Paradise

On Friday the 13th after a 6 hour long ride we finally left the Gulf of Mexico and entered the Pacific Ocean in Marathon, Florida. After a week of go go go we were so happy to arrive in the keys where the water is aquamarine and the attitude is laid-back and joyous. As we pulled into our marina all of the other boaters on our dock were all watching and waving as if we were their long lost friends returning from a long journey. We didn’t know what was going on. We were assisted with tying up and within minutes boat neighbors were coming by to saying hello and welcoming us to Marathon and the Keys. Our next-door neighbors were particularly friendly and welcoming. Former midwesterners like ourselves they were very happy that we chose this marina and told us what all there was to see and do and gave us the lay of the land. We checked in and got back to the boat just in time to enjoy our first sunset from the stern of the boat. Sunsets are very important in the Keys and everyone takes the time to stop what they are doing and watch and appreciate the end of the day. We had some drinks, spoke with the neighbors who were also on their stern watching and were very happy to be in such a special place. It felt like paradise. 

First Sunset in Marathon From Boat

The next day we finally got to sleep in after multiple days in a row of getting up at 5:45a.m. and traveling all day. We decided to have a very relaxing day and not leave the marina. We swam at the pool which is nicely heated and not crowded then made our way to the marina bar where they have happy hour everyday from 3-6 to enjoy a few libations and a appetizer. We made it back just in time to again enjoy a nice sunset and watch some football playoffs. While I cooled down in the air conditioning and watched football Jeff went over to the neighbors boat where they talked navigation and got to know each other. Eventually I too made my way over and was glad that I did. Mary and Barry are very nice people and we learned that we have a lot in common with them. They have an amazing Flemming 55 which they generously gave us a tour of. We returned to our boat, made dinner and finished watching football. 

Sunday we decided we wanted to look around and see Marathon. We took our bikes down from the boat and went exploring. We learned that our friends Artie and Laura were staying at the marina next door to ours so we went over to say hello. We have traveled on and off with them since Canada and it was good to see them. After our ride we returned to the marina and  went to the pool and happy hour at the bar. This was defiantly a routine I could get used to. Again we watched an amazing sunset and watched football playoffs.

Manatee off Neighbors Boat

Lunch with Artie

Sunset off the Stern

Originally we had planned to be in Marathon for just two days and then move on to Key West but due to high seas (8-10feet) and big winds (up to 30mph) we were forced to stay put. At first I was disappointed by this but once I realized what a great place we were I was okay. We decided to rent a car for a couple of days and visit Key West and a couple other places via land. This seemed like a good compromise to me. Early Monday morning we got our rental car and headed for Key West which is an hour drive from Marathon. By boat it would have taken us over 6 hours. We were told by our neighbors to take the Conch Train to get a good tour and lay of the island and then decide what we wanted to do from there. When we arrived in Key West it was crazy. Cars and people everywhere, packed stores and streets. I felt like I was in a big city. People had told us we would be good with just one day here and now I understood why. It was hot and humid as it is everyday in Florida. Even when it’s chilly its thick and muggy. I am still adjusting as you can see. The train ride was nice and we really got a good sense of Key West. 

Conch Train Key West

Riding Conch Train 

After in the train ride we grabbed lunch in one of the many touristy restaurants. The food was pretty good but nothing to shout about. Think Disneyland. From lunch we went to Ernest Hemingway’s house. We got a tour and heard about his escapades on the island and saw pictures from when he was there including all four of his wives. The house looked grand from the outside but inside was modestly furnished with not signs of fame or wealth. The most interesting part of the house for me was his writing studio. Separate from the house but connected via a catwalk all of his books, desk and chair were just as they were when he wrote there. I could picture him sitting there typing away.

Hemingway's House

Hemingway's Writing Studio

Inside Hemingway's House

Bar Where Hemingway Drank

We took a leisurely stroll by the water and looked at boats and happened to run into some loopers that we know from Ohio. It’s so funny how on this trip we just randomly run into people on the streets that we know with no plan or knowledge of them being there. The same thing happened to us when we were in Panama City. We were at a holiday parade and ran into this same couple stating on the side of the street watching. We grabbed a beer and a snack and got ready to walk to the sunset celebration at Mallory Square. This is a nightly celebration that has been going on in Key West for many many years. It includes street venders, performers, musicians and lots of people. We watched a man swallow a sword, a scary looking bongo player, a keyboard player and a variety of artists selling their work. It was quite a scene.

Sunset Mallory Square Key West

Gathering for Sunset at Mallory Square

Gathering for Sunset at Mallory Square

Sword Swallower at Mallory Square

Sword Swallower at Mallory Square

Sunset Celebration

Sunset Key West

Sunset Key West

Bongo Player Mallory Square

After sunset we made our way back to the car and happily drove out of Key West. While it’s a place everyone should visit it was just way too crowded and disneyland like for us. We were so happy to be returning to Marathon where things were more mellow and laid back. 

