Family – Matt & Jessica's Sailing Page

How We Left To Go Cruising At 30 & What We Left Behind

December 25, 2016

by Jessica with 2 Comments Family Michigan Video

One of the biggest questions we’ve been asked through the past few years, always without fail, is “How are you two affording to do this at such a young age?”. Considering that yes, we did quit our jobs back in 2012, threw off our bow lines and haven’t really looked back since….I can see how this question may pop up a lot. Â Especially since we’ve now been sitting in a marina for the past two years remodeling a boat. Â Not the cheapest of projects, one can imagine.

I’ll answer you straight away that we are not trust fund babies. Â We never received sums of money from our families; and as much as I would still like for this to happen, we have not won the lottery either. Granted, your chances of winning are better if you actually play, but I can still dream that someone will show up on my doorstep one day with big bags full of money.

Nope, we got here the old fashioned way. Â Through lots of hard work, sacrifices, and good decisions. Â The money we saved up before traveling won’t last us forever; in fact we’ll be looking to work again come this summer or fall to fill our cruising kitty. But, we do get asked enough how we were even able to start in the first place that we thought we’d lay it all out for you in this week’s episode.

Enjoy!

Thank you SO MUCH to our Patrons. These charitable souls help keep us in the work yard, our camera equipment up to date, and the videos coming. To join the Patreon ranks, please visitÂ http://www.patreon.com/mjsailing

Thank you!,
Matt & Jessica

—

Sail Loot Podcast:Â http://www.sailloot.com/sail-loot-pod…

Jessica’s World Beer Tour:Â https://www.mjsailing.com/about-us/jessica…

Music:
Spoiled Kids – Daniel Kadawatha
Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear
Ember of Red – Adam Yoo
Soul Catalyst – Solstice
Warm – Joey Pecoraro
Blueshift – Catas & Kasger

Camera equipment used:
– Sony NEX 5T -Â http://amzn.to/2glc9zG
– Sony Cybershot DSC-T77 -Â http://amzn.to/2hYYrTY

Editing software: Windows Movie Maker

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Taking on Cathedral Rock, Sedona

August 1, 2016

by Jessica with 4 Comments Family

Remember how a few posts ago (before my computer crapped out on me and had to be sent away for repairs, leaving me unable to edit photos) I mentioned that I was remaking the rounds of almost every destination in Arizona I had made with my parents a few years ago, now once again with Matt in tow? OneÂ can not miss destination on that list was Sedona. Â Having first visited this town four years ago while my brother and parents, I couldn’t let Matt miss out on it’s displays of red rocks and beauty.

Because my dad was still working most of the days during our visit, we needed to wait for the weekend to come before we had a full day to drive out. Â Getting an early start on the day, I was happy to still have my body in sync with the Eastern Time Zone, so when it was time to wake up at 7:00 am, by body was thinking it was 10 and was ok with rolling out of bed that time.

A Â few hours later we pulled into a gray and wet Sedona, and after having taken in the traditional breakfast stop of The Teapot, a restaurant with over 101 omelets on their menu, we were perusing some guide books in the lobby on how to spend the rest of our afternoon there. Â Of course I had originally found Devil’s Bridge on Instagram and I wanted one of those apparent death defying photos to add to my own account, although once we had the chance to read up on it, it turns out our vehicle was not suited for the short cut and it would be a 1.3 mile walk each way. Â I don’t think anyone other than myself was up for such a hike, just to get that perfect shot for social media (although I’m sure it’s beautiful to see without a camera in front of your face as well), but it was not going to be in the cards and we needed to make another decision.

Flipping through a few more pages I focused on the ‘easy hikes’ section and came across Cathedral Rock. A nice description and a hike that would amount in less than a mile round trip. Â Pulling out my tablet and searching for directions, we were back on the road and ready to take in some sights. Â Since nowadays everyone and their mother, including mine, is quick to pull out their phone or tablet to research anything and everything under the sun that catches their interest, it was her that let us know, while enroute, that Â this ‘easy’ hike may not be as easy as we were led to believe. Â From what she had found online, it was in fact a very short distance, its just that most of it happened to be vertical.

“No, that can’t be right”, I responded. Â “It didn’t mention anything about it in the guidebook.”

“I’m just telling you what I’m reading here. Â It says that the hike is 600 feet of vertical trails, and it says its a strenuous walk.”

“But….the guidebook was on hiking. Â All the hiking trails in Sedona. Â This was listed as easy.”

“We’ll have to see when we get there, but I don’t think its a flat trail.”

As I’ve learned over my last 33 years of existing, my mother, as usual, was right. Â As soon as we found the road leading to Cathedral Rock, the tall red stone jutting out of the earth made it very apparent that it would indeed be a steep climb. Â One my parents were probably not willing to make.

Having come on a Sunday, we found that we were not the only ones in search of a little beauty and adventure on this particular weekend, and the lack of available parking spots had us taking a few unscheduled detours past private homes perched on hills, before circling back down and snagging a spot in the front row. Â Since we had made the drive all the way out there, we couldn’t just stand at the base and stare up at it without attempting to scale it. Â At least for Matt and I. Â Like a kid looking to leave a candy store with a fist full of goodies, I looked up at my parents, my eyes asking for permission to leave them behind while the two of us did a little exploring.

They of course let us go, and we promised them we should be back in less than an hour. Â 30 minutes up and 30 minutes back right? Â And so Matt and I quickly ran away while we left my parents behind in the car.Â Don’t worry, we left the windows cracked for them.

Although we had been experiencing some blustery conditions at breakfast and I had been very happy to have on my jeans and fleece, they were quickly becoming unnecessary as we just as quickly began passing people at the base of the rock. Â Because I somewhat expected this I had left my fleece behind, having traded it for a cardigan, but even that was tucked away in a little bag and my jeans were already starting to glue themselves to my leg.

Passing people left and right, we scampered up the red rocks, trying to keep to our timelines so my parents wouldn’t worry and call the rangers on us once our 60 minutes were up. Â Or least, that was my excuse for rushing. Â Matt just likes running up mountains. Â We did stop every now and then to take in the views as well as a few photos.

