Once again I am playing catch up but that is only because we have been enjoying ourselves so very much on the west coast of Florida.

Annette and I really enjoyed Sarasota. We had a terrific visit to the Ringling Circus Museum (https://www.ringling.org/circus-museum) and the  Ringling Art Museum (https://www.ringling.org/museum-art).  In a addition we were lucky enough to have several visitors. Pentagon Sailing Club Members Wesley & Brenda Moy along with Will and Barbara Kelchner (pictured below).

MaryMarie of Eleanor Q passed through town on a visit to her sisters so we got so spend a few hours aboard Magnolia catching up. We look forward to sharing an anchorage with Eleanor Q sooner than later!

It was time to get underway and head down to Port Charlotte where we planned to visit Will & Barbara on their home waters of Port Charlotte.

Upon our arrival Barb and Will invited us to their boat clubs monthly Friday Happy Hour. Having a nearly religious belief in Happy Hour we certainly did not want to miss that! We were anchored on the Port Charlotte side of the harbor and the Boat Club was on the Punta Gorda side and Blossom carried us the two miles across the bay.

Punta Gorda Boat Club Members lay out a spread!!

The following day Blossom took us over to the Red Ruby Inn to visit Barb & Will. Annette enjoyed the spa facilities!

After spending a wonderful weekend with Barbara and Will it was time to get underway. We found this quiet little island in the middle of no-where called Chino Island. Because of weather we planned to spend a couple days.

So here we are in the middle of no where and who shows up along side but MaryMarie with some of her friends. What a treat to know we can be found…or stalked as the case may be.

Departing Chino Island we made the short hop up to Glover Bite near Cape Coral.

The big reason we wanted to visit Fort Meyers/Cape Coral was the Edison/Ford winter mansions.  A statue of Edison under his single Banyon Tree (yes its a single tree) which he used for his research into rubber alternatives.

Of course the Admiral found the pool nearly first thing!

The Edison Home.

Henry Fords home is right next door to Edison home.  As was related to us Ford only spent a couple weeks a year in Fort Meyers. We planned his visits around Edison Birthday.

 

Annette in front of Ford’s home.

Edison’s home from the street side of the compound.

A little aside to life aboard Magnolia. It was time to make a trip to the grocery store. A little research told us the we take Blossom up a residential canal (those are ALL canal homes on the map). There is a public access dock at the Bimini Basin. From there the local Publix is about about 8 bck walk west. Yes, this life choice takes some effort. It is not all Tiki Hut lunches with Umbrella Drinks….

…or is it? Our friends on Cat Tails arrived in the area yesterday and with strong weather arriving tonight we met at the Boathouse Restaurant this afternoon.

for Cuban Sandwiches and umbrella drinks! Ok, some days…but not everyday!

We are hoping the current weather will move out next week and allow us to start out on the first leg of our journey back to the mid-Atlantic. The first leg will take us from Fort Meyers to back to Marathon in the Florida Keys before another short hop to Palm Beach/Lake Worth.

That’s all from the crew of Magnolia, be safe and more soon!