Gulf Shores, Al to Clearwater Beach, Fl The Chronicler is caught in the act. February 10 ~ Saturday ~ The ICW is so pretty here, lined with beautiful homes. Some of them reminded me of the lake house we used to have on Lake Livingston. We crossed Pensacola Bay, Santa Rosa Sound and Choctawhatchee Bay. We saw several dolphins, but they were all busy or on a mission and did not have time to play with us. The birds on this trip have been so funny. We have seen a lot of Great Blue Herons and a lot of water turkeys. I did see one coot, but only one, so far. We passed Fort Walton Beach (several wrecked sailboats) and Destin. There are so many high rise condos! There are big, beautiful homes all through the area. When we reached the east side of Choctawhatchee Bay, we entered Tucker Bayou and were going to anchor there. It was a very secluded, still area with homes scattered along the banks. It was getting dark and we were moving very slowly, watching our depth when we ran aground!! Phil backed us off and it happened again! Once more he backed us into deeper water. A voice on the radio called us and asked if we were the pleasure vessel aground at the entrance to Tucker Bayou. When we answered, the voice said it was very shallow (not news!) and if we had twin screws we could not get into the bayou. We thanked him and moved once again back into Choctawhatchee Bay to anchor. It was not as calm as we would have liked for an anchorage, but it was safe and deep. February 11 ~ Sunday ~ Choctawhatchee Bay The large bays can go from smooth as glass to very choppy in a very short time. We got to Apalachicola about 6:30, just at dusk. The marina was deserted except for a few boats. We tied up at the fuel dock and planned on getting fuel the next morning. We walked into town to Boss Oysters and ate dinner. Jim assured us it was a 5 or 6 block walk, turned out to be about a mile and 1/2 each way! It was a nice walk and, for once, it was not raining or cold. Apalachicola is a charming little town with very friendly people. It is a very old town and has retained its historical buildings and they are still being used as retail space and restaurants. We had breakfast every morning at Delores’ Sweet Shoppe. Delores’ is in a historical building with pressed tin ceilings AND the outside is painted purple. Delores was written up in Travel and Leisure Magazine in 2003 as being famous for her pecan pies. We did not eat the pie because we were always there for breakfast (one has to draw the line!). They did, however, have absolutely wonderful breakfasts, virtually anything you wanted. Delores also makes incredible cinnamon twists. Her cakes, large and small, were beautiful and looked yummy. We met a couple from Mt. Pleasant, Michigan who were staying on St. George Island for five weeks. It was their twelfth year. We visited with them every morning at Delores’. Jim called Apalachicola, radio-free Florida. Our television did not work, our cell phones were off and on and our e-mail worked for some things and not for others. It does have some good restaurants and a place to rent videos! Apalachicola is not without culture, either. The Dixie Theater is downtown and has live performances. The current play was “Smoke on the Mountain”. We did not go. There are two historical homes, the Raney House and the Ormand House. I toured the Ormand House with a docent lead tour which was interesting. The other house is only open on Saturday afternoon and I did not tour. I also went to the Ice Machine Museum. A doctor from Apalachicola invented a machine to make ice to help his patients who were suffering from malaria and yellow fever stay cool during the hot summers. He spent all of his money and his investors’ money, trying to get the machine manufactured. The people from the north who were busy chopping ice away from their homes in the winter thought he was crazy and the ice machine never went into production. He died a broken man. However, he does have a museum and is honored in Apalachicola. We rented a car from the airport, which is a mom and pop business. The planes we saw were all private prop planes, although the airport has three runways and quite a history. During the World War II, several movie stars, including Clark Gable, trained for the Air Force at this airport. Bill and Pat run the airport, refueling planes, renting and delivering cars, guiding pilots for landings and take-offs and, generally, doing anything that needs doing. Bill also raises mallard ducks, just for fun. They have a dog, named Lady that they found 2 years ago, nearly starved to death. Today she is a healthy dog who loves to play with a tennis ball and is very good at catching it! The UPS man brings her a dog biscuit everyday and takes the time to play ball with her. She waits for him each morning. Jim played "Tree Hugger" for a day; a phrase he uses for those who are environmentally conscious and active. We