Category: Trips

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Gulf Stream Crossing to Bimini Bahamas

Earlier this month, I made my first gulf stream crossing from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini in the Bahamas. I am the event planner for my new company, OneWater Yacht Group and we took eleven yachts to the Bahamas. The trip took eight days, visiting five islands and traveling almost 500 nautical miles.

We left Roscioli Yachting Center (where I work) around 5:30am on a Sunseeker 74 Sport Yacht. This will be our mode of transportation for the rest of the journey. The trip down the New River took us about an hour and it was a very cool experience. I didn’t realize how long this portion of the trip actually was.

By the time we arrive at the inlet, dawn was starting to break. Our captain hit the throttle and we were now headed due east for Bimini, about 45 nm.

Watching the sunrise while you are at sea, is such an incredible experience. I’ve been told that the gulf stream can be flat as glass. It’s not unusual for small runabouts to make the trek. On this day, we had winds around 10knots and the seas were 1-2′ high. It was a very pleasant trip.

Arriving to Fisherman’s Village on Bimini

It’s a little eerie losing sight of land in all directions. Fortunately. for this crossing you are only out of sight for less an an hour. I think I was more excited to be in the Bahamas than I was seeing land. The color of the water was so incredible and this was no match to what I would encounter in the Exumas.

The water is also very shallow and you cruise in about 10′ to 18′ of water most of the time. As you arrive into Bimini, you will follow a channel to Resort World. They actually dug a channel out of the coral to allow boats to pass thru here.

We stayed just one night at Fisherman’s Village in Resort World Bimini. The marina was nice and offered the usual facilities ranging from wi-fi, laundry, showers and a few small shops. Our captain checked us all in at Customs and Immigration and the entire process took us about 15 minutes. Only the captain actually slept on the yacht. The rest of us checked into accommodations on each island, which did make the trip a bit more difficult as the week wore on. I stayed in VRBO as the Hilton was sold out. I didn’t bother to do a video or photo shoot of it as it wasn’t that great.

OneWater Yacht Group was hosting a cocktail party for our guests at a private estate on Rockwell Island on the beach. It was a beautiful setting and a great ending for the day.

Off to Chub Cay

The following morning our crew headed to Chub Cay, 84nm from Bimini. The Sunseeker 74 Sport Yacht was very comfortable. Sometimes it got a bit warm, so I would have to go into the salon to cool off. Oh the luxuries of traveling by yacht!

The trip to Chub Cay took us just under three hours. We hailed the dockmaster on the VHF radio and he instructed us where to go.

As we arrived to our slip, the staff was waiting to assist us. Chub Cay Resort and Marina is very new and beautiful. A few words of caution would be, that the marina office is part of the hotel and it’s a very long walk. Had I known, I would have taken my bags with me so I didn’t have to make two trips.

The marina does have a fuel dock, but customers were saying it was very very slow. One yacht only took on 300 gallons and it took almost 2 hours!

Chub Cay Resort

This was one of the most beautiful resorts I have stayed at. My room was nicely appointed and overlooked the pool and the ocean. The staff was fantastic and I wish I would have had more time to spend here. At this point, the Bahamas did not disappoint.

That evening some of the crew had dinner at the bar. I had the mushroom ravioli and it was amazing!

Time to head to Staniel Cay

Our trip on Chub Cay in the Bahamas was far too short. This is a place I would love to come back for a long weekend with Scott and just unwind. The following morning our crew headed to Staniel Cay, which was about 121nm journey. Unfortunately, I also threw my back out that evening, so trying to get back to the boat was a major chore. Along the way, I couldn’t help but add our sticker to the “sticker board”.

Be sure to tune in next week, as I take you to Staniel Cay. The Exumas were stunning and I don’t know how I can possibly describe them. As always, thank you for following our journey. Subscribe to our boating blog at YouTube Channel (link below) for future updates and trips. You can also follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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Yellow Green Farmer’s Market

Scott and I checked out the infamous Yellow Green Farmer’s Market in Hollywood, FL last month and it was amazing!

This market was packed with food vendors, fruit & vegetable stands and local crafts & clothing vendors. If you are looking for fresh fruit and veggies, this is the place. There are vendors, both indoor and outdoor. Be prepared however, that the indoor space is not air conditioned, so it can be toasty.