Although the climb didn’t seem hard, it was becoming never ending. Â What I thought was the top of the trail only led to more trail heads off to the side and more climbing. Â Just when I was sure that we’d already been up there for nearly an hour and would have to run back down now, a few couples passed us on their decent and not only let us know that we were so close to getting to the top, but the views were absolutely worth the effort to keep going. Â Luckily they were telling the truth that it really was only a few more minutes of climbing, and also, the views were definitely worth the effort.

At the top we were greeted with a cliff that had a small walkway wedged out over a fairly sheer drop, and views of the valley from the opposite side of the rock we had come up. The popular thing to do was have your photo taken at the edge of the cliff, and because that’s what everyone seemed to be coming up for, we had to wait in line a few minutes before I was able to make my way over for my own photo shoot.

Taking in a few more side trails before we made our way back down, we were once again a little bummed that we didn’t have a full afternoon to devote to our climb here. Â I really should do my research better. Â Given my parents a free pass to go out and enjoy a winery without me, and pick Matt and I up a few hours later, instead of making them sit at the base and wait for us.

Grudgingly making our way down, we were also making up for lost time by basically skipping and jumping the entire way. Â Most people will tell you that the most difficult part of a climb is the descent (and we found that to be true at Machu Picchu), but in this case it was incredibly easy. Â Even grace-challenged moi was able to jump and leap without any fear of tumbling down the face of a mountain. Â Although there were one or two areas I was forced to do a butt crawl because of the steep angles of the rock and improper footing.

What seemed like 10 minutes later we were back and the bottom and taking the trail to the parking lot, searching for my parents and hoping they weren’t worried like crazy. Â Turns out they were just fine without us. Â They had taken a nice little walking trail at the bottom for 45 minutes or so, and then went back the car to enjoy a few drinks while using their binnocculars to watch us and others make their way up and down. Â They had no worries about us at all.

And although we never made it to Devil’s Bridge where it would have looked like I was teetering on top of the earth, I think I ended up with my Instagram worthy photo anyway.

Light Rock Climbing & Hiking at Mt. Lemmon

June 29, 2016

by Jessica with 3 Comments Family

I somewhat feel like I’m recycling activities from my last visit from Arizona 3 years ago, but that’s only for 2 reasons. Â The first is they were so great the first time around that not only would I want to do them again anyway the next chance I had, but the other reason is because Matt wasn’t there to experience them with me the first time and I wanted to be able to share in them with him. Â Plus, with the visit to Mt. Lemmon on this day, it helped knocked two birds with one stone in a second way: this is another high elevation destination to escape the heat of the valley and get a little greenery in. Â Remember Matt’s complaint that Arizona is all…oh, what was the color he used to describe it…adobe?; well, we were still determined to show him how colorful it could be.

The last time I made my way to Mt. Lemmon was in January of 2013, and when my dad and I happened to make the trip up after he finished with a recruitment seminar at one of the local technical schools in Tuscon, we actually found ourselves in a blizzard once we made it to the top. Â A blizzard so bad that the roads threatened to close down and we were a little unsure of how his two wheel drive truck would handle the steep hairpin turns on the way back down. On this visit we were escaping Phoenix’s first 3 digit temp day, and even though it can be up to 30 degrees cooler at the top of the mountain than in the valley, snow was of no concern this time.

We enjoyed a scenic ride from Phoenix down to Tuscon, with a great drive past Â the Santa Catalina mountains. Â The drive through Tuscon itself was terrible though, and I feel terrible for anyone who lives, works, or goes to school there and has to traverse those roads and sit through their endless red lights on a daily basis. Â All was forgotten though as soon as we picked up the road to take us to the little town of Summerhaven at the top of Mt. Lemmon. Â Finding an attractive scenic overlook about half way up, we stopped the car for a few minutes of wandering. Â Although Matt and I had both brought sneakers for once we reached the top, we roamed around this area in our flip flops. Â Maybe not the wisest decision we could make, and for scaling a few of the rocks we actually opted to go barefoot for better traction.

Back in the car we began on the rest of the drive up, our necks craning to take in the view with each turn we made. Â Luckily for us we were making this trip in the middle of the week and traffic was low, sine we’ve heard there can be backups for hours on busy summer weekends. Â When we did reach the top it was apparent that breakfast had been hours ago, and all of our stomachs were growling and ready for lunch. I will say there aren’t many places to eat out in the town of Summerhaven, but I did remember the sweet potato tots I had as a side on my last visit to the Sawmill Run restaurant with my dad, and it was an easy choice to go back a second time.

Sitting Â out on the patio we had a nice combination of sun and breeze, although the umbrella did help to keep Matt cool since he was apparently still overheating when the sun would run across his skin. Â I have no idea how he’s going to survive this next summer in Florida! There were so many delicious looking choices on the menu that it was incredibly hard to make a decision, and in the end I ended up splitting a ruben with my mom and we each picked our own side. Â When the food came out I couldn’t imagine trying to eat the full sandwich myself as the portions are huge!

(Photos courtesy of Sawmill Run)

(Photo courtesy of Trip Advisor)

Once our stomachs were full and I felt like I couldn’t even stand up, it was time for hiking! Â Driving further up the road we came into a little park with a stream that had some nice trails around it. Â The last time I had been up there this part of the road was closed, so it was nice to do a little more exploring this time around and actually see the place my parents keep telling me about where they sometimes pack a picnic to escape the heat of summer in Phoenix. The four of us took a stroll by the little brook, but when Matt and I decided to venture further, my parents were happy to sit back at the picnic tables and enjoy a glass of wine while we explored.

Since we opted to go off the beaten path, there were a few awkward moments of how to get over the stream in certain areas, or around big boulders that towered over us. Â Thankfully we had changed into our sneakers now and staying adhered to the ground was a little bit easier. Â Except in the areas which were carpeted in pine needles. Â Those still sent us sliding a little bit.

After forging our own path up a ravine with thrilling views of the drop below us and forests of pines in the distance, we were feeling quite proud of ourselves. Â That was, until we saw families with little kids just up ahead of us. Â Every damn time! Â This is just like when we climbed the Red Rock Canyon in Vegas and worried we were putting our lives in danger while getting to the top, only to find five year olds scampering past us once we reached the top. Â It turns out in this case there was a much easier path we had missed in the beginning. Â We had only found it half way through after basically scaling up logs and boulders.

