We've been travelling for two weeks on a road trip which is coming to an end. Before we head back north, back to winter, (I mean Spring), we have one more stop planned. We're driving over to Clearwater to visit with Ray and Jean Santos; our friends from Connecticut who have a winter home in Florida. They met us in Tarpon Springs after we crossed the Gulf aboard our Alberg 35,
Mystic. Seeing them walk down the dock last April was one of the highlights of our trip; like coming home!
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| Jean & Ray meet Mystic at Tarpon Springs |
Dave and I travel a lot! We orchestrate mini-reunions whenever possible. We aren't so much lucky as we are blessed with wonderful family and friends who make time for us. On this visit to Clearwater we will reconnect with a gaggle of Connecticut friends. Yvette and Peggy Ackley are in Florida too, staying at a rental close to where Jean and Ray live. We're high school friends, Yvette and I have known each other since third grade!
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| Jean, Yvette and Beth at High School Reunion |
We arrived in Clearwater early afternoon and sat by the pool to unwind. We planned to meet Jean, Ray, Peggy, Yvette and Patrick (Yvette's son) at Sea Drift Brewery in Largo at 5:00. We had a quick beer there then loaded into Ray's minivan for a drive to Dunedin where we could visit several microbreweries within walking distance. Our mood was festive.
Our first stop was at the 7th Sun Microbrewery. It was very busy with happy people enjoying a Friday night out. Everyone was hungry so we decided to eat first. We tried several restaurants but couldn't get a table. Tony's Pizza had room and everyone could pick their own individual slices. It was much needed sustenance for a night of microbrew tasting! We stopped at Dunedin House of Beer next. Someone noticed that we'd lost Ray and Peggy. They finally caught up and explained that they were lagging behind us, enchanted by the beautiful sunset that was framed at the end of a street. Peggy stopped to take a photo then just stood there until the sun slipped below the horizon.
We walked through Dunedin, exploring the shops and many microbrew options. We ended our evening back at 7th Sun, where we sat outside on the patio and chatted the evening away. After a fun night, Ray drove us home with everyone trying to navigate from the back seat. The communication was a little muddled with all the shouting and giggling. At one point we were detoured past a road block which led to us driving in circles. Patrick took over giving directions from the front seat. He got us home safely.
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| Beer tasting |
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| Peggy, Ray, Beth, Dave and Yvette |
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Yvette, Dave, Patrick (left)
Beth, Ray, Jean (right) |
On Saturday, we drove up to Tarpon Springs for a relaxing day at the beach. When
Mystic was docked at the Anclote River Marina we rode our bikes to this beach to cool off on many occasions. I had a tough time maneuvering over the sand on my healing ankle but Dave offered his arm to steady me. After enjoying the river views we made a quick stop at Silverking Microbrewery in old Tarpon Springs. The bartender remembered us and the fact that we rode our bikes there from our boat.
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| The Beach along Anclote River, Tarpon Springs |
Yvette invited us for a Saturday evening with the gang. Her daughter Tara, along with her boyfriend Josh, had arrived earlier. It was a full house. The night was filled with cocktails and nibbles, good friends and great conversation. We are so thankful for these gatherings and these friends! Spending this time with our friends was a highlight of our entire road trip!
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| Our back deck |
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| Still shoveling snow in April |
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1 comment:
Sounds like your sojourn was such fun! From too much snow to too much heat, I hear. 100° F is pretty toasty in anybody's book. You'll have to go south to cool off! ;-) Hugs ~
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