Spring Comes Even When There is No Winter

It's that jasmine time of year.

Spring is certainly here. Even though we'd managed to skip by winter while staying in the Keys, we aren't missing spring. We are comfortably moored in Vero Beach near some mangroves that attract plenty of birds who manage to entertain us with their chirping. Yesterday we walked the mile or so to the beach and were somewhat intoxicated by the oleander and jasmine in bloom along with the many other flowers creating colorful scenes. This small harbor is full of fish, so we've been visited by numerous dolphin as well. This is really a special time to traveling the southern ICW. Our recollection from previous trips is that this spring bloom will follow us most of the way to Virginia. It provides quite a contrast to the gray vistas that surround us on the trip south in November. Additionally, the travel this time of year is less populated by cruisers, so this marina and others we choose to visit will be uncrowded. That means getting to the fuel dock and getting laundry done when we want to rather than trying to fit in to what appears to be a continuous lineup during the fall travel.

We're moored near the mangroves with their musical birds.

Vero Beach is a cut above many of the stops for us. Some cruisers arrive and have great difficulty leaving, hence the nick name of Velcro Beach. We enjoy free bus service to the best shopping areas. The beach is within walking distance and the marina facilities are of high quality.

We traveled up here without issue on Friday. Although we had to deal with nine or ten bridges, we managed to reach them at the appropriate time to avoid long delays before opening. It was a long day of travel – just over ten hours to travel about 70 miles. ( I mention this just as a reminder for those who's mindset is only from the perspective of the automobile travel speeds.)

We were originally thinking of leaving yesterday, but the weather forecast for the first half of the week includes a likelihood of showers and thunderstorms. We managed to get lots of lightning in the afternoon along with a drenching downpour. We did that leaving Miami and don't wish to repeat such a trip again so soon. We'll enjoy our time here and avoid the lousy weather and then leave once it seems to have passed by. Our next stop is St. Augustine, the oldest city in the country with lots of attractions for us. We never wish to skip by without spending some time there. We aren't on a tight schedule at this point, so we can wait out the weather and still be in a position to enjoy our next stop without rushing. Also, unlike our fall travel, we're not rushing south to get out of the cold. Spring is here, and the weather is pleasant...most of the time at least.

Carpe diem,

Captain Bob