On Mom’s birthday, we found it appropriate to head back to Longboat Key for a long weekend. As a bonus, the 7-2 Pats play at the 6-2 Bucs on Sunday – a battle of two first place teams! We will be there hoping the Pats can pull off a big road win in this surprising season. Since we are going to the game, we decided to fly in and out of Tampa for the first time in years. It was a lovely drive to LBK as the sun set into the Gulf of Mexico. Tomorrow, we have NO plans = FANTASTIC!
After coffee on the lanai here at The Turtle Crawl Inn (Turtle Crawl) we headed to the beach for a lovely walk on a gorgeous morning. It took about 45 seconds to get to the sand, with minimal foot traffic both en-route to and on the beach. There were a lot of tide pools, which reminded us of a trip many years ago to this same island. We sat near a tide pool that had about 10 or so stingrays flapping about at our feet. It was very cool. We didn’t see any stingrays this time, but still had a real nice walk. The fish were jumping, which attracted pelicans in search of a good breakfast. Here is one scanning the tiny waves of today for his next meal.
You just can’t beat a stroll on the sand to start your day, of that I am certain.
Closer to our place, Stacey spotted this Heron watching over his domain. What a nice place to live!
We found the remains of a sand castle, likely from yesterday or early this morning. As Jimi Hendrix noted in his great song of 1967 “and so castles made of sand… fall in the sea… eventually.”
As I noted earlier, we had zero plans for the day. That is rare, and quite welcome. After a shower, we put on our suits and returned to the beach to just sit and soak in the ambiance. It was interesting to just watch various sea birds diving for fish. I even saw one catch a small fish, bring it to shore, and drop it in front of another bird to eat. True love I suppose! The view simply didn’t suck at all.
After an hour or so of listening to the waves gently lap at the shore, we took a nice dip. It was “chilly” by LBK standards, but certainly warmer than I have ever felt the water off the coast of Scituate! I would rate it as heavenly for sure. It is quite rare to find it so calm on the Gulf side of this island, but today it was calm enough for lone paddle boarders to make their way along the coast.
Lying in the sun for a couple of hours doing nothing tends to build up quite an appetite, so we made our way to Whitney’s for lunch. This is a favorite spot of ours that is a converted old gas station at the north end of the island. They have excellent burgers and fish tacos, so Stacey had a burger and I had tacos. DELICIOUS!
In October of 2020, I took what would turn out to be my last great walk with Dad. His mobility declined rapidly after that before he passed in February of 2021. For that walk, we strolled along the memorial walk behind St. Mary’s Star of the Sea church here on Longboat Key. The path ends at a little pier with a sitting area overlooking Sarasota Bay. Once there, I took what remains one of my favorite pictures of Dad. He was truly happy to simply be outside walking with me.
Today, Stacey and I walked that same path after lunch on a pretty afternoon on this lovely island. I thought of Dad fondly as I remembered that walk of yesteryear.
Our day was capped off with a trip to the beach to see yet another spectacular sunset. It never disappoints, and we consider ourselves lucky to have enjoyed this spectacular view together. Here are just a few looks at the gorgeous sky over the Gulf of Mexico as the sun disappears.
From the beach, we drove to St Armand’s Circle for dinner at what has become our favorite restaurant. The “1905 Salad” is simply the best one either of us has ever had. SCRUMPTIOUS!!!
Our morning routine did not change too much, though we did sleep until 0730! That is a rare treat for us, and I swear it made that first cup of coffee on the lanai even tastier. As we approached the beach for our walk, we found the same heron, who I’m now calling Harry Heron, protecting the entrance to the beach. Something tells me life is good here next to The Turtle Crawl Inn for Harry.
There were a few more walkers on the beach here on Saturday than there were on Friday, but not many. We felt like we had this place to ourselves most of the way.
Stacey and I were on the lookout for sea glass, as we always are. But we have found that it is much rarer here than up North. I suspect this is because the island is directly in the Gulf, and glass gets quickly swept away by the Gulf Stream. What there is certainly no shortage of is shells. There literally have to be billions of them on this stretch alone. We found plenty, and kept a few of our favorites.
