Summary of Art and Sandra’s Great Loop Trip on Magoo — May 10, 2010 to April 9, 2011
Great Loop Route
We left Sneads Ferry, NC on May 10th and proceeded North on the ICW beginning our great loop trip. We travelled a total of 6,200+ miles, went through 130 locks, 17 states and, of course, spent the majority of the summer in Canada with its great cruising and crystal clear waters. We managed to do 4 side trips: 1) the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Boldt Castle just past Alexandria Bay, NY; 2) Up the Tennessee River to Chattanooga and back down to Rogersville Alabama; 3) St. Johns River to Blue Springs; and 4) up the Savannah River to the city of Savannah. We also did numerous side trips via rental cars such as Shiloh National Cemetery; the Everglades National Park, Merritt Island National Refuge; Sanibel and Captiva Islands; and the Kennedy Space Center just to name a few. We had family and friends on board 7 times for a taste of boat living and cruising fun (and work!!). Our favorite cruising was in Canada, the Tennessee River, and Florida for its friendly and scenic waterways. After 11 months, Magoo and crew arrived in Sneads Ferry crossing our wake on April 9, 2011. Well, time to get our land legs back!! We will always remember the great folks that we met along the way and the help and support that we gave each other. — Not to forget our children (Kyle and Cassie, and our lovely daughter-in-law Steph) for having watched over the home front freeing us to concentrate on this year long trip. We are so blessed to have such giving and loving children and grandchild; they make our hearts soar.
April 4-9, 2011 (Last “Loop”) Sneads Ferry, NC
April 4-9. We left the dock of Hazzard Marine, Georgetown, SC at 8am. We are exhausted and Artie is trying to get through the day without any painkillers, but we want to move on. There is rain coming in tonight so we want to get to Myrtle Beach, SC before its arrival. —
Visiting tigers at Myrtle Beach, Barefoot Landing
Boardwalk at Barefoot Landing
View across ICW of Barefoot Landing, Myrtle Beach, SC
We docked at Barefoot Landing Marina at 3pm. As soon as we got here, we explored the shops of Barefoot Landing for exercise and found out that there was a show at the Alabama Theatre. Since we enjoy shows so much, we bought two tickets for the evening. It was great!! — We plan to leave here tomorrow with our destination being Bald Head Island. Our friends, John and Kim, have a summer home there and we have made plans to meet them. — Yeahhhh, we are three more cruising days from home.
Shalotte Inlet
NC fishing fleet, a familiar sight in this area
There is no spiral staircase as found in most older lighthouses, but instead a series of ships ladders with a total of 131 steps to the lantern gallery level
At 9:30am (4/6/11) we crossed the North Carolina border at mm 340.9. The Capt’n and I sang soprano and did a little “jig” on the flybridge (on second thought, it was a “big” jig). It feels soooooooooooo good to be back in North Carolina again.
At 2pm we pulled into Baldhead Island’s marina. We met with John at 5 and went to dinner and we caught up with our events of the past year. The next morning it was off to the grocery store and we picked up a few supplies to get us through the next couple of cruising days. It was fun driving a golf cart to the store that John and Kim let us borrow while we are here on Baldhead Island. Later in the afternoon we biked the island which we enjoyed because no vehicles are allowed on Baldhead, just golf carts and bikes. Having said that, we did find that the golf carts are going a bit faster than they did a few years ago. — In the evening we relaxed and had a wonderful home cooked dinner with Kim and John, gracious host and hostess for sure.
Captaining a golf cart on Baldhead Island
John, a fellow Power Squadron member, and the Captain
Peeking at "Magoo" docked at Bald Head Island
Bald Head beach
April 8. Left Baldhead Island at 8:30am. The current is with us going up the Cape Fear River and we are traveling at a good speed (for a trawler :-)). — It is a beautiful sunny day and we can feel the temperature warming up. It feels like North Carolina is happy to have us home and giving us a “warm” welcome; back where we belong!! — We arrived in Wrightsville Beach and docked at noon at the Wrightsville Beach Marina (it’s Azalea Festival Weekend–lots of people). We had a most wonderful surprise!! Two loopers came knocking on “Magoo”; Donna and Greg of “Lady in Red”. We traveled with them through Canada, Lake Michigan, Chicago and the first half of the river system. What a wonderful visit we had and look forward to more get togethers.
The last bridge on our trip (North Topsail)
April 9. Left Wrightsville Beach at 8am. The cruise was wonderfully familiar. It is difficult to believe that we are in our home waters where we have boated for years. Can we really be here after a year? Are we dreaming?? —
No, it was a trip of a lifetime.
As we went by our waterway house I could not contain myself — I started beeping the horn. I beeped it a lot!! Some neighbors came out of their houses waving, shouting, to welcome us back. It was such a thrill; I found a tear or two on my cheek. Then we turned to port into New River and port again into Old Ferry Marina. And for the last time on this trip, we turned Magoo’s “trusty” engine off and heard silence. We looked at each other and said “We did it!! We made it!!” We hugged,oh how we hugged!! We gave each a hearty “high five” and said yet again, “We did it!! — You and me a ‘Magoo’, we did it!! ”
Neighbors along the ICW
More neighbors along the ICW
Entering Old Ferry Marina basin..............
"We Did It!! You, me, and Magoo"
Old Ferry Marina
Welcome Back -- Our first sunset at home!!
April 2-3, 2011 Georgetown, SC
One of many Osprey nests along the Waccamaw River
Old, old boats
Hazzard (not Hazard) Marina, Georgetown, SC
April 2-3. Left the docks of Charleston at 7am before the winds can make casting off more challenging. There is no protection here and it’s prudent to be careful with the winds pushing at our dockage. As usual the Capt’n makes it look easy with his “Lenny” method (bow forward into the dock making the stern move out). — This run reminded us of the river system with the desolate area and muddy waters. About two hours before we docked in Georgetown (3:45pm) the wind blew harder and harder (30 knots). It’s a good night not to anchor, but to be here at Hazzard Marina (with 2 z’s not 1), Georgetown, SC. — Well, it’s better to be here than we thought. Artie has been coughing for a few days (caught another cold), but this time he did “the big cough” and ended up in the ER. And what a great ER here in Georgetown. Every medical person that helped Artie from the doctor, to the nurses, to the clinicians was professional, thorough, and empathetic. We can’t say enough “good stuff” about our experience with this hospital and staff. As it turns out the x-rays were sketchy, but it was either a torn muscle or a hairline cracked rib. Ouch!! The capt’n has some prescriptions that are helping him through the discomfort; isn’t the modern world of chemistry great??
