Christmas in Tarpon Springs

Monday, December 24 - Thursday, December 27, 2012

I registered us for a couple day stay at Turtle Cove Marina in Tarpon Springs and Mike finished securing the Irish Attitude to the dock. Now it was time to sleep! The day did not turn to night before we were up again. Two other looper boats (Great Laker and Fandango) were in port but their owners had gone to visit family for the holidays. We had finally caught up to Ann and Larry but we still missed them! Joyce and Bill, on Carried Away had invited us to share their traditional Christmas Eve dinner with them. Joyce is a great cook and we were happy to accept. Both families were grateful to have good friends to share the holiday with. I don't know how Joyce had the energy to serve up such wonderful meals. Never sleeping must be the key. Actually, it all came down to planning. Menus were discussed and groceries were purchased in Apalachicola. It was delicious! Everyone enjoyed lasagna, salad, garlic bread, wine and even ice cream for dessert! Surprisingly, we talked until quite late, rehashing the crossing.

Tree Ornaments!

The next morning was Christmas. (No exclamation point needed.) It would have been a dismal day for me if not for Joyce and Bill's company. We were treated to another Craig tradition, cream cheese coffee cake with cinnamon swirled through it! To Die For! Add a sausage and egg casserole, conversation and we were fat and happy again! Mike and I headed back to the boat and did some chores. I saved the laundry another day! We Faced Timed Kris and Clint and Jen and Jared. We left Rob a message. It would be a busy day on the job for him. Tomorrow would be a better day to catch up.

Sea Hunt IV had Exterior Christmas Lights



Christmas dinner was aboard Carried Away. They have much more space than we do and a much bigger refrigerator! Glazed ham, carrots, green bean casserole, rolls and cheese cake for dessert! Joyce did most of the meals the last couple days. Our contributions seemed meager. Honestly, we do not have the space needed to pull off such a special holiday feast. Thank you!, Joyce and Bill for making this a Christmas to remember!

Wednesday turned out to be a poor travel day. The winds were kicking up. Our girls would be flying into Florida on Friday and Mike and I hoped to get further south. Sunburns have not been an issue so far on our adventure. Wind burn, maybe! After some chart plotting we settled on Clearwater Beach. Sun, sand and surf, a good combo! I gathered up all the laundry and put the basket in our cart. It was a hike. It soon began to rain and Mike brought me an umbrella. I pulled a chair up to the window and worked on our blog. Inserting the pictures takes awhile. The rain came harder matching the winds. Turtle Cove Marina is a 'rack-a-minium'. There are 4 huge building filled with rack stored boats. Just call them and the forklift removes your boat from storage, places it in the water and they will even gas it up for you, added to your account of course. It's a busy place but not intrusive. To bad the weather was so nasty. The pool and hot tub looked inviting.

Rack 'em Up!

Pool Side



Rainy Days

Laundry With A View

Fountains in the Pool

Joyce and I walked into town. Tarpon Springs is another 'Old Florida' town and it has the highest population of Greek Americans in the U.S. They immigrated here as sponge divers. Red Tide algae all but wiped out the sponges and the dock are now shops and (mostly) Greek restaurants plus one fantastic bakery! Fishing and shrimping replaced diving for sponges. There is more to Tarpon Springs but that is all I had time to see. The four of us ate out at Rusty Belly's that night, opting to skip the Greek cuisine.



A Memorial to Tarpon Springs Sponge Diving Heritage

Our departure time on Thursday was pushed back a few hours. First, it was too cold! Second, it was low tide. A boat next to us, Gypsy, I believe, was crossing the gulf, heading the opposite direction from us. There final destination was Nashville. The tide was so low, their keel was in the mud. Better to wait for the tide to come up. That is something we don't worry about in Michigan! Clearwater Beach was only 18 miles down the ICW so an early start was not imperative. Mike and I said good-bye to Bill and Joyce and motored out of Tarpon Springs about 11:00 a.m.

Mangroves, A Sure Sign Of Florida

Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

We have said good-bye to our land bound friends.

Our family seems happy, the endless talking now ends.

The months of planning we now put behind

Double and triple checked, all the paperwork’s been signed.

Our boat is our home a floating castle at last,

We use words like galley and head, forward and aft.

Our electronics, like chart plotters and radar may vary by brand

In spite of technology, our keel still finds the land.

