Why I love DC

Took these pictures in DC the other day after having a wonderful lunch with my friend Sara.

Sheikra (aka Shriek-ya!)

Wednesday morning I had a doctors appointment in St. Pete and was unable to volunteer at the library (instead I went on Thursday). After my appointment, Bill and I decided to head to Busch Gardens to ride the roller coasters. When we went to Busch Gardens in October, we rode all of the coasters except one -- Sheikra, which is supposed to be the best. Last time, just as we got to the entrance of the ride, it started raining and there was lightning in the area so they closed the coasters. This time we were determined to ride. Sheikra is by far the best coaster that either of us have ever been on. Your feet dangle, you go virtually straight up, then dangle before plunging 90 degrees straight down. It felt like we were parachuting. Awesome. We rode the other coasters too and saw a few of the animal exhibits before heading back to St. Pete. Unfortunately on one of the coasters Bill's sunglasses flew off. They are currently sitting somewhere at the bottom of the tracks, smashed into pieces I am sure.

Wednesday night we were very graciously invited to Jennifer and Emmanuel's house for dinner with Mary Alice. We had a great evening. First we had a walking tour of their amazing neighborhood (the historic Driftwood neighborhood in St. Pete) and waterfront. Jennifer and Emmanuel have a chocolate lab named Max who is basically the perfect dog. He is so well trained and can do the most amazing tricks. Of course we were in heaven.... And dinner was amazingly delicious (Emmanuel is a chef and owner of the Garden Bistro restaurant in St. Pete). Wow.

Thursday I volunteered at the library while Bill played golf. We had dinner (and Skip-bo) with Mary Alice Thursday night and came back to Sarasota Friday afternoon. Instead of driving back on the highway though, we took the long way through Bradenton, Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, and Lido Key. We also took a ride over to Siesta Key and visited the beaches. Beautiful.

Selby Gardens

On Tuesday I went to visit the Selby Botanical Gardens here in Sarasota. Despite it's hefty entrance price ($17) I really, really enjoyed myself. It is 9+ acres of stunning plants, flowers, and trees -- all of which are immaculately cared for by 900+ volunteers. The Gardens are separated into different areas; there is a greenhouse, which houses orchids, etc. (and was even hotter inside than the 90+ degrees outside!), a bamboo section, a cactus section, a bonsi section, butterfly and wildflower gardens, banyan trees etc. And part of the Gardens is right on the water. There are benches in the shade throughout to sit and enjoy. The slideshow below is of some of the stranger and / or beautiful plants and flowers that I saw.

Flying

 

 

On Saturday Bill and I went for a 45 minute flight around Key West and the islands and reefs southwest of Key West in a Waco biplane. It was incredible. Neither Bill nor I had ever been in a biplane before. It is a strange feeling; you feel very 'exposed' with the wind blowing in your face. It was an amazing ride. Seeing the water from above was fantastic. The colors were so rich, the reef just awesome. We even flew over the marina. If you look closely you can see Mary Elizabeth next to the breakwater. Very, very cool. Afterwards we went to Sloppy Joe's for a cocktail and then had dinner on the boat. 

 

 

To see all of the pictures from our flight, click here. 

Key West

 

Bill and I left Marathon around 8:30 yesterday morning and arrived in beautiful Key West at 3:30 or so. We are staying at Galleon Marina, literally right downtown. Unfortunately, they did not have a record of our reservation when we arrived. They did have a spot for us but we were told that we might be able to stay only one night (we were planning on staying for at least a week!) They would know more in the morning. 

 

Bill and I didn't waste any time. We left the boat and walked to Duval Street, had a drink at the famous Sloppy Joes, and then headed over to Mallory Pier for the sunset and shows.  The above picture is me actually participating in one of the juggling / magic shows. Ha! We are going to have a great time here!!!!!