walked the estuary trail near the marina and enjoyed seeing the flora and fauna of the area. We drove to St. George Island and decided we would probably never go there again. There was a gated community at the end of the island with a security guard that we could not drive through. It looked very pretty, but the rest of the island is barren, no trees, just sand, sand, sand. Galveston Island looks like paradise compared to St. George Island. We also drove to Port St. Jo and Indian Beach. We had a nice day. We saw a huge wall of rocks which had been built to protect the road from the sea. We stopped and climbed it to look at the water. When we saw the Gulf, we were very glad we were not crossing on that day. On Saturday night, several new boats arrived at the marina. Two of the boats were going to make the crossing straight to Clearwater Beach, Florida, beginning on Monday afternoon. They invited us to make the crossing with them, but we decided to leave very early Monday morning and go to Anclote Key to anchor. We visited with Jim and Kay (from Alabama on Bench Rest) and Bill and Connie (from Cleveland, Texas on Honi Kei) and their cat, Nick, a couple of times and enjoyed them very much. Nick had an unfortunate experience while in Apalachicola. He managed to fall in, had to be dip-netted out and then blown-dry. I believe it was not his first time in the drink! Such is the life of a sea-cat… February 19 ~ Monday ~ Apalachicola, Florida As it turned out, the weather window did not occur until Monday! The day dawned calm and bright. Phil had been ill, running fever and I was very concerned about the crossing with him feeling so badly. We left Apalachicola about 8:00 am. We headed toward Carrabelle, about a 2 or 2 and ½ hour trip. The water was very choppy, but all right. As soon as we got through Dog Island Pass into open water, the waves were only about 2-3 feet. The problem was that they were quartering on the bow, which means you roll from side to side and up and down. I got seasick, despite the fact that I had on my “fantastic” electronic anti-sea-sickness bracelet. Phil got a couple of scopolamine patches and put one on me and on him. Jim professed to feel fine, but was eating saltine crackers, which made me wonder… I spent the next three hours or so asleep on the floor of the salon. Phil, in the meantime, rallied and became my hero, taking care of me while I was a wuss. I went back to the fly bridge and the water was beautiful. The wind had changed and was on the bow so the rocky, roily business had stopped. I stayed there until it got dark. The stars were so bright, so beautiful! The water was so dark with shadows in the moonlight. Phil assured me I could go to bed and be fine at that time, so I did. When I awoke at 1:30 am, Tuesday, we were almost to Anclote Key. We arrived and anchored about 2: 30 am, eighteen and one half hours after we left Apalachicola. We drank a toast to a successful, uneventful crossing and went to bed. February 20 ~ Tuesday ~ Anclote Key Believe it or not, we were under way again by 8:15 am. We were on our way to Clearwater Beach, Florida to the Clearwater Municipal Marina. The closer we got to Clearwater, the more little islands and shoals appeared. The water was very shallow in places and extremely busy. There were a lot of smaller, fishing boats, a few larger motor yachts and lots of birds. We arrived at the marina at 10:45 am. February 21 ~ 23 ~ Wednesday ~ Thursday ~Clearwater Beach, Florida The circus museum was fascinating. It has the famous clown Emmett Kelly’s costume and make-up, many life-casts of clowns who have been with Ringling Bros and Bailey Circuses. . Thursday we cleaned the boat, washed and stayed around the marina. We saw several dolphins, one of which swam right up to the dock where we were standing, surfaced, looked at us, flipped up out of the water and swam away. He was about six or seven feet long. We were really close! February 23 ~ Friday ~ Clearwater Beach, Florida We caught an early flight for home. We were both so ready to be home for a little while! |
Our Travel Log
Travel Log
For those who don't know who writes
most of the narrative for this blog I
decided to "catch her in the act". This
is your trusty chronicler of our
adventure! I just take the pictures and
edit and can you believe
it--ocassionally elaborating on what
Virginia has written.
Did I mention that the crew works
very hard on the "Harmony"? Here
we seem to be moving right along
with no one at the helm? Thank
goodness for Herman the autopilot
who seems not to need much to eat,
never takes pills, and never
complains about anything. He also
doesn't get seasick!!!!
very hard on the "Harmony"? Here
we seem to be moving right along
with no one at the helm? Thank
goodness for Herman the autopilot
who seems not to need much to eat,
never takes pills, and never
complains about anything. He also
doesn't get seasick!!!!
