10 - 19 May 2014 Punta Gorda and Venice, FL

     When our month in Punta Gorda was up we cruised 3-4 hours which makes for a very nice day and anchored in Gasparilla Sound. We've been way over due a R and R and this afternoon and evening has been it! What a pretty place to just kick back!  A friend made great fun saying that our entire life is a R and R but even volunteers can have a stressful times and both of us did for a month or two.  We hung deadlines on the "time clock" the last time we "clocked out" and don't do well with them at all since retirement.  

     The next morning as we continued north, the beautiful blue-green water was just boiling with shark fins.  Wonder if they can flip my kayak? Just give me a swimming pool where I can see the bottom and any foreign bodies that might be in there. And to think, growing up on the Pensacola and Ft. Walton Beaches, thoughts of scary water creatures never entered my mind.  All I ever saw back then wer jellyfiesh.

   Our next destination was Venice, a very small town so reminiscent of old Florida. 

     We explored the town on foot and then by bicycle.  The Legacy Trail, a Rails to Trails bike way runs from Venice, north to Sarasota, so we rode from our boat slip at the Crow’s Nest Marina, that beautiful bike way, through Nokomis and into south Sarasota.  Even on a weekday, the trail was well used.

      When we arrived back in Venice, we stopped for a little caffeine boost at a coffee shop Bill remembered we'd been to long ago.

     Tourists and locals use the jetty near the marina for fishing or just sitting on the park benches enjoying the view. 

     This is another example of the boats mentioned in a previous post of which you'd be wise to steer clear.  Many of these folks are consummate novices who know not what they're doing; dangerous to themselves and their boat-load as well as everyone else on the waterway.

     We celebrated my Mother's Day with a delightful dinner at the Crow's Nest.  Despite it's outside appearance, it does have a lovely ambiance. Inside, an upscale dining experience awaited us.

     Time to leave Venice.  The water here is so beautiful.  We look forward to another visit on our return south in the fall.

Till next time...
Bill and Laura
Palafox Pier and Yacht Basin
Pensacola, FL

We anchored in Pelican Bay very near Cayo Costa and my plan was to kayak over to the island.  It’s accessible only by boat and what an alluring essence of nature found there.  As I was ready to hop in the water, I saw what, on first glance, looked like a dolphin.  The big difference was that fin stayed above the water and it was not part of a dolphin’s anatomy.  We anchored near the pass and, upon inquiring, learned that sharks do venture into the Bay from the Gulf from time to time.

Venice, a small town so reminiscent of old Florida, was our next destination.  9787 .  We rode from the Crow’s Nest Marina, the Legacy Trail, a RTT beautiful bikeway, through Nokomis and into the southern most Sarasota.  9817  and of course, back to Venice. coffee shop pix

Tourists and locals use the jetty near the marina for fishing or just sitting on the park benches enjoying the view. crows nest pix on desk top

pelican on rocks 9787

9827  stay clear of these rental boats!

9837     time to leave Venice