Waccamaw River
March 31-April 1, 2011 Charleston, SC
Back in the Day, if you were a guest in a Southern home such as this, it was a common practice for the host to place a pineapple on the mantle as an expression of welcome. -- If one day you do not see the pineapple on the mantle anymore, that is "the subtle message" that it is time to leave.
"Skinniest" house in Charleston. -- A kind resident let a family build a house in their driveway because they loved this area of Charleston.
St. Philips Church
St. Philips Graveyard (not cemetery-- a graveyard is on church property and a cemetery is not).
March 31-April 1. Weather is questionable, but we’re heading out — t’storms chances are minimal and should not hit until after we dock in Charleston. If we’re not lucky, there is a plan B. — At 3pm docked in Charleston at the municipal marina and all is well. We dodged the rain, but it is windy. This marina is huge with giganteus boats, oops, I mean ships. We have about a half mile of docks to walk to get to the marina office or to shore. Charleston’s downtown is not a walkable distance, there really is very little convenient to the marina but there is a van that will take us into downtown Charleston which we will do tomorrow (April 1). — We met some Heritage East owners at this marina; Shangri-la, Eileen and E. Don Smith from Connecticut. They are considering doing the loop, too; and we feel they have a great boat for it (it’s “Magoo’s” twin).
Charleston. It is the second largest city in the state (largest is the state capital, Columbia). Originally named Charles Towne (1670) after King Charles II of England. It adopted its present name of Charleston in 1783. Charleston is known as the Holy City with the prominence of churches and many steeples dot the city’s skyline. We took a horse and carriage ride to get the flavor of the historic district and did our own walking tour of some of the older homes on Church Street and Meeting Street.
Low Tide
The black bolts on these houses are "earthquake bolts". They were installed to hold the houses together after the earthquake of August 31, 1886.
The stones used to make Charlestons cobblestone streets are not native to this area. They used the ballast of ships to make these beautiful and long-lasting cobblestone streets. "Waste Not Want Not" --
Waterfront Park - this gazebo is a popular setting for weddings in Charleston.
Waterfront Park, Charleston
Our last view of Charlestons skyline as we continue our cruise North.
March 29-30, 2011 Beaufort, SC
Saxton House (1845) -- During the Civil War the Union soldiers occupied this house. -- The stairs on the left are to be used by only women, and the stairs on the right are to be used by only men. The reason is that men were not allowed to look at women's ankles!! It was considered a crime!!!
"The Hanging Tree" -- Our tour guide didn't say it has stopped being used!!??
Secession House (1810)
Thomas Rhett House (1820) is now a Bed and Breakfast
Filmmakers have discovered the photogenic Low Country and every year several major films are shot in communities along South Carolina’s Waterway. The state has been called a movie star. Some of these movies include: “The Patriot” with Mel Gibson (Georgetown), “Cold Mountain” with Nicole Kidman (Charleston), “G.I. Jane” with Demi Moore (Beaufort), “Something to Talk About” with Julia Roberts (Beaufort), and “Forrest Gump” with Tom Hanks (Beaufort).
March 29-30. We’re off again, alone (you, me and Magoo) leaving the dock at 8:30am. It’s cloudy and we’re looking at a rainy week, so progress is questionable. There’s some stretches without marinas; we’ll just take it one day at a time. Today our destination is Beaufort, SC, a place we have not been before. So if we are rained in there, it will give us more of an opportunity to explore the area. — As we move along we pass the famous Parris Island Marine base, built in 1861.
Beaufort, SC is the second-oldest city in South Carolina (chartered in 1711). It is noted for maintaining its historic character with its antebellum architecture. This city has been featured in the New York Times, named “Best Small Southern Town”. — The military’s presence (U.S. Naval Hospital, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, and Parris Island close by) is a significant part of Beaufort.
The capt’n and I took a horse and buggy ride to get the highlights of the town and sampled a few restaurants cuisines. The town has a beautiful waterfront park with lots of shops, restaurants, and beautiful old buildings. — We learned something interesting. We knew that Beaufort, NC and Beaufort, SC had a different pronunciation, but often got it confused. Our tour guide told us a way to remember the difference. Beaufort, SC is BEAUtiful, and that is exactly how your pronounce BEAUfort, SC. Beaufort, NC is pronounced a different way, BOWfort, NC.
Bay and marsh grass next to Beaufort's marina
Tabernacle Baptist Church (1840) -- During the Civil War the tombstones in the graveyard were used for surgical tables.
March 25-28, 2011 Hilton Head, SC
We have some company enjoying our first Hilton Head sunset.
At 8am we left the docks of Savannah when the current was still with us. This river has a very strong current (at 3+ knots) and even though we don’t have very far to go, we left early to utilize the tide/current. — We enjoyed our stay in Savannah with all its history and beautiful buildings not to mention great restaurants (Hueys and Dockside were our favorites). But we won’t miss trying to sleep on the boat here. There is so much waterway traffic going in and out of Savannah’s port that we have been rocking and rolling all night (and we ain’t talking about Elvis). — We almost left Kyle here. The door to his bedroom was closed this morning, so I figured we would let him sleep since last night was especially “rockin’ n roll’n” but Artie said no. Get him up to help us ready the boat. When I knocked on the door and opened it, Kyle was not there!!! My first thought that he went into the hotel and checked in so he could get some sleep, but alas, he was in the gym working out and taking a shower. — Wouldn’t it have been funny if we left the dock without Kyle (thinking that he was sleeping in the bedroom on the boat). Only kidding Kyle :-).
At 9:15 we crossed into South Carolina (yeaahhh!! — only one state away from home). Arrived at Hilton Head Harbor Yacht Basin at noon.
First night sunset Hilton Island, SC
South Beach, Hilton Head
Hilton Head Island is often referred to as the second largest barrier island on the eastern seaboard after Long Island and is shaped like a shoe. Its total area is 55.5 square miles. The beginning of Hilton Head as a resort started in 1956. The year-round population is 47,821, but during the peak of summer vacation the population swells to 275,000. So, I think that visiting this island in March was absolutely perfect with a comfortable amount of people. — What’s interesting about such a small island is the unusual number of cultural opportunities it offers (Broadway-quality plays, symphony orchestra, the largesst annual outdoor tented wine tasting even on the east coast and other annual community festivals). — Hilton Head is known for its commitment to the eco system. An environmentalist (Charles Fraser) changed the configuration of the marina at Harbour Town to save an ancient live oak (we could see this tree from where we docked). This oak is known as the Liberty Oak. Generations of children have watched singer/song writer Gregg Russell perform under the tree for over 25 years.
Setting the toddler style wearing some groovy sunglasses w/Daddy looking on.
