(Podcast) Fun Sailing with Family in Florida: St. James, Pine Island, Fort Myers Beach
Season 2, Episode 7.
Sailing is fun — and sailing with family is even more fun. We’re having a great time doing all these interviews with family and friends, and this episode is a double-header.
Not only do we interview Jennifer (Cristen’s sister), we also get to interview Matt’s mom, Marilyn, and his stepfather, Ron, who came and spent a week with us aboard Moon Dragon as we sailed down the west coast of Florida.
Join us as we cruise down the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) from Burnt Store Marina, across Charlotte Harbor, and down the west coast of Pine Island.
We explore the super cool town of St. James on Pine Island, where we luck into a boat-up restaurant that even has a pup menu. The Waterfront is a fantastic place to go, especially if you love good food and your pets. The dogs may have had their doubts about this whole sailing thing, but this adventure won them over for sure.
In this episode we also celebrate Cristen’s birthday with a spa day at the Pink Shell Resort and Marina on Fort Myers Beach. But to get there, we had to pass under our first bridge — a real test for Matt’s nerves. Once we arrive, we discover the Pink Shell has not only a fantastic spa but a huge pool area, with waterfalls and pools for the kids to play in. It’s right up the little Dude’s alley — he even got to check out his first video game arcade on a rainy afternoon.
Sailors, even if you skip the massage and the pool, you’ll love the bathroom and shower accommodations — they double as spa facilities, some of the best we’ve ever had the pleasure of using in our travels. Well done, Pink Shell!
Once the birthday celebrations wind down, we bid a fond farewell to Ron and Marilyn and prepare for our first-ever overnight offshore trip — to Key West. That is, until the weather and seas turn out to be not quite as forecasted.
Referenced in this episode: Burnt Store Marina; Pine Island, Florida; The Waterfront Restaurant; the Pink Shell Resort and Marina; and Euro World Design.