Exotic Fruits

Scott and I want to do a YouTube episode trying different fruits (so stay tuned). The Yellow Green Farmer’s Market had so many different fruits and we had never heard of half of them.

If you’re not from Florida, you might not know about “green avocados”. These are HUGE avocados that make fantastic guacamole. However, we’ve been told they are not very good by themselves.

Unique Finds

I couldn’t resist this fella, who was relaxing while his owner was spinning wool. (Wool in Florida? I guess it gets chilly sometime.)

As we came around another isle, we stumbled up the Trattoria Di Vakis booth (#126-128). They only serve food at the market and outside catering. Check out these handmade pastas!

They also make these amazing donuts with an injector of filling! I was amazed that Scott resisted.

The Yellow Green Farmer’s Market is only open on Saturdays and Sundays. You do have to pay for parking and it’s a bit tricky getting into the parking lot. We ended up going around the block to get in. Originally it started out as a flea market and then became home to local producers and artisans in the community. They also feature a variety of events including live music, art & dance lessons and yoga.

My photos of our visit, really don’t do it justice! You can check out our YouTube episode for a full tour, but the best tour is in person.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our blog and to our YouTube channel (link below). You can also follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. Next week we’ll take you to the Bahamas, as Ally made her first gulf stream crossing to Bimini! Cheers, Scott and Ally

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Snorkeling at Christ of the Abyss in Key Largo

In our last blog, Scott and I were in Key Largo for a long weekend and during that trip, we snorkeled at Christ of the Abyss. This was a bucket list of mine and I was excited to finally see this infamous statue.

We booked our trip through Sundiver Snorkel Tours. We didn’t realize when we booked the trip that our resort also offered excursions. Sundiver had us check-in an hour early. That seems early right? Well, it’s because the check-in location is not where you pick up the boat.

Sundiver Snorkel

The Sundiver store offers everything from snorkel gear, to underwater cameras, sunscreen, water, snacks and much more. Your excursion does include fins and a mask, but due to covid you do have to purchase your snorkel. Scott and I selected a boat that only held about 30 people. After checking in at the boat, we had about a 30 minute wait. Note: There’s only one unisex (and kind of gross) restroom, so be prepared. They also do not allow any kind of spray sunscreen and prefer your sunscreen be “reef safe”.

Check out this big boy, who was hanging out with us. Apparently, Iguanas are a major nuisance here in Florida and they are working on humanely euthanizing them.

The Trip to Christ of the Abyss

The trip starts with a short canal ride out to the inlet. Here you will find plenty of gorgeous homes and boats along the way.

The trip was nice and smooth as we headed about five miles offshore to the Christ of the Abyss statue. To learn more about the history of this statue, be sure to watch our YouTube episode where Scott shares the back story on the statue.

Once we arrived, we all jumped in and headed off to find the statue. There was a very large barracuda interested in our group, but he was harmless. There was quite a bit of Sargassum, a nuisance seaweed floating all around. However, the fish were also nibbling on this, which made for a cool experience.

Surprisingly, the statue is not that deep. As you approach it, there’s a strange feeling that comes over you as you get closer. It was probably one of the coolest things we’ve done this year.

After Snorkeling

The entire trip took about three hours (9am to 12p) and afterwards we went across the canal to Sharkeys for a quick bite. They serve your typical pub fare and it was delicious. Look for our boating journey sticker on the deck!

While having lunch, a site seeing boat passed by – the “African Queen”. LOL!

Relaxing at the Resort

The resort has plenty of beach chairs by the pool and on the beach. Scott and I spent the rest of the day, relaxing and soaking up the sun.

You can also rent kayaks, paddleboards and jet skis from the tiki hut. We took a kayak out for about an hour, but the current was making it hard work and Scott started to take on water.

We finished the day enjoying another great sunset at Sundowners next to the hotel.

As I mentioned in our last blog, the one thing we really miss from Seattle is the sunsets. They have always amazed us and Key Largo did not disappoint.

Our third day in Key Largo

I couldn’t go to Key Largo and not buy a souvenir and luckily for us there was a huge gift shop just down the road.

