Last post? Somewhere in Miami?

Sailing toward Miami.

Wing on Wing on a beautiful Atlantic afternoon.

Well, after a splendid week at Sunset Lake in Miami Beach (biking, walking, dining, seeing how the beautiful people live so beautifully), we finally left about two days ago and headed back to No Name Harbor.  The purpose of the move was to avoid thinking about where we should go next.  Basically, we decided that we should go to No Name (where we know what to expect) and then use a few days to decide the question of where to go and what to see in the rest of Biscayne Bay.

Michael left for Patagonia (it would be good my friend, if you actually told us that you safely arrived!)

Mike headed to Miami.  Next stop… big trout in Argentina.

and we had a work (road) trip to Ft. Lauderdale to do chores…  We retrieved priority mail.  We bought essential “stuff”.  Did laundry.  Had pho at a nice Vietnamese restaurant (you see, Jeanne & Gil, that you do not have to travel 4,000 miles around the world for good pho – not that the 4,000 miles wasn’t worth it in its own right).  And, most importantly, bought $99 bicycles at Walmart.  24” girls “LaJolla” models.  Single speed.  Old fashioned pedal brakes.  Cute little faux wicker baskets at the front.  We rode them around Walmart and decided, “good enough”.  Very light weight, so we can lift them into and out of the dinghy as needed.  Cheap enough to not worry about the abuse they take on deck.

We had a couple great days riding the South Beach Miami boardwalk.  The things you see!!  Transvestite singers.  Barely clad marchers.  And the bathers!!!  As I have told a number of friends back home – the view is good coming and going.  Love Miami Beach!

George came down to Miami to deliver a critical Cruising Guide to the Keys that we had delivered to his house.  The men did a bit of fishing on the Julia Tuttle Causeway (I did catch a small barracuda – so I am still four for four with these fish – sorry George – Mr. Strikeout - again).  And we ended the evening with dinner at Sardinia on Purdy Street.  Like being in Sardinia!  A great Miami Beach restaurant and a real treat since there are few people willing to eat as I do.  George will.  Grilled Octopus.  Sicilian wine.  Fresh mozzarella with broccoli rabe.  (Tess had a simple pasta…no tentacles!)

No Name has been fairly empty.  Our new friends from Buffalo (Autumn Borne) and Strafford, NH (Dalmatian) arrived the following day. Dalmatian is owned by Tom and MaryLou Stanho, of Strafford OM Fame.  MaryLou’s son Brandon worked OM day camps back in the day.  He’s now teaching in Baltimore!  Small, small world!

We had great excitement in meeting Charlie and Melanie’s grandson and family for the first time, having missed them on our last trip out to the Bahamas.  Katie and TiAre and Dio arrived on Wednesday afternoon for a few hours at the beach, a bit of time aboard (with Dio climbing over everything and taking possession of the boat as any almost four year old would – he even drove the dinghy back to shore by himself – sort of) and ending the day with a great dinner at the Boater’s Grill.  We hope to see them and all the Florida relations again when we go to Dinner Key,  Coconut Grove (which is close to Katie’s Miami neighborhood) and down further into the Keys.

In short, we are another great relocation.  Life goes on.  Work.  Play.  Sun and sand.  Do we miss the 14” of snow that fell on Goffstown yesterday?  No.  We have seen the pictures. 

Craig.  With Miami in sight.

Without his bottom paint work we would not have gotten this far.