Day 167 - Marathon, FL Smiths

Dennis Smith and Tom








Lunch with Dennis, Diane at Cabana Breezes in Key Colony









What has Tom been drinking to grow all that hair???








Diann & Diane Oberhardt








Denny, Diann & Diane at Marathon City Marina








Bruce and Jan Peterson






I returned to Marathon on Sunday 2/22 after a 10 day visit to the Quad Cities in Illinois. I was unable to make it home for my previously scheduled Thanksgiving or Christmas visit due to weather complications along the route. It has been 5 months since I’ve seen my family and friends. It was a whirlwind week trying to fit everything in but well worth it. The weather was better than I expected back home with temperatures 30-35 degrees. My 5:30 am flight left just in time on Sunday because a winter storm arrived later in the day. It was a long travel day for me after getting up at 3:45 AM and having close to a 4 hour layover in Atlanta and the 2+ hour drive back to Marathon from Miami. After unpacking and relaxing on the boat for awhile, we decided since we had a vehicle, we needed to try out a new restaurant. We had heard good things about The Island Fisheries out by the airport. We pulled into the last space in a large parking lot at 7:30 on a cold rainy night. I guess that proves how popular the place is and the food was great.

Monday we again woke up to the sound of rain. Mother nature is not cooperating with us on the unseasonal amount of rain and temperature! But then I remind myself of the weather at home and I feel better. Tom returned the car and then we caught up on paying bills, cleaning, and relaxing on the boat for the day.

Tuesday after lunch at Key Fisheries, Tom & I were walking to our bikes when I spied Bruce and Jan Peterson in the parking lot. Bruce is our dentist in Rock Island. What a small world! They came over to the boat and had a great visit.

Tuesday (2/23) our good friends and neighbors Diane Oberhardt and Dennis Smith arrived here to spend a couple of fun nights with us on the boat. After a couple of beverages on the boat we went to Lazy Days restaurant at the Marathon Marina for happy hour. We were able to watch a beautiful sunset (something we haven’t been able to see much of). We had dinner on the outdoor balcony at Burdines where one order of their awesome orders of french fries will feed four people. In the distance we could see the anchor lights from the hundreds of boats anchored on mooring balls in Boot Key.

Rain! Rain go away! Yup, more rain Wednesday so I fixed a filling breakfast of fresh fried potatoes with onions and peppers, sausage and eggs. By the time we finished breakfast and cleaned up the galley the sun was breaking through so the four of us hopped in the car and proceeded to checkout all the marinas and real estate in Marathon. We choose Cabana Breezes in Key Colony for an outdoor waterfront lunch overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. We are lucky to have the Gulf of Mexico on one side of the highway and the Atlantic on the other side of the highway.

Unfortunately when the four of us returned to the boat, the weather was deteriorating rapidly. The wind was picking up and blowing from the NW and increasing. Dennis and I opted to drive up to Keys Fisheries for take-out and dine on board in a warm, dry controlled environment. We brought back macadamia encrusted grouper, coconut ship and stone crab chowder and capped it off with key lime pie. It was an absolutely fantastic dinner. Well then the wind decided to treat us to a relentless pounding for the duration of the night and well into the next day. None of us had a restful sleep. It was an extremely uncomfortable evening on board bouncing all over the place. We felt so bad for Dennis and Diane having to endure such a difficult evening. The four of us enjoyed morning coffee on board, cleaned up, caught up on e-mails and headed out to Herbie’s for a really fun lunch before Dennis and Diane headed for Miami to join family for a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Thank you Dennis and Diane for a fun packed couple of Days here in Marathon.

Sat Day 161, Plantation Key

Sunset from Harbour Cay Tiki Hut







Sunset from Harbour Cay Tiki Hut









Sunset from Harbour Cay Tiki Hut









Plantation Marina looking out to Florida Bay








View of Beach located at Founders Park while at Flea Market.











