My Girl

Most of you who have followed our blog (Thank you ever so much!) may have detached yourselves since we are no longer sailing our Allied Princess Junk Rig. However, this experience will always exist for me and something I will look back upon when faced with a challenge big or small, to be mindful, not focusing on the expected outcome, but finding joy and perspective in the process.

I wrote this journal entry on May 25, 2015 as we sailed into St. Petersburg, FL sitting on Aletheia's bow, allowing my emotions to overtake and quickly write as my head spun with thoughts, sadness, excitement, self-doubt, contentment, acceptance and happiness that I was able to acknowledge.

Aletheia - a permanent attachment to my soul

Life is about choices. As I sit here on your bow, you've given me the greatest choice - 

To be brave. 

To be humble.

To be respectful. 

To be grateful.

To be patient.

We sail you into a safe harbor so that someone may sail you out, to experience your unique abilities and connect with your soul, which has now become a part of me.

Five more NM (nautical miles) with you as mine - this may be the one moment I wish the wind would die or shift so that our moment could last a bit longer. 

Today we share salty tears upon the salty bay and know that when we met, sailed nearly 4,500NM together through moments that shook me to the core, you accepted me and I accepted you and we made a choice - to have an adventure, to connect in a way only ladies understand.

You will always be known as someone that has strengthened my character, become a proponent of my spirit, and ignited in me Pride, Competency and Love.

You have helped support a desire, fulfill a dream, guide an unpredictable journey. You've conjured in me happiness and tears, sadness and laughter. You've taught me things I wouldn't have otherwise known I am capable of doing.

You've boosted my competence, lifted my confidence, allowing me to witness my true self, my Atman. I've enjoyed the gift of new friends, new places, brightening my sunsets and horizons, making moments of stillness something we truly deserve and treasure.

To appreciate minute details like the luffing of the sails. To finding my way around the cabin through both red light and darkness. Your creaks are familiar. Raindrops at anchor excite me. Sentiments have their place - books, cards, ceramic cups, booze and tethers. I've learned so much from you.

Everything has purpose. Thank you for allowing my heart to appreciate something new. This experience will now and forever give greater meaning to my continued journey. Thank you my girl.

Happy 4th!

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. It's full of pride, togetherness, and of course, celebrating our freedom as a nation. Not to mention the enjoyment of food, friends, day-drinking and fireworks. We had a sociable 4th of July celebration, boat-hopping throughout the day in anticipation of watching the St. Petersburg's fireworks on the water.

We grilled aboard our neighbor's boat with s/v Sanibel with traditional American fare, hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, potato salad, my homemade guacamole, veggies and chips. And what 4th of July wouldn't be complete without beer and little shots of tequila in mini red solo cups. I'm in love with these lil' solo cups. Even better, there is a song honoring their very existence! Thanks Lori for introducing this song to me!

No my hand isn't giant, it's a shot size solo cup!

We made our next stop onto s/v Adagio for a quick visit with new friends, including Rufus the weinerdog! Here is where the night got interesting! As with any outdoor event, weather is typically a concern and usually strikes at the most opportune time. Sometimes I think Mother Nature and Murphy's Law have a strong working relationship and they roll out their plans at just the right moment. And with a celebration such as this, boat owners dust off their vessels and make their way into the bay to view the spectacle. About one hour before the start of the fireworks show, the winds picked up to 25kts, white caps emerged from below and Mother Nature gave us a fireworks display of her own. Flashing red & blue police lights bobbed on the water's surface monitoring the safety of boats. We didn't witness the incident, but a boat washed up onto the nearby beach, likely due to a very short anchor scope in very strong waves. Hope they made it out unscathed. Poor local cops!

Thankfully, the winds and rain moved north of us so our night continued on. We made our way across the mooring field to our final destination aboard s/v Jingle to watch the delayed, but much-anticipated fireworks show! We were roughly 200 yards from the main event. Anchor lights (aka kitty lights) dangled like bright stars on the horizon and thousands of spectators lined the seawall eagerly awaiting the colorful display reminiscent of childhood summers. Smoke in my nose, debris falling onto the boat and onto my skin made the 4th of July celebration a true experience to remember. Thanks to all of our boat friends for your hospitality, entertainment, food and good times!

My fireworks photos didn't quite do justice, but they are still fun to share.

