center.  What a day this was!!!  We really enjoyed our time there, and we are planning to go back when we return to Merritt Island to move our car.  After watching the Space shot last weekend, our visit to The Kennedy Space Center was even more meaningful.  The size of the Saturn Rocket was really overwhelming.  We were allowed to touch a piece of rock that came from the moon.  We thought that that was really awesome. 

+The two days we spent on Merritt Island were very enjoyable. 

Tomorrow, we will travel to the Daytona beach area.  We would like to arrive in St Augustine early in the day on Saturday, and spend a few days there.  We will move the car to St Augustine, and then we have a list of places to visit.

Every where we stop, we seem to meet people from the South Eastern NC area.  It is amazing how many people we have met who at one time or the other lived within 50 miles of Holden Beach. 

We are moving North at a faster pace now, becuse the heat and humidity is impacting our planning and activities   We should be in Georgia by next week end, unless we run into another bunch of really good restaurants.  We are still keepig our travel days to six hours or less, but we may have to change that philosophy when we get into Georgia.  The marinas are not as plentiful in Southern Georgia.

We arrived in Ft. Pierce on Wednesday, after a very windy travel day.  It was a short day, only 25 miles, but very challenging.  We had high winds and lots of shoaling in the narrow channels.  Docking was also a challenge; very close quarters and a 30 knot wind on the beam.  Lil’ David has won another round against the elements!!!

We had planned to stay only two days at this maroina, but we liked it so much we decided to stay until Monday.  On Saturadays, the Farmers Market is located in the park adjacent to the Marina.  It is the biggest and best farmers market I have ever seen.  By 0700, vendors are selling breakfast, cooked on the spot, and coffe.  The food was very good, and the prices were very competetive.  The offerings were very impressive;  lots and lots of local vegetables, citrus products, and potted plants.  A large arts and crafts section had lots to offer.  The park overlooks a beautiful bay leading to the Intercoastal Waterway, so it was a very beautiful setting.  We really enjoyed the farmers market, and it was by far the best I have ever seen.

Every evening, there seems to be some form of entertainment in the  close by downtown area.  Thursday night, there was a motorcycle display.  Friday night, there was a great antique car display.  This has been a great place to spend some time, and we are making the most of it.

We are in Stuart, Fl. ready to join the Atlantic ICW.  This is the waterway that will take us home.

We  spent Monday night in Moore Haven, Fl.  We had a short travel day (15 miles) and really enjoyed ourselves in Moore Haven.  We walked to the grocery store pulling our grocery cart behind us, and went grocery shopping.  We did not break any local laws; we stopped at every ice cream shop that we passed. 

The highlight of the day was the water cannon fight between Bill and Bob.  They showed their age and had a ball on the childrens play ground in the city recreation area. 

Today was a good and very memorable day.  We left Moore Haven early, and had a good crossing of Lake Okeecheebe.  The lake level is low, around 61/2 feet, and we wanted to complete the crossing before the evening winds arrived.  We had 10-15 in the morning, with a prediction of  20-30 in the afternoion.  Our 5′ draft made this crossing very interesting, but it was uneventful.  If the wave heights had increased to more than 18″ we would have been in trouble. 

 We were disappointed in the small number of alligators that we saw, but we did spot a few.

We passed through our last lock today when we transited the St. Lucie lock on the St. Lucie canal.  This was lock #145 for this trip.  We are glad to have completed all of our locks, but saddened by the reality that this means the trip is almost over.

Tonight, we are tied to a mooring ball in the St. Lucie river.  This is a very scenic and peaceful location.  Every evening should be this good. Tomorrow, we will  go back to Ft. Myers and move our automobile to a new location, probably to some point 50 to 100 miles ahead.  This has given us the oportunity to see a lot more of Florida than we would have seen by boat only. 

We are on the move again.  We left Ft. Myers this morning, and we are spending the night tied to pilings at the Ortona Lock.   We really enjoyed our stay in Ft. Myers, but it is time to move on.  It was really nice to hear Portia and Starrie singing their sweet tunes.

We had a real good week.  On Thursday, 3-19, there was a memorial for the Florida soldiers lost in the Iraq war.  Their boots were displayed in the park in orderly rows.  It was a touching memorial marking the sixth anniversary of the Iraq war.  I have a son who is presently serving in Iraq, so this memorial was especially meaningful to me.

On Friday, we visited the Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone Estates.  These three great men were close friends, and owned adjoining winter homes in Ft. Myers.  Their combined estates are now a very popular tourist attraction.  It was one of the most interesting exhibits I have ever seen.