One isle of the many booths at the 14th Annual Gigantic Nautical Flea Market"








I picked up a rental car today in order to run up to Miami tomorrow for Diann’s afternoon arrival. Today’s weather is as about as good as it gets, 76-77, clear skies, low humidity, 5-10 easterly winds. With a vehicle I had the luxury of driving about 30 miles up the Keys to the “14th Annual Gigantic Nautical Flea Market” held at Founders Park on Plantation Key. The two-day open-air market allows bargain hunters to check out new and used boat parts, electronics, marine products, scuba and snorkel gear, dock equipment, nautical arts and crafts, fishing gear and clothing. All parts and equipment, whether unusual or necessary, make life easier in, on or under water in the Keys. I ran into several loopers at the event: Alex and Cindy Shue, “Tug Hill Tug”, Michael & Jana Laporte “Second Wind”, Jerry off “Monk’s Vineyard”. Dan off “Biddi & the Beast” & I had lots of laughs at one of the gel coat restoration booths. Of course we both purchased the product and I went back to “Noah Genda” and tried out my new found Polymer product called “First Finish” Actually it works quite well, easy on easy off and I am impressed with the results.

Upon return to our boat at Harbour Cay Club, I opted to join others enjoying sunset celebration at the Tiki Hut. What a great way to cap a perfect day of enjoying the great times here in the Florida Keys. Great people, good conversation.

Day 160 Marathon Feb 19

Tom at Burdine's for lunch






Immigration and Border Patrol Vessel







Burdines Marina looking north






Gary & Carol Kramer







Gary & Carol Kramer at Harbour Cay, Marathon






Yesterday (Thursday 2/18/10) I had the pleasure of connecting with good friends Gary and Carol Kramer from Rock Island, Illinois. Our logistical connection didn’t start out very well. Unfortunately there was a fatal 3-car accident on the 7-mile bridge. As anyone knows that has traveled Highway 1 in the Keys, if the highway is blocked there are no detours. All island traffic came to a complete halt for four hours while emergency vehicles and tow vehicles attended the accident. Gary & Carol were grid locked about ¼ of a mile from our marina. I rode my bicycle toward their direction hopefully finding them stuck in traffic. Luck was on my side. They spotted me riding the bicycle, we connected, I took my bike back to the boat, walked back to their car, we made a “U” turn and had a wonderful time in Marathon. We rode around site seeing until dusk. We ended up in Key Colony choosing Cabana Breezes for a fun night of great dinning and adult beverages. Many of you may recognize Gary for many of his journalistic contributions to Heartland Boating, Lakeland Boating, Quimby’s River Guide, Quad City Times and many other publications. It is always fun to visit with Gary and his lovely wife Carol.

Today I took advantage of some down time and replaced all of the engine zincs in both Cummins engines. More salt water maintenance.

Tonight a Loopers sunset celebration was held at the Banana Bay Resort and Marina assembled and hosted by Pat and George Hospodar off the vessel “Reflections”. It is always a pleasure to meet with so many of our existing looper friends as well as develop new friendships. It was a very fun evening with 60 loopers at a very nice facility but ended early due to cold temperature.

Diann returns from home after a well deserved visit with family and friends. I am looking forward to her return, picking her up at the Miami Airport Sunday.

Day 154, Marathon, Islamorada

Looper attendees at Harbour Cay Club, image shot from atop Noah Genda








Cindy Shue and Linda Tuls








Diann, Linda, Dave, Alex, Cindy & Tom









Linda, Dave, Alex & Diann







Worldwide Sportsman at Islamorada








55' Flemming at the Miami Boat Show







View of in water show at Marriott Resort, Miami








I see it has been quite a while since our last update. The time is just passing by so quickly here in Marathon. Everyday seems to be filled with site seeing, a social, chasing errands or just relaxing and enjoying the beautiful environment. Diann flew home for a scheduled visit yesterday (Friday) and we both had deep concerns about the flight cancellations/delays due to the unpredictable winter storms the country is suffering. However all connections went well and she made it home as scheduled.
Last week Sallyann and Andrew (Freedom) assembled a social gathering here at Harbour Cay Club with invitations to all current “Great Loopers” located here in Marathon and included some surrounding Keys. There was a tremendous response with 60 plus Looper attendees celebrating a wonderful afternoon of camaraderie. It was a great time to rekindle existing acquaintances as well as an opportunity to build new ones. The owners of Harbour Cay Club extended a gracious welcoming to all of the guests and a good time was had by all. Thank you Andrew and Sallyann and to all of the loopers for sharing the afternoon together.

Diann & I picked up a rental car Friday morning and spent the day driving about twenty miles up to Islamorada. We looked around the area and selected the Islamorada Fish Company that is adjacent to Worldwide Sportsman (Bass Pro Shop) for an outdoor lunch where we almost stayed warm. We both decided to shop at Worldwide Sportsman while we had the chance. We drove around observing the area and stopped for beverages at Holiday Isle Resort and watched the seagulls beg for food overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Nice view. On the way back to Marathon we drove down Sombrero Blvd and walked Sombrero Beach. It had potential of a beautiful sunset, but it was getting chili and we didn’t have jackets with us. We returned to the boat since we were setting the alarm clocks for 4:00 A.M. to get Diann to Miami Airport for an early Saturday departure.