Our flag is our symbol; it’s a burgee we’re told,

Flown proudly by boats, some new and some old

“You’re a Looper!” are usually the first words to be uttered,

“So are we! Care to join us for docktails?” are next to be muttered” 

Our collections are varied but they have to be small

Some sand or a shell, you just can’t keep them all.

A pin or picture, a mug or a hat

Some people buy T-shirts saying, ‘Been there, done that’.

We’ve been to some places that bring out the kid

Our photos help us remember all the things that we did.

Pictures of friends, sunsets and birds on our cameras we fill

My question is quite simple…How do you make a dolphin stay still?

We all carry boat cards, there’s no info they lack

So many ways to find us, we even filled up the back

We scramble to find them; we know others do the same

‘I remember the boat but I can’t place his name’.

The places we visit North, South, East and West

It's hard to pin down a place we like best

Places in Canada or the U.S. of A.

Just sound it out, it's called Choc-taw-HATCH-ee Bay!

If you read these short verses and they brought you a smile

It’s the memories we make with each passing mile

In boating and life, try to keep your words sweet

Because when the metaphorical docking is done, it may be them that you eat.

We’ll leave you with this simple uptake on life

Hold the hand of your partner, your husband your wife

Call it a loop or a circle; we know when our adventure ends

Our most cherished possession will be our circle of family and friends.

(This poem was modified with the permission of the witty authors, 
Gary and Christelle on Time and Tide)

"Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

"The Crossing"

Saturday, December 22 - Monday, December 24, 2012

With IPads in hand we gathered on Sea Hunt IV to discuss what information we had been able to ascertain from our favorite weather sites. Andre spoke with some locals and we had all read Tom Conrad's weather musing. Both thought we had missed the window of opportunity. According to NOAA and Wavefinder we would be fine if we arrived before Monday afternoon and the next weather system. Arriving at Tarpon Springs before 10 a.m. can be hazardous due to the thousands of crab pots 30 miles off shore. The morning sun causes a glare on the water that hampers a boaters ability to spot the markers. 'No problem', I said. 'It's suppose to be cloudy Monday morning.'
With all our facts on the table it was agreed we would leave at 9 a.m. the next morning.

Everyone hustled back to their boat to get a good nights sleep before our 24 cruise.

'Twas the night before the crossing and all through the marina
Not a creature was stirring not even Done Dreamin
The fenders were hung by the bow rails with care
With hopes that fair seas would take us safely there.
 
The children were tucked soundly in bed but the adult could not
sleep with visions of 'what ifs' dancing in our heads.
The dawn it did rise and the time it grew near
God bless us on our journey so we can see the new year!

Okay... a little absurd but 'tis the season.

Mike awoke early and checked the weather sites again. Tom Conrad said only big or fast boats should attempt the crossing. The others sites still had the same safe wind and wave forecast. After some talk we recalled that Tom's musings take into account the conditions for boat the size of a 28 ft. sailboat so with our size of powerboat we decided to go.

Carried Away Leaving Carrabelle for 'The Crossing'

Leaving Port

Irish Attitude actually pushed off the dock at 10:19 a.m. Sunday, December 23 just minutes behind the other 2 boats. We sped up and caught them just as the rounded the west end of Dog Island.

Beaches on Dog Island

House on Dog Island

Our course had us rounding buoy 4 at Dog Island then proceeding east to buoy 26 rather than heading directly southeast. This turned out to be key. At buoy 26 we could see rain moving into the area 20 miles south of us. We remained dry... well as dry as a boat in water can be! It was 189 miles in total across the Gulf of Mexico! We did not travel at our customary 8 m.p.h. Sea Hunt IV, a 48 footer, cruises at 6.5 knots or approx. 7.5 mph. These two adjustments would add about an hour to our crossing. We dubbed our trip Rudolph Flight. Sea Hunt IV was 1, Carried Away - 2 and Irish Attitude was 3. We agreed to stay within 1 mile of each other and check in using the call sign Rudolph Flight every hour on the hour once darkness fell. There were not many photo opportunities. Just a vast expanse of sea and sky. We was grateful to Andre for taking the lead. With an AIS system on board he is able to spot other boats. As it turns out, we were alone. 

