WHAT'S OUT THERE??

Each year I try to find out a little more about this body of water. Exploring the Florida Bay is exciting, educational and most of all relaxing.

As I sit on my dock,  I can't help thinking what I will find next

You only have to sail these waters once to become enamored with the potential of almost endless experiences.

What draws me to the Keys...gin clear water, the Reefs, sailing waters and Palm trees that whisper in the wind at night.

I had always thought that I would retire in North Carolina, one year I found out that it was too cold there in the winter, my next stop, St. Augustine Fl., too cold there as well. I discovered what the Keys had to offer by accident. I was on a motorcycle trip one year in Nov. and kept riding South until I was warm, when I finally turned off the bike, I was in the Keys, "no brainer", I said to myself and seven years later I still enjoy what the Keys has to offer.

This week has been a settling in time, unpacking, getting the boats ready for launching Etc., all is complete and it is time to sail and fish.

Flats boat just hanging around

The Florida Bay awaits

Dry and no bottom paint

Trolling motor, necessary to move over the flats for a period of time, and put one onto the fish

Right out the back door and all around the house

Potential bombs, no parking zone

Hand grenade, a baby coconut

A salt and drought resistant plant, don't grab a hand full

Arrived In The Keys!!!!

Left NJ Sat. morn, arrived in the Keys Sun. at 6:00 PM. Warm with rain that blew in from the Gulf by way of Mexico. Looking forward to settling in and launching two boats.

More to follow! 

Just the way I left It

Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains

My friend Scottie and I just returned from a week long tour of The Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway and The Smoky Mountains. The weather was great every day, no rain at all but the mountain temperatures were a little cool each morning.

We started out from Jackson, NJ then made our way West to Gettysburg, Pa. where we picked up 15 South to Front Royal,Va. the start of the Skyline Drive. The Skyline Drive is 105.4 miles long and ends in Rockfish Gap, Va. At Rockfish Gap we picked up the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is 469.1 miles ending in Cherokee, NC. The ride through the mountains offered us a great opportunity to see some of the  most beautiful scenery in America.

Ready to go from Scottie's house

Yours truly, ready for some more of The Beyond

We spent one of the evenings in Maggie Valley, a great spot to relax, have a good meal and charge your batteries for the next few days of travel. From Maggie Valley we headed South to the infamous Tail of The Dragon. The Dragon's Tail is a length of mountainous highway (129) that is eleven miles long which  twists and turns 318 times, featuring switch backs and wild turns to please even the most seasoned rider.

Tail Of The Dragon

After riding The Tail of the Dragon we started our trip back to NJ, heading to the Eastern Shore where we crossed the Bay Bridge Tunnel, up Hwy Thirteen and across the Cape May Lewes Ferry before getting on to the Garden State Pkwy for a short drive home.

We made it, had a great time, great weather and saw some very interesting sites to boot. The Bikes performed extremely well, no near misses and in my case will be tucked away for the winter while I am in Fl.

Only a couple of pics as we were on Bikes and did not feel like stopping every few minutes to capture a scene, after all that is why we are endowed with a Memory.