After dropping Diann off at MIA airport, I had scheduled to attend the Miami Boat Show. The Marine Industry has suffered severely for the last few years and it was quite evident observing the in water display of boats at the Marriott. The Conventions Center display of vendors is always my favorite segment of the show and I was not disappointed this year. Of course the Collins Ave Brokers show is always well displayed and attended. However that is a fantasy world of mega-yachts that I cannot relate to.

I returned to the boat in Marathon and got out of the car just when the sky let loose with copious amounts of rain. About 1:00 A.M. I woke up to the boat rocking and rolling from wind gusts of 50 MPH. Needless to say several of us were up for a couple of hours repositioning lines and fenders and hoping all would hold through this blow. It was impossible to sleep on the boat. Finally about 4:00 A.M. it settled enough to get a few additional hours of sleep. Rough night, and tonight (Sat) it is gusting to 30 MPH winds, not nearly like last night, but still bouncing around a lot. The northern winds out of the Gulf of Mexico are relentless.

Day 147, Marathon Art Festival

Liz & Steve Kemper, Tom at Art Festival










Marathon Munincipal Park









Patchouli performing at amphitheater










Music group "Patchouli"











'32 Ford Victoria "Vicky" at "Keys Fisheries"










16th Annual Pigeon Key Art Festival held in Marathon.










Lunch yesterday at Burdines locatged in Boot Harbor










Burdines, Boot Harbor








Just another day in paradise! After showers we rode our bicycles about one mile up U.S. 1 highway to a restaurant called the “Stuffed Pig” for breakfast. Today was a gorgeous morning for outdoor dining under the Tiki hut. This was our first visit to this establishment and we were advised to go hungry. The portions are large and priced fairly reasonable. It was good, but way too much food.

After breakfast we continued our journey to Marathon Municipal Park for the 16th annual Pigeon Key Art Festival. Sixteen years ago this started as a weekend gathering of local artists; however it has grown into a nationally recognized art show. Diann & I separated inside the event and agreed to meet at the amphitheater for the scheduled live music. The art display was extremely high quality and tempting to find somewhere to display the beautiful works of art. The Floridian colors and themes are gorgeous but being a mid-westerner, as much as I liked it I guess it wouldn’t fit our décor’. Diann and I met and were entertained by some of the best live folk music we have heard in a long time. The group was “Patchouli” out of Maiden Rock, WS on Lake Pepin. It was very easy to sit and listen to this music most of the afternoon. Look them up on line, if they are scheduled in a community near you, and you like high energy guitar and folk music, do not miss their performance.

While sitting in our seats on a beautiful sunny afternoon we were pleasantly surprised by our looper friends Liz and Steve Kemper showing up at the amphitheater and joining us for a couple of hours of listening and conversation. After departing the Art Festival we journeyed on to K-mart, Publix and a stop at a Deli/Liquor store before heading back to the boat. It has finally cooled off a little and the humidity has dropped somewhat. Kind of welcoming

Earlier in the week we stopped at the local bicycle shop and bought a spray-on product to protect our bicycles from ever challenging salt air. Diann broke out the wax, worked on her bike and I helped her with chain lube while she coated her bike with the aero spray product. I think my old 25 year old bike is disposable after this trip or maybe even before. I think when we are out of salt air environment I should purchase a new bike. Diann prepared chicken-pot pie from scratch on board tonight and it was absolutely delicious. I cleaned up the galley and offered to complete the blog posting while Diann watches TV.

Tomorrow is Super Bowl and all of us at Harbour Cay Club and gathering in the club house/boaters lounge for a cook-out and watch the game together. Sounds great to me.