Seas Were Near Calm

Mike used our dinghy cover to block the stairway to the bridge. Depending on the wind or lack of, we find we have to monitor the carbon monoxide on the bridge. This trick eliminated the concern and also kept us warmer.  Clever guy! The moon was nearly full. It fluttered in and out of the clouds but still lit our way. All the dash instruments were set on 5% brightness so we would not be blinded by the light. Lisa began the check in and we all responded in turn. We ran our generator (3 times that night) and Mike and I had soup for dinner. I made more coffee and we snacked to keep our energy up. As the night wore on our hourly check-in began with a poem from Bill on Carried Away. (Joyce was surprised at this new side of her husband!) It was something to look forward to and I was surprised how fast the hour went. Mike and I took cat naps but never went below to sleep. Around 2 p.m. our calm waters became 2 footers. It didn't last long but it is the unknowns that keep you on edge for the crossing. At about this time we turned on the stereo and we we found a station that came in loud and clear. I was regenerated! We had no cell service for most of the trip. Too bad. The world would have to wait for an update!

Around 6:30 a.m. on Monday, December 24 Rudolph Flight was nearing Tarpon Springs about 30 miles off shore. Crab pots!!! Mike turned on our spotlight and within a few minutes we spotted the first two. Dancing around them became to hazardous and the moon that had been our companion now deserted us. It was black as ..... night! After some discussion, we agreed to wait it out until dawn before proceeding on, about a 30-45 minute delay. Crab pots and props due not mix well together! Once the others rigged a spotlight we moved on again.

Sunrise!

Soon there was a brilliant sunrise! Lisa commented on what a beautiful gift we'd received. I said it will be much better once the sun rises up to the cloud level so the glare does not hide the crab pots. What a Grinch! I apologized later for my reaction! Still, I was relieved when the sun found its way behind the clouds. It took us hours and I mean hours to work our way through these crab pots. Pot on starboard, 2 on the port. They marked field were only a fraction of the out there. 'What color are the markers'?, asked Andre. 'White', Mike said but wait. They're white with blue or black or red or oranges tops. Green and white, blue and yellow, solid orange, lavender and yellow ones. The colors schemes seemed endless.

Markers for Crab Pots are Not Much Larger Than A Softball

We came around the south side of the Anclote Keys and followed the channel and directions on Active Captain to locate Turtle Cove Marina in Tarpon Springs. With Carried Away in the lead, we snaked our way along the channel. To the south dark clouds were starting to close in. Hopefully we would make it in before it rained. Third in line is third to dock, we waited for the other to secure their lines. What a relief to be on dry land!! Odd thing about it was my equilibrium was off.  Lisa said that is why landlubbers thought sailors had a 'drunken swagger'. It was really just getting acclimated being on land. Next on our agenda..... sleep!

Panhandle

Friday, December 14 - Saturday, December 22, 2012

On December 13 we gave up the beach house and the rental car and moved back aboard the Irish Attitude. The sea trial called for a final tweak and the dinghy had to be loaded so our plan was to leave Destin on Friday.... The weather had other plans giving us one more day in port. Saturday brought more of the same. Mike and I were just beginning a walk when the weather changed, again! The winds died down the sun came out and at 1:30 p.m. we decided to leave Destin. Our new engine required a break in period of 25 hours. In this time the speed was to be varied or maintained for set periods of time. Luckily the area we were in made it easy follow the instructions. We were not going to go far this day and planned to anchor out but we did traverse Choctawhatee Bay 3 times! I am sure the tow we passed thought we were lost! We idled into a cove near a bridge on US 331. Four dolphins were flanking our beam. I tried repeatedly to get their picture but could not get a clear one. My phone camera has a delay and by the time I clicked, they were under again. I gave up and just enjoyed them. They continued to play in the water around us but did not come close once we had stopped. I don't know if it the engine noise or our motion that attracts them. I don't think I will ever get used to the site. A campground nearby provided the smell of campfires. Our day ended with a glorious sunset!

Sunday morning was foggy as forecasted, thick and heavy. It was 10 a.m. before we could pull out safely. We heard Bob from Karma on the VHF radio and found out they were only 15 minutes ahead of us. They had passed right by our cove in the fog and we never saw each other! The ICW is marked in statue miles on the charts and we were at about St M 250. The next 20 miles would be along a section called Florida's 'Grand Canyon'. 