It wasn’t a long hike for us as the trail we eventually caught onto kind of petered out into an area of dead trees which had most likely suffered from the terrible fire that ravaged parts of this town about 10 years ago. Â We followed our path back, but before joining up with my parents again we took a detour up to the top of hill to see what kind of views we could gain. It turns out we liked looking down the ravine better than we liked looking across to the next hill of pine trees. Â The views were still of course really nice, but we, or at least me, were craving the panoramic views of the valley below us. Â Sitting back down with my parents at their picnic table I took in a few sips of Gatorade before enjoying some wine and cheese before our drive back down. Â Another perfect day spent in Arizona surrounded by the people I care about most.

Pure, Simple Beauty; In Mountains & Wood Watches

June 20, 2016

by Jessica with One Comment Family Sponsors

Its no surprise that part of the draw of visiting Â Arizona is for it’s mountainous landscape. Â It’s rare you’ll find a flat piece of land here, and even if you happen to be in one of it’s few valleys, you’re never far from a spectacular view of peaks in the distance. Â Vacationing over from one of the flattest states in the US, these sights were a welcome change from the horizontal grounds we’ve been living in for the past year.

One of the exceptional things about all the ridges and sierras we’ve seen so far is not only how beautiful they are, but how simple they are in their beauty. Â There’s nothing flashy or flamboyant about them, yet they are so mesmerizing you can’t take your gaze away. Â One of nature’s best canvases unfolded in front of our eyes. Â No bells and whistles needed, just pure, simple beauty.

Not only have we noticed this trait about the vistas around us, but also from our new JORD watches. Â This is a company we’ve worked with before, who offer unique timepieces made from wood. Â Directed at those who lead an experiential lifestyle, this company is all about individuality and a touch of natural elegance and practicality in their products. It’s hard not to find yourself getting lost in the wide series of time keepers offered through their site.

When they contacted us to work with them again, we jumped at the chance. Â There’s already been so many compliments to our first set of watches that I couldn’t wait to grow our collection. Â This time around, Matt picked the Fieldcrest Â in Dark Sandalwood, a choice that he almost went with last year. Â Since I’ve recently fallen in love with maple after we’ve begun using it for the counters and floors in the new boat, I selected the Ely Series in Maple.

If both of our watches have one thing in common, along with these astounding mountain views, is they are also pure and simple in their beauty but uncommon enough to make you turn your head with a second glance which turns into a long gaze as you try to pinpoint what it is about it’s simplicity that makes it so fascinating. Â The oiled woods themselves are gorgeous and the faces bring your eye in with their intricate markings.

I’ve already begun pairing mine with as many outfits as I can, and whenever Matt slides his up his wrist I can’t help but blurt out, “That looks so good on you”. Â I’m sure we’ll receive just as many compliments on our new set of watches, and who knows, maybe we’ll keep our collection going!

Back to our original subject though…. Â Although it would be almost impossible for me to write posts on all the marvelous sights we took in and stops we’ve made with our time in Arizona, I thought I could at least put together something on our favorite landscapes during our time here, and also sneak in a few photos of our impressive new watches. Â Included will be a few tidbits about each stop, although you’ve already read about our first one to Payson.

Another great stop on our visit to Arizona was Sedona. Â Famous for it’s notable red sandstone formations, this area is a must see for anyone passing through the state.Â Taking a run over to Cathedral Rock, one of the most photographed sites in Arizona, we were able to get a wide assortment of amazing photos as Matt and I scaled the steep rock.

I’m saving this destination for a full post, but here’s a few snippets of the day.

In the middle of the week we took off from the house to view some of the best ‘close to home’ sights. Â Things that weren’t more than a 30 minute drive away. Â A place I had visited before but wanted to see again was Fountain Hills, just outside of Scottsdale. Â Every hour on the hour, there is a Â large fountain in the center of a pond that will shoot up 560 feet in the air, the fourth tallest fountain in the world!

Filled with playgrounds for kids and shaded picnic tables for the adults, its a great place to pack a snack and a few drinks to sit and relax before or after the big show. Â Or if you stay long enough, you get the chance to see it over and over again.

On this busy local day of ours, we also made a stop at Saguaro Lake. Â Just 20 miles outside of Mesa, this is a reservoir on Salt River that becomes a very popular spot for locals once the temperatures start going up. Â We’ve heard that if you try to get in here on a weekend during the summer, there can be a wait of an hour just to find a spot in the parking lot.

Getting a close up look at this lake, we could see why it’s such a popular haunt for anyone looking for time on the water in the middle of this desert. Â The water was extremely clear, and dipping a toe into it, was refreshingly cool. Â With the impressive mountains that drape as a backdrop, it’s the best of both worlds as you cool off from the heat and take in the bouldered landscape.

The drive home took us back to the outlook we visited our first day here, overlooking the Superstition Mountains. Â Because the sun had been in our eyes and blinding us a little during our first visit, we thought we might get Â better views by stopping once more in the afternoon. Â By this time the sun was resting behind us and highlighting the mountains much better. Â We could clearly see Salt River winding in front of us, and fly fishers wading through.

We’d heard that tubing season on the river just opened, and although it was the middle of the week, you could see the stray person here or there floating through the water. Â Another great spot to cool oneself in this climate while enjoying breathtaking views. In the distance we could just make out Four Peaks, another recognizable landmarkÂ for it’s 4 peaks, which also grace the state’s license plate.

Â The last extra local sight we took in was one I had been begging my dad to bring me around to after I’d seen an amazing photo of it online, and that was Red Rock. Â Originally he’d told me that there were no good roads leading up to it and the closest you’d actually see it was from the expressway. Â Luckily for me, as we were taking a county road home one evening we found a park that offered xx views from just across a small river.

Pulling into the parking lot, we wandered up to the waters edge and caught a few glimpses just as the sun was starting to go down. Â This is still one of my favorite sights of the trip, and coming upon this park was a complete act of Serendipity.

