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Dog Island to Steinhatchee to Cedar Key

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There are good days and bad days in boating!  These last two days went from one extreme to the other. On Friday, we left Dog Island bright and early as we had a 78-mile trip across the Gulf!  Weather and seas did not cooperate with conditions worse than the day before. Wind was 20-25 with gusts up to 35; waves were up to 4-6 feet.  Needless to say, we wore our special watches. The good news was that it calmed down as we got closer to our destination. Steinhatchee and specifically the Sea Hag Marina was quite an experience.  It is the fisherman's hang out for that part of Florida, for sure. They even provide lounge chairs to watch others filet their catch. The staff at the marina was great and the store was amazing. We walked up to Kathi's Krab Shack for dinner. I had the flounder Po-Boy and Paula, our waitress offered Soft Shell Crabs on special.  Don asked if they were blue crab or snow crab, her response was "they're soft-shell crab."  Being the Maryland ...

Apalachicola to Tysons Harbor on Dog Island

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What a day! I don't think I've explained this trick "Relief band" we purchased last year (see photo below). We used it a lot today as we were close to the Gulf of Wigglesworth in rough seas! Anyhow, the watch generates a pulse (shock) that stimulates the median nerve near your wrist.  The impulses from the median nerve travel through the body's nervous system to the part of the brain which controls nausea and vomiting. The pulses have a rebalancing effect, normalizing the messages from the brain to the stomach!  IT WORKS! Anyhow, after 35 miles of fun and games (wind gusts from 21 to 35 mph, waves 2 to 3 feet and spray over the fly bridge); we anchored in a beautiful spot - Tysons Harbor on Dog Island.  Walked the white sandy beach, rode in the tender and now are relaxing. We have a BIG day tomorrow - as we actually go out into the Gulf and cross over to the West Coast of Florida for more fun!  Keep saying those prayers for no wind and smaller swells, Relief Band ...

Port St. Joe to Apalachicola

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Wednesday morning, we walked up to Piggly Wiggly (Love that name) and CVS for some supplies.  Leaving Port St. Joe, we headed back up the Gulf County Canal to the Intracoastal Waterway to continue our trip south - destination Apalachicola (pronounce that?). This section of the intracoastal waterway was much more interesting with lots of hurricane debris, fisherman and cypress trees. The hard part was that, as we entered the Apalachicola River, the winds picked up into a small craft advisory - Winds up to 23 miles an hour.  Good thing Cady Girl is so stable!   We, I should say Don, docked at SCIPIO Creek Marina despite the winds.  The marina is a wee bit inland, so that should make for a smoother, quieter night.  It is still windy, however! We walked the town where I learned a horticultural lesson I thought I would share for my gardening friends:  The Sago Palm (see picture below) is not a palm at all, but rather a cycad.  Cycads are a group of pla...

Panama City and Port St. Joe

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After a sleepless night anchored - the wind was howling and the boat was rocking, we took a short trip over to the Sun Harbor Marina in Panama City.  The crew at Sun Harbor was fantastic. The Dock Master, who was the best, had lived in Brookings Oregon when he was a member of the Coast Guard. Docked at the marina was a beautiful sailboat named "Columbia." It was built in 2014 as a homage to the great Grand Banks Fishing Schooner of 1924.  It was built in Panama City by Eastern Shipbuilding Group.  The wind was still an issue that night, as were squeaky lines, so No sleep again.  We saw dolphins feeding as we docked for fuel, but alas, still no pictures.  We walked around a wee bit and then took an Uber to Uncle Ernie's Bayfront Bar & Grill.  Food was great but the dessert of a fabulous sunset was even better.  We'd heard they were known for the best sunsets in the area and we were not disappointed. Today we motored 50 miles to Port St. Joe. Saw lot...

Pensacola - Fort Walton Beach and 10 Miles North of Panama City

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Our last day in Pensacola was a treat.  We walked more than 8 miles around town.  We started by visiting Joe Patti's.  Joe Patti's is a landmark in Pensacola and is recognized as a premier destination for foodies all over the world. In the early 1930's Anna & Joe Patti started selling fish from their front porch on Devillier's Street.  Joe's philosophy was to sell the highest quality fish at a fair price. The Mahi Mahi we bought there was outstanding! That evening we went to The Five Sister's Blues Cafe.  What a delight. The restaurant is built on some of Pensacola's deepest history.  For decades, the intersection where it is located was the epicenter of African American business and social life. It became the hub for the blues. Gussie's Record Shop was the original tenet and WBOP radio station was nearby.  The founder of the restaurant opened to pay homage to the rich blues history and to the recipes of his mother Jeanette and her sisters Cora, Sa...