The 'Grand Canyon'

100' Dunes Line the Canyon

The man-made canal ended and we entered West Bay then North Bay to St. Andrews Bay. We turned back west into Grand Lagoon. Bay Point Marina had excellent reviews on Active Captain and discounts for loopers! Our favorite kind of place! It's a gated condominium community with a restaurant, bank, post office and salon on site. No need to go into nearby Panama City Beach, but we did! We found Makin' Memories and Lady KK were staying for an extended period. Catmandu, True North (Tom and Patsy Conrad's) and Sea Biscuit had left their boats and returned home for the holidays. When Pigs Fly and Carried Away were in port. After dark, Proud Lady pulled in. A trip they wished they had waited a day to make as the weather had gotten rough on the bays and had them entering the shallow channel in the dark. 1-800-Tow-Boat! It's why we all have coverage! Thankfully no damage done. Monday, Mike and I took a taxi into the nearest Walmart for provisions and engine oil. No courtesy car available here, a minor drawback. Our new boat engine was not warming up as expected so Mike called Trevor at Legendary Marine on Monday. Trevor made arrangements for a service tech to come over from their Panama City marina to look at it on Tuesday. It turned out we had one to many thermostats on that engine. A quick fix. We ate at the restaurant on site Wednesday night. Thursday the girls; Joy, Ivy, Joyce and I shopped the outdoor mall and unique shops in the heart of Panama City Beach. Not many shoppers for the season! I purchased some mango salsa after trying 6 different ones. Yum! The Zone and Why Knot were tied up to the wall when we returned. It was getting to be quite a Looperfest! It was Karaoke night at the restaurant and we all went to see if what we heard was true. This is not your typical karaoke. A group of locals follow the karaoke 'player' around and the are talented! Not the off key, giggling groups you may have seen other places. A group of 7 people took  turns entertaining us. If you closed your eyes you could imagine Nat King Cole or Karen Carpenter singing Christmas carols. Then 'Jerome' came in! What would he bring to the group. He was dressed in a suit, vest and all and resembled David Ruffin from The Temptations! (You will probably  have to look that one up!)  It was a fun night and we played, 'Name that Tune'. Bill from Proud Lady was very good!

Ross, (Bill Hiding), Joyce, Joy, Bill, Me, Mike and Laura
at 30 Degrees

Time was a wasting and we still had to get to Carrabelle to make the gulf crossing by Sunday. Friday we pulled out from Panama City Beach area to Apalacicola. Only Carried Away planned to leave with us, the others thought it too rough. St. Andrews Bay was choppy but not bad. It can't always be like glass! We followed Carried Away through East Bay into 'The Ditch'! No, we did not run aground. It was another canal section about 10 miles long and looked more like a bayou. The tides were low and the trees appeared to be stretching their roots to reach water.

All Was Calm in 'The Ditch'

Most of the oysters enjoyed in the U.S. come from this bay! Apalachicola Bay is shallow and the marina was hard to spot. Confusing directions from the staff did not help. We pulled in along a face dock and tied up for the night. We had dinner aboard Carried Away. Delicious pork chops Joyce had been preparing all day long. It was hard to judge which was better, the company or the meal! In the morning Joyce and I took the golf cart over to the grocery store. It was freezing, literally! We picked up supplies for our Christmas dinner. The question was... would we be out of the panhandle by then?

We traveled to Carrabelle on Saturday, December  22 and fueled up when we arrived at C Quarters Marina. "Just pull her in sideways Captain", James said. Four guys were gathered at the dock to watch the show. Sorry to disappoint, Mike did an excellent job! The onlookers told me to switch on the bow thruster. I looked at them and filled my checks with air, puffed a few times and the just roared. 'You'll fit in here just fine!", they said. Once in, we had to get back out. No problem, throw out a line and we were guided pack out. This is an experience reserved for only gas engines! Diesel fuel was on the outside of the dock.  Sea Hunt IV , friends of  Carried Away were already docked. Lisa and Andre are from Sarnia, Onterio, traveling with their two sons, Luc and Pierre. What a life experience for these boys. The three of us planned to cross the gulf on Sunday, weather permitting. Michael and Mundy from Done Dreamin were in the next marina down, The Moorings. Their plan was to cross to Steinhatchee and visit other ports in 'the bend'. Another boat was going cross with them and they planned to leave at 4 a.m.! This is a shorter jaunt but still 62 miles. Our little group had an 8 p.m. meeting to discuss the outlook. Would the forecast be kind to us.....?

