Second Wind on the Great Loop and Beyond

Thursday through Saturday, December 10 - 12, 2009
During our Great Loop adventure a couple of years ago, we rarely stopped in one area for very long. Our schedule was usually driven by the need to meet people or to attend various events. Weather delays were the only reason we stayed in any town or city for more than a day or two. That is not the case during our current Keys Adventure.

As we work our way down Florida's west coast, we are taking the time to explore as we go. St. Petersburg has been an excellent stopover. I mentioned earlier our experience with the Dali Museum. On Thursday we learned some highlights of the history of St. Petersburg as reflected in the history of the fabulous Renaissance Vinoy Hotel, which overlooks the waterfront. This magnificent resort hotel, which had once fallen into a state of disrepair (vagrants, graffitti, volleyball city tournaments in the ballroom), has been restored to a new level of comfort and luxury. We took the Vinoy History Tour, which included a delicious lunch. A peek at the new gorgeous ballroom chandelier by Dale Chahuli, the famous blown-glass artist, was a wonder in itself. The chandelier is eight feet in length -- fabulous.

Afterwords we toured the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Art. Again we got to see a comprehensive collection of art, everything from Greek and Roman antiquities, to Pre-Columbian art to works by Monet and O'Keefe. A traveling exhibition by Leslie Dill reminded us very much of our own Anne's installation art. Too bad cameras were outlawed. Our senses were in overload.

I now understand why people want to live in this area. While I was expecting a bunch of condos and old people, what I discovered is a vibrant, friendly city that feels like a community. Beautiful waterfront scenery, galleries, excellent restaurants, specialty shops, trolleys, parks. We love St. Pete!

P.S. We enjoyed a fabulous dinner Friday night at Cerviche, a casual gourmet tapas restaurant in downtown St. Pete. Today (Saturday, December 12) we left the boat to head towards home for the holidays. We are now in Tallahassee, planning to drive home on Monday the 14th with our talented, fun daughter-in-law Anne. It's always fun to drop in on Scott and Anne's lives - think busy on steroids. We'll be back on the boat after the first of the year. Happy Holidays!

Monday - Wednesday, December 7-9.
Our last day in Clearwater Beach was cloudy and cool, perfect for doing laundry. We enjoyed dinner with some Loopers at Frenchy’s Cafe, a local favorite. There will be a big influx of Loopers here in the next few days. If we hadn’t crossed the Gulf last Saturday, we would still be waiting for a weather window in Florida's Panhandle with about two dozen boats. Having enjoyed Clearwater Beach for a week, it’s time to move on. We are looking forward to meeting up with Looper friends further south.

Early Tuesday morning, Bob and I cast off our lines and headed south. The heavy fog was a surprise, so we were mighty glad to have our radar up and running again. The stretch of the Intercoastal Waterway between Clearwater and St. Petersburg is lined with condos and large private homes, punctuated by numerous bridges. It was slow going because of a steady procession of No Wake zones. By 1 p.m. we pulled into the Harborage Marina, where we plan to leave the boat for a month. Hurray, it has floating docks -- no pilings!

Bob and I immediately caught a trolley so we could see the lay of the land. The trolley fare was only 10 cents each for seniors – such a deal! Although St. Pete is tourist friendly like Clearwater, it has an entirely different character. St Pete is an active city with grassy parks, museums, interesting architecture, lots of history, and a lovely waterfront. With so much to see and do, we will stay busy every day we are here. For example, the only attraction in Florida’s west coast with top ratings by the Michelin Guide is the Salvadore Dali Museum, which just happens to be located next door to our marina. I never thought I was a fan of Salvadore Dali’s work, but after an excellent docent-led tour, we were both enthralled by his complex and confounding images as well as his jewelry.

Sunday, December 6, 2009.
Because our boat is still in Clearwater Beach, Bob and I rented a car so we could see the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, only a few hours away. We had no idea that this huge complex included several venues scattered throughout the 66-acre John and Mable Ringling estate. Situated among walking paths, huge banyan trees, and gardens, we spent the day being immersed in art and nature as well as the razzle-dazzle of the circus.

One entire building contained the world’s largest miniature circus, every piece crafted by a single man. This artistic exhibit told the full story of the American Circus, depicting every aspect of a performance: from erecting the Big Top and support tents for housing and feeding the performers and animals, to the various maintenance areas, and finally to the arrival of the circus train, the parade, the side shows and the three-ring performance itself. The most fascinating part, of course, was the intricately choreographed behind-the-scenes activities. This exhibit alone was worth the cost of admission, and I’m not even a huge circus fan.