Storm brewing and spectators watching

Nate enjoying the view from the trampoline

Love to All,

Nate & Jenn

 

Alone Again

Jenn is visiting home, celebrating her mom's 70th birthday. My mom just left a few minutes ago, after spending 2 weeks cruising with us. There is a very big difference between 3 people and 2 people and 1 people. ;)

With 2 weeks to visit, we were able to find a nice cruise of 200 miles or so from Marathon up to St. Petersburg. It's comfortable for us to go about 40 miles in daylight - rise with the sun, have a nice breakfast but don't dawdle, then get sailing. Cruise at 4-5 knots (I like to travel when the wind is favorable for us), and 8-9 hours later, drop the hook somewhere protected from the swell but windy enough to keep the bugs down. I also have a bridge up for sale, vintage, classic. I wish it were like that every time. All sailors do. So, since I can't guarantee 5 days of that in a row, I budget double or triple that time to account for reality. That gets us about 2 weeks to travel 200 miles.

The first day was great, leaving Marathon early in the morning after getting my mom from the airport in Key West. We borrowed a car, since her flight got in late enough the bus would have been inconvenient. That was the first time I'd driven a car since early November, in DC. Before then I'd driven a car for a few days in mid-September, then mid August. Everything happens so FAST in a car! It was scary. Anyway, the first day of sailing was perfect. 15 knots of wind on the beam, we sailed about 45 miles due north to the mouth of the Shark River. There was a great rainstorm just as we arrived, but the wind died, so we just stopped where we were. Beautiful rainbow, and deck showers for the girls.

Next morning the wind was lighter than predicted (and I hadn't figured out the typical daily weather patterns for this area yet) so we motor-sailed for the morning, then the wind picked up from the wrong direction in the afternoon. We just dropped the anchor where we were for lunch before the wind came up, since Florida is freakishly shallow. The whole trip we've been sailing in depths we'd normally anchor in: 10-30 feet. Creepy. You get used to it, which is even scarier. The wind picked up after lunch, but from the wrong direction, so we raised anchor (the waves had built up quickly, Jenn got a little tossed about on the foredeck) and headed in towards land to look for smoother water. We anchored about sunset, the wind died, and within 10 minutes was blowing 15 knots from the SE, a perfect wind for us to sail in. I was disgusted, but we were all tired so we didn't do any night sailing that time.

Next day we sailed and motor-sailed the rest of our intended journey from the day before, up to Indian Key, in the 10,000 Islands portion of the Everglades National Park. Actually, the previous 2 nights had been off the Everglades as well. Active Captain told us people had been yelled at by the Park Police for anchoring too close to Indian Key, so we left it a wider berth than I would have liked and settled in. Here we could just barely get some cell service, which was kind of nice to feel civilization not too far away. The wind forecast for the next few days was not favorable for us, but we had time, so we spent 3 nights at Indian Key. There is a great tidal beach, and we waded around the whole island collecting shells and watching wildlife. We also found another beach that almost connected 2 other islands, which had lots of old horseshoe crab shells, and scallop shells, and other pretty ones collected for jewelry and assorted scoops.

With good wind we headed around the shoals that stuck 7 miles out from land. As we came up near Naples, a serious thunderstorm built up and caught up to us. Wind gusts to 35 knots ish, and pouring rain, and lightning! Since we were only a few miles from land the waves weren't bad, and our boat is so good at reefing the wind is easily managed as well. Lighting is another story. There's nothing we can do about it, except not be there. So we sailed as fast as we could out of the path of the storm, but not fast enough. We ended up soaked from the rain, and Jenn did lots of work keeping the sails under control, and my mom helped and didn't get too scared when the boat started heeling way over in the pounding rain and wind and waves. No lightning, and a beautiful rainbow for dinner afterwards. The wind came up after the storm very favorably for us, so we kept going all the way up to Ft. Meyers, another 6 hours or so. We anchored about midnight off Bunche Beach, since conditions were calm.

Left early the next morning, and soon a whole gang of boats were sailing out of Ft. Meyers! We had a good wind forecast, so we weren't able to stay for a day or two in Ft. Meyers to see some of Jenn's friends that live there. Darn. We'll just have to go back another time! The wind died about mid-day again, in a pattern I was beginning to recognize. Then it filled in from the NW, a terrible direction for us, as the land heated up and built thunderstorms. We outran the first one, but the second got us just as the sun was setting. Once again with the wind and the waves and the lightning. Ugh. Lightning scares the dickens out of me. Especially when you're sitting on a 40 foot metal pole with nothing around you. My mom went below to bed, so she could be dry. After the storm passed, Jenn and I alternated shifts through the night to take advantage of the good wind, and the wind that was forecast to be in Tampa Bay that we wanted to take advantage of.

