Oct. 6 - Home Sweet Home

We left Port Lavaca on March 7...we had seven months of amazing adventures, filled with lots of new sites and experiences. We traveled 3990 miles, over 4000 miles if you add in the miles we traveled in the dinghy and on our bikes. We visited 12 states and the District of Columbia and countless numbers of wonderful cities and little towns. Some of our favorite places include Ocean Springs MS, Tarpon Springs FL, St. Petersburg FL, St. Augustine FL, Fernandina Beach FL, Cumberland Island GA, Charleston SC, Beaufort SC, Washington DC, Annapolis MD, and all the wonderful little places on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Our favorite day was spent snorkeling and fishing off Sombrero Reef in Marathon, Florida. The list could be so much longer…there were so many places that had their shining moments. We enjoyed learning more about the history of the country and seeing the places we’d heard about all our lives. We especially enjoyed the times we had with family…it was a lot of fun to explore Key West with Kenneth and Earline, and we enjoyed getting to know Kendra, Doug and their girls a little more in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Thank you for sharing a piece of our adventure. The other high point of our trip was meeting people…not just boaters, but the local people of all the great places we stopped. They shared local knowledge and their enthusiasm for the places they live…so many good memories.

It took us a little time to get comfortable with weather and sea conditions, buying groceries without a car, doing normal life activities in such a small space, limited laundry and countless other things we take for granted at home. We definitely have become more appreciative of those things. Stan's confidence in the boat and his ability to handle new situations grew each day. Things that seemed like big deals in the beginning…were nothing by the time we returned. As we have more time this winter to reflect on the places we’ve been, the things we’ve seen and the things we’ve done, I’m sure it will soak in a little more how lucky we’ve been to have this amazing experience.

I am going to miss the sounds and sites on the water….the birds, the fish, the sunset and the unknown around the bend. This is just a break…not an end to our adventure. We look forward to cruising again next spring and summer, and exploring other wonderful spots in this country and Canada.

Stan making the last inspections on the boat

Atlantic Yacht Basin...one of the sheds they keep boats in

One last look at our precious Pearl