In another fabulous Italianate building we saw a world-renowned collection of fine art, including masterpieces by Rubens and van Dyck. These works were displayed in the dramatic style of the Ringling family. We also visited the palatial mansion of John and Mable Ringling. Did I mention that their home was 22,000 square feet? As we walked between these gorgeous buildings (and there were others that we missed), we were surrounded by gardens, statuary, and banyan trees. What a fabulous experience, certainly a highlight of this trip.

Saturday, December 5, 2009.
The only words to describe Friday are wet and dreary. We didn’t even get off the boat. The weather the whole time we’ve been here has been unseasonably cool, but we can’t complain because it is even colder at home. Even though we aren’t seeing much of the sun, the weekend has been a treat.

We rarely get to see the Malone side of Bob’s family, so having cousins nearby has been a delightful bonus. Late this afternoon, Claudia and her Bob brought niece Amanda aboard Second Wind. Of course Amanda was intrigued by the living space, especially all the nooks and crannies. Then we all met for dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant in St. Pete. Amanda’s mother Marie ordered an authentic feast for all of us. Even the lemonade tea was unusual and delicious. Afterward we gathered at Al and Marie’s house to decorate their Christmas tree. With Amanda playing Christmas carols on the piano, the sparkling tree, and a collection of family, the Christmas spirit is alive and well. I am quite taken with 7-year-old Amanda, who is lively, cute, well-mannered, and smart as a whip.

Thursday, December 3, 2009.
After sleeping soundly through another big blow, I walked around the large Clearwater City Marina complex and took pictures of some tour boats and pelicans, my favorite coastal bird. Later Bob and I decided that we should take advantage of the Jolley Trolley to see the entire area around Clearwater. For only $3 each, we can use any trolley in Pinellas County, via a system of transfers. The Jolley Trolley is for Clearwater Beach only, but by catching a larger trolley, we could go north to Downtown Clearwater or as far south as St. Petersburg Beach. So that is how we spent most of the day. As we headed south, mile after mile of condos was mainly what we saw.

I guess I was expecting a bunch of cute villages with specialty shops and galleries, but this is serious retirement country. Most residents are looking for a place to escape the cold North and watch the sunset. One nice lady on the trolley suggested that we get off at St. John’s Pass, where we were happy to see a funky boardwalk with nearby shops and ice cream parlors. I helped the local economy by purchasing yet another pair of boating sandals. These are pretty clunky, but oh, are they comfortable.

By the time we got back to Second Wind at sundown, we were delighted to see a group of Loopers enjoying happy hour. Of course we joined them and spent the evening sharing adventures, wine, and snacks. As the temperature dropped, several of us went aboard Voyager II, where we continued doing what Loopers do – talk about where we’ve been and where we are going, while sampling cheese and crackers and sipping wine. It was fun.

Monday to Wednesday, November 30 - December 2, 2009.
Clearwater Beach is delightful. One of the first things we did was to walk across the street from the marina to see the beach. White sand, great boardwalk, fabulous sunsets -- this is our reward for crossing the Gulf. Every evening at sunset, local vendors, tourists, and locals celebrate at the pier. It is a fun place to be. After one beautiful sunny day, the weather fell apart, however -- rain and wind are scheduled to arrive the day after we did.

With forecasts of weather unfit for boats, we’ve decided to stay at the Clearwater Marina for a while. Moving from a slip constantly rocked by tour boats to a protected slip near the fuel dock (and behind a big Hatteras), we are now a lot more comfortable than we were. We’ve spent a good bit of time trying to figure out plans and make reservations for the next month or so. I do miss being able to go online!

With strong storms headed this way, Clearwater makes a good hidey hole. A mechanic is available to change some filters on the engines, the local Jolly Trolly comes every half hour to carry us to nearby stores and restaurants, and a sandy beach, complete with boardwalk, is just a short walk away. Sunset is celebrated every night with beach musicians and vendors. An added bonus is that Bob’s cousins Claudia and Al live nearby in Largo, FL. Claudia and her dear friend Bob drove us to St. Petersburg yesterday, then took us to her lovely home, and ended the evening with dinner at an excellent Greek restaurant. We also got to get reacquainted with Al’s wife Marie and their adorable 7-year-old daughter Amanda. We now have a stash of sweet ruby red grapefruits from Claudia’s garden – no scurvy for the Staggs! We’ll look forward to visiting with them again while we are in this area of Florida.