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March 7, 2015  Day 106 South for Winter

Faro Blanco Marina
Marathon, FL

What a difference a day makes! We woke to calm winds on Friday and departed Stock Island at 0915 after stopping at the fuel dock. We cruised for 6 ½ hours in the Atlantic going through Hawk Channel. Even with light winds the waves were two foot rollers. But, we were happy to be on our way knowing this was the best day to travel. We eventually saw the well-known Seven mile bridge in the distance. After we went under the bridge at Marathon we were on the Gulf side of the island again.  We arrived at Faro Blanco Marina and Resort at 3:15 and got secured in our slip with two great dock hands assisting. This marina and resort (Hyatt) just opened in December and is beautifully done!

Approaching the Seven Mile Bridge

Shortly after we got checked in, our Gold Looper friends, Rick and Margi (Journey), and Bob and Janet (Harmony) greeted us with hugs.  They also prepared a delicious dinner for us, which we ate outside on a small sandy beach area just off the dock where Harmony is located.  What a beautiful view! We had a delightful evening reminiscing and sharing stories of Key West and our travels since we last saw them a short five weeks ago!  They have many activities and outings planned while we are here, so we will hit the ground running and check out Marathon in the next days and weeks.  We plan to stay here for a month and relax!