Enjoying lunch "Isabel style" as Mommy looks on (photo compliments of Cassie)
Looks like a "hairy" fun time!!
At 5:30 Steph, Isabel and Cassie arrived to spend the weekend with us before taking Kyle back “to the real world”. — We had a great visit and wonderful just to be together again (it has been a long trip). Isabel enjoyed the huge playground and also had her own “chariot” to bike ride with us. It was an enjoyable family outing on bikes and ended at the South Beach area of Hilton Head where we had a yummy lunch. — Kyle, Steph and Isabel stayed at the Harbor Town Inn where Cassie, Artie and Sandra joined them. We all ordered room service. Ahhhh, the bonuses of “civilization”.
This is one of the nicest stops of the trip (maybe it could have something to do with the company :-)).
Sunday noon we said our good-byes; “bye bye”. It sure was quiet when our babies (young and old) left us by ourselves on Magoo. Just you and me and Magoo again………………
Monday (rainy day) we did chores on the boat, got some provisions, laundry, and the blog (of course). We are readying ourselves to start moving again tomorrow. Rain has settled in and we’ll be making our way through the raindrops. It’s all good though, cause we’re almost home.
The "Magoo Crew" at Hilton Head
March 22 – 24, 2011 (Georgia) Walburg Creek anchorage, Isle of Hope, and Savannah
Low Country Sunset, Walburg Creek anchorage, GA
Low Country Sunrise on Walburg Creek anchorage, GA
Low Country (GA)
Fenders have a second use on the hook (footstool).
Pulling the anchor up and leaving Walburg anchorage
March 22. Woke up this morning at the Walburg Creek anchorage where Kyle made a magnificent breakfast. Pancakes (with bananas, pears, and oatmeal added to the batter), and a boat in the “boon-docks” necessity, spam. Yea, we had pancakes (healthy) and spam (well, spam is spam). — After that hardy breakfast, we pulled the anchor up and were on our way at 9:24am. Our destination today is Isle of Hope Marina. This marina is a member of the AGLCA, so it will be a welcoming port. We were tied up by the owners of the marina at 1:30pm; red carpet treatment. — The name of this town is Isle of Hope, which can lead you to believe that it is an island, but it is not really an island. It is a sandy peninsula with a high bluff looking over Skidaway Island. According to the web, the name Isle of Hope is biblical and means “house of mercy”. The total area of this town is 2.1 sq. miles (kind of makes me wonder how we found it). An interesting bit of history back in the Civil War is that General Sherman and his troops came to town. He had little respect for organized religion (according to historians) and so he had the bell of the town’s Methodist Church melted in order to make some badly needed cannonballs. — Some film productions were made here and included: “Glory” (an Oscar winner), “Cape Fear” (the original), “Forrest Gump”, and “The Last Song”.
March 23. At 8am we untied the lines from the docks of the marina (Isle of Hope) and we are on our way to Savannah, GA. Beautiful morning, low wind. The current is working with us by moving us forward to our destination (and saving fuel, too :-)). We docked at the Hyatt in Savannah at noon, had lunch, then we hopped a trolley to get acquainted with the city. Beautiful old buildings. It was a small miracle that Sherman didn’t destroy this city with all its history. Sherman wanted to make cannonballs out of the church bells here, too, but the ladies of Savannah contacted the President and that was the end of that!! Sherman and his troops didn’t do too much damage; although they did mar the cemetery by breaking a lot of the headstones. —
The old and the new
Commercial traffic on the Savannah River
Kyle boat shopping on the downtown Savannah dock
Savannah is the largest city in Georgia (established in 1733), and people from here are called “Savannahians”. Today its downtown district is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the US attracting millions of tourist every year. — We learned that Johnny Mercer was born here; didn’t know that. Thinking about the songs that he wrote were a very happy part of our youth: “Moon River”, “Jeepers Creepers”, “Days of Wine and Roses”. — Another very famous lady was born here; Juliette Gordon Low (founder of the Girl Scouts of America). Some believe that Savannah was named after the Shawnee Indians, the local Indians in this area. Another belief is an English term “savanna”, which is a type of tropical grass. — One of Savannah’s largest employers is the International Paper (we can attest to that company being here by the aroma when the wind blows a certain way–“phewww”), and Gulfstream Aerospace company (maker of private jets). Of course, the port is big business here, too, maybe the biggest judging from the amount of big container ships going in and out of the port.
Talmadge Memorial Bridge - spans the Savannah River from Savannah, GA to South Carolina
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
Alter of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
March 24. We slept a little later today. When we woke up, who did we find as a neighbor to our starboard but a dredger. It snuck in last night when we were asleep. This river’s normal depth is 12 foot but with the all the container ships coming into port, they dredge the river to depth of approximately 40 feet.
River Street, Savannah at Sunrise (our last morning) -- Kyle took this beautiful picture.
Leaving Savannah -- what a GREAT stay!! Even with the rocking and rolling hindering our sleep on the river.
March 19-21, 2011 Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island), Jekyll Island, and anchorage in Walburg Creek, Georgia
Low Country - Jekyll Island, GA
Jekyll Island
Co-Captains
Dolphins welcoming Kyle 🙂
Tow Boat US "Out of Service" -- Grounded -- Gotta wait for the next tide here in Jekyll Island, GA
3's Company -- Aaarrrggghhh!!!
Looks Like We Have Company.......
These wild horses are called "Marsh Tackies" and were left long ago by the Spaniards. --Little Cumberland Island, GA
Sunset Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island), GA
March 19. Kyle took the Amtrak from Cary to Jacksonville last night and arrived at the boat at 7am sharp. After lots of hugs, we were under way. Today is our last day in Florida. It’s been a great state to visit with lots of diversity. I can see why Carole and Sonny come back to Florida for several months every winter; and it’s more than just the warm weather. — We docked at Fernandina Harbor Marina, Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island) at 2:15pm. Not too bad since we were bucking the current all the way. — WOW, there are 9 ft. tides here. I’m glad to say that we have floating docks at this marina. About a half hour before we arrived at the marina we hit ground several times. The captain quickly backed off and moved to the side watching the 2nd depth finder very carefully. It’s actually a fish finder which shows the bottom and alerts us when the ground rises up or down. We’re okay, but this area is tricky. — Oh, oh, we’re in trouble. Kyle and Artie are reading about the town of Fernandina Beach and found out that they are big on fudge here. Oh, fudge!!! — We were good; no fudge today, but we did find a good restaurant and enjoyed the local fresh seafood.
