With a full moon, there is a low low tide which meant that we could not leave Anna Marie Island until 11 a.m. as evidenced by a number of boats aground in the marina and at anchor. Since we had such a late departure, we decided to take the short hop of 15 miles to Sarasota.
Rose’s Pick joined us again today as we headed out again onto the GIWW which is supposed to have a minimum depth of 6 feet, but with shallow sections bordering it, it is good to be vigilant. We hit 6’2” feet at mile marker G39 but otherwise, had comfortable depths of 8 to12 feet. We pulled into Marina Jack’s Marina which is an upscale marina at $2 per foot but provides great service and amenities. We were glad to meet a former Looper on Lyssa Lin and current Loopers, Jim and Sandy on Footloose.
Saratoga is a very inviting, boat friendly city with a lot of restaurants, shops and points of interest within walking distance of the marina. There is a walking and bike trail and plenty of outdoor dining, even a Tiki Bar along the park. We had a fantastic dinner at Barnacle Bill’s and I highly recommend the bouillabaisse. There is a Whole Foods within walking distance as well as a Saturday Farmer’s Market.
We decided to spend another day here and go to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens on Saturday. It offered a lush verdant garden along the Gulf complete with a Tea Café and mansion showcasing local botanical art works. The only downside in town was the Harley Davidson rendezvous complete with oldster Wild Hogs revving it up to ear-splitting levels and outdoing each other in leather outfits.
Rose’s Pick joined us again today as we headed out again onto the GIWW which is supposed to have a minimum depth of 6 feet, but with shallow sections bordering it, it is good to be vigilant. We hit 6’2” feet at mile marker G39 but otherwise, had comfortable depths of 8 to12 feet. We pulled into Marina Jack’s Marina which is an upscale marina at $2 per foot but provides great service and amenities. We were glad to meet a former Looper on Lyssa Lin and current Loopers, Jim and Sandy on Footloose.
Saratoga is a very inviting, boat friendly city with a lot of restaurants, shops and points of interest within walking distance of the marina. There is a walking and bike trail and plenty of outdoor dining, even a Tiki Bar along the park. We had a fantastic dinner at Barnacle Bill’s and I highly recommend the bouillabaisse. There is a Whole Foods within walking distance as well as a Saturday Farmer’s Market.
We decided to spend another day here and go to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens on Saturday. It offered a lush verdant garden along the Gulf complete with a Tea Café and mansion showcasing local botanical art works. The only downside in town was the Harley Davidson rendezvous complete with oldster Wild Hogs revving it up to ear-splitting levels and outdoing each other in leather outfits.
