Happy New Year! 12/8 /22 - 2/1/23 - South Pasadena, FL (St. Pete Beach)

We arrived at Pasadena Marina on 12/8/22 and flew home for the holidays on 12/14.  We loved the time with family, but really didn't need to be reminded of the sub-zero temps!

Mon 1/2/23 - Fly back to Tampa, FL.  We booked an early flight from Chicago to Tampa so we would have plenty of time to move back on the boat and get provisions.  Southwest Airlines had an epic meltdown that week, we caught the tail end of it with only a 1-hour delay.

  • We decided to grab a rental car at the airport to make provisioning easier.
  • By 5:00pm, we were reunited with Port-A-Gee, she seemed very happy tucked into her secluded, warm, slip!
    • Before going home, we had a week to get acquainted with our boat neighbors; Andy and Cassie, an adorable couple (kids in their 30's, I'm guessing). They relocated from Michigan and have been living on their boat for 2 years - nice life!  Anyhow, Andy agreed to keep an eye on Port-A-Gee and adjust lines in response to tides as needed. We were very grateful for this.  Again, Boaters helping Boaters, what a great community!
  • Bonus, our kids arrived at St. Pete Beach the same day we returned.  They rented a condo about a mile from the marina.  We had lots of fun with them for a couple of days.  Their visit was highlighted by a day in St. Petersburgh visiting the Dali Museum and hanging out on the St. Pete Pier.


After the kids left, we got back to boat maintenance duties.

  • We had the boat buffed before we left in August, and Brian has been keeping it up with monthly applications of Meguires Hybrid Ceramic Detailer, it's been working great.  Port-A-Gee is almost as shiny as the day we left!
  • We had a diver come and clean the bottom, we were relieved with his report that it was only slimy, no barnacle buildup - PHEW!
  • Brian had to replace the accumulator tank, because it's a boat, and shit like this goes out all the time.
  • We've been battling with our TV antenna since we left Illinois.  Brian has had weekly phone calls with Glomax  - he always talked to the same guy and after exhausting all of the troubleshooting, he ended up sending us a brand-new upgraded version, and now we can watch episodes of the Beverly Hillbillies to our hearts' content!
  • Installed fuel vacuum gauges
  • Replaces primary and secondary fuel filters.

We loved spending January in Pasadena Marina; it is perfectly located between St. Pete Beach and St. Petersburgh and next to the quaint town of Gulfport.

  • SOUTH PASADENA: Location, location, location!  Hanging a left outside the marina took us to the beach, a little less than a mile.  Hanging a right and walking about a 1/2 mile brought us to Publix, Walmart, Win Dixie, and everything in between.
    • Restaurant selections in South Pasadena were pretty sparce, but we did discover The Horse & Jockey, a very unique English restaurant/bar that featured pot pies, bangers & mash, scotch eggs and the World Cup on every TV!
    • There were endless routes to run, but I enjoyed the circle around Pasadena Isle and through the Fred Held & Barbara Gilberg Habitats.

    • It was our good fortune that a new bus line had recently rolled out, and during its promotional period all rides are FREE - until April. The SunRunner is a fleet of brand-new hybrid buses with very cool inside bike racks.  It runs between the "beach" and the "burg" a short walk from the marina brought us a stop, and 20 minutes later we were in St. Petersburgh, or 10 minutes to the beach!
  • GULFPORT - is sandwiched in between Pasadena and St. Petersburgh.  We enjoyed several trips there by bicycle, and dinghy. We celebrated Brian's 65th birthday with a WONDERFUL dinner at Pia's Trattoria.

    • Brian has been looking at folding E-Bikes F O R E V E R, so I broke down and got him
      one for his bday!  Day 1, had a little oops.  He wasn't hurt, and Letric Bikes sent us a new screen - all is well!
    • We sampled drinks and appetizers at several of the beachfront restaurants, with Gulfport Brewery being a favorite spot - maybe or maybe not - because they brew with LORAL HOPS!

  • ST. PETERSBURGH - is a perfect blend of Florida Urban living. Lots of museums and restaurants, and the City Pier is amazing. We caught up Karyn, Jon, Jenny & Brett who relocated to the area several years ago.

    • We didn't get to as many of the museums as I would have liked, but we did get to check out the Chihuly Collection.

    • Of course, since the Boat Show was in town, we couldn't pass that up!

    • Another highlight was the Mazzaro Italian Market, I defy anyone to spend less than 4 hours in that place.  Wow!  We went twice, because "someone" left our backpack behind on our 1st visit.  I suspect, "he" may have just wanted to go back!

  • ST. PETE BEACH: Upham Beach was a lovely white-sand beach that offered spectacular sunsets.  The drive along the beach provided lots of opportunities to eat, drink, and be merry!

    • A quick crossing of the Corey Causeway Bridge (or 1 stop on the SunRunner) dumped us onto Corey Avenue - It's a charming couple of blocks full of restaurants, bars and cute shops.
    • Every Sunday the street is closed off for the Farmers Market.
    • We enjoyed dinner at Chill with Illinois friends that came to visit, Bob & Melynie Wagner, and Mike Kruchten.
    • We had a 2nd dinner at Chill with my brother, Paul, whom I have not seen in over 5 years!  He was nearby for work; it was great to see him.

  • After a 2-month-long stay, it was time to say Goodbye to all the Midwesterners that call Pasadena Marina their winter home.
    • The amenities were fantastic!  The immaculate shower room was 170 steps (I counted) from our slip - a little further than most, but we also had a nice, secluded slip that gave us more privacy.
    • The 2 washers & dryers @ $2.00/load helped me to do that chore in record time.
    • The weekly pump outs were most appreciated!
    • The ice machine was an unusual, and now necessary, perk!
  • We can't say enough good things about the staff. Benny and Carl keep the place shipshape, and never complained about the daily packages that arrived for us!
    • Just about every morning, we heard a delivery hit the cockpit followed by Carl's golfcart pulling away.  It reminds of when we had a paperboy as a kid!






Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 11, 2023 at 6:33 PM

    So many great tips for an upcoming cruise group trip in April to St. Pete Yacht Club after a Sarasota visit. Nice meeting you two in Tween Waters on Captiva! - Jack on Grand Desire

    ReplyDelete

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