DAYS 220-224: Peck Lake off the ICW to Manatee Marina, Manatee Pocket, Port Salerno (Stuart FL)
Manatee Marina
$2/ft plus $5/day/electric. Manatee Marina is the last marina in the basin. If you go a little farther, there is a free dock where I saw a sailboat. He would leave the dock when he needed to, come up to the dock outside the restaurant, Shrimper's, and hook onto power for the day - then return to the free dock.You won’t find a shower or laundry at Manatee Marina and still it has been one of my favorite marinas. The transient dock for our size vessel is on the Shrimpers Restaurant’s, dock. There are great nautical shops and restaurants all around us. Enterprise, with the AGLCA discount, was about $50/day.
IMPORTANT TO MENTION: You need to call the county for a pump out - anyone will give you the number and service is next day. You won't receive a call back but they will come to your boat for the pump out - sounds crazy but it works. Call Ms Poop at 772-260-8326 and schedule your poop-out today!
Salerno got it’s name in the 1920’s because the geographical area looks like Salerno, Italy. It is located on the Manatee Pocket off of the St Lucie River. Part of the movie, Gentle Giant, was filmed here and it has been named the Happiest Place to Live. I agree! Everyone here has been just, well, cool. There seems to be an underlying current of respect for people, no matter the walk of life, just respect for another person. It’s a nice change.
While we were here, we lucked out and had the chance to see Mindy and Althea Harbin, Original Creekers - OC, from back in the days when the creek was a simple boating community. Mindy is here taking classes to obtain her captain’s license which is perfect for a water baby like her. Althea is sharp as a tack and I had so much fun talking to her during dinner.
There is an honest to goodness Beauty Parlor across the street, Powder Puff. The building is all pink; so, you can’t miss it. A wash and 2” cut (drying my hair would be extra) cost me $23 and Jim’s was $15. It is run by the nicest people! Total beehive kind of place and the windowsill is loaded with bobble head figurines.
We rented a car and drove to Daytona to see Matt Curry race the MX-5 Series in the Rolex 24. We were a little unprepared for the weather but had rain coats and layers handy. It was COLD and rainy - just added to the fun of Daytona. Judy gave us “back stage passes” to see how the operation takes shape and it was pretty amazing stuff. There is so much that goes into this operation; seriously. They have to set up the site, then set up for the cars, the car mechanics, everything for sustaining a team, the cars, and the drivers. In Matt’s group a 16-year-old took first place on day one, his first ride at Daytona. The kid was so humble and focused. It was nice to meet him and his parents. Dave Houchins was with us the whole two-days - what a champ. We stayed with him at the beach cottage in Daytona Beach - I really love that little house.
Because of our side trip, we used a laundry facility and dropped off our load to be washed, folded, and picked up a few days later. What a treat! Downtown Stuart Laundry, call for pricing. Who knows what will be available in the future.
Since we had the car, we provisioned the boat and took care of some other little chores. We had breakfast at the Berry Fresh Cafe - wow - bring an appetite! Be sure to order less than you think you will eat because the portions are over the top! Best pancakes I have ever eaten, hints of vanilla and orange zest. There is a Walmart, Publix, Winn-Dixie, Harbor Freight, West Marine, TJ Maxx, and a bunch of other stores in town. It’s a hike for sure; but, if all you had were your feet, you could do it - just start out in the morning. You could always use Uber/Lyft to get you into town then back.
It is still cold, like 39 degrees in the morning, so we will plan to stay another day before heading back to Peck Lake for some exploring.
Comments
Post a Comment