A special note from JORD, right now they are offering a special $25 e-gift card toward any purchase! Â Sign up for yours with just your name and email address here and have yours sent over. Â You’d better hurry though, supplies are limited, and once they’re gone, they’re gone!

A Landlubber Vacation

June 15, 2016

by Jessica with 5 Comments Family

It has been 20 weeks since our last real vacation from boat work, and to say that we were ready for it was the understatement of the century. Â Sure, there’s been the random day off here or there. What’s come to be known as ‘Bloody Mary Sunday’ where we spent a day at the marina drinking way too many bloody marys with friends in the work yard and were in bed by 3 pm; the 2 days we took off to head to Miami for our Vineyard Vines photo shoot; and one morning where I put my foot down and told Matt I couldn’t go on anymore without a break, so we watched a marathon of Mad Men in bed instead; but other than that, each day has consisted of some form of work.

Luckily there have been the occasional BBQs at the patio in the evening or different sets of friends stopping by to give us a little nightly entertainment, but otherwise our nose has been to the grindstone as we’ve spent way many more months working on the exterior of Daze Off than we ever thought it would take. WE obtained all of our equipment on https://www.altitude-sports.com/collections/gear-tents-shelters to keep safe outdoors and have fun. So when my parents had offered in their last visit to see us in December to host us at their place in Arizona anytime we wanted, we knew it was time to take them up on that offer.

Our flight out of Palm Beach gave us great views of the ICW and coastline out the window, and even a shot at Lake Worth below us where our friends Johannes and Cati were sitting at anchor. Â Although we missed our connecting flight to Phoenix and arrived two hours later than we originally anticipated, it was still nice to be able to travel where I could hand over the reigns of getting there, and all I had to do was show up. I still laugh at the people who complain how hard it is to fly somewhere because of connections or having to stand in any number of random lines. Â Seriously, try sailing there. Â You still have it easier while you’re sitting in a waiting area playing around on your wifi.

Because of our 1 am arrival to my parents house, we thought our first day would be full of lounging in front of the tv with air conditioning blowing on us, and maybe taking a dip in the pool after drinking a cold beer or two in the afternoon. Â Little did we know that my dad had taken a half day off work so he could take us sightseeing. Â After hearing a few comments from Matt in the past of “I could never live in a desert, I need something green around me”, I think my parents took the hint on what he might want to see with his time there.

Piling into car, we did make a quick pit stop before our destination de jour to an overlook of the Superstition Mountains that run on the outskirts of where my parents live in Mesa, and the river that winds around them. Â We were told about some hiking trails just up the road, and I was determined that at least one day during our stay, Matt and I would get around to seeing them.

For the next 90 minutes or so we rode through a mix of expressways and county roads, our elevation changing, and the scenery along with it. Â Fields of dust gave way to groups of cacti, which turned into low shrubs, and eventually pine trees. The area we were eventually trying to end up that day was the Mogollon Rim that runs through Payson. Â Located at an elevation of 5,000 ft, it’s a popular place for people in the valley to escape the heat and take in some spectacular views while they’re at it.

As soon as we jumped out of the car we noticed the sharp temperature drop, having gone from 80’s back in Mesa to barely hitting 60 degrees here. Â As we walked out toward the edge off the rim, turbulent winds came out of hiding and made you second guess every step you took closer to the edge. Â The views below were well worth any lack of stability though, and it felt like we were transported to a scene that was more appropriate for South Carolina, but definitely not the Arizona we had been expecting. Â My parents definitely hit the mark when they decided to take us here.

Taking a few different trails down to different areas of the rim, I took in every view I could while teetering on top of the large rocks that separated me from the bottom. Â At the end of one trail we saw a memorial sign for a pet and I really hoped that someone wasn’t playing an ill located game of fetch with their dog, until my dad mentioned that it may have been the dog’s favorite place to go and not how he died. Â It did turn into the running joke of the day though, pretending to throw a ball and then making woofing sounds that slowly died out.

Taking shelter from the winds we drove further into the park where a small lake was situated. Â Strolling the banks of it Â for a few minutes, we also decided it was a good time for a small picnic of cheese and wine by the water. Â Since it was the middle of the week and also the beginning of camping season, things were rather slow and we had the whole place to ourselves.

Our last stop of the day was an unintended one, but a pleasant surprise to all of us. Â My dad had seen something Â on TV recently about Tonto Natural Bridge Park, and since we were so close we decided, why not? Â Unfortunately we did end up there about an hour before closing, but it still gave us enough time to do a little walking and take in some great sights.

The Tonto Natural Bridge is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world. Â It stands at 400 ft long, 150 ft wide, and 183 ft high. Â The first path we took to view it brought us out to the back side of it where you could start to see that a cave was forming, but mostly took in the large amounts of reddish limestone in front of you. Â If we thought that was a great view, we had no idea what was waiting for us on the other side.

Retracing our steps back through the parking lot and to the next viewing area, we had no idea that we were in fact walking on the natural bridge until an open grate in the cement showed us the view to the rocks and stream 183 ft below us. Â Getting off the bridge and turning a corner onto another path, we were able to look back to where we had just come from. Â A lone tree sitting on a lump of soil was hanging precariously over an edge that led to a sheer drop surrounded by jagged limestone on each side.

All for of us stood in awe for a few moments since this had been such an unexpected surprise, and I don’t think any of us knew what to predict from our visit here. Â From our perch on the walkway we could see another path at the bottom of the bridge which led right up to the cave, but unfortunately we didn’t have enough time before the park closed to be able to check it out.

Instead, with our remaining time, we decided to quickly check out the waterfall trail right next to where we had parked the car. Â It didn’t look like much from the trail head, but as we got deeper into it we quickly began descending steep steps in the dirt that led to lush greenery. Â The walk wasn’t very long, and soon we were straightening out and could see a small waterfall in the rocks ahead of us. Again the change in scenery was sudden and unforeseen. Who knew such a diverse geography could be held in such a small area?

Spending just a few minutes taking in the sights, we knew we needed to be out of the park before it closed. Â Plus those large couches, air conditioning, and a large dinner from Five Guys was calling our name. Â Settling back in the car for the two hour drive home I finally let the toll of the last days travel set in as I fell into the cracks of the cushions and my little travel pillow. Â For our first day in, we’d taken in more remarkable sights than I’d been expecting to see during our entire stay. Â And since this was only day one, who knew what else awaited us.