Just a day later, we also found far fewer tide pools, though we still found some. They are an excellent place for the youngest to play and explore.
The beach was coming to life as we returned from our walk, and many places were preparing for larger crowds later today. It definitely is not a bad place to spend a Saturday soaking up the sun.
All in all, a very pleasant walk by the sea searching for shells and breathing fresh salt air.
Sarasota National Cemetery is a short drive, and we certainly had a beautiful day to visit. After stopping for some flowers that represent what I wanted for Veterans Day, we made our way inland. Driving in always makes me feel a little sad, but I’m content when leaving after sharing some quiet thoughts with Dad, Mom and Sean. We gave them fresh flowers, fresh flags, and fresh love.
Our afternoon was spent on the beach watching the birds welcome the setting sun before heading back to watch a critical UVA Football game. When is the last time those words were spoken for a Saturday night in November in Charlottesville?!
Well, that winning streak for the Hoos ended in an ugly game. Their starting QB, Chandler Morris, left the game with what looked like a probable concussion in the first half and never returned. Their offense was dismal, and the difference in the game was a punt return to the end zone for Wake Forest. So, we are on to the professional game today, hoping our Pats can pull out a road win in Tampa against the first place Bucs. Looking forward to Stacey’s first NFL game no matter what! GO PATS!
Leaving LBK is always a bit sad for me because it represents the place Mom and Dad called home for the final decades of their lives. I thought of them as we crossed the bridge past what Mom called “beer can island” on our way to Tampa. But I’m happy to realize that LBK is also a home of sorts to us that started when we Honeymooned on Hornblower Lane in 1993. I know that we will be back.
The drive to Tampa was easy and scenic, and we arrived at our hotel near Raymond James Stadium earlier than planned at 10 AM. We were pleasantly surprised to find that our room was ready for check-in, so we parked the car and emptied our bags to the room. After a short break, we were on our way to the stadium to root for our Pats! But first, a quick lunch at the nearby Kona Grill, which we found nearly empty!
As we got to the stadium, I have to admit that I was a little surprised at the number of Patriots fans. I’m sure I’d be exaggerating if I said the split was 50/50 with Bucs fans, but it sure felt like it. I guess we weren’t the only New Englanders that thought Tampa might be a nice destination in November! This was Stacey’s first NFL game, and I haven’t been to very many, so we splurged for pretty good Club seats in the 200 level. It was really nice to have larger, cushioned seats, and we were partially covered from the occasional sun showers throughout the game. Late in the game, the crowd started a loud and distinctive “MVP” chant after Drake Maye threw a beautiful pass. I thought it was a bit premature, and my fears almost came to fruition. But the Defense held, and a late, long run by Henderson sealed the deal on a fantastic Pats victory! Outside the stadium, we found a gorgeous rainbow in the Florida sky to help us celebrate. Good times!!!
The walk back to the hotel was fun, as our fellow Pats fans shared our good moods. After welcome showers, we made our way to The Rusty Pelican (www.therustypelicantampa.com) for dinner. Both of us HIGHLY recommend this spot for a delicious meal in a bit of a fancy place overlooking the water. It was a good day!
We had an afternoon flight home, so we got to spend half a day in Tampa. After a really nice breakfast buffet in the hotel, we made our way to the Ybor (pronounced EEE-BOR) section of Tampa. It was founded by Cuban immigrants and has a very Spanish feel to it. Stacey and I likened it to a cross between New Orleans and Key West. I recommend going, though if you are looking for ANY activity, don’t go on Monday! Most shops and restaurants were closed. It still made for a nice walk on a sunny day. We also went to Desoto Park along the water before lunch. While dining at Columbia on St Armand’s Circle, we often read of the original Columbia restaurant in Ybor, so we decided to go there. It is HUGE – room for 1,700 diners in more than a dozen different dining rooms. Both of us decided on an origial Cuban sandwich and a cup of Spanish Bean soup. The soup was so good that we downloaded the recipe to try our hand at it someday. Florida treated us well again, and we are happy, as always to be heading home.
Stacey and I are blessed to have the means and the opportunity to enjoy great trips like these!
