Yesterday we spent a leisurely morning walking the trails of Caladesi Island. This place has some history behind it. Prior to becoming a park it was first settled "homesteaded" by Henry Scharrer in the 1800's. He and his wife raised one child on the island and they lived off the land as well as raising pigs and other animals. They made money by selling their produce on the main land. Their daughter would attend school on the mainland by rowing across the bay, which is quite a distance. She eventually married and moved to the mainland. Her mother died at an early age, but her father remained on the island until he could no longer work it. The family eventually donated the property to the state and hence the Caladesi State Park was born. The daughte,r Myrtle, would come back and visit occasionally and was a celebrity in the local area. She died in 1999 at the age of 97.
After our 3 mile walk we got back to the docks and helped a couple dock their sailboat. They were from Vermont and have been traveling since September. They sold everything they own and are full time live a boards. You meet people from all walks of life when cruising. Each has a different story and all are interesting.
We had lunch and then shoved off for our next stop Boca Ciega. No particular reason that we came here other than we heard this particular spot was nice as well as protected. It was a bit of a haul to make it all the way to St. Pete, so we figured a stop here for the night worked for us. We like to cruise at a speed of about 8 knots and that gives you the ability to see things as you go. So 3 or 4 hours gets you about 30 nautical miles.
Below is a picture from the boat as we were anchored.
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