After shopping, Scott and I enjoyed an awesome massage at the resort’s spa! We were able to book it about a week before we arrived and they did not disappoint. Then we grabbed a quick snack next door at Senor Frijoles. Scott couldn’t resist getting a photo with Senor Frijoles himself.

As we were walking back from the restaurant, I noticed these trees in the resort’s parking lot. Low and behold they were avocado trees! Unfortunately, standing under them, I got eaten alive because I didn’t have any bug spray on. Note to self.

Winding down our trip

Just as we had been enjoying a beautiful day, the weather started to turn nasty. The winds clocked up to 30 knots and no one was laying by the pool. It certainly didn’t stop us from grabbing a few drinks at the pool bar before dinner.

Our last night we headed to Snooks Bayside as everyone told us to check it out. They had a small art display at the entrance and the restaurant had plenty of seating. The sunsets did not disappoint and the food was good. Unfortunately, we had another bout of bad service.

All in all, it was a fantastic three day weekend. We felt we had traveled far away even though we were only a few hours away. Snorkeling at Christ of the Abyss was definitely the highlight of the trip.

As always, thank you for following our journey. Please be sure to subscribe to our blog and our YouTube channel (video below). You can also follow us on social media @boatingjourney #boatingjourney. Tune in next week, as we had to Boca Inlet and watch boats heading out to sea.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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Weekend Getaway in Key Largo

Living in South Florida, we can easily enjoy a weekend getaway in the Florida Keys. Last month we headed to Key Largo for a long weekend. The last time we were in the Keys was in 2013 and we stayed in Islamorada. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a very good time because they were experiencing freezing temperatures.

Scott and I selected Key Largo because it was a shorter drive from Fort Lauderdale and I found a great hotel, The Reef House. This resort recently became part of the Opal Collection and it didn’t disappoint.

I had reserved an ocean view room with a king size bed. Ironically, this room was not expensive at all. The room was nicely appointed and we had a great view.

The Reef House Resort

After we checked in, we explored the grounds. This resort offers so much! You can book all of your water adventures in the gift shop, including boat rentals or you can rent paddle boards and kayaks from the tiki hut. Walking the resort we found plenty of moorage for your private boat, along with activities for volleyball and corn hole.

The resort does have two restaurants and a bar on site. When we checked in we got script for a free drink, so we stopped there next. The bartenders were so incredibly friendly, that we went back each night for a night cap. They also have live music during happy hour.

Sunset Dinner

The Reef House is walking distance to three other restaurants a block away. We were told to head to Big Chill, which Jimmy Johnson (the owner of the Miami Dolphins) owns. The restaurant is huge and has plenty of outdoor seating. Scott and I grabbed a great seat next to the water and enjoyed the sunset. While the music and scenery was fantastic, we wouldn’t go back for a meal due to the terrible service and no food being delivered.

Watching the sunset, we realized we hadn’t seen a sunset since we left Seattle in March. What a beautiful sight it was.

Walking back to the resort, we really felt like we were on vacation. This is one of the reasons we moved to Florida. We can enjoy a weekend getaway and feel like you’re miles away from home.

Stay tuned for our next blog, as we head out to snorkel at Christ of the Abyss. As always, thank you for following our blog and our journey. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel (see link below) and follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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Alligators & Airboats

alligators

When you think of the Everglades, you immediately think of alligators and airboats. Living just a short distance from the Everglades, we had to check out Everglades Holiday Park. The Everglades National Park is a subtropical wetland ecosystem that spans 1.5 million acres across south Florida. This park was manmade by the Army Corps of Engineers to help with the torrential rain fall during the summer months. It’s actually the largest and slowest rivers in America, flowing at 1 meter per hour. It’s also the only place on earth where alligators and crocodiles and co-exist.

Everglades Holiday Park

The park was only about a 40 minute drive NW from Fort Lauderdale. It wasn’t too crowded and we were on the boat within 15 minutes of arriving.

When I think of airboats, I was thinking of a smaller version, something like this below.

Instead, we were on a much bigger boat that could occupy up to 30 people.

Our tour guide is very passionate about the Everglades and the alligators. The tour was more educational than I was expecting. If you are wondering if the engines are loud – they are!