Our Own Private Champage Cruise

February 3, 2016

by Jessica with No Comment Family Florida

Weeks before my parents arrived, I received an email from my mom asking if we would be interested in taking a sunset cruise during our time in Fort Lauderdale. I was ecstatic to hear this, but also a little surprised as it can be hard to get my parents out for boat rides sometimes. Â Especially ones that lead to the ocean. Maybe it was because they knew we could book it the day of, making sure to watch weather conditions; maybe it was because they knew a company that caters to tourist probably wouldn’t go out in some of the conditions Matt and I have been forced to endure; or maybe it was because they must have known how much we’re missing our time on the water and wanted to give us a little piece of that back. Â Because my parents are awesome like that.

For awhile during our vacation it looked like we may not actually be able to get out on this excursion that I’d now been looking forward to for weeks. Â When we first arrived to Fort Lauderdale the winds were extremely strong, the seas were high enough to be bouncy, and even if the cruises were still running the ride would most likely be very uncomfortable. Â Once the winds died down the rain started up, and every day was a guess of when the showers would be in and for how long. Â This was not the November we were expecting in Florida, and it seemed we were stuck in summer-like weather patterns.

It took until almost our last day before leaving for us to make this happen. Â The morning and afternoon had all been off and on rain showers, although the evening looked promising. Visiting in the mid afternoon, just to get a feel for the area so we didn’t rush ourselves later, we purchased tickets and took a look at the boat. Â This part of the day was still sunny and they’d just come in from taking a group snorkeling and swimming the reefs just outside the inlet. Â Who knew those even existed in Fort Lauderdale? The office mentioned they go out rain or shine, and if we showed up to go, they would take us.

The late afternoon was quite questionable, but my favorite site of Passage Weather showed that precipitation would be gone, waves would be non existent, and winds would be very little. Â That sounded just fine to me. Â I didn’t need a thrill ride of a sunset tour, I just needed a good sunset and a full glass of champagne. Â And if the clouds indeed clear up, I’d be promised 2 out of 2. Luckily the universe did take a little pity on me and the clouds did part just in time for our departure from the condo.

Arriving at the Spirit of Fort Lauderdale, we found another surprise. Â We were the only ones to sign up for that evenings cruise. Â We had the whole catamaran to ourselves! I was hoping that meant each person on board each received their own bottle of champagne, but that request was quickly smashed down. Â (It’s ok, there was still Dos XX in the fridge for when I got back…) Â We had Captain Mike and Jason on duty that night, and as soon as they finished with the required safety speech, the dock lines where thrown off and we had the music pumping out of the speakers to whatever station we wanted. Â Since we had full run of the place.

The crew members quickly became our talking buddies, and we turned the cruise into a big hangout session instead of us by ourselves and them by themselves. Gliding down the ICW and closer to the inlet the sun was already dipping and the sky was radiating different colors of yellow and pink. As we passed by mega yachts and mega mansions, Mike and Jason were able to give us the history or some background on a lot of these boats and homes

One of the best parts of the trip for me, how lame is this, was coming up to the 17th St. Causeway and not having to lift a finger to get under it. Â No hailing the bridge tender, no controlling the boat so I could time our approach just perfectly, and no watching for oncoming traffic to avoid. Â I was able to just sit back and watch the waterfront restaurants begin to light up their decks, or finally get a good look at all these ridiculously large yachts we were passing by.

On the other side of the bridge we found ourselves right upon the inlet to the Atlantic and it was time to raise the sails. Â Another thing I did not have to lift a finger for. Â By this time the sun was fully down and we were surrounded by a soft pink lighting behind us, and a deepening blue as we made our way out into open waters. Â A slight chop was coming through, and I joined my parents on the 14ft trampoline up by the bow, and rode the small waves like a ride until a few began splashing up underneath us and trying to soak our pants.

It turned out that the little wind I had been watching earlier turned out to be much too small to fill our sails. Getting out into open water, we sailed close hauled for a bit as we slightly bobbed around in the small swells. Â The sail that didn’t want to stay full was smacking back and forth a bit, and very much reminded me of our sail from Miami to Bermuda.

Once the sky began to turn black, the consensus on board was that without much sailing happening there wasn’t a lot of reason to stay out in the Atlantic just to run up the clock. Â There could still be touring done inside the canals. Â Turning the boat around we had a slightly more comfortable and half a knot faster sail back inside the waterway. As soon as we were inside and the sails were lowered it was time for the champagne to come out.

Giving a big toast between ourselves and to our crew, we had a fantastic run for the last little bit of our cruise. Â With my full glass of champagne, we all stood out on deck and watched the bright lights of the city shining down on us. Â As a special treat, and since we had a little extra time, we made a run down a side canal to take a look at a few of the waterfront homes and took a little shock in realizing that most people did not put blinds into their living rooms or kitchens. Â And I have to say, a few of the meals I was able to see prepared looked really delicious.

Before we knew it we were sliding back into our slip at the marina and it was time to trade in our sailing hat for a land based one. Â Cruisers living on dirt once again. Â It was a great experience to get there once again, and if anything it’s going to give me more drive to work even harder on our boat to get here back out as soon as possible. Â But of course this night would not have been as special without my wonderful parents, for taking us on this cruise and enjoying their company while we were out. Â We were also blessed with a fantastic crew that made the experience incredibly enjoyable and made it feel as if we were out on the water with any number of new cruising friends we make along the way. Â The perfect way to wrap up another fantastic visit from my family.

The Hidden Gem that is Crandon Park, Key Biscayne

January 28, 2016

by Jessica with 4 Comments Family Florida

The condo we’re staying at with my parents in Fort Lauderdale happens to be about one block from the Bonnet House. Â While brainstorming up things to do with our time there, it obviously came up as a contender. Â It’s supposed to be a beautiful house full of history, and lavish grounds to wander. I’m sure many visitors have spent long afternoons there doing just this. Â We were almost some of them. Â Until I took a look at their website and found that tours cost $20/person. Â Even if you only wanted to walk the grounds you had to hand over $10. Â A quick tram ride could get you through for $2.

