The temperatures began to warm up when we reached West Palm. Seeing that we have spent considerable
time in the area we opted to make a leisurely trip down the ICW to Ft. Lauderdale. It was a holiday weekend, and it seemed
that everyone was on the water. Our overnight anchorage in Lake Sylvia was delightful and a highlight was sailing under the
new 17th Street Causeway Bridge. The next week had us dealing with mechanical issues but we managed to get "outside" and had
an enjoyable sail to Key Biscayne where we had arranged a mooring at Crandon Park Marina. This would be our Miami base.
Key Biscayne was an ideal location to tour the area by bus, car and boat. While here
we took in the ArtDeco festivities on South Beach complete with everything the area is known for. We feasted on authentic
Cuban food and became rather conversational in Spanish (not hard to do here).
A highlight of our visit was touring Vila Viscaya, the former home of the founder of Internation
Harvester. This $20-million mansion (1906) overlooks Key Biscayne and has a variety of gardens. It should not be missed
if you are in the area.
No Name Harbor, just down from the marina, is a favorite jumping off point for the Bahamas. Fortunately
we were able to visit with many of our friends from former years who were passing through to the Bahamas that we would have
otherwise missed. It's always fun to see familiar faces and have the time to catch up. This year we spent time with the crews
of Ragtime 2 , Tens Years After, Lady Lex, and Nightwing (former
Atlantan who has become a Pirate since moving to Coconut Grove).
Some other highlights of our visit included:
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Easy access to transportation via bus
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Brand new Winn-Dixie
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Friendly veternarian that helped relieve Maggie's arthritis
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AAA Lawnmower Shop where we purchased a Honda generator
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The World Class Pre-Olympic Sailing Competition (based at the marina)
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The all-night Cuban bands that played on the weekends.
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The USCG that rescued someone ejected from his boat when it collided with another. No
radio, no lifejackets, no lights.
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Enterprise Rental Cars at the Sonesta Hotel
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