Bridge Over Low Country -- Jekyll Island Bridge, GA
One of the quaint cottages on Jekyll Island 🙂 (Jekyll Island Club)
Another Quaint Cottage on Jekyll Island
Kyle bidding farewell to Jekyll Island, GA
March 20. We arrived at Jekyll Harbor Marina at approx. 2:30pm. As soon as we filled up with fuel and docked, we rode bikes around the island for several hours. The Jekyll Island is 7 miles long and 1 1/2 miles wide. — The history here is interesting enough. Beginning in the late 1800’s Jekyll Island became an island for the rich and famous (i.e. Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Pulitzers to name a few). There is a historic area where there are many homes/buildings from that time in history (big ones). — This island was a playground for this elite group for about half a century. Then, as the story goes, there were rumors that German U-Boats were off the coast of Georgia. Then in 1942 a cargo ship was sunk nearby. The elite population deserted the island and left it to weather away. — In 1947 Georgia purchased the island and various investors worked at restoring what was left. Today Jekyll Island is alive and well and a great place to live and visit.
On the back of the boat Artie and Kyle bravely grilled the steaks for dinner. I say bravely because here in Georgia there are no-see-ums. As a matter of fact, I call them “GORILLA No-See-Ums” because you can definitely SEE these “NO-See-Ums”; that’s a fact! Hmmmm, does this mean that they are “YES-SEE-UMS???? — With 1,300 acres of tidal marshlands it’s easy to SEE why there are so many of these critters and why they are sooo big.
9' Tides Left These Boats High and Dry
March 21. Kyle and Mama took the lines in and the Capt’n revved up Magoo’s engine and pulled away from the docks. We are on our way again (8am). — We need to anchor tonight because there are no marinas on this part of the waterway. It was a long uneventful day and we are anchored at Walburg Creek (4pm). We’re pretty satisfied with this anchorage for two reasons. First, it is wide (away from the marshland and the no-see-ums). Two, we have a 15 foot depth and only two hours to go until low tide; so we won’t find ourselves grounded in the morning. We did good. Most of the areas here are shallow and tricky with the 9 ft. tides. 🙂 No worries tonight!!
"I stand corrected. You're on Oak." (quote)
Low Country Shrimp Boats
March 14-18, 2011 St. John’s River, FL
Narrow Anchorage, "eh?"
Buffalo Bluff Bridge
Reflections of "Magoo" on the Snake River Cutoff
A Foggy Morning on Snake River Cutoff
March 14. Last night (March 13) we anchored on Murphy Creek off of the St. Johns River. It was a nicely protected anchorage and very quiet. A few small fishing skiffs came through and waved. Artie wanted to take a swim off the back of the boat; oh no… he no sooner said that when a 6 ft. alligator swam by. After that he agreed to stay in the boat. Good decision!! — We sat on the back of the boat and watched mother nature in her glory as the sun set; a quiet night on the river. We got up early this morning (6:30am) to cruise 50 miles to River Forest Loop where we will anchor again. — It’s a beautiful but a chilly morning. — Shortly after our setting under way we came to a railroad bridge (Buffalo Bluff Bridge). Try saying that first thing in the morning on the radio to request an opening so that we could pass through. — This river is the longest in Florida and has springs that you can get to from there ( Alexander Springs, Salt Springs, Blue Springs to name a few). Cruised across Lake George (the largest lake off of the St. Johns River). The depths varied and caution is needed. — Are we on a jungle cruise?? That’s what it seems like with all the moss hanging from the trees, dense forest, alligators, and yes, we saw a snake, too. Mmmmmm, sort of feels like “Deliverance”, there goes my imagination…. — We anchored 4:30pm, so it’s been a long day. Snakes or no, we’ll sleep tonight.
Abandoned fish cabin
March 15. We pulled the anchor up from River Forest Loop at 7:30pm and cruised a short distance to Snake Creek Cutoff just outside of Blue Springs Park (the largest spring in Florida). After “mediterranean” anchoring (our first time anchoring this style), we put the dinghy in the water and went to the spring. We spotted a group of some interesting looking fish (Florida Gar fish) along with several manatees. The water was beautifully clear with trees hanging over dripping with moss. Very scenic. The water was 72 degrees, a little chilly but refreshing.
March 16. We pulled anchor up at 8:30am and we’re on our way again (Good bye Snake Creek). We are returning to Jacksonville to meet with Kyle. We have two days to get back, so “getty up Magoo.” — We anchored at 5:13pm (Murphy’s Creek again, it’s familiar and familiar is good after a long day). Time to relax.
Looks like we found a favorite local swimming hole with rope swing and ladder. -- But from our observation, watch out for the gators!!
A row team on the St. Johns River; reminiscent of the Charles River, Boston
Weekend warriors on the St. Johns River
A Green St. Patrick's Day, Jacksonville, FL
March 17. Rise and shine at 7am sharp, pulled the anchor up and we’re on our way again. Weather was good with little wind. We made good time and we pulled into Jacksonville at 5pm just in time for the St. Patrick’s Day festivities at downtown’s Landings. The celebration is taking place just steps from the boat.
Springs
"Gorilla" Lily Pads
Two threesomes at Blue Springs Park
March 18. Cleaning and reprovisioning the boat for “the rest” of the trip. Kyle will be boarding tomorrow to see us through the rest of Florida, Georgia, and into South Carolina. Georgia will be tricky with the 8 ft. tides, so Kyle is an especially welcomed addition to our crew of 2.
"Tick Tock, Tick Tock" -- "Where's Capt'n Hook?"
March 9-13, 2011 (St. Augustine and Jacksonville, FL)
St. Augustine, FL - view from the waterway.
Just another pretty face
Lightner Museum and City Hall, Augustine, FL
St. Augustine Lighthouse
St. Augustine Cathedral (Basilica Tower)
St. Augustine Cathedral (it took five years to build and the construction was complete in 1797). It is now a historic landmark.
March 9-10. Left the docks of Daytona Beach at 7:30am heading to St. Augustine. We are cruising the Palm Coast. We’ve never seen such a jungle of palm trees; they have grown so close together that you couldn’t walk through the wooded area. Now that’s a lot of palm trees considering they have no branches on their sides (all their growth is on top). — The wind blew up as we approached St. Augustine at 2:30pm hitting 25mph making it bumpy to dock.
St. Augustine:
Inn and Restaurant, St. Augustine, FL
A doorway on St. George Street, St. Augustine, FL
A side street in St. Augustine, FL
Explored in 1513 and founded in 1565 by the Spanish it is the oldest continuously occupied European established city and port in the continental United States, earning its nickname “Ancient City”. Officially Florida became a U.S. possession in 1821 and gained statehood in 1845. There is so much history here with beautiful and well-maintained buildings. — Florida School for the Deaf and Blind is located here, and we heard an interesting story about Ray Charles. He attended this school from 1937-45 learning classical music and Braille, but he was a bit of a rascal. Charles was more interested in jazz. He used to sneak out at night and get into “mischief” by playing at various bars which was frowned upon. He did it so often they kicked him out, and it didn’t take him long to become famous with his wonderful new style of music.
