DAYS 171-173 : Sanibel Island Anchorage #2 to Naples - Marco Island

Sanibel to Naples: 9.6 mph; 33.2 miles; 3:28 hours

Naples to Marco Island: 8.1 mph; 15.2 miles; 1:52 hours



WHAT A GREAT TRAVEL DAY! Three things happened: {1} I called ABES during the third grade team meeting and face timed with the gang; {2} I called Jess, ABES, and she put me on the screen for the fourth graders to see - it was show and tell about the Gulf of Mexico; {3} I caught three little fish.


Naples:

You will see some of the most beautiful houses along the Naples canal. A few homes were seriously over the top {marble exterior - not kidding} but most were large without looking huge. What I liked the most, and would love to add to the creek, was the roofed outdoor kitchen. It looked so comfortable. They included slide down hurricane doors! The prettiest houses were painted a deep gold color with blood red geraniums everywhere. 


The Naples City Dock is only available for dingy use if you are using their mooring balls. We had anchored outside the channel when we learned this information. Looking over at the mooring field, there wasn’t a boat in sight - good time to learn. Thanks to the help from the Dock Master, Debbie, Jim, Mary, and YouTube, I was able to grasp the idea of how a mooring ball worked. Using a mooring is significantly cheaper than a marina, $15-16 a night for a mooring, and you have use of the marina amenities (showers/restrooms/laundry).


We walked the tiny-itty-bitty town at the end of the dock and found a cute little store called Random Acts of Art. This little store has the best stuff! The best of the best was this rectangular prism of granite drilled out in two places: one hole up top to hold a upside down liquor/wine bottle and a second hole in the front that housed a spout - brilliant!


We had dinner at The Dock; grouper fritters were out of this world! Jim had clams and linguine and I had the Cobb salad topped with grouper - WOWSA! While we ate, I was able to hear the local language and realized that Tarpon Springs is to Greeks as Naples is to New Yorkers - love it!



Marco Island:

Rose Marina: $3.25/ft PLUS $10/day electric; showers/bathroom; coin-operated laundry. Over-priced marina because it’s Marco Island. Clean and small captain’s lounge. Walking distance to Publix and some shopping.


We went to Jack’s and the Tiki Bar - then back to Jack’s because Jack’s is an honest to goodness dive bar with ashtrays every 3 feet or so. The two bartenders serve beer and boxed wine. Your menu choice is a hotdog with or without cheese and/or chili. The bar sits next to the marina in the corner where the daily charters come in - so lots of pelican entertainment. There was old classic rock playing quietly in the background and the average age was 50. We loved the place and hope to find a little spot like that in Key West.


Walked about a mile or so to the Publix then used Lyft to get back to the marina with groceries. The ride was about $6.50 plus tip. 


Marco Island is very ‘hotsy-totsy’ to say the least. The local clothing store knows an outsider when they see one and are a little judgemental. I watched a clerk completely ignore a fellow boater; the clerk never tried to hide her judgey body language and facial expressions. When the boater walked up to the counter with three LuLu-B dresses, the clerk changed her attitude completely - all smiles; except, this time, it was the boater/customer who didn’t hide her facial expression. I ended up walking out of the store. BTW, the boater bought the coral, starfish, and flower pattern dresses - all medium - my damn size and I wanted the starfish!


Would I ever return to Marco Island? If someone paid my slip fee.




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