Here Alligator

Our airboat took off right away and we headed down the Lilly pad covered river.

Our guide knows each of the alligators and is familiar with their resting spots, so we headed towards one of his favorites. Low and behold, there he was. He had just returned for mating season.

The park is also full of rare plants, mangrove trees and birds. Airboats can easily glide over the water avoiding any fouled props since they use giant “fans” for propulsion.

As we were learning about different plant species, this baby alligator came over to say hi. Isn’t he cute?

In Search of More Alligators

We thought our tour was at the end, when a tourist spotted another alligator. Our airboat headed over to her direction and there she was. Turns out, she’s not a friendly one and headed straight into the mangrove trees.

After the tour, they also have a fifteen minute presentation by an alligator rescue handler. He actually is not employed by the park, but rather he rescues nuisance alligators. Here they are rehabilitated and they use them to study their life cycles.

When the presentation was over, we then got to hold a baby gator. It did not have the feel I expected. The skin was actually very smooth and weird feeling.

I expected the tour to be a little bit hokey, but it was very informative and we learned a lot. You can’t live in South Florida and not have an understanding about what the Everglades are. Be sure to check out the park if you are in the Fort Lauderdale area.

As always, thank you for following our journey and we would love it if you would subscribe to both our blog and our vlog (see below). You can also follow us on social media at @boatingjourney #boatingjourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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Exploring Florida’s Nature Parks

nature parks

Moving from the Pacific Northwest, Scott and I are spoiled coming from an area that is surrounded by nature parks. Our goal was to find some local nature parks that we could enjoy long walks.

The first nature park that we found was the Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. It’s located about 10 minutes from our home, towards Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Hugh Taylor Birch Park

The walking trail in Hugh Taylor Birch Park is about 2 miles long. While you can’t actually “hike” anywhere, we did enjoy the scenery. There is a park fee of $6 per vehicle and plenty of parking lots to choose from. At the gate, they also give you a map of the park so you can navigate easily.

Hugh Taylor Birch moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1893 in search of ocean front property. Eventually, he found an 180 acre parcel with a3.5 mile ocean front that he bought for $1 an acre. In 1940 he built his art stucco home and passed away the following year at the age of 91. He wanted other generations to enjoy his estate, so he donated the park to the city. Learn more about this great park here.

photo credit: broward county parks

The park doesn’t have actual “walking trails”, but the road that loops the park is a one way road. Walkers and bikers seem to share the bike lane with no issues. Scott and I decided to walk clockwise heading to the river first.

Once we got to the river, we realized this is also a water taxi stop. There is also a fairly long dinghy dock for boaters to raft up to.

The trail hugs the river for most of the way on the west side of the park.

Bugs in the Park

As we left the river side, we headed deep into the park. The scenery was beautiful, but be prepared. I had sprayed my legs and arms with bug spray and I was wearing a tank top. I forgot to spray my back and I got eaten alive resulting in GIANT welts. These had to be no see ums, because we didn’t really see any mosquitoes.

Kayak Rentals

The park also offers kayak rentals. You can rent them at the gift shop at the Park & Ocean restaurant, but you can’t go outside of the lagoon.

Park & Ocean Restaurant

Scott and I were starving by the time we reached the Park & Ocean Restaurant. They had indoor and outdoor seating with live music outside. We sat at the bar and ordered some sandwiches, which were delicious! The restaurant also offers moonlit kayak tours, but I don’t know that I want to get into a lagoon in the dark.

Our plan after lunch was to walk through their patio out to the ocean, but unfortunately a huge squall moved in with lightning. Time to head home.

Anne Kolb Nature Center

The following weekend we decided to try out another park. Located in Hollywood, the Anne Kolb Nature Center had great reviews and it looked interesting.

This 1501 acre park opened in 1996 and is the largest in the park system. It features a coastal mangrove wetland rich in plant and animal life, including some threatened and endangered species.

The park is known for having a large variety of butterflies. I tried to capture them on camera, but they were flying everywhere.

Park Trails

There are basically three trails you can take in the Anne Kolb Nature Park. First, we took the Lake Observation Trail, which brings you out to a lookout point. This trail is about a quarter of a mile each way.

