Friends, National Parks, Shopping and Cold Fronts
01 May 2013 | St Augustine
Ann
I know it is time to update the blog when I start getting emails asking if we are still sailing. We have been in Florida for the last six weeks, and every day seems to rush past. The title is a list of what has affected our time in the Sunshine State. After the Dry Tortugas we sailed over night to Key West, where we found a soaking wet V-berth, and once again I was denied access to my bed. We waited out a weather system in Key West, visiting the city. It was our first chance to buy groceries, we're excited to see fresh milk and a huge variety of cheeses. This was a small, family-owned store, just wait until we reach a supermarket.
With fine weather we made the hop from Key West to Marathon, and began to fill our time with friends. When Dave and I sailed ten years ago we became great friends with Sangaris and Siesta. Ed and Daisy on Siesta live on their slice of heaven in Marathon. They have Siesta tied up to their dock, their motor home parked by the side of the house, their little house upstairs, and a guest bathroom under the house - for guests like us, who bring their own bed and kitchen, but it would be nice not to fill the holding tank. Ed and Daisy always have a full plate, and this was no exception, for we were the second guests visiting. Dan and Martha had their RV parked in front of the house. Ed was getting ready to take a charter of Boy Scouts out on Siesta through the Keys, and Daisy was getting ready to host their grand-daughters.
After we dried out the boat, again, we realized that we were looking at another cold front. Dave and I looked at who we wanted to visit, and the locations, and thought things would be easier by car. So we rented a car and drove to my cousin's house in Miami. We had one evening and morning to catch up. It was far too short. Then we invaded Craig and Katherine, Sangaris in Boca Raton. I won't say they live in their slice of heaven, but only because Sangaris is in Turkey, so they still move to a different paradise as the wind blows them. Their condo in Boca was a great place to catch up. We also made a pilgrimage to the Playmobil Fun Park, which turned out to be a room filled with toddlers playing with playmobil sets - half the pieces glued down, and parents ignoring the suggested age signs. They did have a huge Playmobil store, with everything marked 25% off. Kara is now penniless, but has two new sets that she has been eyeing for awhile.
Kara was not the only to spend her pennies on this trip. We visited almost every Verizon store in South Florida trying to get a WiFi system for the boat. There were about six options. And each store had a different version. It felt like a colossal waste of time, but it was hard to make the decision. The other big purchase was to find a spinnaker, for Taking Flight without a spinnaker is just not our boat. We blew the old one going to Isla Mujeres. We found a used one, which had little use in Fort Lauderdale. It is wonderful, an asymmetrical, the only down side is that it is solid blue, so much for the color scheme of the boat.
Once back in Marathon we had one last play day with Ed and Daisy, and their grand-daughters Lily and Caitlin. We toured the Dolhpin Research Center, where Ed is a member. This is very different from the place on Isla Mujeres, for here the dolphins have choices. During hurricanes they send the dolphins out to sea for the storm, and the dolphins all come back. The dolphins push through the plastic gates between the pens, but never try for the ocean. Also, the dolphins do "tricks" when the staff isn't around, and they teach their young some of the tricks.
Finally it was time to make our way North. We day hopped through the Keys, and then turned the corner for Miami. This time I took everything out of the V-berth, and laid a plastic sheet over the lockers. The Gulf Stream was great, and we were sailing 8 or 9 knots up the coast. Things were looking up. The V-berth stayed dry.
We had another Cold Front to contend with at the end of the week, but maybe we could get to Palm Beach before it hit. One night in Miami and we were on our way. It was not as comfortable as the day before, but we still had a favorable current. The V-berth stayed dry, so I could sleep in my cozy bed.
In Lake Worth (Palm Beach) we waited out the weather system. Kara made a friend at the Sailing Club, and had a playdate with her. We toured Peanut Island for the day, which is an island made from dredging spoils. It used to be a Coast Guard station, and housed a bunker for President Kennedy, for when he was visiting the family home in Palm Beach.
Our next stop along the coast was Cape Canaveral. Again the length of time spent here was determined by an oncoming Cold Front. I was excited to stop here, having always wanted to visit the Kennedy Space Center. First things first, we rented a car and drove to Orlando. Not for Disney World, but Universal Studios, where they have the Wizzarding World of Harry Potter. Kara and I loved walking down High street in Hogsmeade, and staring at the Hogwarts edifice. The first ride was a bit wild for my girl, but once we discovered riding a Hippogriff there was no turning her off. We also enjoyed the River Rats Barge, but once the sun dipped, we no longer wished to be completely soaked. It was a great day.
Before returning the car we went to the Kennedy Space Center. Things were not as great, for Kara was exhausted after the long day before. She didn't understand why Dave and I were so excited. She has heard more about NASA failures than successes. She knows the story of the Mars probe that crashed because someone missed the change from meters to feet. She has seen the plaques commemorating the crews of Columbia and Challenger. Then she learned about Apollos 1 and 13, and she thinks the entire space program has been a waste of human life. She just wasn't psyched to see things about the Space Station or Mars trips.
Now we sit in St. Augustine, waiting through another Cold Front.