Back to Ft Myers Beach

 

We were joined by friends while en-route to Ft Myers Beach.

 

 

 

 

 

The First Mate brings some liquid refreshment to her Captain while underway.

 

 

 

 

 

 It's not long before we see the familiar condos and shoreline at Ft Myers Beach.

 

 

 It's fun to see people walking on the beach, waving to us as we pass by.

 

 

 

 

 

Spiritus gets settled for a week on the mooring ball at Matanzas.

 

 

 

 

With Spiritus safely tied to the ball, the crew heads to shore!

 

 

 

 

We've spent so much time at Matanzas that we feel like we're returning "home".

 

 

 

 

 

This is the place . . . Pete's Upper Deck . . . where Linda developed her taste for beer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our first morning back, we took Blondie (our dinghy)

over to the dock of the Key West Express so we could wave "bon-voyage" to Eddy's cousins.

 

Keith, Cindy, Shelly & Kevin are excited for their first visit to Key West.

 

 

 

 

Enjoying a relaxing morning with a cup of Kona coffee and a good book.

 

 

 

 

I think my First Mate is looking for a new Captain!

 

 

 

 

The Annual Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival is a popular event.

First comes the parade, then the Miss Shrimp Festival contest, followed by LOTS of shrimp consumption!

 

 

 

 

It seems that every FMB business or civic organization entered a float.

Even the county Sheriff Department gets in on the action!

 

 

 

 

And the floats aren't just for the adults !

 

 

 

 

Lots and lots of music emanated from the floats, but this was our favorite; LIVE!

 

 

 

 

This float was the most colorful.

 

 

 

 

 There's no shortage of antique cars in this part of Florida!

 

 

 

 

I think some of the cars are actually older than the people in them!

 

 

 

 

This one reminded us of the truck back at the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City.

 

 

 

 

I'm thinking there's a subtle, underlying message being sent out about crime in this parade!

 

 

 

 

Of course, no real parade is complete without the Shriner's Club "cars".

 

 

 

 

Yabba dabba doo!

 

 

 

A one and a half-hour parade will make a girl hungry!  Got shrimp?

 

 

 

 

This clock on the front of the FMB library "finally" makes sense to me.  Do you know how it works?

 

 

 

 

The cousins gather at the BIG chair at Nervous Nellie's restaurant.  If you think the chair is large, you should see their menu!

 

 

 

 

 

Making new friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't care who you are, THIS is funny!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Either the hat is too small or the head is too big.

I wonder if leprechauns still wear these.

 

 

 

 

 

Looper friends Mike & Cindy sent us the "coolest" puzzle.

They had it made specially for us.

 



A collage of pictures they had taken during our journey together on the Great Loop!

 

 

 

 

 

Whether you prefer the sunrise . . . . . .

 

. . . . . . or the sunset, it's all good!