Next we headed down the Mud Flat Trail. Part of the trail is gravel and this is where you will find blue land crabs. They dig holes along the trail and you will see them pop in and out of the holes. This trail is about a third of a mile each way.

We saw all kinds of wildlife along this trail.

Fishing Pier Trail

The Mud Flat Trail brings you back to the entrance of the nature center. From there we walked across the parking lot towards the ICW, where we found another couple of lookouts. This seemed like a great fishing spot, as there were quite a few people fishing. This is a very short walk at only 263 feet.

These are both great parks for walking and we plan on going back to explore more.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Next week we’re headed to “gater land” where we explore the Everglades on a jet boat. Please be sure to subscribe to our blog and our vlog (link below). You can also find us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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Mansions, Yachts & Fort Lauderdale Air & Sea Show

Scott and I took the Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi to Fort Lauderdale Beach, which included a guided tour of mansions along the way. It was our first weekend together after being apart almost two months and luckily for us, Fort Lauderdale was hosting their annual Air & Sea Show at the beach. I bought special event tickets on the water taxi, which picked us up at Stop 1 at the Stranahan house.

Great way to view mansions and yachts

The water taxi is a very affordable and great way to get a tour in Fort Lauderdale. They offer sunset cruises, regular cruises and cruises for special events. On board, they offer water, soda, beer & wine for purchase. Download their app for easy ticket purchases. There are 10 stops for the water taxi. The water trolley is free and only makes a few stops near Las Olas.

Along the way, a guide will tell you facts about the mansions you pass by. The home below, has a great setup with a corner lot and room for all kinds of water toys.

Another great way to tour the canals, is by Tiki Bar boat! Here you bring your own booze and motor along the way. Scott and I are going to try and hop on one next weekend!

This house was built on stilts because the owner wanted to prepare for sea level rise. Read all about that here.

Yachts and more yachts

As we followed the New River toward the beach, we came upon a large sand bar that folks love to party at. Here you can stand waist deep and stay cool in the hot sun. Unfortunately, the restaurant boat you see here in the middle (Jay’s Sandbar Food Boat) sank a few days after we shot this photo.

Luxury living

There is certainly no shortage of luxury along this tour. It’s amazing the amount of money that is sitting along the canal, from the multi-million mansions to luxury yachts.

The river certainly was a hub bub of marine traffic. If you can imagine, that’s a fuel dock on the right. Those boats were bobbin up and down while trying to fuel. No thank you.

Not sure what to make of this yacht? We’re guessing it’s about 75′ long, but the paint job is something else. If you know the story here, be sure to share it with us.

This mansion is known as the Fort Lauderdale White House – you can probably guess why. It recently sold for $24.5 million dollars and is the most iconic mansion in Fort Lauderdale.

You can also take the Jungle Queen Riverboat down the river.

For those of you who know me well, you know I am a die-hard Washington State University Cougar Alum and our biggest rival are the UW Huskies. At first I thought this 190′ Feadship was a UW yacht, but it’s actually owned by David MacNeil, founder of WeatherTech. That’s probably where the W comes from.

Fort Lauderdale Air Show

Scott and I hopped off the water taxi and walked a few blocks to the Las Olas Beach. We couldn’t believe the amount of traffic that lined Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard! We were glad we took the water taxi and walked.

The air show was over the water and the beach, which draws thousands of people both on land and the sea. Check out the line of boats out in the ocean. (Hard to see in this photo – the video does a better job)

The airshow was great, but of course, we’re a bit biased. We love Seafair and the Blue Angels.

This crazy house, was built by Wayne Huizenga who was a very famous entrepreneur and businessman. He owned Auto Nation, Waste Management, the Miami Dolphins and was co-owner of Blockbuster Video. After his death in 2018, the house was sold to Chuck West, founder of a premium pet food chain.

While there’s no home on this lot, they do have a table and a couple of chairs.

A great way to explore

This is just another reason we are glad we moved to Fort Lauderdale. There is so much to see and do, especially on water.

