Dave and I completed our winter work schedule on the same day and started packing for a reprieve to the warmth of the south. Our journey began with a wintery mix of rain, sleet and snow. We didn't hit springtime until just before Paducah Kentucky, where we found magnolia blossoms, wild daffodils and the strong smell of farm fertilizer coming from the fields along the highway. We could feel our bodies shedding the hold of winter as we shed our layers of clothing. Day two brought sunshine and a bright blue sky.
Our mission was to revisit the Panhandle and Gulf Coast stops we'd made in 2017 during our Great Loop adventure. Apalachicola is a fun town that we considered on our list of places to live after a four day stay aboard Mystic. We were surprised to see how much things had changed. The Tin Shed Flea Market & Antique Shop and Oyster City Microbrewery were gone. Apalachicola was the Oyster capital of Florida in 2017. They produced 90% of Florida's oysters. Now, oysters are almost gone from the bay due to the change in the once brackish water. The water that had flowed naturally is being redirected to reservoirs which changed the salinity of the bay water. Florida has stopped all oyster harvesting in Apalachicola bay through 2025. This has been devastating to the local economy. The changes to this cute little town are undeniable.
Visit our 2017 blog post for images of our first visit to Apalachicola.
https://cruising-teamrogers.blogspot.com/2017/04/apalachicola-fl.html
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| The Ice House, limited openings in 2022 |
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| The oyster shell piles are gone from Apalachicola |
After three days on the road, we arrived in Tarpon Springs and were happy to see that our modest Airbnb rental was clean and cute. It was located in an old neighborhood, central to much of what we wanted to experience. Our friends Yvette and Ray met us in Dunedin for a mini microbrew tour. We stopped in at House of Beers and then Caledonia Brewing after passing by several of their favorites which were closed on Mondays.
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| Ray, Yvette, Beth & Dave, Dunedin, Florida |
In the morning, we went on a steamy run to Sunset Beach then took a quick dip at Anclote River Park. We didn't linger because we had a lunch date at Bar Fly in Palm Harbor with friends Michelle, Kay and John. We always look forward to catching up with Michelle and Kay, as well as Kay's father John. We share a love for craft beer and can't wait for them to come to Minnesota for a northern style microbrew tour!
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| Sunset Beach, Tarpon Springs |
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Kay, Dave, Beth, John & Michelle at Bar Fly, Palm Harbor
(photo by Kay Rhoades) |
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Bar Fly Patio
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After lunch we all moved over to Stilt House Brewery where we met a guy with a half blind, half deaf cat that entertained us with his antics. He had a funny way of cocking his head to get the best reception for his good eye and good ear. His disabilities didn't seem to hold him back and he was obviously a regular at Stilt House!
We bid farewell to our friends then headed back to Tarpon Springs. In 2017, we got to know the docks, beaches, microbreweries, and community during our stay. We headed out on a long walk to the sponge docks. As we sauntered along the sidewalk a 4 foot black racer snake blocked our way. We gingerly slid past on the grass but only made it a few steps before a second snake rose up to check us out. I screamed out loud as Dave chuckled at my reaction.
On our way back we stumbled upon Brighter Days Brewing Company which did not exist in 2017. We sat on the patio enjoying a nightcap next to a lady with two dogs, one was blind in one eye, the other totally blind. They had a connected harness so the one-eyed pup could lead the blind pup around. Like the Stilt House kitty, these sweet fur babies were comfortable, welcome and part of the microbrew community experience. One found a warm spot on my lap and settled in, delighting us both!
As we strolled home in the dark, we chatted about the changes we were seeing. The city docks we'd stayed at on our sailboat are private now. Many restaurants and stores are closed for good. The "art bikes" are all gone from the sponge docks of Tarpon Springs. We couldn't help noticing the changes to this lovely place.
Visit our 2017 blog post for images of our first visit to Tarpon Springs.
https://cruising-teamrogers.blogspot.com/2017/04/tarpon-springs.html
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| No more art bikes on the sponge docks |
On day three we walked to Silverking Brewery, one of our favorite places to visit in Tarpon Springs. The bartender was lounging with his feet up on the empty bar. He mentioned that the place was barely afloat. The beer cost $7.00, quite expensive for the area and $2.00 over the other microbreweries in town. The vibe at Silverking had changed. We left after one quick beer. Two Frogs Microbrewery was not far away. We grabbed the two open seats at the bar. It appeared to be a local favorite. Everything about it was better than Silverking which made us a bit sad! Again, the changes we were experiencing gave us pause. We ended our evening back at Sunset Beach hoping to capture a magnificent Gulf Coast sunset. It seemed that this was a daily ritual in the area!