Homes on the Waterway between St. Augustine and Jacksonville, FL
St. Augustine Municipal Marina
A close-up
Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL
———————–
Jacksonville, FL skyline
Jacksonville's 15K race over Main Street Bridge (not sure if it's 15K "people" or "distance"
Jacksonville's port
A little local "color" --- "Hooping" (as in hula) at Jacksonville's Farmer's Market/Art Festival -- I like the hair!!
March 11. At 7:15am we left the docks of St. Augustine. The temperature has dipped to 30 degrees, “brrrrrrr.” Where did the 70’s/80’s go?? — After a bumpy cruise we arrived in Jacksonville, FL 2:30pm. At last we are on the St. John’s River. Oh my goodness, where have we docked. After tying the lines, we got off the boat and lo and behold what should appear but a micro brewery. Me thinks we are in trouble. — We got a call from “Breaking Away”, these are Loopers that we last saw on the Illinois River. We had a reunion at guess where– happy hour at the micro brewery (see, I knew we were in trouble).
March 12. We decided to stay another day to see the sights of Jacksonville. There is a 15K race (mini marathon), a farmers market where we were able to get some needed fresh produce (our timing is good since there’s no grocery store within biking distance), and a mall (Landings of Jacksonville). What a wonderful bike ride along the shore of the St. Johns River. Jacksonville, Florida (nickname is the River City) is the largest city in the state and the 13th largest in the U.S. It was named after Andrew Jackson who we know was President (7th), but he was also the first military governor of the Florida Territory. Some of the oldest pottery was found here dating back to 2500 BC.
March 13. At 8pm (but it’s really 7am since we turned the clocks ahead for daylight savings time last night) we left the docks of Jacksonville. We are on our way to cruise and explore the St. Johns River. This is something that we have talked about doing for 20 years but somehow never got to it. Well, we’re getting to it now. — This river is the longest in Florida and has springs that you can get to from there ( Alexander Springs, Salt Springs, Silver Springs and Wekiwa Springs to name a few). After 8 hours of travel we anchored on Murphy Creek off of the St. Johns River.
Our last view of Jacksonville as we leave at Sunrise
March 2-8, 2011 (Titusville and Daytona Beach, FL)
Sunset in Titusville, FL, and what a sunset!!
Merritt Island Refuge
Merritt Island Refuge
What is this red beauty?? Merritt Island Refuge, FL
“Snowy” is looking for lunch….
Merritt Island Refuge
A bunch of Coots! Honest!!!! (not Ol’ Coots)
Merritt Island Refuge
Wood Stork (not Woodstock) — Largest native U.S. wading bird with a 5′ wing span.
A little Florida History: The early pioneers in Florida were called “Crackers” and this term is still used for Floridians whose families trace back to the original settlers. Some historians believe it was from the cattle industry that began in this state 500 years ago. These ranchers had a unique way of herding the cattle. They used long whips made of braided leather that made a loud “crack” sound to drive the cattle. So Florida cowboys were called “Crackers”. Today there is a breed of horse called a Florida Cracker horse with ancestry to the Spanish stock brought in the 1500’s. — Florida Crackers had their own pioneer culture and language. Life was tough in the outposts of Florida at the turn of the century. Mosquitoes were called “swamp angels.” “Low-bush-lightning” was the Cracker term for moonshine during Prohibition. And supper for these Cracker pioneers included: “cooters” (soft-shelled turtles), “piney-woods rooter” (wild hog), and “scrub chicken” (gopher tortoises). I say bon a petit — NOT.
Brown Pelican has an expected life span of 40 years. From fossil records we have learned that Pelicans have been around for 40 million years. — Surely a good design.
March 2. Left Melbourne docks at 8:30am. Wind coming from the Northeast, which is good. We won’t be getting the fumes from the fires to the North of us as we head to Titusville.
March 3. We picked up a rental a car and went to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (adjacent to Kennedy Space Center). We saw some beautiful Florida birds, but we were disappointed that we didn’t see the Roseate Spoonbill (hope to see one before we leave Florida).
March 4. Today we went to the Kennedy Space Center. It rained, but we got through it fairly well. We must admit that we enjoyed Huntsville, AL Rocket and Space Museum a little better (maybe it was the company–Cassie was with us). —
In 1965 when The Vehicle Assembly Building was constructed, it was the largest building in the world. Each stripe on the American flag logo uses 6,000 gallons of paint. Today, it is not the largest building, but it still claims the largest doors.
VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) at Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, FL
Apollo Rocket
March 6. We woke up this morning and there was a manatee hanging around next to our boat. It’s the first time we’ve seen one outside of a park setting. Having said that, they are a little
tricky to spot since they spend quite a bit of time under water and only come up every so often to get some air. If the water is very calm, you can see the water swirling, but the water has not been calm very often as of late.
Space Shuttle
External Fuel Tank and Solid Fuel Rocket for Space Shuttles
March 7. Readying to move again tomorrow, but first we went to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame where we saw the largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia. Then we took a ride to Port Canaveral and got acquainted with the area.
The Palm Coast — Look at how thick the Palm trees are growing here. I wouldn’t want to try to walk through this forest!
March 8. We left the docks of Titusville at 7:30am trying to get a jump on the wind. It has been blowing for a week now and it doesn’t look like it’s going to let up, but we have to get moving again. We have a date with Kyle in Jacksonville after cruising the St. John’s River and we don’t want to be late. —
Arrived at Daytona Beach and what timing. It’s “Bike Week” here and I don’t mean the bicycle type of bike, but rather the big boys — “Motorcycles”. We rode our bikes downtown and what a show of bikes!!
Can you tell that it’s “Bike Week” in Daytona Beach, FL?
“Monkeying Around” — Bike Week at Daytona Beach, FL
Looks like Redneck Fishin’ !!!
February 23 – March 1, 2011 Fort Myers to Melbourne, FL
Fog lingering at Fort Myers Yacht Basin Marina as we depart.
