We are cruising out into the Gulf of Mexico for the first time, headed for the new destination of Naples. The water is not clearing up very much-how disappointing. There has been so much rain that the Okeechobee Waterway Corp of Engineers needed to begin releasing the exceptionally high water out into the Gulf. The water from the Okeechobee is quite muddy & dark. We decided to stay @ Old Naples Seaport Marina and were very happy with the place, even though we were one of the smaller yachts there & it is a bit pricey. The Marina is only one pier with finger docks off that and most of the yachts are docked permanently with the crews aboard and not the owners. That's Naples for you, a bit high brow. The location of the Marina is great, although we didn't have much time to walk around and explore because we enjoyed the luxury of visitors, driving us around instead.
We met Janet & Bob for dinner our first night. Janet & Bob were vacationing on Marco Island for a few months. Janet & I used to work together @ Northwood Schools & their children were my students too. Our second & last day in Naples, started with our dear friends, Phyllis & Jerry picking us up and taking us to posh 5th Ave, where there are many shops, restaurants & people. We lunched @ Tommy Bahama's (didn't know they had a restaurant), dining out on their beautifully landscaped patio. Our lunch was delicious & I highly recommend the Creme Brûlée they serve in a slice of Pineapple-yum! After lunch, Phyllis & Jerry showed us around the bustling upscale neighborhood.
For dinner, our friends from Indian Hill Boat Club in Maumee, Diane & Doug picked us up. Diane & Doug last year, decided no more winters for them and moved permanently to Naples. We attempted to go to the popular Boathouse Restaurant, close by our Marina but it was booked for the evening so they showed us the neighborhood of Bayfront. We sipped drinks outside @ the Cabana Bar where we met more friends from Toledo, Diane & John. For dinner, we walked over to the Tavern. Naples was a quick stop because we were already late for our reservations in Marathon, so we plan to come back and stay longer next season.
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| The three Krogens back together |
Our next stop, was a special one where we met back up with our buddy boat, Waterford and our newer buddies: Sea Dweller. And Russell's Pass was a beautiful place to reconnect. The winds actually subsided temporarily and the sun came out. We anchored in the Everglades among the Ten Thousand Islands. We took our dinghy to the National Park office of the Everglades so we could document our visit. We also explored Everglades City where the famous Rod & Gun Club sits on their historical site. Our anchorage is total Nature; mangroves, water, wildlife, with many nooks & crannies and no signs of human development.
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| Rod & Gun Club |
The next day we drove from our bridge because it was warm, sunny & calm in the Gulf. We are still cruising parts of the Everglades, which is 1.5 million acres large, bigger than the Grand canyon National Park by area. Our next anchorage is in the the Little Shark River. Another beautiful spot without any development and more mangrove trees. We explored the area by dinghy & if we weren't using our handheld GPS, we would have been lost. The waterways meander in all directions and are lined with fertile green mangroves. We saw a raccoon, pretty white birds & Pink Spoonbill Birds, which are a pretty shade of pink-hence the name.
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| Our beautiful experience in the Everglades |
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7 mile bridge, didn't get a good pic
because I was busy entertaining
the Coast Guard as we cruised under |
Today is a rougher day on the gulf as we head to the Florida Keys. So of course, today is the day that the Coast Guard choose to board us for a onboard safety inspection. One of the two Coasties, fell into the boat as he was attempting to board. We passed with flying colors of course & now we are exempt from another inspection for a year.
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| As we entered the inlet |
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| Our protected dock @ White Marlin |
We passed under the Keys 7 mile bridge and crossed over to the Atlantic to reach our destination on Fat Deer Key. Fat Deer Key is 4 miles north of Marathon and is where our new temporary home White Marlin Marina is located. As we approach the dock, it is filled with smiling boaters there to greet us & lend a helping hand. What a friendly, small (19 boats all on a face dock), well run Marina. There is a Tiki Hut & a fire pit. Happy hours are celebrated on Monday, Wednesdays & Fridays.
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| Our fire pit |
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| The tiki hut where we enjoy happy hours |
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| Our dock@ White Marlin Marina |
We met Janet & Bob for dinner our first night. Janet & Bob were vacationing on Marco Island for a few months. Janet & I used to work together @ Northwood Schools & their children were my students too. Our second & last day in Naples, started with our dear friends, Phyllis & Jerry picking us up and taking us to posh 5th Ave, where there are many shops, restaurants & people. We lunched @ Tommy Bahama's (didn't know they had a restaurant), dining out on their beautifully landscaped patio. Our lunch was delicious & I highly recommend the Creme Brûlée they serve in a slice of Pineapple-yum! After lunch, Phyllis & Jerry showed us around the bustling upscale neighborhood.
Our next stop, was a special one where we met back up with our buddy boat, Waterford and our newer buddies: Sea Dweller. And Russell's Pass was a beautiful place to reconnect. The winds actually subsided temporarily and the sun came out. We anchored in the Everglades among the Ten Thousand Islands. We took our dinghy to the National Park office of the Everglades so we could document our visit. We also explored Everglades City where the famous Rod & Gun Club sits on their historical site. Our anchorage is total Nature; mangroves, water, wildlife, with many nooks & crannies and no signs of human development.
The next day we drove from our bridge because it was warm, sunny & calm in the Gulf. We are still cruising parts of the Everglades, which is 1.5 million acres large, bigger than the Grand canyon National Park by area. Our next anchorage is in the the Little Shark River. Another beautiful spot without any development and more mangrove trees. We explored the area by dinghy & if we weren't using our handheld GPS, we would have been lost. The waterways meander in all directions and are lined with fertile green mangroves. We saw a raccoon, pretty white birds & Pink Spoonbill Birds, which are a pretty shade of pink-hence the name. 
Today is a rougher day on the gulf as we head to the Florida Keys. So of course, today is the day that the Coast Guard choose to board us for a onboard safety inspection. One of the two Coasties, fell into the boat as he was attempting to board. We passed with flying colors of course & now we are exempt from another inspection for a year. 