One of the most interesting plants on the property is the Banyan tree. This tree is native to India.  The single tree covers almost one acre in area.  The tree grows air roots which grow to the ground, and mature into large supports for the branches.  Some branches are supported by air roots growing to and attatching to other branches.  It is really a truly amazing tree.  The largest banyan tree in the world is in India and covers over 16 acres.

The Okeechobee Water way passes through rual Florida connecting the Gulf coast waters to the East coast waters at Stuart Florida.  The route crosses Lake Okeechoeebe, the second largest fresh water lake in the Continental US, second to Lake Michigan.  The route travels through flat farm land and cattle ranches.  The primary crops are citrus fruits and sugar cane.  Florida is a large producer of beef, and there are lots of large cattle ranches along the Okeebechee Waterway.

We are taking our time, and traveling only 4 to 6 hours /day.  This gives adequate time for sightseeing in the towns we past through.

We have had a good week.  We spent a few days catching  up with our routine maintenance and cleaning, including doing some bright work.  The weather here is quite hot, in the 90’s, with a lot of humidity.  We moved the boat to a diffetrent slip in the marina, to take advantage of the shade from a nearby highrise building.   We have to keep the A/C running 24/7.

Sunday morning, We went for a long drive.  We drove to and toured the towns we will be traveling through on our way to the Intercoastal Cooastal Waterway, at Stuart, Fl.  It was quite nice to be able to see the marinas and towns we will be stopping in as we make our way North. 

We continued to travel toward Orlando, Fl. in order to watch the Shuttle launch at 7:43 PM.  We stopped and had ice cream, and found a good vantage point by walking to the top of a bridge.  We were joined by lots of other shuttle watchers.

The shuttle launch was quite a SIGHT TO BEHOLD.  It was mind boggling to see the power that was being expended to accelarate this vehicle into space.  We felt as we were participating in a historical event, and we were truly humbled to have had this experience.    

We will leave Ft. Myers on Sunday, and start our travels toward the North.

We are back home again.  This week , we travelled by car to the Florida Panhandle.  We went to  Pensacola, Fl. some 600 miles from Ft. Myers.  It was a very good trip, and we really had a good time.

We were guests of Joe and Rae Marie Schmidt.  We really enjoyed their company and their hospitality.  It seems as if we had known them forever.  There was lots of laughter, good food, and absolutely great companionship.  Rae Marie is Bill’s Sister, and it is really obvious that they both came from a great family.

Thank You, Joe and Rae Marie for the really enjoyable time we spent with You.

We visited the National Naval Air Museum.  It was a great place to visit, and made me really proud of the years I spent in the Navy.  The museum is staffed primarily by volunteers, and often they are the people who flew these planes many Years ago.  They had great Sea Stories to tell as part of their tour guiding duties.  The restoration and maintenance work is also performed by volunteers, mostly retired military.

Pensacola is home to the Navy’s stunt flying team, the Blue Angels.  They are very popular among the local residents, and we regretted that we would not be able to watch one of their practice sessions.

I have enjoyed our stay in the Ft Myers area, but I am ready to hear Starrie and Portia playing their tunes.  We have approximately two more weeks here before we move on.  We have lots of other places we are planning to visit before leaving this area.

We are going to stop in Titusville, FL. for a week to visit Disney World.  It will be strange to be in Disney World and not having any children to watch and worry over.

We had a really good week.  On Wednesday, We drove down to the Fl. Keys to sightsee and visit with friends.  We stopped at Key Largo to visit with Dave, Bill and Kathy on Cats Cradle.  We took the backroads through the Everglades, and counted more than 100 alligators sunning alongside the highy in a 30 mile stretch.  We really enjoyed the drive through the everglades.  We stopped at one State Park, and the wild alligators were plentiful.

We drove to Key West on Thursday, and really enjoyed visiting this City.  The trip down was incredible; Often the Gulf of Mexico was visible on one side and the Atlantic Ocean was visible on the other side.  We played tourist, and went to lots of the attractions.  Really enjoyed ourselves.

We are now back at the boat in Ft. Myers.  We are going to relax and take it easy, while trying to get in some needed boat chores.  The exterior needs a good cleaning to remove the acumulated salt, and the moist air is not helping matters any. 

Yesterday was a very good day.  All Loopers in the area were invited to a party here in FT Myers.  This is an annual event, and is sponsored by Gerald and Rosalie Kaemmerer, who are Loopers and live in this area.

The party started at 2 Pm.  The weather was perfect.  There was lots of good food and lots of beverages, both hi-test and regular.  The party is held at the shop in Gerald’s citrus orchard.  This was a really great event.  We met old friends and acquaintances whom we had not seen for a long time.  The setting was perfect; the trees still have lots of ripened fruit hanging from them, there is a large concrete pad perfect for dancing, and live music was provided by a Looper who is also a music artist.    Gerald and his wife are terrific hosts.  They have really made their friends feel welcome.

