After a few nights in a hotel provisioning and finishing up some projects on Three Sons, we were ready to be back on the water.
Nelson’s Boatyard did a great job spiffing up Three Sons but once we were back, they wanted us out to have space for someone else. Unfortunately, they do not allow anyone to stay on their boat while ‘on the hard’ due to insurance reasons. Also, the boatyard does not have any dock space for overnight stays. So, we planned a quick cruise to a beautiful anchorage right after they launched us. Thankfully, all the mechanical systems woke up after their 3 week nap, and no new issues to figure out before we left.
Fort McRee/Pensacola, FL
It was a beautiful 26 Nautical Mile ride in the Gulf Coast ICW with white sand cliffs buffering us from the ocean for most of the ride. Once we got to the protected anchorage, we dropped the dinghy to explore the eastern tip of Perdido Key. This area was once home to Fort Mcree, built in the 1830s after the War of 1812 to protect Pensacola. There were still remnants of the old battery and cannon Turrets to explore and create a visual of how it may have looked back then. Lots of beautiful white sand all along the island as well, but no beach weather as we were still pretty bundled up with highs only in the low 50s.
Destin, FL
We had a wonderful cruise to Destin, FL with many dolphins jumping and playing in our wake. We anchored in Destin Harbor with good protection and a strong hold. We dinghy’d over to the boardwalk to explore and check out a brewery. The combination of the cold weather and the post holiday slowdown in these parts left the boardwalk pretty deserted. It was good for us as we were both getting over colds that we brought back from home, and an early night was in order.
Panama City, FL
We were looking forward to visiting Panama City and Panama City Beach. However, Mother Nature thought we needed a rest so, she sent some cold and windy weather our way. We decided to dock at a cheaper marina not really near anything to relax and unpack instead of exploring. Luckily, Walmart delivered to this location so we put in a huge ordered and started provisioning for the Bahamas.
Port St. Joe, FL
We spent two nights at Port St. Joe and could have stayed a lot longer. Another adorable little town with lots to offer! Free laundry, great showers and a Piggy Wiggly a 5 minute walk made Point South Marina good choice. The town was filled with restaurants and very unique boutiques and gift shops. In better weather it would have been nice to check out St. George Island and the beaches.
Martin and Melissa from Cavalier invited the Loopers over for dinner and provided homemade pizza and salad! Amazing pizza flavors and the best homemade croutons were offered along with wonderful conversation. A fun night of meeting so many folks.
Apalachicola, FL
Nestled in the mouth of Apalachicola River and Scipio Creek is an adorable very small town with an “Old Florida feel.” Apalachicola has a little main street but it is filled with boutiques, shops and a few restaurants. Considering there was a good anchorage close by and the temperatures were inching up a bit, we did not try very hard to get dock space. When we approached the area, we noticed the Municipal Dock was empty. The reviews for docking were iffy, but we gave it a drive by and decided to grab the spot. Since the pilings were outside of the dock we had to be creative with fenders and lines but we tied up securely. Even though getting on and off the boat was a challenge, and at $2.00 a foot (payable to the police chief) with no power was a bit high we still decided to stay two nights because the town was really cute. We explored the town with Jane and Mike from Jamin and put in a lot of steps along with some down time.
It was a challenge getting on and off the boat!
Peanut Butter Chocolate pie and homemade hot chocolate was amazing at the Apalachicola Coffee and Chocolate Shop.
Buoy Brewing was a really cool venue, probably a lot nicer in the warmer temperatures!
A beautiful view from our bow. The local fish market next to these boats had some great salmon, shrimp and dip. We filled up the freezer.
Another great Brewery, Water Craft Brewery had great beer and a really cool venue that spilled out onto the street.
