Stats for December 7, 2018

Origin: Gulfport Anchorage

Destination: Marina Jacks Anchorage

Distance: 36 miles

Speed: 8.2 mph

Time on the Move: 4 hours and 23 minutes

We left Gulfport to head towards Sarasota. This was a big day because we would have to do through Tampa Bay and pass by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. I have driven over the bridge many, many times in my life, so going past it on our own boat felt amazing.

Heading towards Sarasota, it felt like EVERYONE was going that way!! There were quite a few boats all headed the same direction. Along the way we passed by The Bridgetender Bar and Restaurant on Anna Maria Island. We really thought about stopping in for an overnight anchorage, but it was packed. Instead of stopping there, we took pics and remembered all the special family times we had there.

Pulling in to Sarasota felt like a huge milestone for me. The skyline of Chicago is more impressive, but Sarasota is much more meaningful. I’ve been coming to the Sarasota area annually since I was 7, so watching those familiar buildings grow closer and closer was awesome!

We anchored right by Marina Jacks mooring area and explored a playground right next to the anchorage.

After we tired of that playground we dinghied over to the tikki bar by Marina Jacks and had a beer with our toes in the sand. We remembered our kids playing there when they were very little and other dinner cruises we came to the harbor for in the past. So many great memories here!! Plus, the kids played at another playground that we could see from our picnic table THE WHOLE TIME, so that was like 30 minutes of uninterrupted adult time!! Amazing!!

Stats for December 8, 2018

Origin: Marina Jacks Anchorage

Destination: Hyatt Regency Docks

Distance: 6.7 miles

Speed: 5.3 mph

Time on the Move: 1 hour and 10 minutes

The Zeeffs were staying right around the corner from our anchorage at the Hyatt Regency, so we headed their way the next day to check out their AWESOME pool!! It was a super fun day for kids and adults, the kind that slips away before you realize it.

It didn’t take much convincing for Mike to head back to the boat and bring it over to the dock so we could stay another day enjoying the pool and company.

The next day was not near as nice–it was chilly, rainy, and blustery, so we took the opportunity to decorate the boat for Christmas. It was a fun way to spend the day, and with Mike watching football on TV in the background, it felt like we were back in our house–almost.

We took advantage of an after dinner swim in the amazing pool and were thankful we stayed at this awesome spot!!

Stats for December 10, 2018

Origin: Hyatt Regency Docks

Destination: Otter Key Anchorage

Distance: 18.2 miles

Speed: 7.5 mph

Time on the Move: 2 hours and 40 minutes

We wanted to move to an anchorage close by that we’d heard about from other loopers. It was in a great protected spot and close by the Mote Marine Aquarium that we wanted to get to while we were in town.

Grandma came to pick us up at St. Armand’s Circle to head to the aquarium while Mike borrowed her car to start provisioning for the Bahamas. We figure we will need to stock up quite a bit, so we wanted to start while we had easy access to a car.

The next day we dinghied over to the beach to do some exploring. We found all kinds of jellyfish and even a blue crab. The kids loved that they could wander on a path just on the other side of some brush so they couldn’t see us. We didn’t mind the break, either!

Once the tide was up, we were headed out to our next destination, so we headed back to the boat to get moving, but we had such a fun morning exploring. If only every day could start with some beach exploration!!

Thanks for reading and following along!!