Gas Dock at C Quarters Marina

 

Destin, FL

Monday, December 3 - Friday, December 14, 2012

Legendary Marine of Destin...in a word...Impressive! Trevor jumped into the engine room before we had a chance to shut her down. After twenty minutes he was on the phone with Crusader while still in the engine room. He talked over Mike's concerns and gave Mike his plan of action. Within an hour we were packing a bag waiting for Enterprise to pick us up! Irish Attitude was hoisted out and  moved to her temporary home in the service building.

Hoisted

Mike watches Irish Attitude on the Forklift

After a little hunting we decided to go through a rental agency. It was possible Irish Attitude could be out of the water from a week to ten days if the engine needed to be replaced. A place with a kitchen would be a money saver. Luckily it is the off season and deals were available. Mike and I rented a cottage a block off the beach. Our Nantucket Rainbow Cottage exceeded our expectations. For the price of a boat slip we had a kitchen with table, living room, queen bed, bathroom w/ shower and even a couple bunk beds. Mike sat at the table and I sat in a chair living room putting on my shoes. I looked up and realized that this is the farthest apart we had been in months! Weird. After our 4th day I discovered there was a pool and a laundry room! It was not mentioned and at the rate we were paying it was not expected. Maybe our luck it turning around!



11B

My favorite pass time became walking on those soft white sandy beaches. No hot sands this time of year. The beach and water was beautiful and it was ours alone (almost!).

Our layover was a great time to visit the area. We followed the coast highway to the east to Rosemary Beach and to the west back to Pensacola to the National Naval Aviation Museum. It was worth the drive. Over 140 military aircraft are on display. There are 3 IMAX movies. We chose the Magic of Flight movie featuring the Blue Angels. It was surprising to discover the number of carriers the U.S. has had over the years. Mike served on the Enterprise, the first nuclear powered carrier. Reading the accounts, seeing authentic uniforms and all those planes from every era!




Aviatior Over the Years

Destin has every restaurant you can imagine. The unique restaurants, mostly seafood of course, make this area a real attraction. Harborwalk Village has all the charm of a fishing village blended with the amenities of a resort area.

Sunday night we went down to Harry T's and sat upstairs. A Christmas boat parade was scheduled for 6 p.m. A couple sitting along the balcony offered us their seats since they were leaving. ‘Merry Christmas’ she said! The boats ranged from the tall ship Buccaneer to small personal crafts. Decorations varied from simple elegance to load it up and light it up! The boats passed in front of the judges then circled around in the bay. Once all the boats were out of the harbor the fireworks began. It was a fun night, but like most nights, we were still home before 9 p.m.!

Our 9 yr. old engine that had developed a knock in the lower end has been replaced with a new Crusader Engine with a warranty! The sliding glass doors had to be removed to take out and reinstall the engine. We had new port shaft bearings replaced, rudders realigned and new larger fuel filters installed while the engine work was being done. Thursday we will sea trial the new engine and hopefully move back aboard to continue our adventure.

The weather was turning chilly again. The warm spell is over. Destin turned out to be a great place to wait our engine repairs. Thank you to Legendary Marine and especially Service Advisor, Trevor Hardy!

ICW (Intracoastal Waterway)

Friday, November 30 – Sunday, December 2, 2012

The ICW is both a natural and man-made waterway that runs 3,000 miles from Texas to New York! (Taking a break now and again) It allows us to travel inland from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean following rivers and canals thereby avoiding many hazards of travel on the open seas.

Irish Attitude followed her bread crumbs back towards Mobile Bay to catch the sailing line. Some people choose to cut across the bay on a more direct route but the water is shallow and with only one good engine we did not want to take any chances.  While following the shipping lane we passed an area of 20+ oil platforms, one with a flare in operation. It took Mike back to his refinery days.

 

Cargo Ship from Monrovia, Liberia enters Mobile harbor

Office with a view

Petroleum Platform

Our track took us to the east in search of the ICW. We entered near Gulf Shores, AL.

Irish Attitude enters the ICW

A canal leads to Oyster Bay in Gulf Shores, AL

We came upon the first ‘must see’ on the ICW when it was to early to call it a day, but as luck would have it, we were just in time for lunch! Judith and Paul on Tranquilo hailed us on the VHF radio to see if we would like to join them at Lulu’s for lunch. Perfect! Proud Lady was about a half hour behind and heading our way. Lulu’s is owned by Jimmy Buffet’s sister Lucy. The tropical colored dining room overhangs the ICW. Homeport Marina looked like a fun place to stop but after lunch we all moved on.