Dawn found us sailing well under the direction of our Super Hero Cape, coming up towards Egmont Key and the entrance to Tampa Bay. Once we got inside the bay we found the wind was just a few degrees not good enough for us to sail straight in, so we motor-sailed under the Sunshine Skyway, a very impressive bridge. A few hours later we pulled in to the little mooring field in Vinoy Basin, right in the heart of downtown St. Pete!

Aletheia on the mooring ball

This is a great town. Lots of pleasure boats, Tampa Bay is a great place to sail, all of downtown is within easy walking distance, and it's beautiful! The locals have put significant effort into their infrastructure and social systems, and it appears to be paying off in spades. It feels remarkably young and vibrant for Florida, which I otherwise think of as America's retirement home. I love this town.

Mom & Jenn at the Chihuly Collection

So here we are, checking out the scene, having a good time. Our friends in Marathon should be up here in a couple weeks which is very exciting. Today I'm just adjusting to being on my own.

Freudian crop?

She'd be beautiful even in a burlap sack

Mommy!

Mustache glasses at the Salvador Dali museum

Just in case you were wondering...

I realize I took on the Blog Everyday in May challenge excitedly without realizing that I won't be able to post my blog posts for an extended period of time. 

We are departing Boot Key Harbor on Monday, May 18th (WooHoo!) heading towards St. Petersburg, FL. No Internet. A guest aboard. Drinks to make. Dinners to cook. A boat to sail 200NM. I'll be a very busy first mate!

However, I will fulfill the Blog Everyday in May challenge, extending into June and continue writing offline. This type of writing has done wonders for my mind, my happiness and even my self-confidence. I'll complete the project for my own desire, to see what I come up with, to be and find more creativity, but to reveal myself in a different light and for others in the blogosphere, or family and friends just reading our blog, to get to know me better. To get to know myself better too. I'll post less than periodically. But complete, I will!

We have truly enjoyed our time here, making new friends, completing projects and visiting new landmarks, but we look forward to sailing Aletheia to a new place with greener pastures. Our varnishing project is near complete so I'll be happy to show photos soon. 

Off to Key West to pick up Nate's mum!

A memorial Manhattan of my father

Look mom, I made a new friend. She's the best!

Glimpse into varnished toerails 

Pool Night

Ship's Captain front and center

Boys talkin' boats aboard Moondance

 Love to all,
Jenn & Nate 

Key West!

We continue to appreciate the days that are spent here in Boot Key. 

We went out for our 3rd teaching session with new boat friends. The winds were light, the waves flat and the sun hot! We had a great time and allowed the captain and first mate to run the show. We were there merely to offer guidance, an extra hand, support as needed. The confidence they developed from Day 1 to Day 3 was obvious! We plan to take Aletheia out tomorrow for Sailaway Sunday! I think she is excited!

Day sail lesson #3!

We took a much anticipated day trip to Key West on Friday and had a great time exploring the quaint town by foot. A bus trip on the Key West Transit system cost $4pp each way. A kapok tree greeted us as we stepped off the bus in the heart of downtown Key West. We brought snacks, water, lunch and sunscreen to last us through the day. We meandered up and down Duval Street, Whitehead Street, popping in and out of shops, mostly to enjoy the refreshing and welcoming air conditioning! We wandered passed Ernest Hemingway's Home and decided not to take a tour. We peeked over the brick wall to get a view. I bought a postcard. $13pp (cash only people!).

We explored the Truman Annex and the Harry S. Truman Little White House that he, along with several presidents frequented to conduct business as well as retreat from the stresses of Washington, DC. We bucket-listed the famous Southernmost Point buoy, which, turns out, it an old sewer junction that was dug up in the area and found too heavy and large to move (source: wikipedia). So, when life hands you lemons, you just paint it to look like a buoy! If you click on the link above, you can read about the actual location of the southernmost US point. Knowing that we have sailed from Southwest Harbor, Maine to just 50 miles north of the southernmost point in the continental US gives me goosebumps and puts a smile on my face. 

