Second Wind on the Great Loop and Beyond

Thursday thru Sunday, March 4-7.
One of the joys of cruising is that we sometimes get to visit with friends and family who like the same spots we do. Our stay in Marathon was the perfect excuse for a rendezvous with the YaYas from the Orlando area. One of these fun-loving girlfriends (Karen) has a condo less than a block from our marina, so the three of them drove down for a visit. I left Bob to batch it on the boat while I moved to the condo for a few days. These spirited, fun-loving YaYa occasions always involve gift-giving, eating, drinking margaritas -- and shopping. They are shopping mavens. Art festivals were being held in Islamorada and Key Colony, both nearby. We must have also visited every open shop within a 20-mile radius. Such fun, such kidding, dear friends!

Bob joined us for a delicious brunch one morning. On our last afternoon together, we ate stone crab claws at Keys Fisheries, one of Bob's and my favorite places. We celebrated the sunset together with a toast to good times and good friends. I did take them by One Palm Court that night so that YaYas and Loopers -- ALL dear friends -- could meet. The photo shows the TV, one of the scavenged One Palm Court amenities. We had another wonderful time.