Ft Lauderdale to Palm Beach with guests aboard

Daughter Robin getting familiar with our new boat "Great Escape"  To all our friends who follow the blog...WE ARE HOME AND ARE NOW DIRT DWELLERS AGAIN. These blogs are remembering our trip home from Ft. Lauderdale

 JoAnn and grand son Jon on flybridge

Doug and Donna Smith with JoAnn and me discussing the planned cruise up the "intercostal" prior to leaving next morning

Our new boat in prior owners back yard on New River in Ft, Lauderdale

Doug and Donna at german resturant

Robins view out  porthole in her stateroom

Doug and Dave have a cup before leaving our spot in paradise

JoAnn and Donna on upper deck while passing thru down town Ft.Lauderdale

 Robin and Jon

On the ICW (intercostal waterway)

Good friends and our neighbors on dock six at Port Charles marina in St Louis

Robin and her mom

Making way up the ICW.  I decided to run up the intercostal rather than on the outside in the open water since the boat was new to us and I didn't want any supprises out at sea.  Anyway the Icw is far more interesting if you don't mind the bridges.

leaving the 11th bridge we had to have opened for us.  Boat hieght is 18ft

Lower helm

light snack in saloon (salons are spelled saloon on boats)  Who knows why???

Jon playing with his phone, (that will later be submerged in the ocean in his swimsuit pocket)

Great Escape at the dock at Sailfish Marina...Palm Beach

Our dock at Sailfish

Dinner at Sailfish.  tomorrow a short walk to the beach   In the following week we went to Stuart Fla. took the Okeechobee waterway acrost the state to Fort Myers on the Gulf Coast

Boat Quote: "There are three types of people. Those who are alive, those who are dead, and those who are at sea...Happy Memorial Day!.

Entering South Seas Yacht Basin at Captiva Isl.  (2009)

Captiva

Crossing Tampa Bay

Gulf marshland

                                                                     Have a good MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!

The Last Fishing Day!! (for me at least. with the 4th grade class at Wren Hollow school)

Parkway Wren Hollow school's 4th grade anual fishing day at Busch Wildlife Conservation Area.  Grand daughter, Mandy putting worm on the hook

They used to clean the fish and fry them all in the same day but now its catch and release.  We had KFC for lunch instead.

Some of the fish recieved names and it was great hearing the excited screems when the fish were caught.

Bet it beats being in the class room!

Forth graders fishing. The lakes (ponds) are well stocked and every one of the children caught at least several fish.

 It was a wonderful day, as the previous fishing days were.

  CLASSIC !!!                                                           

Yes this was my last grandchild to attend 4th grade at Wren Hollow and my last time to experience this wonderful day of baiting hooks and unhooking fish. 

Mississippi River boating

 River sunsets are a nightly reward.

Grand kids play at Port Charles Harbor on river bank.

Children play on beach and in the water on Anchor Yanker Island .  House boats tied up in backround.

A favorite is doing the "Float"  To do the float one must wear a life vest then get into the water at the up river end of the island and let the water carry you to the down river end.  This process is often repeated many times.

 alton

Alton pool (lake) and bluffs

Passing the Arch  "Gateway to the West".

Grafton Ill.

Loading dock (great river resturant stop) in the town of Grafton Ill.  Also location of Grafton Marina.  Durring World War II the red roofed building was where "PT boats" were manufactured.

Port Charles Harbor is where  we keep "Great Escape" on dock 6.  come see us! We are AGLCA "harbor hosts".  I know I'm predjudiced but I think we have the friendliest marina anywhere.  A full fillup with fuel can usually get a transient boater a free night at the dock as well as a home cooked meal if we are cooking on the dock.  When we're not doing a dock meal the transient boaters are  welcome to dine at the exclusive, private "Duck Club Marina" adjoining our marina's parking lot.  This, along with the highest quality repair work and a 60 ton travel lift with a loaner car when needed makes for a great stay. And a visit to the old riverfrount town of St. Charles Mo. (1st capitol of our state) is  a shoppers paradise!

Port Charles picnic area

Enjoying friends

Swimming pool at Grafton Marina located at the town of Grafton.

Duck Club Marina next to Port Charles Harbor.

Wonderful place to anchor on the trip south is the "Little River Diversion Channel" just South of Cape Giradeau Mo.

The anchorage is deep and away from the wakes on the river thru the night from passing tow boats.

Port Charles Harbor Marina

Alton Marina is a great place to stay just above the Alton lock with a shuttle to the gambling boat to relieve you of your money.  ( see previous post on our Alton Marina trip with the grandkids.)

Hoppie's Marina in Kimswick Mo at mile 152 is THE OLDEST MARINA WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI R..  No trip would be complete without experiencing the commorodory on their dock and visiting the old French fur trading settlement and dining at the Blue Owl for their famous pies!       

Its been said that the Mississippt River is the worst part of doing the "Great Circle" route by "Skipper Bob". He was the accepted authority on the "Loop" route until he passed on. I don't like to dispute someone who is the expert; but to us "River Rats" and Mark Twain,  the "ole Mississippi" is and was a great place to boat. Here you have seen few pics of our beautiful scenery,  sandy beaches, and wonderful transient friendly marinas.