Day 145, Key West

Artist Matssee images




Duval Street, Key West






Ford Cobra Replica







Ford Cobra Replica on Duval Street






Looper friends Liz & Steve Kemper & Diann, Key West







Inside Sloppy Joes for lunch







Tom at Statue







Diann at Old Customs Building mueseum







Tom & Diann at Mallory Square






Diann with ice cream at city wharf







Key West









Liz and Diann walking out of Key Lime Ice Cream Factory







Key West Municapal Marina from Wharf






Yesterday (Wed) we took our bus schedule and walked a few blocks to the bus stop in front of the coast guard station. While we’re sitting there waiting for the 9:33 bus, Liz from “Shingebiss” popped her head around the corner. They had read our blog and knew we were going to Key West and offered to take us with them in their rented car. Who is going to say no to that offer? We parked at a the west municipal harbor/wharf and our first stop was of course an ice cream store. Liz said it’s only 11:30, I replied what’s your point? She must have thought it was too early. We decided to find a parking lot that was cheaper than $0.25 for 10 minutes since we planned to spend the day. We found a parking lot right off Duval on Caroline Street. Generally Key West doesn’t have a separate street sign but they stencil paint them vertically on the concrete light poles at each corner.

We visited the museum of Art & History at the Custom House. The Custom House was built in 1891 and has been a post office, a courthouse and a government office. In 1903, the island city was bankrupt and the building was boarded up. After 9 years and 9 million dollars the building has been restored to its original glory. Among many other artists, Matisse was the sculpture for the dancing nudes. The sculptures were very creative and entertaining. We also saw an interesting educational video on Ernest Hemingway’s life in Key West.

We had a great lunch at Sloppy Joes, which was one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite stops. Tom had to check out the Garden of Eden but since it was cloudy, the place was empty. Also since it was cloudy we elected not to stay for the sunset. Also, there was a lot of construction going on at Malory Square. It was a very fun day full of lots of laughs. Liz & Steve, thank you for making this a memorable day.

I imported the digital images from our camera of today’s Key West visit to the computer. It seemed Tom had the camera in his hand constantly and we ended up with 35 new pictures. Of course if there are vintage cars, street rods, or motorcycles they are like a magnet and he can spot them a mile away.

When we returned to “Noah Genda” after our day in Key West, Dave from Perfect Timing was headed to Key’s Fisheries Restaurant for takeout. This worked perfect for us since we didn’t feel like going out or cooking. Tom brought back a delicious combination of stone crab soup and coconut shrimp. What a nice way to cap off a perfect day. The food was excellent and only confirms we must go there for lunch and dinner both. Keys Fisheries is an extremely popular dining facility.

Day 141, Marathon

Fellow looper and friend Alex Shue







Loopers and friends Dave & Linda, and Andrew & Sallyann at Key Colony Inn







At Key Colony Inn







At Key Colony Inn in Marathon.





Sunday morning was overcast and looked like rain but we had planned on going to Bluegreen Resort (Hammocks at Marathon) for breakfast at the Tiki Bar so we took raincoats and headed out. The resort looks very nice and the price reflects it $199.00 night for 1 bedroom. The food at the TiKi bar was so so – definitely not a repeat.

When we returned to the boat our Looper neighbors Dave and Linda “Perfect Timing” offered to take us with them to Publix for a few groceries. Tom was relieved to be able to buy more ice cream. I wished I had the camera with me to take a picture of him standing in front of the freezer for the longest time trying to decide on a flavor! Cute!

The rest of the afternoon Tom was on the computer and I read a book on my Kindle, and took a nap.

Sunday night we had dinner on board
Monday we awoke to a downpour which lasted all day. I did do some laundry in between rain drops but other than that we hung out on the boat all day. It stopped raining around 5:00 pm so we took up Perfect Timings invitation to come over for happy hour. After we returned to Noah Genda, Tom grilled burgers on one of the harbors grill. They tasted better than any I’ve had at any restaurant.

Tuesday Dave and Linda off “Perfect Timing” offered to take us to Colony Key Inn for lunch (in their rental vehicle) along with and Andrew and Sallyann off “Freedom”. This restaurant is located in the Colony Key area of Marathon. This area is very very nice and little more upscale and some residences remind you of Naples and Marco Island. We enjoyed the guided tour Dave offered all of us through a very pretty area of Marathon. The food, atmosphere and service was spectacular and Colony Key Inn. That is a repeat. Life is good, We have really enjoyed the wonderful friends we have met along the journey.

Tuesday evening we enjoyed happy hour under the tiki hut for tonight’s sunset celebration. Tonight the water was perfectly flat a pretty landscape and a fun educational conversation with winter live-aboard slip holders and fellow loopers. Tonight we prepared left-over’s and added some fresh potatoes with sautéed vegetables. And of course capped the evening with ice-cream. Tomorrow, the plans include catching the Key West shuttle bus to Key West. Sounnds like a busy day. Kino's sandles for anyone?