Home Again but Don't Stick a Fork in Me Yet

We arrived at our new home in Newport News VA on June 20; MAIA's slip is down the street a block from our townhouse.  We will head out to complete our loop in the next day or so, about 50 miles to Deltaville VA to cross our wake and complete America's Great Loop!  I guess I'm ready to complete the trip...

We've had so much fun over the last couple of months visiting with family and friends, and even painting and otherwise decorating our home!  So here are the next-to-last pictures from our great adventure:

We stayed three days at the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club while
Tropical Storm Andrea passed.

Leaving the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club

The ICW is SO close to the Atlantic Ocean in some spots

More views as we head north on the ICW

From phone booths to giraffes, you never know what to expect
along the ICW

The marina/inn in Oriental NC

Approaching Elizabeth City NC

The free docks at Elizabeth City.

PELICAN waits along with MAIA for the first lock heading
north on the Dismal Swamp Canal.

Narrow and treed (watch for dead heads (debris)), much of
the Dismal Swamp Canal is arrow-straight.

The sign says it all...

The northern lock in the Dismal Swamp Canal

Entering Hampton Roads, with its commerce and military

Home ahead - Deep Creek - from the channel in the James River

MAIA is in the marina and our townhouse is a short walk
up the hill

Our garage the day we arrived home...  We'd started collecting
furniture and other things: four ceiling fans, a quilt rack, a
chest, a table, a lamp and other accessories.  A boat is not
the best place to gather a furniture collection!

 

Georgia On My Mind

We arrived in Brunswick GA on April 30 and rented a car for a two week trip home to VA.  In a few days we'll start the last leg of our Great Loop!

From April 19 to 29, we cruised up the St. John's River (FL) about 90 miles and back, and headed north to St. Marys GA, then to Brunswick.

Anna braves a ride atop the dinghy

MAIA at the dock a foggy morning on Six Mile Creek,
St. Augustine (the west side)

At our anchorage in the St. John's River among the
Seven Sisters Islands.  This very large alligator kept still
for hours but swam past our boat before sundown.

St. John's River, a calm morning.

One of the beautiful boats being restored at Huckins Boat Yard
in the Ortega River.

The Ortega River Bridge lifts for MAIA as we return to the
St. John's River, with downtown Jacksonville in the background

Just above the St. John's River on Sisters Creek, the view from
the free dock (one of three in Jacksonville).

We followed several boats up the ICW among the marshes

St. Marys GA!  MAIA was in FL for over five months (or
less than 90 days if questioned by the FL authorities)

Passing by white caps in the Atlantic Ocean at St. Andrews
Inlet.

A view from MAIAs slip at Brunswick Landing Marina, GA

 

Northern Florida to the St. John's River

From April 7 to 19, we continued up the east coast of FL with stops at Jensen Beach, Vero Beach, Melbourne, Titusville, New Smyrna Beach, Palm Coast, St. Augustine and Palm Cove.  We entered the St. John's River for a 180 mile detour up the river (to the south) to see the amazing wildlife. 

The Vero Beach mooring field.

This gentleman paddled near our mooring in his canoe
personalized with outriggers, cooler and beach chair. 

Kennedy Space Center from the ICW.

Exiting a canal on the ICW.

One of the looooong docks.

We could live here...

Interconnected marshes (tidal range can be six feet or so).

Houseboats in a marina along the ICW.

Fort Matanzas National Monument

MAIA at the St. Augustine FL mooring field.

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument,
St. Augustine

Bridge of Lions, St. Augustine

An airboat in the marshes.

There's lots of industry along the St. John's River
around Jacksonville FL

A container ship - St. John's River.

Movin' On Up To The East Side, or, From The Sublime To The Ridiculous

Tonight we're in Melbourne FL at a marina on the Eau Gallie River.  We tore ourselves away from paradise on April 1 and have passed the excesses of Fort Lauderdale and the Palm Beaches.  We have traveled over 5,000 miles in almost 11 months, and are only about 915 miles from Norfolk VA.

If you're interested in more details, check out the spreadsheet on the "Our Daily Trip Log" page.

Dave, our niece Kathy and I took a sunset dinghy ride in
Marathon at just the right time.

This is Sombrero Beach, just two miles from our marina in
Marathon and on the Atlantic Ocean.

This guy was next to the picnic tables on the dock in Marathon
during happy hour.  The next day we discovered him on
MAIA's swim platform!

On the way heading up the Keys, incredible water, sky and
islands.

Sunset at Boca Chita Key over Biscayne Bay.

Sunrise at Boca Chita Key over the Atlantic.

Miami.

North of Miami.  Do the houses give the high rises a run
for the money or what?

Fort Lauderdale - where you can park your 100 foot boat
next to your waterfront mansion.  Puts Naples FL to shame.

Careful when you go thru bridges to check out what's coming
towards you!



One of the LOW bridges that opened for us on the way to
North Palm Beach.

Such amazing water in MAIA's wake!