Fort Lauderdale south to Miami

Since we last 'talked', we have found the warm weather we were searching for! We are currently in No Name Harbor, south of Miami. This is a state park, complete with walking trails, a protected harbor, a restaurant, a lighthouse, a washer/dryer, pump-out, and miles of beach. The washer/dryer and pump-out (don't ask) are most important for travelers like us--but we're enjoying everything about this place.

Our good friends Jerry and Kak joined us in Fort Lauderdale and will be with us for two weeks as we head toward Key West. They are sleeping in the V-berth--can you say 'close quarters'? But there have been no complaints!

Pearl, the sailor cat, sometimes ventures out on deck to take in the sights--but only if we are moving slowly, like when we were waiting for drawbridges to go up. She is a good little traveler--even without the kitty tranquilizers we used last year.

Backing up a bit, we celebrated my birthday at Jensen Beach--an artsy beach community that is the home to one of our favorite restaurants--Crawdaddy's-- where we can eat and drink on the patio under a massive tree festooned with lights and banners. Luckily, a trio was playing bluesy, cajun music while we ate a dinner of crab cakes--one of my favs!!

Traveling further south, we realized that there is a LOT of money in the Lauderdale/Miami area. Homes sitting on the water, scrunched together, are worth millions!

                                                                  Miami Skyline

On our way to Coconut Grove, we sailed through Key Biscayne and watched several races during which colorful spinnakers were used to boost speed. Upon arriving at Coconut Grove, we picked up a mooring balll--first time for Jerry to co-pilot while Barry loops the line through the top of the mooring ball, all done while the boat is still moving. Teamwork!

Today, Jerry and Barry are doing some repair work on the boat while Kak and I do laundry and take a walk. The beach is a short walk away, so hopefully we'll head there this afternoon to 'unlax' as Jerry says. See example below! Stay tuned....