My expectation for citrus products has changed.  The tree ripened fruit is totally different from the store bought variety.  Allowing the fruit to fully ripen on the tree before being picked improves the taste more than one would imagine.  From now on, when I eat a store bought orange, I will know what I am missing.

I was overly impressed by the outhouse.  For those of You who remember, an outhouse was NOT a place to be remembered .  Gerald has a plain green His and Hers outhouse in the Grove , obviously for the comfort of those working in the grove.  Walk inside the small building, and you are caught off guard.  This place has running water, mirrows on the walls, well lighted, and all the amenities found in the best restrooms. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed.  The next time Gerald passes through our area in North Carolina, I will take him aside and show him what a REAL outhouse looks like.

Gerald, we salute You.  You have given new meaning to the term “Looper”.

We returned from the party to find the streets closed for a parade.  The estate of Thomas Edison, the inventor and father of the electric light, is just a few blocks from the marina.  It is a very popular tourist attraction in this area.  An annual parade is held at night to honor the invention of the electric light.  The light festival includes many events during the festival weekend.  The parade is the largest night time parade in all of South West Florida.  Boats in the Marina were dressed with lights for the occasion, and it is a big weekend for this area.

We left the car about a mile from the boat and walked to the marina.  We went to the flybridge and was able to watch some of the festivities from there.  At around 10:0 PM the traffic had slowed enough that we were able to walk back to the car and drive it to the Marina parking lot.

This is a great marina.  We are docked with the stern facing West over the Bay.  Every afternoon, we are treated to a spectacular sunset as the Sun appears to slowly dissolve into the Bay.  We have found that dinner on the aft deck at sunset is a truly satisfying experience. 

Lois is really enjoying herself.  I am not sure how I will keep her home once we get back.  She is planning to leave enough clothes in her closet on the boat tto allow her to leave at a moments notice.  This has been an awesomely great adventure thus far.  We are looking for excuses to not let it end.

We had a really good day today.  We left Venice around 0700, and headed toward Ft Myers.  It was a very interesting trip.  The Manatee controls this part of Florida.  90% of all the waterway signs had the word “Manatee” on it.  We did not see a single Manatee.  The Manatees are obviously very affluent; they live in front of all the houses in the high rent district, but You never have to slow for Manatee zones in the undeveloped or sparsely developed areas.

The weather was perfect; opening the windows on the flybridge provided enough cooling to make it very comfortable.  The scenery was the best we have experienced thus far in Florida.

We arrived at the Marina around 4:00PM, and had to dock in high winds.  It was a bit tricky turning in close quarters and backing into the slip, but it went smoothly and quickly. 

We had dinner at the Crab House on the end of the dock.  We had a party of nine friends (Dave, Bill and Kathy on Cat’s Cradle, Lois and Bob on Going There, and Lorenzo, Lois Marianne, and George on Lil’ David.  We had an enjoyable dinner, and the crabs lost big tonight.

Tomorrow, we will retrieve our car from St Petersburg Municipal Marina.  It is only a 2 hour drive, so it will be an easy day.

We are on the move again.   We grudgingly left St Petersburg this morning,and we are heading to Ft. Myers, Fl.  We have made reservations for 1 month at the Legacy Harbor Marina, and we already have our slip assignment.  Yesterday, we drove both cars to Legacy Harbor, and left one car at Legacy Harbor.  We left the second car at the St Petersburg Marina, and will return for it sometime this weekend.

St Petersburg was a wonderful place to stay.  The facilities and people were top notch, and there was lots to do.  The weather was perfect, as expected.  We went to the beach, lots of restaurants, local tours and attractions, and had many pleasant days shared with other boaters.  We have really enjoyed having George and Marianne visiting with Us. 

We are planning to stay in Ft Myers for a month.  The weather there is really warm, requiring A/C  to stay comfortable.  We will use the car to visit the Florida Keys, Disney World, and other Florida attractions while we wait for the weather to get warmer before we start moving North and East. 

We are starting to realize that we are getting close to the end of our adventure.  We do not want it to end.  This has been the most memorable year of my life, and no other year comes close.  We will never be the same.   I am very grateful for having the oppurtunity to live this adventure.

We are docked at the City dock in Venice, and we are anxious to leave here.  This City has a poor reputation with the cruising community.  Lots of Harrassment by the local law authorities, and we are hoping to leave here without learing about the harrasement first hand. 

I am really concerned about our assigned dock at the  Legacy Harbor Marina.  Joe’s Crab Shack is located at the end of the dock.  Lois is already looking for their menu.  We will walk past the Crab Shack every time we leave or return to the boat.