As much as we enjoyed our time in Marathon with good friends and the Boot Key Harbor community, it was nice to travel again, especially along the uninhabited, primitive and scenic islands along the Everglades National Park and the Ten Thousand Islands. We weren't crazy about the army of mosquitoes that swarmed our boats from dusk to dawn, but we enjoyed seeing pink flamingos perched in the mangroves. It's always exciting to watch pods of dolphins jump and swim, especially when two or more dolphins swim at our bow between our hulls as we travel along the water. Awesome!

We were blessed with perfect weather to enjoy some great sailing, wonderful anchorages, and incredibly gorgeous scenery along the Ten Thousand Islands. Some of our most memorable days were at anchor near New Turkey Key and Panther Key, where we were surrounded by islands and mangroves. It was great to explore the area by dinghy and walk along the sandy beaches looking for beautiful seashells. One day we enjoyed a picnic on the beach with fresh catfish and hot dogs cooked in a fire pit that Bud built in the sand. That evening we wondered if the day could get any better. Just then, three dolphins jumped out of the water multiple times and put on a show for us as they sped past our boat. Wow, best day ever!

Our next anchorage was in Smokehouse Bay to visit Marco Island, followed by mooring fields in Naples and Fort Myers Beach, staying four days in each port. It was great to visit each area by walking, biking, or exploring by dinghy. There are some exquisite homes and shops in Marco Island and Naples along with beautiful parks and beaches.

While we were in Fort Myers Beach, several friends of Bud and Jen came for a visit. Jack and Irene arrived on m/v Coconuts and Danny arrived by car. On Saturday we beached our 3 dinghies at Bowditch Point Park and enjoyed a relaxing picnic lunch on the sandy beach. On Sunday Tim and I enjoyed a nice walk on a nature trail after church and a chinese lunch buffet. In the evening we all watched the sunset from Jack and Irene's boat that was docked near our mooring balls. What a great weekend!

Yesterday we enjoyed a very pleasant sail on Pine Island Sound before rafting to s/v SeaQuest with Bud and Jen in Pelican Bay at Cayo Costa State Park, one of our favorite anchorages. In the afternoon, Jack and Irene arrived on m/v Cat Burglar, their speed boat, who also rafted to s/v SeaQuest for a couple of hours. What a great day!