Yesterday we went on another car trip to both Islamorada and Key Largo. Both places we thought we would visit by boat but later found out that we have too deep a draft (the distance from the waterline to the lowest part of the boat) to get into these places. At the rondezvous we were told to visit Lorelei’s restaurant in Islamorada so that was our first stop. It was a huge outdoor facility at a marina that had nightly concerts and severed good food. We had a great view of the Florida Bay and boats moored in the distance. We strolled the docks and quickly realized why we couldn’t get in there. We saw some interesting tour boats too.

Tour Boat Islamorada

From there we went to Key Largo which turned out to be a whole lot of nothing. We could tell we were starting to get closer to the mainland because all of sudden we were on a two lane road an there was a lot of traffic. From end to end of the Keys it’s just one long road. Near Marathon it’s just one lane and not a lot of traffic. This was feeling too city like for us and we quickly turned around and made our way back to Marathon and the marina where we were more then happy to be returning. We poured some wine and got ready for our nightly sunset experience. From our stern we have the best unrestricted view in all of Marathon. Our marina is situated at the end of the island and our view is wide open. Once again the sunset didn’t disappoint. 

Sunset Marathon

We are planning on leaving here on Friday weather permitting and slowly making our way northeast towards Miami where we will stay for a week and hang out with Tot, Jason, Jordan, Laura, Eddie, Sami, Bruce, Rosey, Brenda and Zach. It will be quite the family reunion. 

Tis The Season

It is by far my favorite time of the year. Anyone who knows me knows that from the minute Christmas ends I check my app that tells me how many sleeps until Christmas. It is just such a magical time of the year and being with family means everything to us. This year despite being on the loop was just as special as ever. We took the boat to Tampa, Florida where we would leave it for a week while we traveled back to Ohio and Michigan for Christmas. This was our easiest most hassle free Christmas to date. We had a two hour non-stop flight from Tampa to Detroit and we got pre-check to boot. Easy breezy. We arrived in Detroit at 2:30pm on December 21st and made our way to Aunt Brenda’s house our annual Christmas tradition. We didn't have a whole lot of time once we arrived at her house because we were going to Buddy’s Pizza with Brenda, The Mindell Cousins and The Handler Family. We all love Buddy’s. Maybe me more then anybody. When we arrived Michael and family were already there and shortly after everyone arrived 20 something of us. It’s so nice that every year when we come to town one of the Mindell cousins (this year it was Seth) organizes and pays for this large gathering. It’s defiantly one of the highlights of coming to Detroit. After stuffing ourselves with pie we went over the Handler’s house with Brenda to hang out and play games. Jeff played ping pong with Jake and I played ball in a cup with Nicolette. It was a great night.

We woke up the next morning had breakfast with Brenda then hit the road for Lima. Fortunately from Brenda’s house to mom and dad’s house is only 2.5 hours and a very easy short ride. When we arrived mom had a huge plate of christmas cookies waiting for us and we quickly settled in. Ju arrived within the hour and we were all home together and ready for Christmas. That night we got together with some old friends from high school and drank, laughed and reminisced until the wee hours of the morning. 

The next day we slept in until almost lunch time. A few days prior my cousin Ben reached out to all of the cousins and asked if we would be interested in surprising my grandma for lunch. Of course everyone was excited and appreciative of the idea. It was all arranged that my cousins Rachael and Tyler would pick up Grandma and bring her to the restaurant. She thought she was only going to lunch with the two of them. Little did she know that 13 more of us would be there waiting to surprise her. She looked thoroughly surprised as she walked through the door and started noticing all of us sitting at the table. Fortunately I got to sit across from her and talked with her throughout the whole lunch. It was a really nice lunch and everybody was so glad that Ben had planned it.

The next day was Christmas Eve and the official begging of Christmas. We spent the day in p.j’s watching all the classic Christmas movies - It’s a Wonderful Life, Christmas Vacation, Christmas Story until the evening. Mom, Dad, Ju and Grandma went to church and we waited at home for their return. Grandma stayed for dinner and we our traditional lasagna Christmas Eve dinner which was excellent. We all ate too much and were feeling full and sleepy when we were finished. Dad drove Grandma home and we settled in for late night present opening. 

We woke up at our leisure on Christmas morning and ate our traditional Christmas morning breakfast but with a twist this year. This year Hanukkah fell on Christmas day so Jeff volunteered to make latkes to have with our breakfast. We had Hungarian coffee cake, hobogrits and latkes. Everything was great and it was fun having latkas. Mom, Dad and Ju liked them too. It was their first time eating latkas. We eventually got dressed and headed over to Aunt Barb and Uncle Mike’s house for Christmas day. Barb had outdone herself this year with tons of great food, drinks and speciality Christmas shots. One of them you could even eat the shot glass. There was a lot of Euchre playing, pool playing, basketball watching and a ping pong tournament with brackets and everything. 

