Saint Petersburg, FL

Sunday morning we left Gulfport on the rising tide on our way to St. Pete and a free dock. Tim & Jen French are friends from Tim’s Weta racing days. We are staying at Tim’s dads house on a canal in St. Pete. free of charge. Tim & Jen even gave us use of their vehicle as Tim is working all week. It is overwhelming to experience this kind of generosity.

It’s been wonderful to have a vehicle (a very nice one at that). Monday-Wednesday activities: Our first stop was, of course, West Marine and the hardware store for on-going boat projects. Next the Publix for provisioning (still miss Meijer), then Mazzaro’s Italian Market. We visited Weedon Island Preserve (walked many miles on the boardwalks thru the mangrove trees). Hiked at Maximo Park and ate at the Tiki Bar at the Maximo Marina. Visited downtown St. Pete–free trolley car ride for lay of the land, enjoyed a walk out to St. Pete Pier, shopping, ate lunch sitting outside in the sun (Michigan weather is in the low 30’s), toured the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art (I need to crash course in art appreciation). Drove thru an area of houses similar to the houses in East Grand Rapids. Downtown St. Petersburg didn’t seem to be congested like many other larger cities, but that may have been due to the time of day that we visited.

**James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art –** Sponsored by founder of Raymond James Financial, much of it started as his personal collection

Thursday (19th). Zip over to Tampa. Tampa has a free Streetcar system around the downtown. Unfortunately the driver didn’t give any history lesson during the ride. But we did find a good venue for the history of Tampa–from the water of course–a 1.5 hrs water tour. Lots of neat things happening around Tampa. Lots of money on the waterfront–highlight was the mansion Derek Jeter built while still a bachelor. The house that just sold for $22.5 million has a 2000sq. ft Master bedroom suite and closet, bowling, theater, in-law appt, and lodging for the live-in babysitter. The new buyer filed for a demolition permit, planning to level it all and sell off the property as 3 lots, for $10 million each.

**The Tour boat, an old Navy Willard launch with a Cummins 5.9 – same as our boat.**

**The house that Jeter built, as a single guy**

Lunch/dinner was at the Columbia restaurant (Cuban) in the older section of downtown. Our last stop was at a Brazilian market for special products from the land of my birth.

Next day we toured the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art & Circus Museum in Sarasota. The place was amazing, but the miniature circus was so incredible. The detail of the layout of the circus grounds was incredible. And to think that when a circus came to town it was only for one day and all the logistics of setting up, performing and the take-down of everything….and to repeat the process the next day in another town.

**The birds are not statues, just drying their wings**

**Marketing posters from the past, the first display in the Ringling Circus Museum.**

They have a miniature Circus created mostly by one guy over a lifetime. Thousands of pieces, (7000 orange chairs that actually fold). Apparently, because you can’t see it, the detail includes a desk, chair, adding machine and dollar bills in a safe box all inside a ticket booth you can’t see inside of. The creator was obsessed with the logistics of moving a Circus of this size and created all this in his spare time. He spent a year setting up the model in the museum when it opened. a truly astounding display and worth the price of admission.

That evening we were invited to attend a big band concert with another of Tim’s Weta sailing friends. The band was very good and I actually knew many of the tunes being played.

Saturday: Another big purchase at West Marine to upgrade the electronics on the boat. Attended a “dock tale” in downtown St. Pete with about 6 other couples who are doing the loop. Lots of stories and knowledge exchanged during this gatherings.

**The Ultimate road trip machine. Big thanks to Tim and Jen for their hospitality and generosity.**

Sunday: Drove to Fort Myers to see Jay (our friend from Traverse City). Saw firsthand the destruction that Ian caused to the nearby marinas. Very sad. Later that day we enjoyed watching 2 football games with our host, Joe (the house) who was so gracious to allow us to stay at his dock for nothing.

Monday: Time to install the new electronics on the boat. We noticed a manatee swimming right by our boat–it was huge, but didn’t stay long. We are planning to leave on Wednesday, but the rising tide is getting later and later in the day so we will have to leave middle of the afternoon. So our travel day will be short as we start late in the day.

**For perspective that tail had to be close to 3′ wide**

Tuesday we had dinner with Jen & Tim at their house.

Wednesday, the day we had planned to leave the free dock, was very windy with small craft advisories out on the lake. So all we did was hang out at the boat reading our many books and finishing up the boat projects. Hopefully, we will be able to move to St. Pete Municipal Marina on Thursday.