Continuing On The Loop

Finally - pictures to post!

Monday, February 8 -  After our two weeks in Atlanta with Carey's dad, we picked up our friends Hal and Wendy at the Atlanta airport on January 31st and drove to Dunedin where LeeLoo was patiently waiting for us!  While we were gone, a lot a windy weather went through Dunedin and we were a little concerned about how LeeLoo was faring, but apparently we tied all her lines correctly because she was fine when we returned.

                        Wendy Sunning Herself On LeeLoo's Stern While Underway

                                      Captain Hal Driving LeeLoo Down The ICW
 

We were not scheduled to return our rental car until February 2, so the four of us drove to Clearwater Beach and enjoyed being tourists for the day.  It was a beautiful, sunny day in the high 70's.  A real treat for all of us! 

                                                              Clearwater Beach

                                    Carey and Nancy Enjoying The Great Weather!

On February 3, we left Dunedin for St. Petersburg Municipal Marina.  Our cruise took us through many No Wake Zones to protect the Manatees, so it was not a fast trip.  We were hoping to see a Manatee, but no such luck!   We saw a lot of White Pelicans, though.  When we were back on the rivers months ago we saw hundreds of White Pelicans migrating south.  Now we know where they ended up - they just arrived before we did!

We docked at the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina for three nights.  Our slip was a covered slip - a first for us.  We found there were advantages and disadvantages to a covered slip.   The roof of the covered slip was cement and when we entered the slip,our VHF radio antenna got caught up in the roof.  While Captain Cook disengaged the antenna from roof, Hal, Wendy and I held the boat into position so we wouldn't hit the boat next to us.  We finally were able to dock safely and tied LeeLoo to the pilings at her stern and the cleats at her bow.  The first day we were in St. Pete, the weather was warm and beautiful.  The next day, the weather gods were against us and it all changed to cold, rain and wind.  Since we were in a covered slip, LeeLoo stayed dry.  The next morning was sunny and cold!  And since we were in a covered slip, LeeLoo never got any sunlight so she stayed chilly all day.  We decided that if we have a choice, we prefer not to be in a covered slip.

One of the highlights of St. Petersburg was visiting the Salvador Dali Museum which was within walking distance of our dock.  It was a very interesting museum to visit.  Much of his artwork was displayed, along with a whole exhibit about Walt Disney and their work together.

We stayed an extra day in St. Petersburg because of wind and rough water.  When we did leave, we had planned to go to Sarasota, but decided to go right to Venice and spend the night.  It was a cloudy and rainy day, but the cruising went ok.  We had to have a draw bridge open for us and a swing bridge open for us.  That's a first in both case!  LeeLoo is short enough she can usually scoot under any bridge.

                                                   Swing Bridge That Opened For Us!
  Our daughter-in-law's parents (Jean and Dick) live in Venice so we were able to meet up with them for dinner and a visit to their beautiful home.  Hal and Wendy's niece and her boyfriend live nearby, so Hal and Wendy enjoyed dinner with them.  We each went our separate ways for the evening.  A bonus in our visit with Jean and Dick was that our grandson, Andrew, and his aunt, Anne-Marie, flew in for the weekend.  So, we were able to see them.  A nice surprise for Andrew - and us!

                                      Grandson Andrew with Grandma and Papa!

One of the "rules" of being a Looper is that you never have a schedule.  This has proven true because we had planned on anchoring out with Hal and Wendy on our way to Ft. Myers.  Unfortunately, the weather gods were again not in our favor.  Due to a bridge closure on the ICW (Intercoastal Waterway) on our way to Ft. Myers, we will need to cruise out into the Gulf of Mexico.  Right now the Gulf waters are very rough with gale force winds throughout the week.  We are really enjoying Venice while we are here, but disappointed that we can't cruise further with Hal and Wendy.   Wendy and Hal have connected with other family members who live nearby and we are meeting up with them.  Nancy's brother and sister-in-law, Rick and Karen, are spending time at Siesta Key so a visit with them is also planned.  And later in the week, we plan to meet up with other friends who live in Ft. Myers and other friends who are visiting.  While our trip to Ft. Meyers with Hal and Wendy has not gone as planned, we have been very busy and enjoying ourselves!  We will hate to see Hal and Wendy fly back home.  With luck, they will cruise with us again in a few months!

                                    

                Nancy and Carey Overlooking the Gulf - Waiting For The Water To Calm Down!

                 Carey, Nancy, Hal and Wendy At Fisherman's Wharf Marina In Venice