South Seas Plantation: Doggie Time Out

It's hard to see the dog that was barking at the dolphins. There is also a couple of manatees in the same area.
The dolphins were playing inside the harbor.
The manatee's were in the harbor every day.
The "hot dog" boat shows up ever once and a while.
Lisa was a bad doggie and had to spend some time in doggie time out.

South Seas Plantation: More Beach

Here are the toys one may rent at the beach at SSP.
This is just the kids pool. There is also an adult pool.
This begger wants us to throw him some fish. They come right up to the boat.
From time to time one sees some hot babes on the beach.

South Seas Plantation on the beach

Two Babes walking on Sunset Beach. We have seen some very nice sunsets here.
Ski and Lisa Maria on the beach.
This beach on the gulf is just a couple of minutes walk from our slip.
This Pelican must have been sick since he let us get very close.

South Seas Plantation

This is the channel into South Seas Resort and Marina. This is one great vacation place. One side of the island (Capativa Island) in on the Inter Coastal Water way and the other side is on the Gulf of Mexico. Expensive but nice.
When we came in here we had to dock between a 32 foot carver and a 50 footer sea ray. That was fun.
Sue is looking at the Sun set at the resturant "Muckey Duck"
The boat showing us it's bow is 80 feet long and is turning in front of a yacht that is over 100 feet long. Big money here.

Leaving Burnt Store Marina

We left Burnt Store Marina on 2/22/07 after a three day visit. We had a good visit seeing friends. Check out "Home James" behind us. Now that's a Yacht.
On our last night we had dinner with Dick and Brenda, friends from Dupage Power Squadron.
As we left Burnt Store Marina we realized that we didn't take Lisa Marie for her bio-break. Since it was going to be a long day we pulled into South Seas Plantation for a potty break and ended up staying for three days.
We passed Cabage Key on the way South. On this Key is a resturant where Jimmy Buffett got his insprination for the song "Cheese Burger in Paradise"

Saying goodbye to Burnt Store Marina

This is the channel we'll be going out today to enter Charlotte Harbor. Sue and I will travel about 45 miles to Sanibel Island
This is the yard dogs. They are a Florida Cajun band. Very entertaining. Our friends Pat and Lauren see them at Berts on Pine Island often. They played for Mari Gras Monday. Every night the resturant on in the Marina has some form of entertainment.




Can you name the good looking couple over looking Charlotte Harbor? We had lunch with Dick Capek and he helped us move the boat. You'll see why in the next picture.






We had to move from our dock because "Home James" came home. The couple who owns this boat last name is James and they own a number of funeral homes in the Chicago area. Their boat name is "Home James" The bridge is designed to lower so that they can navigate the Calumet River to take the river system to Mobile Bay.

Burnt Store Marina

We met the ownwers of "Ceasar's Ghost" and they live two blocks from our son Chris in Chicago. I like the way they have their line set up for the Tides.
We are docked in an area where a 120 foot boat usually docks for the winter in Burnt Store Marina. They travel back to Lake Michigan in the summer. The owners of that boat also own funeral homes in the Chicago area and their boat is named. "Home James"


Susan Darlene the boat meet Susan Darlene, my trophy wife.
Here is a shot of Burnt Store near the fuel dock. One can see why everyone loves it here.
We had a special lunch with our friends Pat and Lauren. As you can see Pat treats Lauren like a King and he treats her like a Queen. Check out their crowns over their bed. We have rented their condo a couple of times.

We also had a great dinner with out friends Dick and Brenda. Dick and Brenda have now lived in Burnt Store for 5 years. Both of them love to travel and have been in over 70 countries. They have also done the great loop back in the early 90's.

Venice Florida

We arrived yesterday in Venice and are docked at the Crows Nest Marina.
The marina is only a football field from the inlet to the gulf. This makes for some interesting docking between the winds and the ebbs and floods of the tides coming in and out of the inlet. There is a lot of open water but one must stay between the markers or you'll be stuck on a sand bar.


Here we see our next store neighbor. He fishes here all day long.









There are many canals just off the Inter Coastal Waterway in Venice. These condos also come with dockage.

Last Day in Sarasota

Sue and I love the art in downtown Sarasota. Some look like the girls I dated in high school.


Check out these boats in Sarasota Bay they are right in front of the marina we are docked at. It appears that people anchor for free and many are homeless. They live on their boat and many are old and beat up. Some just leave their boat and after a storm or huricane they sink. In one of the photos you only see the mast.

Snooty and the fisherman

Meet Snooty and a smaller Manatee. Snooty is 59 years old and the cub is less then a year. The cub was found all alone and didn't know how to take care of herself. They will release her when she reaches a certain weight.



We had to have a diver clean the bottom of the boat. In the winter you do it every other month in the summer it's each month. We already had barnacles on the props.





Some of the trees around here are different then back home. They sur eman Sue look small, which of course she is. That one almost back fired.






We have lots of fishermen near us.