The Potter’s Paradise

We have been in Madeira Beach for a week now and have been kept very busy by my brother and sister-in-law, Denny and Marci.

A boat ride in Ciega Bay searching for a place to have lunch started off the week, then we took our bikes into St. Petersburg and enjoyed ridding along the waterfront and out onto their new pier.  Thursday we had them over to the RV for a steak dinner that we had to cook indoors as it poured down rain.  Friday we rode bikes through their neighborhoods with a stop for a delightful lunch.  The weather has turned cool but teaching them Pickleball on Sat. kept us warm.  Sunday was cold and cloudy but was a good day to drive up to Tarpon Springs and learn about the sponge industry, dine on Greek food and purchase a sponge and Greek Olive Oil.  Today we played more Pickleball, which Denny and Marci are picking up quickly so we had a couple of fun games.

Just a few more days and we’ll be heading towards home.

Riverbend RV Resort

Our visit to Key West has been interesting but the wind took a lot of the fun out of being there. We were happy to head north.

Because John and I were due to get out second COVID vaccine in Inglewood and LaBelle, we opted to stay at this very fancy RV Resort near LaBelle called Riverbend, right on the Caloosahatchee River.  As we slowly drove around to the site we were renting I was in awe of the lush beauty of the area and the luxuriousness of each site with expensive RVs on each one.  Most were paved with pavers, some just pressed concrete but all had a small house on the site (I think they may be called a Coach House).  Some rooms were larger with floor to ceiling windows and others jus a small shed.  The landscaping was pristine using various bushes, trees, palms, ferns an some flowers. I must tell you that each site is owned by someone and they allow short term rentals.

Our site was near the 8 Pickleball courts and within walking distance of the River club where the boats were kept and most group activities were held.  We enjoyed playing pickleball the 3 days were there and we were just in time for the annual River Fest.  It is a fund raiser and last hurrah for the residents as the snow bird season is winding down.  We enjoyed barbecue, wine and a tribute band to the Eagles. Fun evening.  We also got to have dinner with our friends Rick and Libet.

We are now fully vaccinated with no side effects other than a sore arm.

Key West Winds

We arrived in Key West on Wednesday, got settled and then took off on our bikes which has become an almost daily ritual.  Our first stop was the Hogfish Bar and Grill after exploring Stock Island and seeing improvement to their marinas. Nothing at Hogfish has changed in 8 years.

Thursday we rode into Key West to go to a Farmer’s Market, Friday we rode back and had wine and a cheese board before going to Mallory Square to watch the sun set. And then we had dinner at a food truck.  I was not impressed with my meal - too spicy. Saturday I did a 4 mile walk/jog and then we rode the bikes into Key West and explored the back streets and walked along Duval just to say that we had. Sunday afternoon the winds started picking up but we decided to ride our bikes back up the Keys a ways. We turned around at 9 miles and shortly after that I developed a flat tire on my mike.  John had to ride 6 miles back to the RV, put the bike rack on the car and come back to get me.  He was a speed demon and did it in 35 minutes!!

The winds have really kicked up.  We are experiencing 17 - 24 mph winds day and night.  Despite that we rode our bikes into town again with the winds pushing us and explored some side streets before returning to the RV riding into the wind.  It’s a good thing we have pedal assist on our E-Bikes or we would never have gotten home.

Jolly Roger - Yo-Ho-Ho

The Jolly Roger RV Resort is located at the north end of the Key and on the Gulf coast.  We last stayed there in 2013. They have endured at least 2 hurricanes since then and a change in ownership.  Although they have made some good changes it still looks much the same as 8 years ago.  They have improved the sea wall and created a swimming and snorkeling area, put in a new pool, and have a sandy beach with chairs and shade where people gather to watch the sunset each evening.

Just a short distance from the RV park is the Dolphin Research Center where they have 5 rescued dolphins and 20 who have live in captivity there since it was opened over 20 years ago. Not only do they train dolphins but they learn daily how they communicate, use their ‘radar’, interact socially and raise their babies.  I enjoyed over two hours watching these magnificent creatures play and show off.

We rode our bikes up to Key Colony one day to a Farmer’s Market and then rode around the village and out to the end of a point where the largest mansion in the Keyes is located.  We learned later that this place is for sale for only $14.5 million.  Another day we rode bikes down to almost the 7 mile Bridge and back for almost a 20 miles ride.  We then got in the car and drove back hoping to go out on Pigeon Key but it was closed 

We ended our stay with a delightful dinner at the Hideway restaurant.