Marco Island to Duck Key to Key West with Sue and Ron!

Still in Marco Island, we spent the weekend getting the boat ready for our next guests. We had a little hiccup when taking the boat to get fuel and got stuck in the sand and Sea Tow came to the rescue. We found a diver who checked things out later and one of the props will need some tuning later on but ok for now. The good thing was we discovered our zincs were severely corroded so we had the diver replace those.  Sunday we attended Marco Lutheran which is located on one of the many canals in Marco Island and a short walk across the bridge next to Esplanade Marina where we were. They have a "ship of the cross" in the sanctuary and we had never seen that. I included a photo and the explanation on why it has been a great symbol for the Christian Church. It was nice to worship with a congregation and take communion. Later that evening we had dinner with fellow loopers from Wisconsin, Lance and Sue, who have a place in Marco and are spending several months there before continuing on their Loop. 

On Monday, March 23, Tim's sister Sue with husband Ron flew from Eau Claire, Wisconsin to Ft. Myers and arrived at Esplanade Marina in the late afternoon. After they got unpacked we had a fun dinner at CJs on the Bay at the marina. On Tuesday, we took a long walk to the area called "Old Marco".  Later we walked and went through the Marco Island Historical Museum. Then we walked back to Old Marco and had a drink at the Snook Inn followed by a wonderful dinner at Cafe De Marco. It was a great day exploring parts of the island and I think we walked about 10 miles, which helped offset the many calories we consumed!

Wednesday, February 25 we cruised to the Keys!  It was a little chilly when we left but we  enjoyed the many beautiful homes and sights leaving Marco Island. We made our way to Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key. There was one tricky spot north of the bridge that was a bit shallow but we made it through fine. We also had a lot of wind and tidal current while docking but with  Ron helping and 2 guys on the dock we made it! Hawks Cay is a beautiful  resort and we did some exploring when we arrived. Right in front of our boat was Angler and Ale bar and restaurant with outdoor seating. We walked over to the rest of the resort which had a beautiful lobby, spa, 2 pools, a saltwater lagoon, and several restaurants with excellent chefs. We had dinner at the poolside Tiki Grill. There are hotel rooms as well as villas you can stay in. There were many fishing boat excursions at the marina and we saw a lot of fish being cleaned. The fisherman would throw the scraps to the pelicans who competed with the bull sharks for their share! Yes, bull sharks! We ended the evening with cigars (well the guys anyway) and Sue helped Tim put the pin on our map for Duck Key. 

Thursday and Friday we spent walking the island, lounging by the saltwater lagoon and pools, and enjoyed excellent meals at Angler and Ale, Tiki Grill, sushi at Pilar Bar, and gourmet food at Salt + Ash by chef Jeremy Ford. While walking we discovered historic bridges that connect parts of the island. (See history below). The entrance to the marina is through a channel that winds along the island and goes right by the pool areas so it's fun to see the boats go by while relaxing at the pools. We did a little bit of work as we all pitched in to clean the salt water off the boat and cleaned the helm and decks. While spraying down the boat a manatee came by. We learned later they need a certain amount of fresh water which is probably why he was attracted to the boat spraying. We also saw dolphins practicing for a show. We heard they are transitioning from a former dolphin encounter at the resort and will be moved to Sea World. We also saw several iguanas lounging in the bushes, and several tarpon swimming near our boat. We walked over by the villas to capture amazing sunsets. Hawks Cay was truly a relaxing and memorable place to be. 

Saturday, February 28 ( incidentally, daughter Carolyn's 22nd birthday and Sue and Ron's 39th wedding anniversary) we cruised to Key West! On the way out of Hawks Cay, I took some photos of the marina and resort and the Duck Key homes along the canal. It was a bit of a bumpy ride and there were many crab pots to avoid, but captain and crew made it easy. We were excited to stay at the Naval Air Station, but due to an error by one of the staff, we didn't have the right credentials. The only veterans who could stay were ones with 30 percent disability, and/or you were a 20 year retiree. (Every base differs based on the base commanders discretion). We still had a great lunch at the Navigator Bar and talked to some wonderful people there. We then moved on to Perry Island Resort and Marina on Stock Island, which we had to find at the last minute and they could only take us for one night.  However it was a beautiful place to be and would have liked to spend more time there. They had chickens running around there but we never saw any in downtown Key West like I had heard we would.  We then took an Uber  to Mallory Square and made it in time for the sunset! We watched it from Lolita's Coastal Cucina's  upper deck. We then walked around near Truman's Little White House area and down Duval Street. We had margaritas at supposedly the original Margaritaville Cafe and went to the famous "southernmost point on the continental USA"  marker.  Dinner was truly fantastic and in a beautiful setting at Louie's Backyard restaurant. Our server, Donna, has worked there 39 years and told us amazing stories of famous guests she had served over the years.  On Sunday, Sue and Ron had to head home, and we got ready to head to Marathon. While refueling we ran into Lindsay Park Yacht Club members, David and Katheryn, who were visiting friends there. What a small world! More on heading to Marathon and our time there in the next blog!