As soon as we saw these prices though, Matt and I did not want to participate in any of it. Â Not that my parents couldn’t or didn’t want to hand over this money for us all to have an afternoon out, they were more than happy to have this as a possibility for ‘Things to Do’ during our time here. Â The thing was…I knew of a much better place for us to spend an afternoon. Â One that happened to be completely free.

Last May when Matt and I had about a month to kill in Miami waiting on specific paperwork for the cat before we could make our Atlantic crossing to Europe, we spent a lot of time with our cruising friends Alfredo and Ana Bianca, and family of theirs that lived on Key Biscayne. One afternoon while visiting, where we had a little more time on our hands than they did, they sent us off on a pair of bicycles to check out a nice local beach called Crandon Park. With the exception of having a house to tour (and based on the photos, I’m not sure it would have been my style), these grounds were much more appealing.

Here is one thing I can not understand about this park. Â Every time we have summer here; summer; winter; weekday; weekend; it is always empty. Â A complete ghost town, which is surprising considering how beautiful it is. As we parked our car in the vacant lot, we walked the sidewalk leading up to the beach, making sure to stop for just a moment to take in one of my favorite perks of this park. Â Situated on the south side of the beach is a bird sanctuary, with it’s own trails and sitting areas, this area used to be one of the leading zoos in the country back in the 1960’s. Â Having previously hosted over 1,000 animals of over 380 species, it’s open air animal exhibits now sit empty, and the birds which currently reside there are allowed to roam free.

Such is the case of the ostentation of peacocks we found lining the fence as we arrived. Â Very accustomed to visitors and handouts of food, they are not shy of people and it’s quite easy to get a close up view of them. Â Saving a more thorough stroll of those grounds for just a little later, we instead made our way to the palm trees and shoreline. Passing by shaded picnic areas and charcoal grills, we left the pavement and slid off our shoes as we entered the warm mid day sand.

One thing Matt and I agreed of why we love this beach so much is that other than it’s magnificent turquoise colored waters and tall sprouting palm trees, for some reason it looks as if it would fit much better into the coast of North Carolina than Southern Florida. With the exception of a few high rises at the very far end of the beach, the area appears very secluded and not at all flashy. Â Although I do love a good afternoon of people watching and viewing all the vibrantly colored life guard stations on South Beach…this area just seems cleaner and more uniform. Â But in a good way.

The light yellow lifeguard stands pop out perfectly from the vivid waters behind them and the palm trees lining each side. It’s a quiet area, very peaceful. Â Just a short drive from the major metropolis of Miami, yet you still have the sense of solitude. Â At low tide there are shallow pools to wade in, and any time is perfect for diving into a novel without surrounding distractions. Â I don’t know, I can’t describe it. Just a little slice of perfection in Southern Florida that we never seem to get enough time to spend in.

Such was the case this afternoon as we had no suits on us for swimming or umbrellas to shade us from the sweltering sun. We did make a quick run of the sanctuary where most of the birds seemed to be hiding on this particular day, but the iguanas were have the run of the grounds. Once we realized that we were approaching late afternoon we did make our way up to bustling South Beach to find a nice outdoor cafe for some lunch and people watching. Since we couldn’t make the most of Crandon Park, it did seem only the logical thing to do.

Off to the Coast!

January 25, 2016

by Jessica with No Comment Family Florida

It’s vacation time again! Â Just five weeks after returning from a week long escape in Stuart with Matt’s family, my parents have just flown in to take us away for a week to Fort Lauderdale. The rents are back for the second time this year and we couldn’t be happier to see them! And I’m sorry, but I do have to take a quick second and poke a little fun at them, as when I called them by this slang term in a post during their previous visit, they had no idea what it meant. Â Funny. Â I thought I was dating myself by using it.

Anyway….they arrived at the marina on Thanksgiving, but unfortunately a few hours later than all the festivities being held here that day. Â We did manage to save them a few plates of turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, and even the keg hadn’t been tapped yet so there was still free cold beer to enjoy with our late lunch/early dinner. Having them stay at the only hotel Indiantown has to offer, we all met back up the next morning for breakfast and drove out to see my grandparents in Sebring.

Hopping back in the rental car after a nice afternoon and lunch spent with them (no way we were going to chance the van breaking down driving across the state), we set off for Fort Lauderdale and only had to make one stop at a questionable gas station in Clewston before pulling into our hotel just after the sun set. A little bit different than when we had all taken off to Fort Lauderdale in April, this time we were only a block from the beach, staying in a high rise with the Atlantic on one side and the ICW on the other. It was a balmy yet very windy night, although it was not stop us from taking a stroll down Beach Blvd. Â Even in the dark and across the street we could see giant waves crashing against the shore, and before we even left I knew it would be necessary to change from my dress into jeans. Â Not because of dropping temperatures, but because if I hadn’t I would have ended up with it over in my head. Trust me, it was doing a good job of trying in the parking lot upon our arrival.

Since I had underestimated the size of the city blocks here (or had only read street names with bridges), I had vastly misjudged our distance from Sunrise down to Las Olas Blvd, where all the happening bars and restaurants were, so instead of making it down there to possibly grab a drink we turned around and took the back roads back to the hotel where we were slightly blocked from the strong east winds. Not to let that hold us back from enjoying that beer together, we got in the car once more to do a little necessary grocery shopping at the Publix up the road and stocked ourselves up on some Dos XX and limes to get us through the next few days. Â Ending the night in front of the tv, we were all exhausted after our recent traveling over the past few days, barley keeping our eyes open through an interesting reenactment of the Donner party. Â You may joke, but I honestly would have been in bed an hour earlier if we hadn’t been watching it.

In the morning we took our sweet time getting ready, with really no place to be. Â Sitting over coffee and each person person playing on their computer or tablet for bit (I may be a little ashamed to admit that I’ve been spending a bit too much time with our Instagram account lately, getting it going) we did force ourselves out for a daylight walk before lunch, walking across the draw bridge to watch the sailboats going south, and then out to the beach to stick our toes in the water.