As always, thank you for following our journey. Please be sure to subscribe to our blog and our YouTube channel (video below). It’s exciting to see our channel grow and we’re committed to providing you great content. You can also follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney

Cheers, Ally & Scott

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Driving through seven states in three days!

In our last blog Scott and I drove from Seattle to Arizona and now we had to drive through seven states to get to our new home in Fort Lauderdale. We left Phoenix, AZ on Sunday morning before dawn and the desert had a beautiful yet eerie feeling as we began our drive on I-10. Today would be our longest day of the entire drive, with fourteen hours of driving before arriving to San Antonio. Unfortunately, we forgot that they were two hours ahead, so it took up sixteen hours of our day.

As the sun rose, it became obvious that this drive would be flat and boring until we reached San Antonio. When something other than tumble weeds passed by, we had to take a photo!

Five states later, we arrive in San Antonio, TX

By the time we arrived to San Antonio, it as 8pm and we were exhausted. Then we had to empty the truck like we did every night. Thank God the hotel let us keep the luggage cart in our room with all of our belongings on it.

Lucky for us, there was a great restaurant just across the parking lot called 54th Street Grill. The food was fantastic as were the drinks!

Our trip was coming to an end and we couldn’t wait to get to Mobile Alabama! This would be one of the shortest legs, taking us ten hours from San Antonio. It would be a direct shot due east from San Antonio.

It was a bit foggy and hazy when we left San Antonio, making the sunrise calm and beautiful. Since we left before the hotel was open for breakfast, we were on the hunt for a place to stop.

Not wanting to waste time at a sit down restaurant, we decided to stop at Buc-ees convenience store. We had heard that all of the Buc-ees stores are huge, so we had to check it out!

As soon as you walk in, you realize this is no ordinary convenience store or gas station.

Outrunning the storm through three states!

Before Scott and I left the hotel, the news was warning viewers about dangerous storms that were headed our way. It was my turn to drive, so my goal was to try and stay ahead of the storms.

Unfortunately, my luck ran out just as I was driving across the Calcasieu River Bridge. Visibility was zero and most cars around me, slowed down to 5mph and limped across the bridge with their flashers on.

Finally, we broke free of the storm and found sunlight again.

Welcome to Alabama

We passed through Mississippi in about forty-five minutes and soon we were on the Gulf of Mexico! I don’t think I have ever been so excited to see water after days of driving thru the desert.

After about 10 hours, we finally arrived in Mobile, Alabama. Once again we had to unload the truck and by this time, Scott had it down to a science.

Fort Lauderdale – here we come!

We were so excited to get “home” and finish the last leg of our long journey across ten states. The weather was warming up, which created lots of fog along the way.

Soon, the terrain started to change and we started to see lush trees and lots of grass. We were not in the desert anymore!

What we didn’t realize was how buggy this leg of the trip would be. We had to pull over about every 45 minutes to clean the windshield. Before we headed home, we had to go to the car wash. Here we ordered a bug remover wash. LOL!!

Five days and ten states later, we finally made it “home”. While we didn’t have any furniture, we were simply happy to be reunited once again and to begin this journey!

As always, thank you for following our blog and our journey. Be sure to following our channel (link below) and follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney as we begin our search for our next boat. We have a lot to learn about insurance, auctions, hurricane requirements, etc. Next week, we’ll share our first weekend in Fort Lauderdale and we figure out a way to get on the water!

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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Florida or Bust

At the end of April, I flew home to make the cross country trip from Seattle to Florida with Scott. I was only home a couple of days and then we headed out. It was a bit surreal saying goodbye to the our home for the past three years.

The original plan was to not have a lot of possessions in the truck, as we would need to empty the truck every night at the hotel. Why? Thieves love to target hotels along I-5 looking for vehicles with personal possessions. Well, our plan didn’t go accordingly.

Scott and I began our drive to Florida on Friday afternoon taking the I-5 route. Since it was the end of April, we were not sure how the weather would be going across the Rockies or the Plain states. We left Seattle at 4:30am and it was 37 degrees. Goodbye Seattle, hello Florida!

The Long Road Ahead to Florida

I had driven I-5 to Arizona when I was in college and this was Scott’s first time. Driving through Portland, OR is never exciting. It was rush hour when we drove through and as we got closer to the middle of the state, the fog moved in.

