Day 80 - Monday, 3-31-08 - Seafood Shack Marina, Cortez, to Bradenton Beach Marina

The shower facilities at the Seafood Shack Marina were surprisingly good. The entire crew took showers before shoving off from the pier at the Seafood Shack Marina. We didn't have far to go. The Seafood Shack Marina is north of the Cortez Bascule Bridge, on the mainland. The Bradenton Beach Marina is south of the Cortez Bascule Bridge, on a barrier island. So, back through the bridge we went. Our entire underway time for the day was 20 minutes, most of that spent waiting for the bridge to open. (Its schedule was not as set out in our guide, so we left the pier earlier than we would have had we had the correct schedule.)

Dave and Martha arrived shortly after we tied up at the Bradenton Beach Marina. The six of us walked to the Beach House Restaurant, located about three blocks away on the beach. We had a wonderful lunch and conversation with Martha and Dave. Martha wanted us to see Longboat Key, so we drove down there after lunch. It is beautiful, with many places on the way down where you can see the Gulf on one side of the road and the Sound on the other. Needless to say, the homes are grand in those sections.

Before returning to the boat we went to the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Cortez for a few supplies. Martha asked how often we had to get groceries. Just like at home, we have to shop at least once a week if we want to have fresh produce. We can get along for longer periods without shopping because we laid in a good supply of shelf-stable milk and foods for the trip, but it is nice to have fresh milk, orange juice, produce, meats, and bread, so we shop weekly when we can. Dave and Martha finally had to head for home, so we regretfully said our goodbyes. It is always fun to be with them.

After a light supper, we walked back to the beach for ice cream and sunset on the beach. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful day. (JGR)