Lunch Break

Joy, Bill, Paul, Judith and Mike

Tom and Patsy Conrad did a presentation at the rendezvous on the panhandle and we were using their handout to guide us to their favorite places. (Thanks again!) Irish Attitude pulled into The Wharf Marina in Orange Beach, AL. The shops lining the marina were unique. It was all decked out in Christmas lights and, outside of the warm weather, it felt seasonal. Mike and I walked and window shopped. I passed on Mike’s suggestion for the Ferris wheel ride and opted instead for a chocolate milkshake!



Gray Skies



A Great Blue Heron Watches the Sunset



Christmas Palms

The Wharf Celebrates the Season

Saturday we traveled as far as Pensacola, our first Florida destination. This section of Alabama and Florida is referred to as the Emerald Coast, befitting the beautiful change in water. The area is also famous for their white sugary sand beaches.



Our First 'Road' Sign

 

Beautiful Shades of Blue....

and Green!

As part of our electronics and navigational system we use our IPad. Usually we do not have our Wi-Fi running while motoring but Mike was updating our chart app. He went down below to check on something and our friends Sandy and Del Facetimed us! They were as startled as me to make a connection since Del had tried many times before. I think they were surprised to find me at the wheel and Mike below. A couple stomps on the floor signaled Mike to come up to the bridge. We had a great chat and they got a glimpse of where we were traveling. What a great surprise! Even though it was nearly 70 degrees, we were still dressing in long pants and sweatshirts. It is usually cool and damp when we cast off in the morning and we travel with the front window open for visibility. Four dolphins follow us coming just off our starboard beam. None of the pictures turned out. They just would not hold still long enough! (I should say that all my pictures have been from the camera on my phone. So I can't complain and have been pleased with the results on most pictures.)

Lighthouse on Pensacola Bay



U.S Naval Base in Pensacola, Home of the Blue Angels

We pulled into Palafox Harbor in Pensacola around 1 p.m., fueled up and pumped out. Scanning the marina we found Proud Lady, could Tranquilo be here to? Mike and I quickly changed into some shorts. In this protected area it was quite warm. The sunshine felt great. We walked uptown to find a store that sold Benadryl. Mike's legs got so bit up from 'no see ums' in Mobile, his legs were swelling! The itch was driving him crazy. It was a great place to walk. On our way back to the marina we bumped into Bill & Joy and Judith & Paul. They were looking for the Seville area of town and the historical district. So we tagged along. Joy and I really wanted to wander the old cemetery but stayed with the group. We both find old cemeteries fascinating. Mike just thinks it's morbid. The group ended the walk at the Plaza de Luna next to the marina. Pensacola is known as the city of 5 flags. Over history the control of the city changed hands 5 times thereby flying 5 flags. Spain, France, England, Confederacy, and United States are all recognized in the Fiesta of Flags celebration that lasts 6 weeks! It claims to be the oldest city in the U.S. (1559). I know, St. Augustine is reportedly the oldest city but the city was not founded until 1565, although it was 'discovered' in 1493. Maybe that should be a question on Jeopardy!

 

Safely In Our Slip

Docktails on Proud Mary

Palafox Harbor

Pelicans on the Streets Represent all the Branches of Military

Blue skies and sunshine are still with us. The locals say this is unusual to have so many days in the 70’s this time of year. We’ll take it! The weather predictions show a cooler than normal outlook for this year in Florida. On Sunday there was more river traffic to watch for, even kayakers. The water outside of the sailing line is dangerously shallow so we slowed down considerably.

Shallow water beached this boat.

Gulf Shore National Seashore

Very few homes spot the intracoatal

 

Along Santa Rosa Island, on a road listed as ‘unnamed’, we saw these strange structures. They could be military or weather, no clue. The Army Special Forces, based out of Elgin AFB, is near Ft. Walton. We saw 2 very dark inflatables loaded with men on a training mission. With their faces blackened and in combat gear. I was too intimidated to snap a picture! Helicopter and jets are common site, or sounds. Again, word from the locals is it is just another day in paradise.

 

Crossing Choctawatchee Bay before dark was not going to happen so we pulled into another Legendary Marina at Fort Walton Beach and planned for an early leave. We had to be in Destin Monday morning.