LuLu’s at Homeport
Marina We left LuLu’s
about 7:45 am. Lulu’s is
owned by the sister of
Jimmy Buffett. She
developed this restaurant
around an island theme
and has live music nightly
with good food and
service. The place was
packed with people on
Friday night and we
enjoyed the party
atmosphere, but retired
early knowing that
tomorrow would be a long
day on the water.
Marina We left LuLu’s
about 7:45 am. Lulu’s is
owned by the sister of
Jimmy Buffett. She
developed this restaurant
around an island theme
and has live music nightly
with good food and
service. The place was
packed with people on
Friday night and we
enjoyed the party
atmosphere, but retired
early knowing that
tomorrow would be a long
day on the water.
As you can see the scenery is
changing from swamps and
marshes to forested lands and
more elevation of the banks. The
five condo buildings pictured are
a single complex with shopping
and parking all contained within
the complex. It is between
Pensacola Beach and Navarro
Beach.
We pulled up anchor and left at
dawn. As we cleared the bay and
got into the ICW again, I was at
the helm. The banks were very
high and wooded
dawn. As we cleared the bay and
got into the ICW again, I was at
the helm. The banks were very
high and wooded
We wondered what was on the other side
of the trees and high banks. We could
see the tops of trees beyond the banks.
We saw a doe and her big fawn, grazing.
Further down the ICW, we saw kids on
four-wheelers riding up and down the
banks. When we got into an area where
the channel was marked with buoys and
markers, it was so interesting because it
had lots of turns and you had to be
careful to follow the channel. I really
loved handling the boat. Phil was on the
fly bridge with me when I ran the boat
aground! I was really glad it had
happened the night before with Phil at
the helm. Phil once again backed us off
and we were on our way.
of the trees and high banks. We could
see the tops of trees beyond the banks.
We saw a doe and her big fawn, grazing.
Further down the ICW, we saw kids on
four-wheelers riding up and down the
banks. When we got into an area where
the channel was marked with buoys and
markers, it was so interesting because it
had lots of turns and you had to be
careful to follow the channel. I really
loved handling the boat. Phil was on the
fly bridge with me when I ran the boat
aground! I was really glad it had
happened the night before with Phil at
the helm. Phil once again backed us off
and we were on our way.
The next leg of our
adventure was crossing the
Gulf of Mexico to Anclote Key
just off Tarpon Springs.
However, the small weather
window we had when we
arrived closed right after we
got to Apalachicola. The next
window was predicted to be
Saturday, at the earliest. It
was Monday… The reason
for the wait for a weather
window is smooth seas and
not much wind. The seas
were predicted to be 6 to 8
feet and we really wanted 1
to 3 feet for a smooth
crossing, me, especially!! We
agreed to wait for a break in
the weather.
adventure was crossing the
Gulf of Mexico to Anclote Key
just off Tarpon Springs.
However, the small weather
window we had when we
arrived closed right after we
got to Apalachicola. The next
window was predicted to be
Saturday, at the earliest. It
was Monday… The reason
for the wait for a weather
window is smooth seas and
not much wind. The seas
were predicted to be 6 to 8
feet and we really wanted 1
to 3 feet for a smooth
crossing, me, especially!! We
agreed to wait for a break in
the weather.
We decided to stay at least a week or two in
Clearwater Beach, sight-seeing, resting,
and to go home for a week or so on Friday.
We cleaned the boat, inside and outside,
did the wash and rented a car for
sight-seeing. Jim decided he had had all the
fun he could stand, so he made plans to fly
home. We took him to the Tampa airport
early on Wednesday, February 21st. Phil
and I went to a leisurely breakfast and then
to the Salvador Dali museum in St.
Petersburg. It was very interesting and we
were glad we went to see it, but we did
decide that Dali is not a favorite of ours.
Clearwater Beach, sight-seeing, resting,
and to go home for a week or so on Friday.