 

 

This morning we were told that we had to move slips but that we can stay for the week. So we are now in our 'new home' and everything is all set. We have met several cruisers (many on Island Packets) that have made Key West their 'final destination' for the summer instead of the Bahamas as they too originally thought. I guess our decision to skip the Bahamas was a common one this year.  So we are happy to be here; sort of the culmination of our winter. And it couldn't be nicer weather, company, sites, etc. 

I am sure that there will be many a posts with lots of pictures this week, so stay tuned! 

Miami Seaquarium

 

Bill and I are still in Miami. We decided to stay here in South Beach until Wednesday, which is when we will leave for Key Largo to see Dave and Molly. Yesterday Bill and I went to the Miami Seaquarium in downtown Miami. It was a beautiful day to walk around and see several shows -- including a Killer Whale show! 

Today we are doing boat projects (cleaning sumps and strainers, troubleshooting the AC, etc.) and doing laundry. We met a liveaboard couple on a blue hulled IP last night at Monteys, the marina restaurant where Bill has feasted on oysters and crab claws almost every night we have been here! 

 

 

 

Botanical Gardens

Here are some pictures of the botanical gardens in Miami, which I visited today. Bill and I continue to have a great time here. The weather has been very nice -- and hot. We are looking forward to having dinner and experiencing some of the night life tonight. 

 

 

 

 

Bonnet House

Yesterday while Bill was in DC I visited the Bonnet House, which is right up the road. The Bonnet House was the winter vacation house of Frederic Clay Bartlett and his wives Helen (who died shortly after they were married) and Evelyn who gave the land to Florida before her death in the late 90s. The brochure stressed that it was the last piece of land not developed with mega hotels and condos in Southern Florida. Supposedly the property is 35 acres, although I only saw a sliver of the land.

Yahoo travel summarizes:

Built in 1921, this historic two-story, 35-acre waterfront house was once the winter home of artist Frederic Clay Bartlett and his wife Evelyn. The Bonnet House is serenely elegant and preserved amidst the urban expansion of Fort Lauderdale Beach, which is what makes the land so special. Mrs. Bartlett, who died in 1997, gave the estate to the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation in 1983 in order to keep the property unchanged. Several concerts and events are held here throughout the year, and the house is available for private events such as weddings. Named for a waterlily that once inhabited the property, the Bonnet House is open year-round for guided tours.

So I sat through the hour and a half tour of the house and learned all about the lifestyles of the rich and famous. I was disappointed because I didn't catch a glimpse of any of the supposed monkeys and all types of birds that live on the property (although I did see a swan). The tour guide was great, but it was a very expensive 'home' to look at ($20 bucks!) It was a beautiful afternoon and I did take some nice pictures of the courtyard. Bartlett was an artist / art collector and the House featured some of his works as well as a gallery of contemporary artists, which was nice. I got my 'cultural' fix for the week I guess. They also collected sea shells from all over the world and had an extensive orchid garden (which was what peaked my interest to begin with). Unfortunately, the orchids were housed in a green house which we couldn't enter - although we could peak through the windows and they were spectacular.

Parks in Charleston

We stayed in Charleston today (Monday) since there were 25+ knots of wind for the majority of the morning / early afternoon. Tomorrow we are going to leave around 8:00 to make the first swing bridge opening at 9:00. Our destination tomorrow is Beaufort, SC. There is a bridge on the ICW in Beaufort that is currently only opening at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Since we won't make it to the bridge before 2:00, we will stay the night and then make the 10:00 am opening on Wednesday.

Today Bill hung out on the boat still nursing his cold. I went for a long walk and discovered another beautiful park. I have included pictures of the many parks that we have seen while in Charleston. Again, this really is a great city. We are going to take the marina shuttle downtown and have an early dinner in a bit. Hopefully it won't be tooooo cold tomorrow on the water.

Thanks for your many emails. It has been nice hearing from everyone. Please feel free to comment on the blog also! We love to know people are reading.

Homes in Charleston

Here are some pictures of just a sample of the many beautiful homes (mansions!) in Charleston. Literally every street is lined with stunning houses, gardens, yards. Charleston certainly is a great place to visit and simply walk the streets and explore.