We’ve been spending a few days just relaxing around the condo, getting the use of a full kitchen again, and even running some errands around town. Â It’s never a bad day when your parents want to take you shopping at Bed Bath & Beyond to help you stock up your galley with gadgets and provide you with new bath towels since the ones you have are six years old. Â Ick. Â We also took an afternoon to go to the movie theater and see the newest Hunger Games. Â We even ended up at one of those fancy movie theaters where they serve food and drinks during the show. Â A literal dinner & a movie date. Â We skipped on the food, but most of us did partake in an adult beverage. Â Watching a movie on the big screen with an ice cold Sam Adams in my hand? Â A pretty cool way to spend an afternoon.

Speaking of going out for a beer, we also somewhat ran into some cruising friends here! Â For the past two years we’ve been talking to and trying to meet up with Rebecca and Brian of Summertime Rolls. Â There’s even been more than one occasion where we’ve missed each other by only a day or to. Â Us getting to the Bahamas a day or two after they left; or them arriving to the Virgin Islands only a few days after we left. When they had seen on our Facebook page that we were in Ft. Lauderdale they let us know they happened to be just up the road!

Finding an Irish Pub one block up from us that had a very good happy hour, the four of us finally met and spent a good few hours talking about our past few years sailing. Â Not only have we cruised so many of the same grounds, but our social circles consist of basically all the same people, so the conversations were endless. Definitely a bit of fun and unexpected serendipity thrown into our schedule. Â I can’t wait to see what the rest of our time here holds for us.

Bathtub Reef Beach

November 23, 2015

by Jessica with One Comment Family Florida

Saturday October 17, 2015

There must be something about the water that keeps drawing us back in. I have to remind myself of this every time (previously) that I’ve had it up to my neck with cruising and living on a boat and longed for nothing more than an apartment in a high-rise in a big city with my feet firmly planted on the ground. Yet the water always drags me back, and any time I’m away for too long, I find myself needing to dip my toes in and stare off into the horizon.

This is likely why we found ourselves spending another whole day at the shore with Matt’s family as part of a vacation for all of us. Luckily, they must have the same draw to the water as we do, which is probably why Matt and I were so fortunate to grow up by the shores of Lake Michigan. So when yesterday came and the question arose of, “What do we do with our day?” all of us were ready to hit the beach.

Packing a cooler and all of Travis’ fishing gear—complete with his new prescription fishing sunglasses, which really helped him see the fish lurking below the surface—we made our way to the Jensen Beach area to lay out our towels and relax in the sun. Once again, we were nearly the only people on this slice of sand. It could have been nice and relaxing, but most of us had forgotten to bring any other forms of entertainment, such as books, magazines, or music; and people-watching was out as well. Cracking open a pre-lunch beer, Matt and I split it while watching Travis’ fishing pole clunk down into the sand every time he tried walking away from it. It was pretty soon agreed that we needed to go back to Bathtub Reef Beach.

After visiting a local diner for lunch, still carrying salt in our hair and sand on our legs, we traveled back out to Hutchinson Island and turned onto the now-familiar drive at the Marriott to follow the road to our destination. Just as before, we pulled into the parking lot to find it nearly full. There would be plenty of people-watching here today.

Now, don’t laugh when I say this, but none of us were ready to do anything more than wade into the water until we reached this protected little tub. There have been a multitude of shark attacks in the area lately, and we at least wanted to make it a little harder for them if they targeted us. Not only did we have to get past the reef and into the tub, but we were also choosing our ankles among many instead of a few. However, since we were no longer the only human food option around, we were ready to go crazy in the water.

As we walked out to the reef to do a little fishing, we were awed to see schools of hundreds of fish riding each cresting wave toward us. We were sure there would be fresh snapper on the grill that night until the lifeguard blew the whistle at us and said we needed to move further down the beach and away from people—a possible blessing in disguise.

Down the point and around a corner were all these beautiful rocks that ran along the water’s edge. Grabbing our soft cooler and all the fishing gear, we walked over the thousands of seashells strewn in front of us and took shelter in front of one of these large boulders. Submerged under high tide, we were able to sneak in once it had fallen and situated ourselves on the still-wet and worn-away edges along the water. With the waves crashing up and just touching our toes, it was an excellent little spot to lose yourself for the day. It was the perfect way to spend vacation time—away from the city and the high rises, just sitting at the water’s edge, with the water lapping at my toes as I stared off into the horizon.

(Above photos courtesy of Matt’s mom)

Our Vacation to Stuart

November 17, 2015

by Jessica with One Comment Family Florida

Wednesday October 14, 2015

This week we’re very excited and very lucky, because Matt’s family is visiting us from Michigan. Â Since we had never made it back there this past summer, although we totally should have, they came down to us instead. Â A perfect little treat and also a much needed break away from boat work. Â Having rented a two bedroom house for all of us to occupy in Stuart, just so we could go back to the boat and do some work during their visit if we wanted, we quickly realized that the boat was the last thing we wanted to see and packed our bags for the full week assuming there would be no reason to come back.

Giving them the grand tour of Daze Off (get your own personalized video tour here) we then had lunch at what is quickly becoming my favorite restaurant in Indiantown, and told them that after grabbing a few last minute thing from the boat we’d forgotten, that we’d meet them in Stuart. Â All seemed well and good as we turned east on 76 with a week full of carefree fun on our minds. Â Our Kia had other plans for us.

I’m not sure if it’s just deciding to test Matt and his statement of “We can just ditch this cheap van on the side of the road if it gives us too many problems”, and wanted to see how many times it could break down on us before he stayed true to his word. Just two minutes down the road the temperature levels were spiking and there was smoke pouring out of our hood. Â Quickly pulling over we tightened a few hose clamps from where we’d just finished replacing the alternator and called it good. Â We’d inspect it more once we arrived in Stuart. Â All we had to do was get there first.