The day after Christmas for years has been the annual RJS (Richard Joseph Stolly) memorial bowling tournament put on by my cousins Jason and Eric. After my Grandpa died my cousins thought it would be a nice way to get together and pay tribute to him. You would think that my Grandpa was a big bowler but after speaking to Uncle Mark I learned that that wasn’t the case. He said Grandpa occasional would take them (Mark, Tim and Bill) bowling but once Kevin was born he stopped bowling all together. The RJS is just a nice get together with lots of laughs and a fun time to think about Grandpa. This year Uncle Mark and Joel were the big winners. 

That evening was our annual cousins night hosted by cousins Jason and Kim. For the past 5 or 6 years (nobody seems to remember) all of the Stolly cousins who are of drinking age have been getting together around Christmas for cousins night in Jason and Kim’s basement. There is drinking, pool, darts, cards, karaoke and the famous Whales Tales (Nah, Who…). We all love this get together and let loose and just get to be cousins with nobody else around. Fortunately almost everybody was able to attend this year. The only cousins missing were Rachael, Ju, Adam and Ethan. Jeff and I stayed until late in the evening then got to experience The Lima Cab Company. Always an adventure.

The next morning we work up, ate breakfast then headed back to the airport on Detroit for our evening flight back to The Tidings of Joy in Tampa. So easy this year. We were both anxious to get back to our boat and to get moving again. 

We provisioned the next day then made our way to an anchorage in Bradenton, Florida. That evening things got real interesting. There was a small craft warning and gale force winds of 25-31 mph. I was a bit nervous about being at anchor in these kind of conditions and didn’t sleep most of the night constantly checking the positioning of the boat, watching the AGLCA flag whip around and studying the anchor alarm. The boat did great and never up anchored despite these wild conditions. The next morning despite the small craft advisory we made our way towards Sarasota where were would spend NYE. The winds were wild so much so that Jeff told me to get off deck and not to hose the anchor chain and anchor off as we raised it. It wasn’t safe to be out there. When we hit Tampa Bay we went for a wild ride. We had beam seas (waves hitting the side of the boat) that actually were breaking into the cockpit. The contents of the drinks refrigerator and freezer emptied twice all over the kitchen and salon floors of which I had the joy of cleaning up. Glass beer bottles broke all over the floor and our poor Christmas tree got dumped upside down. It was not a pleasant ride and I was less then thrilled about our decision to leave Bradenton. Luckily once we hit the GICW things smoothed out but the wind persisted. Finally we arrived in Sarasota at Marina Jack. The marina was right downtown an offered a shuttle to anywhere we wanted to go, had two nice restaurants and bars, laundry and everything we would need for the next few days. After the boat was secure we walked into downtown which is adorable with lots of cute shops, nice restaurants and fun cool bars. There are some brick streets and everything is walkable from the boat. We ate a nice lunch at Duval’s then took a much needed nap after being up half the night. We then spent a quiet evening on the boat in anticipation of New Years Eve.  

New Years Eve day we took the free shuttle to the Ringling Museum which is on the campus of Florida State University. The Ringling is a combo circus museum, art museum and their historic house all on 70 acres of beautiful GICW property. The circus part of the museum was fascinating. Neither Jeff or I realized how elaborate the circus used to be and what a production it was. We learned a lot. The art museum was less impressive to me. We have been to serval art museums on the Loop (the best being in Chicago) and this one to me was just okay. Overall it was a nice day and something totally unique we never would have done if not for the loop. That evening we had reservations at the marina restaurant for New Years Eve. We put on our nice clothes and enjoyed a very leisurely dinner. Afterwards we walked into downtown which was all blocked off and had several stages with bands playing, a carnival with rides, games and food. It was such a nice party of all ages and people dressed from fancy clothes to sweat pants. Quite a site and great place to be for NYE. In Sarasota at midnight they have the annual pineapple drop which is their equivalent to the ball dropping in time square and then at midnight they have fireworks off of the pier. Before midnight we made our way back to the boat after listening to music for awhile and had front row seats for the fireworks. We wished each other happy new year and went to bed.

New Years day we took full advantage of the free marina shuttle and went to St. Armands Circle. This is defiantly an upscale area of Sarasota. We saw numerous high end cars and the shops were all very nice. We did a leisurely loop around the town and ended up at Columbia for lunch. This is a famous cuban restaurant in St. Armands that’s been operating since 1905. We had good white sangria which was prepared table side and delicious food. I had paella and Jeff had tapas - octopus and calamari. From there we went bak to the boat and settled in to watch the last week of regular season football. The charges lost of course and we wondered if it would be there last game in San Diego. 

We left Sarasota this morning and will be slowly making our way to the keys stopping in Boca Grande, Punta Gorda, Cabbage Key, Fort Meyers, Naples, Everglade City and Little Shark River. We are really enjoying the west coast of Florida and all of the towns here.