St. Pete's

Tampa Bay

bouncy sunset off the ICW

A hitchhiker catching a ride
across Tampa Bay.
He better not poop on my fender covers!

The next day we continued up the coast heading towards St. Pete's where we had a reservation at Harborage Marina.  We bopped along all day and pulled off the ICW close to the entrance of Tampa bay to drop the hook for the night.  We had a bit of a bouncy night but it was okay.  The marine forecast for Tampa Bay looked a little rough so we were poised to get an early start.

We woke the next morning early and headed straight out.  And they were right.  It started okay but soon we
 were bouncing along and hanging on tightly over three foot waves on the beam with very short intervals.  Plenty safe enough, but not all that comfortable.

Gran Vida in her slip at
Harborage Marina

We made it into Harborage Marina in one piece and tied up, tired but glad to be off the bay.  We checked in and got our suits on to head to the pool and enjoy.  Unfortunately, we were disappointed to find it was not heated, but I enjoyed soaking my sore knees in the cool water.   We rested up for our big day tomorrow.

Birthday Celebration

view while breakfasting

Spectacular staircase at the museum

I had chosen a visit to the Dali Salvador Gallery in St Petersburg to celebrate my birthday.  We started the day by walking to the small airport next door for breakfast in their diner, overlooking the runway.  We sat outside on the balcony in the sunshine and watched the comings and going of the little planes and helicopters.

Graden at the Dali Museum

Then off to the gallery.  The first mention would be the amazing architecture of the actual building.  It was absolutely stunning with a glass solarium soaring over the the lobby and a fantastic spiral staircase.  We spent hours checking out the art and interacting with the electronic guide the gallery had supplied.

We spent the rest of the day driving around the town on the free trolley and seeing all St. Pete's had to offer, hopping off to enjoy a snack at a waterfront patio.  St Pete's is a much larger city than I realised!

We picked up some steaks and Jeff cooked me a fantastic birthday meal on the boat. A perfect day!

 

The next day, after laundry and a boat wash, we were gone.  B-bye St. Pete's.  It's been fun.