As the afternoon wore on under the baking sun, we continued to explore off the beaten path into Old Town Key West. We are drawn to the outskirts of new places, where tourists don't tend to explore and where the locals hang out. When we do this, we find the special places, meet the friendly locals and get a taste of local attractions. We fell upon the beautiful Key West Firehouse Museum. A proud and wonderful preservation of Key West history and lots of neat stories dating back to 1907.

Mallory Square Sunset Celebration was our evening destination. A nightly arts festival where local buskers, artists, psychics and one-man bands converge with tourists to provide talented entertainment. It was a great opportunity to people-watch while resting our tired feet. We must have walked nearly 10 miles around that island. And what day wouldn't be complete without a hand dipped key lime pie on a stick...OMG!

Here are some photos of our Key West excursion!

The Kapok Tree greeted us

A beautiful neighborhood annex also filled with $3M private homes

I love this mural

The Ernest Hemingway Home (over the fence photo)

The southernmost point hotel

Street art

Fire Alarm Box circa 1940

Wahoo!

It was like a shoebox, built b/w two buildings

Fresh coconut water anyone?

Cheaper than going to the bar!

Love to all,
Jenn & Nate

Sailaway Sunday

We became teachers this weekend! We introduced ourselves to a couple who recently purchased and moved aboard their 37ft sailboat just two weeks ago. We were told they'd had no prior sailing experience so we thought "Hey, we know a thing or two about sailing. We could offer some advice, know-how and could help someone else!" We've been hoping for an opportunity to pay it forward as we've been given the same pay-it-forward treatment from many other gracious sailors and locals.

Sailaway Sunday is a weekly event that is open to boats in the harbor. You can choose to take your own boat out or crew on another participating sailing vessel. Last week we crewed on a monohull with 15 other sailboats. We figured this Sunday was just as good as any to sail away and throw a sailing lesson in there too. And so, we did!

The couple was more than eager to have some experienced sailors onboard so we began with some basic sailing terminology and walked through the boat, following halyards (lines that raise sails) and sheets (lines that control sails), practicing knots and walking through how we were going to head out from the harbor. It's always a good idea to have a plan in advance. This would be their first time out for a day sail! 

After warming up the motor we detached from the ball and let the owners steer the boat with Nate and I instructing from the sidelines. This was a anxious moment for the new owners, but once we started moving out the channel, jitters started to dissipate. 

It was a beautiful day of sailing with nearly 15 knots of wind and 1-2ft waves. We practiced tacking (sailing upwind), running (sailing downwind) and allowed them to get a feel for how their boat moves through the water. Throughout we talked about points of sail, feeling where the wind is coming from using your cheeks as a guide, finding a heading on the compass, but more importantly, watching the sails and adjust according to the wind. We sailed for about 2-3 hours, just enough to stretch the sails and build their confidence and sailing ability. Poor little puppy, Churchhill got seasick, but was on the mend when we returned to harbor. We made a successful run back to the mooring ball with high fives all around! We celebrated with an ice cold post-sail beer and you could feel their excitement (ours too!). 

The purpose of my post is to tell you how much fun it was to actually teach sailing. Sometimes you don't realize how much you actually know until you meet someone that knows less than you and you are able to offer knowledge - I surprised myself with how much I was able to share and explain simple sailing concepts with confidence. I was once a student who's head wobbled like a bobblehead doll absorbing instruction from a 2-day sailing class on Boulder Reservoir (many moons ago), from gentlemen racers on Lake Dillon and of course, from Nate. Yesterday, I became the teacher with my first student. Pretty great experience! Nate always tells me I'm more competent than I am confident. He's totally right, but in this case, I boosted my confidence two-fold by helping others learn to sail and walk away with a boost of empowerment. It's way more simpler to encourage other people, to realize their potential, to boost their confidence. Sometimes what we need to do is listen to our own inner voice that houses the same potential we encourage in others. I'm learning that about myself. That's a post for another day.

Didn't take many photos of the sail (because I was busy teaching!) but we rounded out the evening with a wonderful sunset bbq with the new sailboat owners and Barefoot Gal (creator of The Boat Galley!)

We continue to meet many wonderful people, enjoy meals and drinks with new friends, send well wishes to departing vessels, and welcome new boats with an offer to lend a hand or share harbor information. I taught my second yoga class today, this time in the pouring rain. Thankfully we were covered by the auditorium roof. You could barely hear my voice over the rain pounding on the roof. It was beautiful!

