**** My mother Nancy and I at her home in Tecumseh, MI***
1. Tarpon Springs
2. Charlie and 'Skipper'
3. Charlie fed the White Heron
4. A quick peek of a mother manatee and her baby
5. One of many victorian homes Tarpon Springs
6. St. Pete Beach -View of Intracoastal waterway from Demetri and Val's condo
7. Linda happy after chores are done
8. We stayed here at Demetri and Val's Condo with club and pool in St. Pete Beach
9. Relaxation time with Demetri
10. Charlie and the kids at Carrie and Jody's house in Grand Blanc, MI
11. A dad and his daughters, Christa and Carrie
12. Our home in Okemos, Michigan saying "welcome back."I am writing this blog on January 1, 2009 and this is the first blog entry since the 7th of December while we where staying at the city marina at Tarpon Springs. Currently, we are welcoming in the New Year at the Ft. Myers Yacht Basin Marina. On January 2 we’ll untie the lines from our slip and continue on down the western coast of Florida. We hope to get to Key West in a few days and work our way to Key Largo by the 15th where we have a month long reservation. The weather has been wonderfully consistent since we left Michigan on the 27th, with temps here in the high 70’s with light winds and lots of sunshine (a 55 degree differential from home.)
First, I’ll share a few facts and memories about Tarpon Springs. Charlie and I stayed at their city marina from December 5-9 right in the middle of the tourist action of the town. We really enjoyed this town and the break it offered from being on the open waters while crossing the Gulf.
First, I’ll share a few facts and memories about Tarpon Springs. Charlie and I stayed at their city marina from December 5-9 right in the middle of the tourist action of the town. We really enjoyed this town and the break it offered from being on the open waters while crossing the Gulf.
The Tarpon Springs tourist pamphlet said it is “Florida’s Mediterranean Village,” a place to go for “fun in the sun” and the “next best thing to being in Greece.” The town is in the heart of a Greek community where Greek restaurants and bakeries and colorful shops line the city’s streets along the Anclote River. 1* There were Christmas decorations everywhere and we heard Greek music drifting softly in and out of various restaurants as we took our stroll. We felt festive indeed. I asked Charlie, “Can we stay a week here?”
The pamphlet also said that Tarpon Springs is also the sponge capital of the world and there were all kinds of them to buy here. The original sponge divers who settled there to start the industry in 1896 came straight from Greece.
We met up with the boats ‘Kismet’ and ‘Wanderin’ L & M.’ Charlie and I joined them for our dinners; devouring Greek salads, fresh seafood, flaming cheese and heavenly desserts. The shopping was fun and the sun shown brightly every day and all day. “What about staying here for a month, I asked?” Charlie made friends with the marina’s resident birds, “Skipper’ the Snowy White Egret and the White Heron; both liked to come by daily for easy handouts. 2* 3*
We were invited to go with Jim and Lisa from Kismet on their dingy to see the manatees where we saw a mother and a baby! 4 * We also saw beautiful homes decorated for Christmas. 5*
We met up with the boats ‘Kismet’ and ‘Wanderin’ L & M.’ Charlie and I joined them for our dinners; devouring Greek salads, fresh seafood, flaming cheese and heavenly desserts. The shopping was fun and the sun shown brightly every day and all day. “What about staying here for a month, I asked?” Charlie made friends with the marina’s resident birds, “Skipper’ the Snowy White Egret and the White Heron; both liked to come by daily for easy handouts. 2* 3*
We were invited to go with Jim and Lisa from Kismet on their dingy to see the manatees where we saw a mother and a baby! 4 * We also saw beautiful homes decorated for Christmas. 5*
Freedom's Turn left Tarpon Springs on December 9 and picked up the Intracoastal Waterway again since leaving it when we crossed the Gulf. We were looking forward to enjoying a pleasant cruise to St. Pete Beach to stay with friends that very same day. We were greeted with a warm welcome from our friends Demetri and Val whose 10th floor condo offered a panoramic view for us of the Intracoastal. 6* Charlie and I were delighted with the perfect slip they found for us at their marina for Freedom’s Turn stay of two weeks while her Captain and First Mate went home to Okemos from December12-27. I posed for this photo standing next to the boat just hours before I missed my footing and fell in the water getting off the dock! 7* My ribs hurt badly for three weeks but luckily the x-rays I had in Okemos revealed nothing was broken! Val cooked us a delicious dinner with Greek potatoes ands stuffed peppers and Greek salad. After I cleaned the salt off the outside and Charlie did his engine checks, Demetri met us at the pool and hot tub for a swim and relaxation before we were to fly home the next day. 8* 9* Charlie and I were guests in their spare bedroom and we certainly felt pampered. Val and Demetri took us to the Tampa airport at 5:30 a.m. the next day and we will forever be grateful for their acts of friendship and hospitality. The places you see on this trip are outstanding but are nothing compared to the people you get to be with!
This year, Christmas at home was basic. I visited the senior center where I used to work and we got caught up on the news with friends and neighbors. We went to a MSU basketball game with our college friends and attended our church on Christmas Eve. We dog sat our daughter Carrie and her husband Jody's Yorkie Clarke while they were on a Christmas cruise of their own. I made only one kind of cookie, and we put up just enough decorations to suggest the season was upon us. No cutting down a real tree and very little gift buying or receiving between us. And that was just fine. This year and we hope from now on, it was all about seeing the people that mean a lot to us.
It was so good to be with my mother Nancy; (See ***photo) we all miss my Dad who passed away this past May. And we got to visit with my brothers Larry and John. My sister Jenny I will have to see next time. Charlie and I were thrilled to visit with Christa and Carrie and our son – in-law Jody. 10* 11*
From the variety of weather conditions Charlie and I have experienced so far in our travels, it was difficult to stay warm with the near blizzard conditions. Charlie used the snow blower at least 6 times with a total accumulation of snow near 20 inches! 12*
I guess it would be fair to say that on Christmas Eve, instead of Charlie having visions of St. Nick, he probably had dreams of boating and the palm trees!
We returned to St. Pete Beach on December 27 to be with our friends again and resumed cruising on the 29th.
