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January 15, 2013 Day 249

Marina Jack, Sarasota, FL
Total miles to date: 4417.7

We left Bradenton Beach on Tuesday morning and headed down the Gulf ICW to Sarasota. Finally – Kathy got to ride on the boat!  We had a nice cruise on a sunny day!  We had to wait for a couple of bridges to open but we were in no hurry.  Kathy and Joyce rode on the bow for a while to get some sun and hopefully to see some dolphin!  (There was only one dolphin that was seen briefly.)  We did marvel at the beautiful stately homes that line the ICW and could not pick a favorite. 

Kathy enjoyed relaxing on the bow
on the way to Sarasota

One of the things we got to see (again) was the Ringling Estate that we had visited the day before!  The estate is just north of Sarasota and Bill got us in close enough to take pictures with high power camera lenses that he and Paul both used.  Kathy and Joyce were content finding it with the binoculars.

The elegant entrance to Marina Jack
that connects it to the city of Sarasota

We arrived at Marina Jack in Sarasota at 10:45 am. Marina Jack is an upscale marina that borders downtown Sarasota.  Joyce and Kathy took advantage of the downtown nearby and walked through the area. It is very urban with high rise condos and office buildings but with many small shops and restaurants that also line the streets.  We poked around some of the shops and boutiques then headed to Whole Foods to pick up bread and wine – what else?  When we got back, we did some laundry. While we were out, Bill and Paul worked on the shifter that had given us problems docking this morning. (Everything is not all play!) 

After docktails on Carried Away, we decided to have dinner at the Marina Jack Restaurant on site and enjoyed our meal.  You can’t go wrong eating at a marina while the sun is setting on the water.



Beautiful sunset at Marina Jack in Sarasota