Tuesday, January 22, 2013

More Miami and a Road Trip on the side


     On Monday the 14th I took the bus to get a haircut.  It had been over 2 months since my last one and I was getting a bit shaggy.  This gave Lynn some time to relax again.  While I was in the area, I walked to West Marine in search of a folding bicycle.  Folding bikes are perfect on a  boat as they don’t take up valuable space.  It turns out that the one I was looking for was recalled due to a safety issue.  It's a good thing I didn't buy it before we left as I had planned!!  Back at the boat I tried in vain to find a decent folding bike online at a decent price. I guess I’ll wait until we get to Marathon next month and search again.

     Tuesday was laundry day and a chance for Lynn to get off the boat for a little time on land.  We packed up all the dirty clothes, detergent, fabric sheets, etc and headed in early so we wouldn't have to wait in line.  There are only 2 washers and 2 dryers to accommodate 228 mooring balls.  The office opens at 0800 and we arrived at 0830 to find the washers were both broken and might be fixed later in the day, maybe.  So, back in the dinghy with all our stuff and back to the boat.  At least Lynn got her feet on terra firma for 20 minutes or there about. I found out thru email later in the day that the battery was dead on my truck at home and wouldn't take a charge.  Our neighbor Stephanie has been kind enough to start it every other week. Our other neighbor Chrystal is going to ask her husband Jim to look into the matter for me and get a new battery.  We cannot say enough about where we live and the great neighbors we are fortunate enough to have.  It makes leaving for trips almost worry free.  The next day I went back in to do laundry with the newly repaired washers.

     On the 17th we took the bus and trolley into downtown Miami and had a great lunch for our 43rd anniversary.  We walked around a bit after eating and then took another bus to the Coco Walk in Coconut Grove for a short walk around the chic and expensive shops. On Friday we picked up a rental car ($9.95/day with 100 miles per day) and did some much needed grocery shopping.  We also drove through Miami Beach and up the shoreline for about 20 miles.  But we were never able to see the water or even the beach because of all the high-rise apartments along the road.  We ended the afternoon at an Irish pub that didn't have one Irish beer or any Irish fare on the menu!!!!  Just an Irish name, Flanagan’s.


Farmer's Market Outside

     On Saturday we went in early with the car to the Coral Bagel, a great spot for breakfast.  There was a waiting line but it moved quite fast.  Had a really good meal and then drove to the Farmer's Market that is held every Saturday.  We bought more produce and some fresh spices as well.  Then we took off for Ft. Lauderdale to find the dive shop, Divers Direct.  I tried to buy a full wet-suit but was unable to find one that fit me properly.  But I did buy an underwater camera.  It's waterproof to 200 feet and came with a clip on wide angle lens, a $70 value, for free.  Can't wait to use it in Marathon.  Lynn got a nice shirt there, light weight and with a dive theme.  Next door to the dive shop was a Bass Pro Shop that we spent quite a bit of time walking around.  I was able to get a nice knit shirt and some light weight cargo shorts, both on sale.  We next drove to Total Wine and stocked up on more Merlot in bottles.  Since we are always close to a trash can here we decided to get bottles and keep the box wine for traveling.  We ended the day at another Beer and Burger place for supper.  We split a meal because the sandwiches  and helpings of potatoes are huge.

Farmer's Market Inside

     Sunday we headed south to Florida City and stopped at Wally World.  We had put together quite a list of things to buy.  We also made plans to meet some friends from Ohio, who were on their way to Key West to see their new granddaughter, to meet in Key Largo at a great seafood restaurant we discovered years ago.  These are the people, Bruce and Beth, from s/v Grace whom we traveled with our first year in the Bahamas.  For some reason our location was either not understood or not communicated well.  We never did meet up but Lynn and I enjoyed a terrific seafood supper.

     Yesterday, Monday, we returned the car after having breakfast again at Coral Bagel.  After 3 days of driving around and eating at all those restaurants we spent the rest of the day relaxing and reading. Today was spent getting water with the Jerry cans x 2 trips and cleaning the boat. The weather has been very nice here with only 2  days of rain. Just had to rub that part in for all our friends and family back up north !!!!  

4 comments:

  1. Hey Larry I think I got it going now. You want to talk weather how about -30 C then wind to keep mosquitoes away LOL. Good to here Lynn is getting her feet dirty every now and then. Our plans are the same, hoping to head next Thurs and in FL by the weekend so will get in touch as soon as we get organized in Daytona. Hey to Lynn and stay safe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sure you'll be glad to see warmer weather. Travel safe. We head to Marathon for a month on Feb 1.

      Delete
  2. We are glad everyone is doing well. Happy to read Lynn is up and about more. Everything looks good from across the street. Take care. Joe & Donna

    ReplyDelete