As I mentioned in our last blog we really enjoyed Dunedin. We made good use of the pickup that had time remaining on it from"If's" rental. Thanks, Tom! While most of the rental cars are four or five passenger, we had room for all six of us in the pickup. ( This rental became important because we purchased a similar vehicle after the loop).
One of our excursions included a trip to Crystal River too see the manatees. The Average Looper group thoroughly enjoyed renting kayaks and getting up close and personal with the manatees. Jan and I were content to sit this activity out. After picking them up we made a necessary stop for Jane to purchase some dry shorts. It seems the kayaks were a little wet.
Mark is a dedicated Browns fan and we enjoyed a game at a sports bar at the local mall. How perfect, the girls went shopping and Mark and I watched football.
We also made good use of the nearby Pinellas bicycle trail. One day after Jan and I returned from Tarpon Springs, approximately a twenty mile round trip, Mark and Jane borrowed our bikes so they could ride with their guests John and Maureen. After they returned, also from Tarpon Springs, Eddie and Linda from Spiritus borrowed our bicycles and also rode to Tarpon Springs and back. We feel bad though because Mark and Jane had tire trouble on one of our bikes and had to replace a tire and tube. Luckily there are several bike shops near the trail and they weren't inconvenienced very much.
Our time in Dunedin passed quickly and after ten days it was time to move on again even though we could have stayed much longer.
We traveled to Sarasota the next night and had an enjoyable time in downtown Sarasota. While walking around we followed our ears to some live music. The band and food were both good.
Leaving Sarasota the next morning we planned to stay overnight at Cabbage Key, continuing on the following day to Fort Myers Beach, our final leg. When we arrived in Venice I had had enough of the slow travel in the intracoastal and decided to go outside into the gulf. The water was calm enough and we enjoyed a smooth ride on our way to Boca Grande Pass where I planned to reenter the intracoastal. While traveling south we learned that Average Looper changed their plans, deciding to anchor in Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa. Since we had been to Cabbage Key previously and Jan is not the biggest fan of anchoring we changed our plans also.
After checking the chart plotter, we changed course and by adding only an hour to our travel we could be back in our own slip and complete the loop. We did it! We "crossed our wake"!!!
We traveled approximately 5800 miles in eight months and transited 155 locks.
We also rode our bicycles approximately 500 miles.
Some of our fellow loopers will be lifelong friends. It truly was the people we met and the friends we made that make the loop the wonderful experience that it was.
It was the trip of a lifetime and the completion of a long awaited dream. I thoroughly want to thank Jan, my wonderful wife for joining me on this trip and enjoying it as much as I did.
This is an overview of our travels from our Garmin chart plotter.
Tarpon Springs is predominately a Greek fishing and sponge town.
The Pinellas Trail had these attractive signs along the way.
Dunedin's sidewalk art features dolphins.
This bird was an expert at balancing on this line and catching fish.
Mark and John made the mistake of cutting through the brush and stepping on burrs. They are very sharp, hard to get out and stick to your hands in the process.
In Maureen's attempt to help Mark she stepped in some of Mark's discarded burrs.
Average Looper and Infinite Sea, another looper boat, at anchor.
We saw this interesting construction fence in Clearwater.
The people look real but are actually just attached to the fence.
A few Manatee facts.
Manatees aren't going to win any beauty contests.
A little more manatee information.
It doesn't look like Jane and Jan are dressed for boating in Florida.
The thermometer below shows why they are dressed like winter up north.
Leaving Dunedin. We are awaiting Average Looper to leave the fuel dock so we
can fuel and pump out for the last time on the loop.
This feels cold for Florida!
This piano was on a street corner in Sarasota for anyone to play.
There were several sculptures in downtown Sarasota.
I have to include our last sunset on the loop.
We are about to cross under the Big Carlos Pass Bridge and complete our loop.
The Admiral and Captain ready to install the Gold Looper Flag.
We are about to remove the white looper flag.
White means we are planning or in progress.
Changing of the burgee.
On with the new!
Gold means completion of the loop.
I have to admit that I was ready, more than once, to discontinue writing this blog. It is because of our faithful readers that I persevered and completed it. The difficulty began while we were in Canada and did not have decent internet access frequently. Once I got behind, it was a constant struggle that I never overcame to catch up.
Thank you for following along with us on this fantastic journey and giving us feedback on the blog.
Sincerely, Tom and Jan Mertz, Captain and Admiral of Navigator.
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