Day 202 Epilogue - Home

Yesterday WAS going to be my final blog, but Brandi insisted I do one last entry to relate how we reacted to being home and, more importantly, how JACK reacted to being home. John always thought he would be ecstatic. Wrong! We had a calm ride down the ICW and turned into our little inlet. Jack rode under the "dash" as usual. Danny, our son-in-law, helped us pull into our dock. We jumped off, toasted with a beer, then Jack sashayed onto the dock...rolled...then got right back on the boat. We had to carry him into the house complaining all the way. He's better adjusted today. I told Free Bird that my first impression of our home as I walked in was that it felt small. (Free Bird) John said that on the boat, even though it's smaller, you are always outside and unrestrained; therefore, being confined in a house would seem small. Hmmmm. Logical. A pod of dolphins performed a Welcome Home Show this afternoon corralling mullet behind our house - racing, leaping and slapping. Magestic creatures. It was so good to be reunited with Brandi, Madi, Danny, Cam, Kayo and our new grand-furry, Colt. Would have been complete if Morgan, Kevin and Louie were here, but we'll see them soon. I made jambalaya last night. We had a good night's sleep. We visited with our neighbors. Estrellita and Fruit Cakes passed by our home as they continued down the ICW. We waved. It IS good to be home. So as the sun sets on Sundowner ending this amazing odyssey - she is actually just pausing while we contemplate our next adventure. 

Day 201 Loop Completed - Second to the Last Blog Entry

On day 201 - today - as Loopers say, we "cross our wake" and will be back home in Seminole. Our last anchorage of the trip, Anclote Key, was serene and peaceful. This blog has become a daily journal of our exploits and I'm so glad we recorded our adventures. Not only so we could share them, but we can look back and remember. It's almost unreal to think that we have accomplished "the Loop". So many feelings along the way - elation, exhaustion, amazement, anxiety, speculation, satisfaction - but never disappointment. Monumental joy when we completed another phase of the trip and sadness when we had to say good-bye to some amazing people. Can we pick a favorite city, anchorage, marina, river, moment? I don't think so. There's just such a multitude of incredible experiences on this journey that it would be like picking a favorite child. You can't. There are some places that surprised us and we want to return to like Lake Michigan, Canada, and the Panhandle. Three years ago, we didn't even know that you could circumvent the eastern section of the USA  by boat - now we've done it. We've done it with the support and encouragement of our extraordinary daughters, family and friends. I also have to give cudos to Sundowner. She's been an outstanding ship with no issues and the perfect Looper boat. Captain Jack has been a good sport and I couldn't imagine doing the trip without him. He now has "fans" across the country. As we end this odyssey, we are wiser, more adaptable, more spontaneous, more adventurous, and more appreciative. As we left our anchorage, appropriately, three dolphins directed us home. We can cross "completing the Loop" off our bucket list, but sometimes checking off one item creates more to be added. So tomorrow we start planning for our next adventure.

Day 200 Crossing our Wake Tomorrow

Not only is it a historic 200 days since we started the Loop; tomorrow, we will be crossing our wake in dear, ol' Seminole. We pulled out of our Cedar Key anchorage and two dolphins escorted us out of Daughtry Bayou. The waves were maybe 1 foot and the winds were fairly calm as the sun rose on another beautiful day. We hadn't been out an hour when John spied a fog from the coast moving towards Sundowner. In no time, it enveloped us and, as fate would have it, we entered crab trap alley. Thank goodness there was a bright sun so it helped with spying those illusive balls.  At one point, visibility was about 300 yards - a very alone feeling. Thank goodness for radar to advise us that no other boats were around or crossing our path. The fog lifted about 11 and the rest of our journey was uneventful. I've been under the weather with a slight case of seafood poisoning, so I haven't been much help on the wheel for the last two days, but by mid-afternoon, I was feeling my old self. As we got closer to Tarpon Springs, we saw more fishing and crab boats. We also saw clouds building and rain falling where we had planned on anchoring by the power plant. So we made a quick decision to duck behind Anclote Key near a marooned sailboat for the night. It was a bit choppy while the storms were in the area, but by sunset, it was flat. It looks like our last night at sea will bring peaceful rest. To celebrate our final dinner on this Loop, we had steak and mashed cauliflower. No more oysters for me for awhile! Tomorrow we will head down the ICW and return to Oakhurst Shores, family and friends. It has been an unreal adventure, but we are ready to be home...I think. Yeah, we're ready! 

Day 199 Anchoring near Cedar Key

Had to pry John away from the Steinhatchee dock this morning. He vows to return to this serene old fishing village. The Gulf was calm - rocking us gently like only Mother Ocean can. We almost fell asleep at the wheel. The only thing that kept us alert was the hundreds of crab traps in our path. The water is now clear and a deep shade of jade. By the end of today's trip, the seas were like glass. We decided to hug the coast so it's shallow which allows us to view the bottom. Dolphins occasionally played along the bow or delighted us by leaping out of the water. Despite the slight chill on the fly bridge, it feels so good to be back in familiar waters. John was anxious about navigating the waters around Cedar Key, namely Sea Horse Island, but he did a fine job to get us to an idyllic remote anchorage. The sunrise and sunset were a gift. Beautiful. No internet tonight.  We were going to stop at Withlachochee, but are concerned about building seas and winds by mid-week so we'll save Withlacoochee and Port Richie for another trip. Tomorrow we are going to make the run to Anclote. Can't believe we are within days of being back home.

Day 199 Anchoring near Cedar Key

Had to pry John away from the Steinhatchee dock this morning. He vows to return to this serene old fishing village. The Gulf was calm - rocking us gently like only Mother Ocean can. We almost fell asleep at the wheel. The only thing that kept us alert was the hundreds of crab traps in our path. The water is now clear and a deep shade of jade. By the end of today's trip, the seas were like glass. We decided to hug the coast so it's shallow which allows us to view the bottom. Dolphins occasionally played along the bow or delighted us by leaping out of the water. Despite the slight chill on the fly bridge, it feels so good to be back in familiar waters. John was anxious about navigating the waters around Cedar Key, namely Sea Horse Island, but he did a fine job to get us to an idyllic remote anchorage. The sunrise and sunset were a gift. Beautiful. No internet tonight.  We were going to stop at Withlachochee, but are concerned about building seas and winds by mid-week so we'll save Withlacoochee and Port Richie for another trip. Tomorrow we are going to make the run to Anclote. Can't believe we are within days of being back home.