Heading North

 Our week in Marathon is coming to a close and it is time to head up the East Coast to New Bern, NC.  We have done the ICW as far a Fort Pierce Florida so many new adventures and stops are ahead of us.  We will miss the Dolphins and Manatees of Boot Key Harbor and the sunsets but it is time to go.  One last fun time in Marathon was with this Endeavor crew.  We all got together at Keys Fisheries to enjoy some cocktails and share stories.
Our next stop is our old favorite in the Florida Keys, Shell Key, Islamorada.  We enjoyed the spectacular views from sunrise to sunset.  A little sunning on the front deck.  And  the last of the big cero mackerel we caught before Marathon.  Every time we are here the sunsets just do not disappoint, but when does a sunset disappoint.  If you can see it then it is always beautiful and each one a little different.
Every time we pass through either Key Largo or Key Biscayne area we are joined by friendly dophins who love to play in our wake.  Jumping through the wakes, surfing and rolling over on their side to get a peek at us on board Journey.  We just can’t get enough!
We made our stop at Elliott Key early and settled in for the weekend.  After reading about the fun weekend times here which are suppose to be a little quieter than Marine Stadium we decided to spend the weekend here and check it out.  The water is some of the prettiest I have seen in the US.  It is so beautiful, blue and clear!  We enjoyed sunning on the deck, watching all the fun, exploring the shoreline, and swimming in the crystal clear blue water.
Two nights at Elliott Key and we head up to  stage to leave to Key Biscayne for Fort Lauderdale  or Port Everglades inlet, but we forgot Sunday is still the weekend in Miami.  No Name Harbor was so full and crazy, we headed over to south basin and found a quick spot and finally the last dog pulled their anchor and only about 4 boats were left for a quiet night.  Beautiful homes surround this anchorage.  After the day boats leave it is a quiet protected spot.
We pulled the anchor early and headed out and around the Key Biscayne Lighthouse and into the Atlantic to bypass the Miami / Fort Lauderdale area.  The morning was beautiful.  The sky was breathtaking and the lighthouse was posing for us.  Dee put the rods in the water and although we didn’t really catch anything to eat, he did have fun catching this hound fish.  We passed this cruise ship along the Florida coast.  It appears some cruise ships are still homeless.  The crew was heading in to shore in one of the life boats.
​Finally, we head into Port Everglades inlet.  Wish we could have gone further  but we need fuel and a place to hide from a front that is coming, so we headed into the inlet which is was my first inlet to bring Journey into.  All went well!