Tonight we're making homemade pizzas! I'm starving.

Love to All,

Nate & Jenn

FL Keys: Week 2

Boot Key Harbor continues to show us a good time and replicate summer camp. The daily "cruiser's net" begins at 9AM on Channel 68. I'd guess about 50-75 boats are listening on any given day. We try to tune in every morning. The net is filled with announcements, upcoming events, "buy, sell, trade, giveaways", a place to ask questions about systems, needing help, trivia, etc. Today Nate chimed in to ask for advice about our electric motor monitor acting up. Someone responded back on the net to offer advice and came over to our boat to have a look, and help come up with some suggestions. There is a strong network of knowledgeable sailors willing to share tools, advice, and offer solutions. It's a great little floating community with very friendly and helpful neighbors.

I was lucky enough to teach my first yoga class at the Marathon Community Park. I was a bit nervous, but thankfully it was like riding a bike! Being outside with a gentle breeze, bright sun, and chirping birds made the class very special. To make it more special, I volunteered to turn the class into a fundraiser for a well known couple in the harbor. I don't know them whatsoever, but from stories shared, they are wonderful, helpful and gracious to others in need. This was my way of giving back. We raised $91 thanks to the generosity of the 12 students that showed up! That was a lot of fun!

We continue to check out the local scene, live music, and cheap happy hours. Sometimes we must hide out aboard Aletheia to avoid spending too much money and consuming too many calories. We row through the harbor waving to our neighbors, inviting complete strangers over for sundowners (aka alcoholic beverages) and trading boat cards with other cruisers. Some people roll in to Boot Key anticipating just a few nights stay, a 1-week or a 1-month stay before sailing to their next destination or before heading home, depending on the season. We've met people that came for 1 week, been here 7. Others came for a month and have been on the ball for 5 years. LOL! Entrepreneurs have been born here, families have brought babies home from the hospital. I'm beginning to see positive aspects of this lifestyle and the variety of wonderful people to meet and stay in contact with for years to come! I'm sure our paths will cross again!

My yoga studio!

My students in Savasana

Dockside Grille  - one of many live music venues in Marathon!

Door to door service - dinghy style

Sail Away Sunday - at Glory Days helm

16 boats out for Sail Away Sunday

I think we're in about 15ft of water. See the depth change?

Love to all,
Jenn & Nate

p.s. I did actually pick up basket weaving. Told you its like summer camp! Here is the only picture I'll share (until its complete, of course!)

FL Keys: Week 1

We spent the past week sailing downwind from Dinner Key, Miami to Boot Key Harbor in Marathon, FL. Turns out the Florida Keys are uber shallow and difficult to sail and anchor close to land. We have been sailing within a range of 6-15 feet most of the way south. With clear, sandy bottoms you need to keep your eyes peeled with regard to what's ahead...a patch of white sand or I might run aground kind-of shallow. We typically covered b/w 20-25NM each day and felt like real cruisers.

Sailing from Dinner Key to Sands Key, we ran into an old friend in the middle of Biscayne Bay who we met in Lake Sylvia back in Ft. Lauderdale. He saw our unique red and navy sails and made an eager b-line for Aletheia. At first, we thought who the heck is this?! Then we recognized his lovely hull and shouted "Hey Tom!" He wanted more ketchup! He was on his way back up to Lauderdale to put his visiting granddaughter on a flight back to NY. Since they had an extra day to spare, he dropped the hook where we planned to anchor in Sands Key. We enjoyed dinner and drinks and breakfast on his m/v Dasher. We made a fresh batch of ketchup too!

Warm, clear waters!

At anchor at Sands Key

Our buddy Tom!

Small storm passing overhead

Sands Key sunet

After a fun and fiery evening with dinner and maybe one to many RumChata's (think Bailey's but with rum), we weighed anchor the following morning for a quick sail to Billy's Point, about 8NM south in Biscayne Bay. We quickly dropped the hook, went for a swim in our birthday suits and enjoyed the clear warm waters. Nate reset the anchor since it was lying on its side. It helped that the water was so clear to be able to see it and fix it. No big deal, so he reset it, pointy side down. Some hull and bottom scrubbing was also in order. 

No wind today!