Anhinga, also called "SNAKEBIRD" -- Only its head and long curved black neck show above the water, looking like a dark upright snake. Another name for this bird is WATER TURKEY with their long fanned tail
February 23. After being docked here for 2 1/2 months, we are leaving Fort Myers. It was a great place to be with lots of diversity within the city itself, and close to interesting areas where we could drive to with a rental car (not to mention warm weather). We may come back someday. We left the docks of Fort Myers Yacht Basin at 8:30am allowing for the fog to dissipate to a safe level. As we left Fort Myers and traveled the Okeechobee Waterway the landscape turned to more of a country setting. Our destination is Moore Haven City. We traversed two locks (W.P. Franklin and Ortona Locks) and arrived in Moore Haven at 5pm. We met Lady Royal on the way (another Looper) and will probably travel with them for the next couple of days. — On this trip we have only three more locks to go. I’m embarrassed to say that we have lost count, but on this trip we went through over 125 locks, some being 100 feet deep and we wondered “where’s the sun”. When we look back on this trip we are amazed at all that we saw and did, and now it is coming to an end. Is it really almost a year?
No, this is not a blooming bush in the water. It is a bunch of Egrets having a pow wow.
Hello Ms. Cow. Passed by many farms on the Okeechobee Waterway. (Okeechobee Waterway is man-made and extends from Fort Myers to Stuart or from the West Side of Florida to the East Side.)
February 24. Left the docks of Moore Haven at 9:30pm; again we waited for the fog to lift. It was a very enjoyable cruise down the Okeechobee Waterway with all the 
wild water birds and yes, lots and lots of alligators, too. We could see the alligators on the rim route and when we approached, they ducked under the water. It was great fun seeing how many alligators we could spot just above the surface of the water before they went under again. We saw at least 25. — Needless to say, Artie didn’t go swimming this morning. We took the rim route to Clewiston and then crossed the Lake Okeechobee toward Port Mayaca. Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in Florida and seventh largest in the United States covering 750 miles (half the size of Rhode Island). It is exceptionally shallow with an average depth of 9 ft. — Indiantown Marina is our destination for tonight. We went 
through two more locks today: the Moore Haven and Port Mayaca Locks; docking at 3pm. Around 5:00pm we were walking to the marina office and we saw a group of people and wondered why they were looking up at the sky. And then we heard “there it is!” It was purely by accident that we saw the last Discovery shuttle take off. The space shuttle program is retiring and there’s at least one and perhaps two more shuttles left to go.
Cypress Trees on the Rim Route of the Okeechobee Waterway
Orange Orchard along the Okeechobee Waterway. The smell of the blossoms is wonderful as we cruise along.
February 25. Left the docks of Indiantown early morning with Lady Royal.
Last Lock on this trip (St. Lucie Lock). ---
Shipwreck? Or Perch on Lake Okeechobee..... (only 6 ft. depth)
Rim Route (Come on Magoo, we're going home).
Fishing Fleet on the Okeechobee Waterway
HOORAYYYYY! WE WENT THROUGH THE LAST LOCK OF THIS TRIP (ST. LUCIE LOCK), we think…. We arrived at Stuart’s Sunset Bay Marina and Anchorage with Sam greeting us and helping us with our lines. This was an especially friendly Marina; it was a large marina, but they treated you like a small marina (personal attention). We called Mrs. Greany to make a date for tomorrow. She is the mother of our “best man” (best friend, Pete).
Love Birds
Mrs. Greany and the Captain
February 26. We left the marina at 11:30am to meet Mrs. Greany. Sam, the manager of the marina, made sure that we had a ride right to her door. It has been 33 years since we have seen Mrs. Greany and we are so looking forward to our reunion. When we knocked on the door, she opened it and it was big hugs all around. What an incredible woman!! She shared with us that she is now 91, and she’s just as bright as a new penny. We had a wonderful visit with her and met her sister, Lois and her husband (Mike), who were in town from Massachusetts. After a visit at her home, we left for the marina for lunch and a tour of “Magoo”. We had a wonderful time and it didn’t seem like it’s been 33 years at all.
Sunset at the Sunset Bay Marina, Stuart, FL
February 27. Carole and Sonny came to visit us. Stuart is having an Art festival and Carole and I found some really nice jewelry and a fantastic clothing store (but everything we liked was not in our size or color which Artie and Sonny seemed pretty happy about). Oh well, next time, right Carole! 🙂
A museum in Stuart, FL
Stuart, FL
Stuart, FL
February 28. Left the docks of Sunset Bay Marina and Anchorage, Stuart, Fl at 8:30am. Today we have a 50 mile jaunt and hope to avoid the rain that is coming our way. — “Phewww” — that was a close one. Just after we left Stuart we went under the Roosevelt Bridge, and then we got a radio call from the bridge attendant to adjust our course by taking a hard left NOWWWWWWW! Which we did. We were about to run aground. What happened is buoy #23A was missing, which made our heading to the shallow water. Wow!! That was a close one. Thank you bridge tender. Shortly after this episode, we heard the coast guard call a securite that buoy #23A was missing; better late than never. — As we moved along and reading the charts, we found we were approaching “Hell Gate”. Oh no, I thought we left all those zig zag narrow channels with its rocks up in Canada. Time for another cup of coffee to keep us sharp!! — Arrived Vero Beach at 3pm. Got our bikes off the boat and went to check out the beach. Pretty nice. We had a nice dinner on the beach at Mulligan’s Restaurant, after dinner we rode our bikes to Boardwalk Ice Cream. The Boardwalk was there but the Ice Cream was closed 😦 — We ain’t in Canada anymore (ice cream at every stop, except anchorages, of course).
March 1. We left the Vero Beach docks at 8:25am heading North. When we got out onto the water we were surprised that it was windy so early in the day. After 4 hours, we docked in Melbourne at 12:30pm where “Smiley” took our lines (enough said). We took the bikes off the boat after lunch and explored the town. Hey, we found ice cream!!
Artie at outside restaurant, Vero Beach, FL
Duct tape to the rescue!! Example of everyday living boat style!! 🙂
Vero Beach, FL
January 31 – February 22, 2011 Fort Myers and Southwest Florida
A statue of Thomas Edison in front of the first Banyan tree that he planted in the United States (It is now the 3rd largest in the world!!)
If anything is close to the banyan tree, it will be covered/ strangled in time. Yikes!!
What tree takes up almost an acre of ground and has more trunks than a herd of elephants? — It’s the banyan tree that Thomas Edison planted in Fort Myers, FL (1925) at his estate on McGregor Blvd. This tree (a gift from Harvey Firestone) is the first banyan tree planted in the US. At the time of planting it was 4 ft. tall; now it covers almost an acre and is the third largest in the world. — Also, Thomas Edison shares responsibility for Fort Myers’ nickname “City of Palms”. He planted about a dozen or so Royal Palm trees in front of his winter home on McGregor Boulevard that are now 75 feet tall. Following suit, the city of Fort Myers planted more and more and more and more palm trees, earning this nickname.