Our Kia was not so optimistic. Â Another five minutes down the road the temperature levels were through the roof and just as I was looking for a side street to pull over on the engine cut out on me. Â I had just enough acceleration left to use the manual steering and brakes to pull us into the driveway of a local Thoroughbred Park. Â Putting a message in to Matt’s brother Travis over FB since we didn’t have anyone’s # (hey, we work through emails) we let them know they’d have to come back for us, and then went about calling a tow truck to get the van back to the marina. Â First calling a guy and then cancelling because we didn’t know if he was covered by our roadside assistance, we got in touch with our insurance company who told us the closest truck was still 90 minutes away.

This is how the timeline went for the rest of the day.

4:30 Â Placed message to Matt’s family and called initial tow truck.

4:45 Cancel first tow truck and call insurance company

5:00 Matt’s family shows up and we begin to wait.

5:30 Â Insurance company calls and tells us tow truck driver has cancelled on them and they need to find us a new one.

6:00 Receive a call from insurance company. Â They have found a new driver, although he is 90 minutes away.

6:30 Those two beers I had at lunch are really getting at me. Â Talk Matt’s stepdad into driving me back to the marina so I can pee and also grab my camera battery charger which I’d left behind. Â Also make a stop at Circle K for beer. Â We’ll be needing it soon enough.

7:15 Get back to the broken down Kia with no sign of the tow truck showing up.

8:00 Get an automated call from our insurance company stating our help should have arrived by now. Â Has it?

8:30 I’ve had enough of this s%*t. Â We’re getting eaten alive and so the 5 of us sit smooshed in Matt’s family’s Cadillac along with all their luggage. Â Just as I’m putting in a call to our insurance company I get a call from the tow truck driver stating he’s five minutes away. Â Finally.

8:45 Tow truck arrives and puts the Kia on his bed. Â We follow him back to the marina where he drops it off next to the boat. Â We lock her up and don’t look back as we pile back in the Cadillac. Â This can wait until our vacation is over.

10:00 Arrive at the Walmart in Stuart. Â We’re all famished and need food stat. Â Grabbing a few of the reduced price rotisserie chickens, some sides, and more beer.

11:00 Pull into the very cute rental home and claim our bedroom. Â Luggage is tossed on the floor and I dive into a much needed beer. Â We flip on the tv and drown our troubles in alcohol and greasy food. Â Welcome to vacation.

The next day ended up being much better. Â I think the universe felt bad for how our vacation began and wanted to make up for it.

For anyone who has visited the Stuart Florida area, you’ll know that it has a ton to offer and will probably be surprised that in the 7 months we’ve been living in Indiantown, we’ve never been off US-1 on our visits in. Â I know. Â Shame on us. Â There *was* that one time I wanted to seek out a beach when Matt let me off on my own to run errands for an afternoon, but then the meet up for a Craig’s List purchased in a neighboring town was moved up about an hour and I ran out of time. Â Because if I had actually made it out to the shore that day you can be damn sure I would have dragged Matt back out with me at some point.

Getting in the Cadillac in the late morning just for a drive to see what was around, sans a fishing pole jutting out next to my head this time, we kept following the signs for Beaches until we crossed a few bridges and found ourselves on Hutchinson Island. Picking one of the random and numerous signs with an umbrella and an arrow on it, we pulled into a mostly empty parking lot and followed the sandy trail out to the water. Â Wow. Â It was breathtaking. Â I had no idea these colors of water existed on Florida’s Treasure Coast.

Since this was only supposed to be an exploration day we had not brought our swim suits, towels, or really any essentials for a day at the beach. Â So instead Travis hiked his shorts up Steve Urkel style to wade in the water while I ran to and fro across the sand yelling “This is sooooo gorgeous!!!”. Â Really though, you can’t blame me. Â Wouldn’t you be doing the same thing if you’d just spent the past five weeks working daily on a boat and then being greeted with a view like this?

Since we had let ourselves fully enjoy our morning with about three cups of coffee and lounging, just this one stop had already put us past lunch time. Â Matt’s mom having read wonderful things about the downtown Stuart area and it’s restaurants, we made our way there to see if we could rustle up some grub. Â It turn out that yes, there are in fact a lot of nice restaurants to choose from. Â You’ll just pay out of your a$$ to eat there. Â If it were dinner we probably wouldn’t have minded the splurge but all we were looking for was to make our stomachs stop growling and we didn’t want to pay $12 a burger to do so.

The good new was, just as we were about to jump back in the car and make our way out to a Burger King or McDonalds, we found a really nice pizza joint with some great prices. Â Sold by the slice the servings were huge and we added some garlic knots on top for the perfect lunch. Â It was so big that half of us couldn’t even finish our one slice and may have groaned that we’re ‘never eating again’.

Our day of investigating what Stuart had to offer was long from over though. Â Wanting to check out another beach we made a quick pit stop back at the rental house for all our beach gear since it was on the way. Â Then it was back over the bridges and over the ICW until we were on Hutchinson Island once more. Â This time on our way to Bathtub Reef Beach though.

Something I had actually researched before and found highly reviewed on Trip Advisor, I had originally brushed it aside because the photos were horrible and it did not look like anything special. Â If only I had done a Google search in addition. Â Fortunately Matt’s mom had also taken a look and probably had seen more to it than I had a my first glance. Â She mentioned it was a place she wanted to take a look at and we’re so happy she did.

The beach itself was not as secluded as our little area closer to Jensen Beach, but the reef part was perfect. Â It left a few sandbars and other areas that went as deep as 6 ft before shoaling again near the reef a few hundred feet out from shore. Â Basically it was a big protected swimming pool. Â Except for the jellyfish we were sharing the water with that day, but we just kept a close eye out for them. Oh yes, and one shark feeding on a school of fish that caused the lifeguard to blow his whistle and order everyone out of the water. Â Luckily we had already gotten our swimming in for the day by that point.

For the rest of the afternoon we sat on our towels soaking up the sun or walking the shore line and hunting shells. Â We found that if you walked further north up the beach you could find secluded areas in front of the private homes and also some beautiful rock formations along the water. Â Even though it was only the beginning of our trip we all knew we’d be back here at least one more time. Â It was a little slice of heaven that’s been hiding right under our eyes this whole time we’ve living here. Â How could we not know about it?

Oh, and did I mention they let you bring alcohol on the beach? Now we know where we’ll be bringing all of our cruising friends for a day at the beach once they get down to Florida.