We're in about 10ft of water

The following morning we decided to find a bit of shelter even further south because a cold front was approaching from the southwest with forecasted winds b/w 20-25kts and t-storms. With minimal choices of anchorages due to exposure and shallow waters, we tucked ourselves in Angelfish Creek after a leisurely daysail around Card Sound. There really aren't designated anchorages; however, they do tell you where not to anchor. So we avoid those areas and use our chart to determine what the best protection will be from forecasted winds with water depth being a large factor. 

They say there are two types of sailors in this world: Sailors who run aground and liars. Well, in our case we cannot tell a lie! We entered Angelfish Creek with a bit of wind on our nose. We dropped the hook and eventually our keel hit bottom as the anchor was catching. Seafloors are obviously not flat either! We used our secondary anchor for the second time to kedge off the bottom. Nate took the hook and dropped it about 70 ft from Aletheia. We tried to pull her off the bottom with the stern anchor, but with a 2kt current against us and stiff winds, it was nearly impossible. So, there we sat for about 4 hours waiting for the tide to turn and each time we heard the approaching hum of a powerboater who would eventually waked us, we cringed each time she hit bottom. Finally, as the tide turned in our favor, we got into Boatworks, I rowed hard (grunting like a super heavy weight lifter) while Nate weighed the stern anchor to reset it, twice. Who needs kettleballs and crossfit when you can kedge! Thankfully we got off the bottom and rested in 8ft of water as a lovely thunderstorm passed overhead, protected in our little private anchorage.

After our kedge workout - she floats!

Happy post-bath. Relieved to be floating still!

We had a lovely day sail the following mid-morning south to Rodriguez Key where we spent one night at anchor. Again, due to shallow waters, we don't get terribly close to land and anchored about 1.25 miles out. Here we tried to protect ourselves from forecasted winds from the Northeast. Too long to row ashore so we enjoyed views from our boat. At this point we hadn't been on land in 5 days since the night before we left Dinner Key on March 23. Both of us got a little cabin fever at this point. Once we arrived at Long Key, we took the .65m row into shore to visit Long Key State Park - our first land excursion since leaving Dinner Key. 

Just add potatoes!

5 days of trash 

Cowboy Nate with main and fore sheet reigns steering the boat

Rodriguez Key sunset

Sailing towards Long Key

Cute cormorant visitor until he started to shit on our boat

Long Key sunset

The past week we've had beautifully consistent NNE winds b/w 10-20 kts with following seas and sunny skies to carry us towards Marathon, FL. We arrived here feeling very welcome, like we just arrived at summer camp. We reserved a mooring ball for the month of April, moored on ball #Q9 (see us here!). This is our second mooring ball, the only other one being in Blue Hill, ME. And that one was "on the house"! The Boot Key community has been incredibly friendly and helpful so far. There are lots of Women Who Sail ladies here so I hope to meet some during our stay. I've met my first famous sailing author from The Boat Galley, she is on a neighboring mooring ball. I told her I have her cookbook all marked up. Maybe I'll even have her autograph it. 
There are many summer camp activities going on here within the cruising/harbor community, and I've heard basketweaving is one of them! Tonight we're going to Burdines Waterfront for some live music and we're told they have the best french fries in the keys. We'll see about that! This morning we went out for breakfast at Harbor Hillbillies, my first floating food truck! A young couple from Missouri fell in love with the Keys community and created this awesome concept. The floating kitchen is located just strokes away from Aletheia. It works like a dinghy drive-thru for carry out breakfast. You may stay to enjoy your hot breakfast tied up in your dinghy or as take-away back to your boat. Prices are reasonable. I had the "Brakefuss Sammich" (egg, cheese, bacon on a biscuit for $4). Nate enjoyed the "Mash" (potatoes, sausage, egg, onion and pepper for $7). The floating kitchen is near one month old, but I imagine business will be booming for years to come!

Flag is out, business is open!

It's been one week since we left Miami and a lot of experiences have happened since our departure, even within the last 24 hours of our Boot Key arrival! For the next month, we'll explore land and water before our trip up north towards the Chesapeake around May 1st. There is a great bus system that we will utilize so we can see more of the keys that we passed on our way down, including Islamorada. We'll also make our way down to Key West, visit some local landmarks, including Ernest Hemingway's home. Have you visited the Florida Keys and would recommend landmarks that are a must see?!

Entering Boot Key Harbor

Our property. First mooring since Blue Hill, ME

Love to all,
Jenn & Nate

P.S Happy Easter & Happy Pesach to family and friends near and far!