Fig Tree in Edison's Backyard on the Caloosahatchee River
Up A Tree!
Over the past few weeks we rented a car and made our way to Naples, Marco Island, Fort Myers Beach, and the Everglades. We have found so many places that we are enjoying, and especially the wild life. The birds are spectacular here in Florida and we find ourselves taking lots of pictures. We’ve seen two more parades right in front of our docked boat; what could be more convenient. It seems like there is always something going on here. The past weekend was the Edison Lights parade and an antique car show with over a hundred cars along with an arts and craft fair.
Thomas Edison's winter estate in Fort Myers, FL (on McGregor Boulevard and the Caloosahatchee River)
Bananas growing in Thomas Edison's backyard.
Flowers
Flowers
Oranges
Even the Ibis come to visit Edison's estate
EDISON WAS SO AHEAD OF HIS TIME: The electric car appealed to Edison because it was cheap to operate, easy to control and safer than cars with gasoline engines. Between 1900-1910 Edison and his staff developed a better storage batter for use in electric cars. By 1910 most cars were gasoline powered yet the use of the alkaline storage batteries in electric delivery wagons and tractors was a great success because they were used for short runs around the city and factory yards. -- The military became interested in Edison's battery which found its way to the U.S. Navy because of the storage battery's steady, long-lived charge giving submarines a longer underwater range.
What If The U.S. Had Listened to Edison? I Wonder How Our World Would Be Today.
Everyone Loves a Parade!!
Practicing for Clown College
Oh, oh! Who's driving this rig? A long parade day for this little fellow.
Odes to Edison
Edison Light Parade
Painted Bunting. Corkscrew Swamp, Naples, FL
Corkscrew Swamp
Little Blue Heron
Yummy Lunch
Everglades City (including the Everglades)
Anhinga (Viewed in the Everglades)
Osprey in Nest (Everglades). -- Ospreys mate for life and come back to the same nest and add more materials to the nest to raise their new family. Over time, the nest can weigh as much as half a ton.
Historic Ole Indian Trading Post, established in 1906. Note the slant of the counter, designed to accommodate the ladies "hoop" skirts. This store traded with Indians and settlers alike, including furs, fabrics, soaps, anything that you may need. The building included a post office.
Replica of Indian dugout canoe; stored under Smallwood Trading Post just outside of the Everglades.
Rod and Gun Club, Everglades City
Alligator City………………………………………………..
Surprise, surprise. These pictures were taken just outside of the Everglades and are actually located across the street from homes!! Yikes!! THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD!! And my oh my, what BIG teeth they have!! :-O
Peek-a-Boo, I see you, now I'm outa' here!!
My, what big eyes you have!!
A family portrait.
Meet "Smiley"!! He's admiring his good looking reflection! -- Ahhhh, you handsome devil!!
Oh no!! I'm seeing double!!!!
Ready or not, here I come!!!!
Ain't I "Purrrty"!
"What's Over There?"
(Cormorant) I'm not trying to scare you, just drying my wings.
January 20-30, 2011, Delray Beach, FL
Jan 20 – 30. Joining Carole and Sonny on their winter vacation in the Delray Beach area.
Delray Beach, FL
Yield: Bird Landing
.
BUTTERFLY WORLD, Coconut River, FL. The first and largest Butterfly House in the United States.
BUTTERFLY WORLD, Coconut River, FL. The first and largest Butterfly House in the United States.
Ahhhhh! Don't stop! These new feathers are itchy!
How 'bout a Big Kiss!!
Circus at the County Fair
No Quarters Required
Yester'year Hunt & Fish Camp
Grub's on at the Camp
A'ya -- Nope, don't think you can get there from here..........
Pirate Festival, Gasparilla Invasion, a celebration in Tampa, FL. It’s a fun day where the world’s only fully-rigged pirate ship (The Jose Gasparilla) appears in Tampa’s Hillsborough Bay with a multitude of leisure crafts who are coming to defend the city. Lots of fun, lots of beads thrown to spectators, and lots and lots of pirates. What unique pirate costumes. This celebration took place on the water, and on the streets with a colorful parade (over 100 floats and 6 miles long). Karen and Sam initiated this trip to Tampa for the festivities, and with 500,000 spectators Karen planned the logistics of getting in and out without a hitch!! After the parade, it took us no more than 15 minutes to be on the road back home! Karen, you are brilliant (and Sam, you’re pretty good, too). Awesome day.
The Jose Gasparilla approaching the city of Tampa (canons were just fired, see the smoke at the bow and aft of the boat, and look at all those pirates!! "Arrrrgh"
Arrrrgh!!! A few pirates, eh!!
Karen & Sam (on the left). Logistics Gurus, and fun people!!
Ahoy!! It's Captain Morgan!!
"Boat Soup"
Jeepers Creepers -- Where'd you get those Peepers?
Next Day, we’re off to Manatee Park, Fort Myers.
Manatee Park
My Hero!! (Don't tell him that the alligator is plastic!! :-))
It was a great week spent with Carole and Sonny; lots of variety, too. Thanks guys!!
"Walking Mangrove Trees" -- They don't walk fast, but they do walk!!!!
Fort Myers, FL and Vicinity, January 6 – 19, 2011
Sanibel Beach, FL --
Cloudy Sunset from Deck of "Magoo", docked at Fort Myers Yacht Basin
"City of Palms" - Fort Myers
"City of Palms" - Fort Myers
Fort Myers and Vicinity
January 6 – 13. Back to Florida and on the boat again. — Wow, glad to be here in Florida. The second week in January Florida was the ONLY state that did not have any snow!! — Yes, we are still doing “The Great Loop” but it feels more like “The Great Pause”. Since we are staying in one place here in Fort Myers and relaxing or going at a slower pace (a huge contrast to the constant movement of the past eight months). — While we are “pausing” we will post pictures of the places we go and the things we see. We plan on moving North the second week in February.
Florida (The Sunshine State) Ponce de Leon named this region “La Florida” and means “Flowery Land”. It’s said that he landed in the Spring when the vegetation was in bloom. — Did you know that Florida has the second longest coastline in the U.S. (approximately 1350 miles — the longest is Alaska with 6640 miles). 
Historic River District, Fort Myers, FL
Historic River District, Fort Myers, FL
The historic section of Fort Myers (known as “City of the Palms”) which is located on the Caloosahatchee River. Caloosahatchee is pronounced “Kuh loo sah HACH ee” and we still stumble when trying to pronounce it. It is an Indian word believed to mean “river of the Calusa” (Calusa is the name of the Indians originally living in this area). 