We stopped at one rest stop, Cabin Creek and it was actually a historic location.

The Prettiest Part of the Drive to Florida

Probably the prettiest part of the drive was driving thru Oregon’s Grant’s Pass and in Northern California. There was some construction, so going over the passes with huge semi trucks was a bit nerve racking, but after a few hundred miles, we got used it it. We were also surprised to see snow on the passes! Grant’s pass only has an elevation of 960′. our last home was at 825′.

Our biggest shocker was the price of gas in California. It was over $6/gallon and that was painful. We had decided to fill up every time the tank was only half full, just to be safe.

As we drove towards Mount Shasta, it was sad to see the remnants of last year’s forest fire that devastated the area.

Sacramento Bound

Scott and I had made reservations a few weeks prior for each stop. Our first night would be in Sacramento. We chose to stay close to I-5, as we simply needed a place to grab dinner and rest our eyes. The first leg took us 12 hours.

At the hotel, we lucked out as we were able to use the luggage cart and keep it in our room overnight. That really helped us out.

Great Thai Restaurant near the Hotel

We stayed at a Hilton property and just across the road, they recommended the Manaao Thai Restaurant. Though it wasn’t big, it was family owned and the food and service was outstanding.

Day Two Florida Bound via Phoenix

The following morning, we left at dawn and the drive was beautiful. It was also the beginning of our very FLAT drive to Florida.

Our plan was to stop for lunch just outside Pasadena, once we went over the Grapevine. That drive was uneventful and not windy like it normally is.

After stopping for lunch, I took the driver’s seat. Our goal was to get into Phoenix by 6pm. However, once we reached the city limits, I-10 was closed for construction and we were detoured all of the city. Luckily, it didn’t delay us too much and we unloaded the truck quickly. This time, they would not let us keep the luggage cart. Bummer.

The best part of this leg was our good friends from Renton (who now live in Phoenix), Nick and Michelle came and joined us for dinner. It was the perfect way to end the evening and say a proper goodbye.

Tune in next week, as we finish this epic road trip across the US. As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our boating blog and also our YouTube Channel (video link below). You can also follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. Cheers, Scott and Ally

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Moving to Fort Lauderdale

moving to fort lauderdale

Moving to Fort Lauderdale sounds amazing (and it has been), but it wasn’t without some hard work, tears and frustration. Scott joined me for my first week in Fort Lauderdale and then I was alone here for the next five weeks. This journey ended up being harder than I expected. During the next five weeks, I would live in two different apartments and stay in four different hotels while traveling on business. My first trip was to Palm Beach for the Palm Beach International Boat Show. I’ll share a blog on that experience soon. Next I drove across the state up to Dunedin. This was quite the driving experience, as I drove across the Everglades and up the west coast of Florida. That’s the longest drive I have made by myself in a very long time.

Moving into our apartment

I was excited to move out of my temporary housing and into our new apartment. Unfortunately, I was moving in with just a few boxes, a blow up bed and chair. Surprisingly, my rental car was packed and it took me ten trips to the apartment. I watched tv on my laptop while sitting in a lawn chair.

With no furniture, the apartment echoed terribly. I did enjoy the view at night, but always ended up closing the shades as I didn’t need people watching me. LOL

Exploring Fort Lauderdale

I spent my weekends walking up and down the Riverwalk and watching all of the boat traffic. There are tons of restaurants and shops in Los Olas and it will be great for Scott and I to explore the area together.

The Riverwalk is always bustling with activity, which makes it a fun place to live.

Heading back to Seattle

After living on my own for five weeks, it was time to fly home. I was only home three days, so I didn’t get to see many people. Finally we packed up the rest of our stuff and headed to Scott’s parents house for the night. The following morning, we left for Sacramento at 4am.

Our original plan was to not have much in the truck, as we would need to empty the contents each night at the hotels. Why? We have been told that thieves target trucks and vans that are full of possessions at hotel parking lots. Unfortunately, our plan didn’t work out and yes, we emptied the truck every night. Stay tuned to find out how our five day road trip went.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our vlog (video below) and follow us on social @BoatingJourney #boatingjourney.

Cheers, Ally and Scott