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| Two Frogs Brewing |
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| Sunset Beach |
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| Dancing under the sunset |
Our last day in Tarpon Springs began with heavy rain and thunderstorms. Michelle and Kay had told us about Ozona Brewery in Palm Harbor. We drove there to find that it looked like a Key West bar; colorful, airy and in the artsy community of Ozona. The brewery was packed but we found a spot at the bar. After our beer the rain cleared enough for us to get out and explore the village. We walked through town, all 2 blocks, then meandered into the neighborhoods leading to the Gulf. Along the way we passed the historic Ozona Village Hall and realized that the large crowd of women at the brewery were members of the Ladies Improvement Society. We'd heard them chatting and giggling about the "meeting" they were having.
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| Ozona Brewing Company |
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Ozona Village Hall
(Ladies Improvement Society) |
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| Yard Carvings, made us smile |
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| Troll House |
Our visit to the Gulf Coast came to an end. It was time to drive back north but we were not finished with our American's Great Loop revisit. We headed for our next layover in Saraland, Alabama. It's just outside Mobile where we'd spent four months aboard Mystic with several of our favorite Loopers at Turner Marine. My uncles lived nearby so we spent a lot of time with them.
Like Tarpon Springs, we were surprised at the changes we found in Mobile. Turner's had many open slips. During our stay, it was bursting at the seams! The biggest change, though, was the loss of my uncles. Both have passed since our wonderful extended visit in 2016. We stopped by their mausoleum at Magnolia Cemetery and drove past their home where we'd spent hours chatting under the live oak tree. The new owners were on the porch which deepened our feelings of profound loss. We found comfort in our visit to Dauphin Island where things remained much as we remembered. We ran the bike path to Fort Gaines then lounged on West End Beach for the afternoon.
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| Lounging at West End Beach |
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| Remembering Mr. Fred & Mr. Ron |
During our long stay in Mobile, we visited and enjoyed many of the wonderful restaurants. Blue Gill was a Looper favorite. We've been there several times before and had to return for their famous flame broiled oysters. The price had increased dramatically but the flavor was just as fabulous as we remembered and they were worth every penny! A new patio bar had been added. In spite of the increase in cost, the place was mobbed!
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| Flame broiled Oysters at the Blue Gill |
Day two we woke to a beautiful blue sky so we drove to Fort Monroe in Gulf Shores hoping to spend the day on the beach. The water in the Gulf looked like boiling coffee. An offshore wind whipped the sand into mini tornados that sandblasted and chilled us. The shoreline was covered with large dead fish all the way up to the dunes. Instead of a day on the beach, we headed back to Mobile, making several stops along the way. We had delightful visits to Big Beach Brewery and LuLu's Restaurant, both right alongside the ICW. Many Loopers stop at LuLu's which is Jimmy Buffet's sister's place. On our Loop, we had passed by due to timing. We enjoyed a great crab dip lunch at the outdoor bar. On our drive back to Saraland we stopped at Fairhope Brewery, another Looper favorite. The beer was just as good as we remembered!
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| Sunny Big Beach Patio |
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| Fairhope Brewing Patio |
Our visit to Mobile was bittersweet. So much had changed but we found comfort in the few things that remained as we remembered them; the beauty of Dauphin Island, great microbrew options and the oysters at Blue Gill. When it was time to leave we set our sights west toward Collinsville Oklahoma where we'd make our last stop of our road trip with a visit to friends Yolanda and Scott Moody. We drove all day, making it to Conway Arkansas just in time for severe weather which included warnings of softball sized hail and tornados. I sat up until 2:00 am listening to the weather guy say, over and over, "FIND YOUR SAFE LOCATION AND GO TO IT!" Dave, however, slept through it all.
We had a quick but fun-filled time in Collinsville. Scott and Yolanda are busy building their hobby farm. It was exciting to tour their property and see their progress. They brought us to Taps on Tracks in nearby Claremore for trivia night. We competed against at least 10 enthusiastic teams for the top prize of $100. We managed to pull of a three way tie for second place. Dave represented us in a sudden death question about the distance from earth to the moon. HE WON! This put us in third place due to a tie breaker for first. We enjoyed a free flight of beer for our efforts and had a blast!
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| Beth, Dave, Scott & Yolanda - 3rd place winners |
We had a lot of catching up to do so we took our time leaving in the morning. The temperature had dropped from 80 degrees to 40 overnight. The drive back got colder as we moved north. We arrived home under snow flurries; our winter reprieve ending much as it began. Now we wait for spring and Lake Michigan to melt. We look forward to our return to Mystic. It's time to continue our cruising adventures.
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| Mystic waiting for our return |