We are docked at the Fort Myers Yacht Basin located in historic downtown Fort Myers, also called the downtown River District. This marina is walking distance to parks, restaurants, theaters and stores making it a great place to stay. The people who run the place are pretty nice, too. You could say that they run a “tight ship”.
"Rumors" -- A Floating Hair Salon at the Fort Myers Yacht Basin Marina
As we get acquainted with Fort Myers, one of the things we couldn’t help to notice was the consistent names of businesses and parks, such as: Edison Bridge, Edison National Bank, Edison Celebration of Art, Edison Park, Edison Congregational Church, Edison Restaurant, Edison Mall and so on and so on. It didn’t take long to find out that Thomas Alva Edison is one of the most famous Fort Myers residents, or I should say winter resident (total of 30 winters). You know, the famous inventor who was most noted for inventing the light bulb and phonograph (or should I say the “pre-stereo” for those of you who don’t know what a phonograph is). He was also responsible for inventing the dictaphone and mimeograph (the beginning of copy machines). In addition to all these wonderful inventions Edison created the Vitascope which was the beginning of the silent motion pictures. Then in 1903 he blended audio with the silent movie and thus evolved the “talking” movies, referred to as “talkies”. Wow, huge accomplishments!! And to think that as a child he couldn’t talk until he was almost 4 years old. It’s said that if he were a child today psychologists would diagnose Edison with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and put on the drug Ritalin. Kind of makes you wonder how far we have really come??? Progress??
"Uncommon Friends" -- Edison, Ford, and Firestone. -- Fathers of the American Industrial 20th Century
Another famous Fort Myers resident was Henry Ford, also an inventor. As a matter of fact, he was a close friend to Edison and moved in right next door. Ford gave a gift to Edison of a gasoline-powered Model T Ford. Now, that’s quite a present. I’m sure Edison supplied Ford with plenty of light bulbs in return and a phonograph or two.
Fort Myers is also the winter home for the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins. The games usually start here in the middle of February.
Red Sox, Spring Training in Fort Myers. -- As a youth Artie met and got a signed baseball from Ted Williams.
Camping Out for Red Sox Tickets, Fort Myers
We Walked to the Arcade Theater from our boat and saw two plays ("Sylvia" and "The 39 Steps")
Sunday we walked the cobbled streets to the Arcade Theater and saw “Sylvia”, a comedy. There’s nothing like a live show for a fun night out.
A Little Hide-A-Way on Captive Island
Bubble Room Restaurant on Sanibel Island, FL
Guess Who!!
January 14 & 15. Sanibel and Captiva Islands (barrier islands), It is said that Ponce de Leon named Sanibel and Captiva Islands for Queen Isabella of Castile. Sanibel measure approximately 12 miles long and five miles across at its widest. Captiva Island is smaller at less than 5 miles long and a 1/2 mile wide. We think that this is a pretty special place because more than half of the island is made up of wildlife refuge!! Now that’s saying something. The resident’s priority is to keep the island as natural as possible. There are no gaudy neon signs, but buildings are tasteful and painted to blend into the natural surrounds. There are over 22 miles of biking trails and beautiful beaches, of course.
Shells of Sanibel Island, FL
Shelling is especially popular here; but I confess most of the shells we found were broken. We did find some small shells to keep as mementos. Early mornings or after storms would be a better time to find pristine shells.
Wildlife at the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
More Wildlife at Sanibel's "Ding" Darling Nat'l Wildlife Refuge
No fast food chains are allowed on the island (except Dairy Queen, but that was here before the laws were enacted in 1974). Also, the only two story buildings that are here were built before 1974, one story is the only ones allowed to be built.
Jan 16 – 19. Fort Myers
- Sanibel Beach
Got a Headache?? -- Just chew on the bark of this willow tree and it will go away (just ask Bayer Aspirin).
Sanibel Island, FL
December 15, 2010-January 5, 2011 — Christmas and New Years Break — Raleigh, NC
“Frosty” brings in Raleigh’s “White Christmas” — First one since 1947
“Blue” — Is That You With The “Goosebumps”?
“Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” —
“‘ToTo’–Are We In Vermont?”
“The Great ‘Whiteway”
“Over The River and Through The Woods to Grandma’s House We Go.”
Winter Wonderland
We’re Not on The Boat — But, “We’re Walking In A Winter Wonderland”
December 15. We flew out of Fort Myers homeward bound to Raleigh, NC in time for Elaine’s retirement at EC (surprise Elaine, she wasn’t expecting Art–after all, he’s doing the “Loop”). Congratulations to you Elaine!! We hit to ground running trying to get ready for Christmas. We did okay, but a bit abbreviated. — Christmas Eve was so, so enjoyable at the home of my buddy Diane and Chuck with their awesome family. —
“Cookin’ ‘da Christmas Turkey” (Dick and Kyle)
Christmas day was spent with Kyle and Steph at their lovely home with a wonderful, wonderful dinner; fried turkey by chef’s Dick and Kyle plus all the fixin’s with everyone contributing to the different dishes (Cassie’s wonderful “Party Potatoes”, Arlene’s yummy salad and gravy, Steph’s holiday favorite green bean casserole, and our tried and true home made pumpkin pie along with our first try at sweet potato casserole — everyone seems to have survived the casserole–aren’t families wonderful to try out new recipes on! 🙂 Well surprise, surprise, North Carolina got its first “White Christmas since 1947”, and it was beautiful. We enjoyed walking on Raleigh’s Greenway (that was now a “Whiteway”). We were surprised to come upon a Blue Heron that I swear had “goosebumps” — what else could have caused those ruffled feathers at 29 degrees? As grandparents we enjoyed our granddaughter’s, Isabel, second Christmas, and even had her stay a few nights to catch up. We took her to feed the ducks for the first time and they “quacked” very happily as we fed them (not much feed on these cold days), and Isabel “quacked” back at them. January 5. We returned to Fort Myers January 5 (thank you Laurel and Dick for the ride to the airport and thank you Doug and Ann for picking us up at the Fort Myers airport)– but felt like we could have spent more time in North Carolina. We are NOT prejudiced when we say that we are blessed with a MOST WONDERFUL FAMILY!! — Our plans are to stay in Fort Myers for another month exploring the area and seeing family and friends.
Isabel and Frosty!
Easy As 1, 2, 3
My First Time Feeding The Ducks with Granny and Pops!
Going Shopping With Granny and Pops!! (Like My New Hat??)
“I Like This Sooo Much That I’m Going To Drink It And WEAR It!!” 🙂
“Isabel–The Littlest Member Of The ‘Magoo Crew'” (and the cutest!! :-))
Magoolooping's Blog 
