The Gulf Coast
February 6, 2024
1,000 miles of our 6,000 mile loop are complete. Our last leg of the Gulf of Mexico journey ended with a peaceful night anchored near the historic lighthouse at Anclote Key, then we settled in for 7 nights at Caladesi Island. We were previously unaware of this state park which is only accessible by boat (or a difficult walk from Clearwater). The island is a sanctuary for birds, sea turtles, gopher tortoises, armadillos and rattlesnakes. We began each day with a walk down the unspoiled beach or the palm-lined nature trails. Ferries would bring visitors between 10am and 4:30pm on the good weather days; the other times were just for us and the few other boats here. The beach is the most prolific shelling beach we’ve ever seen, and despite our very limited storage on little Novella, we are leaving with a few keepsakes. In between working hours, we spent time in the hammock on the beach, flying a tiny kite, sharing stories with other loopers, doing laundry on the line and watching the weather slowly shape and reshape this fragile island. We are settling into a slower rhythm, a deja vu of daydreams had on the way to here. Tomorrow we take a short trip to the highrise condos and resorts of Clearwater Beach.
February 27, 2024
We never intended to spend 2 full weeks in Clearwater Beach, but we enjoyed riding our bikes to the vibrant town of Dunedin and walking the sponge docks at Tarpon Springs. We decided to rent a car for a day and replace some destroyed jeans and stock up on provisions. We ordered some parts after a wiring component melted, and while waiting for them to arrive we both got sick, which delayed us further. We finally recovered and got moving a few days ago. After a 2-day hop, we ended up at the charming town of Gulfport and did some much-needed laundry, enjoyed real hot water showers, refilled all our fresh water, and enjoyed a BBQ dinner out. We then sailed all the way across Tampa Bay, which ended up being very sporty near the end, made worse by the huge motor yachts churning up waves as they passed. We found an unmanned dinghy in the middle of the rough channel, which led to our first back-and-forth with the Coast Guard. Two days later we arrived here at Cayo Costa and took the dinghy to explore this uninhabited island’s incredible natural beaches and the “Tunnel of Love” formed of lush mangroves that guide you to a pond directly across from the beach. Up next, we’re excited for some lazy tropical vibes and lots of biking at Captiva and Sanibel Island.
March 2, 2024
It’s hard to believe but we have completed the Gulf Coast portion of our journey. After a relaxing couple days at Captiva Island, today we went inland again at Fort Myers and will soon be at Lake Okeechobee, home to more than 30,000 alligators! It won’t take long to cross the State of Florida and begin the Atlantic portion of our adventure.
Daily Travel Log | The Great Loop
Day 60 • an end to long days on the Gulf, a sea turtle and lots of birds
Crystal River anchorage to Anclote Key anchorage, Florida
Day 61 • the beginning of beach week
Anclote Key anchorage to Caladesi Island State Park, Florida
Day 62 • a fun birthday - hiking, shelling, snacking and kite flying
Caladesi Island State Park, Florida
Day 63 • morning walk with coffee, buckets of laundry and a stylish hairdo
Caladesi Island State Park, Florida
Day 64 • a day full of wildlife, exploring mangrove trails and fishing
Caladesi Island State Park, Florida
Day 65 • more hiking, more shelling, another armadillo, and more “docktails”
Caladesi Island State Park, Florida
Day 66 • witnessed dramatic dolphin hunts and hundreds of birds on the beach, also Novie got body slammed by a dolphin
Caladesi Island State Park, Florida
Day 67 • walks in between work, prepping to leave this part of the island
Caladesi Island State Park, Florida
Day 68 • worked overtime while motoring a bit more south - photos from yesterday’s night hike
Caladesi Island State Park to Clearwater Beach anchorage, Florida
Day 69 • walks in a new place, bar hop, dinner out
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Day 70 • finally caught some fish, found a long lost friend and ate some tacos
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Day 71 • took the bike trail into Dunedin, sampled several breweries, Tildy has a new favorite past time
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Day 72 • took the trolley into Tarpon Springs, saw some sponges, bought some baklava
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Day 73 • shopping, shopping, shopping! Rented a car, picked up packages, bought new jeans and finally ate some pizza
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Day 74 • work, a faulty fuse, consequently more work
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Day 75 • organized inside and out, installed a new mattress topper, enjoyed a nice dinner together
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Day 76 • taking it easy and enjoying the sights from the boat
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Day 77 • kind of bored, here’s some food and drink
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Day 78 • a rainy day, indoor projects, snacks
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Day 79 • a soggy day of sightseeing
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Day 80 • a feeding frenzy, a leggy bird and a little toot
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Day 81 • an uneventful Tuesday
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Day 82 • we finally moved
Clearwater Beach anchorage to Redington Shores anchorage, Florida
Day 83 • showers, laundry, water - all very much needed
Redington Shores anchorage to Gulfport, Florida
Day 84 • traveled a bit, worked even more, rested the most
Gulfport to Don CeSar anchorage, Florida
Day 85 • a day of sailing
Don CeSar anchorage to Buttonwood Harbor anchorage, Florida
Day 86 • a full day of travel and navigating traffic, plus an interior scrub down
Buttonwood Harbor anchorage to Cayo Costa anchorage, Florida
Day 87 • work projects, fishing fails and dark night skies
Cayo Costa, Florida
Day 88 • explored the tunnel of love, walked the beach and started an itty bitty teeny weeny shell collection
Cayo Costa, Florida
Day 89 • splashy travels, too much work and dinner out featuring a wacky ketchup prank
Cayo Costa anchorage to Captiva Island anchorage, Florida
Day 90 • surrounded by manatees, sunset on the beach and preparations for belated Leap Day celebrations
Captiva Island, Florida
Day 91 • celebrated belated leap day at the pool, maybe saw a shark
Captiva Island, Florida
Day 92 • said goodbye to the gulf
Captiva Island anchorage to an anchorage off the Caloosahatchee River, Florida