We cleaned the boat, inside and outside,
did the wash and rented a car for
sight-seeing. Jim decided he had had all the
fun he could stand, so he made plans to fly
home. We took him to the Tampa airport
early on Wednesday, February 21st. Phil
and I went to a leisurely breakfast and then
to the Salvador Dali museum in St.
Petersburg. It was very interesting and we
were glad we went to see it, but we did
decide that Dali is not a favorite of ours.
We then drove to Sarasota over
some absolutely magnificent
bridges. We went to John and
Mabel Ringling’s Ca d’Zan and the
circus museums. Ca d’Zan, which
means the House of John, was
the winter residence of the
Ringlings. It took them two years to
build their mansion. It stands as
one of the last of America’s fabled
Gilded Age mansions that
embodied in bricks, stone, and
mortar the fortunes and
predilections of the wealthy few
during the late nineteenth and
early twentieth century. Mabel was
very involved in every aspect of the
planning of the house.
Unfortunately, she only lived in Ca
d’Zan three years before her
sudden death in 1929. John
Ringling married very quickly, but
the marriage was a disaster. He
could not get over the death of his
beloved Mabel and the marriage
ended in divorce. John died in
1936. He bequeathed sixty-six
acres, including Ca d’Zan, to the
state of Florida, as a memorial to
his wife and himself. Today the
house has been restored to its
former glamour. It has its original
furnishings and paintings. The
museum houses an outstanding
collection of paintings. Some of
the artists represented are John
Singleton Copley, Gilbert Stuart,
Rembrandt, and Vermeer.
some absolutely magnificent
bridges. We went to John and
Mabel Ringling’s Ca d’Zan and the
circus museums. Ca d’Zan, which
means the House of John, was
the winter residence of the
Ringlings. It took them two years to
build their mansion. It stands as
one of the last of America’s fabled
Gilded Age mansions that
embodied in bricks, stone, and
mortar the fortunes and
predilections of the wealthy few
during the late nineteenth and
early twentieth century. Mabel was
very involved in every aspect of the
planning of the house.
Unfortunately, she only lived in Ca
d’Zan three years before her
sudden death in 1929. John
Ringling married very quickly, but
the marriage was a disaster. He
could not get over the death of his
beloved Mabel and the marriage
ended in divorce. John died in
1936. He bequeathed sixty-six
acres, including Ca d’Zan, to the
state of Florida, as a memorial to
his wife and himself. Today the
house has been restored to its
former glamour. It has its original
furnishings and paintings. The
museum houses an outstanding
collection of paintings. Some of
the artists represented are John
Singleton Copley, Gilbert Stuart,
Rembrandt, and Vermeer.
Some of you
may have a
hard time
determining
which of the
clowns is
Kelly. Who is
that other
clown
anyway?
may have a
hard time
determining
which of the
clowns is
Kelly. Who is
that other
clown
anyway?
The life-casts were made by a woman
from Texas, named Ruth Chaddock.
They are actual casts of the clowns’
faces, showing their trademark make-up.
from Texas, named Ruth Chaddock.
They are actual casts of the clowns’
faces, showing their trademark make-up.
The most amazing thing was the
miniature circus. The man who made it
worked on it for fifty years. It shows the
circus set-up as it used to be when
they traveled by rail and worked under
the “Big Top”. It shows the dining,
hospital, laundry, shower, animal,
bathroom and dressing room tents. I
was amazed at the detail in the
miniature circus. He even had little
cars from the era parked in the parking
lot.
We had a great day
miniature circus. The man who made it
worked on it for fifty years. It shows the
circus set-up as it used to be when
they traveled by rail and worked under
the “Big Top”. It shows the dining,
hospital, laundry, shower, animal,
bathroom and dressing room tents. I
was amazed at the detail in the
miniature circus. He even had little
cars from the era parked in the parking
lot.
We had a great day
We saw another interesting sight. A
floating chapel came into the fuel dock
to refuel. It was darling, white with a
blue roof and stained glass windows. It
had a sign that said Chapel on the
Bay. People can be married on it.
floating chapel came into the fuel dock
to refuel. It was darling, white with a
blue roof and stained glass windows. It
had a sign that said Chapel on the
Bay. People can be married on it.