Feeling Antsy

 New Bern, NC

Last Sunday was a very nice day.  I felt antsy.  I felt like going out and doing something out of the ordinary, but I didn't have any good ideas.  I asked Libby for ideas.  She didn't have any either.  Then the thought occurred to me, I would not be short of ideas if we were in Marathon.

Burlington, Oriental, New Bern, Saint Augustine, Vero Beach, and The Abacos, and Marathon, are all among our favorite cruising destinations.  Yet Marathon stands out as being substantially better than the others.  It is not just in our minds, I think many cruisers would agree.  

If we had been in Marathon last Sunday, and if the weather was nice, and if we were bored, we could have:

• Gone to Sombrero beach to sunbathe and swim.
• Gone for a bike ride.
• Gone fishing in Whiskey Creek
• Gone fishing on the 7 mile bridge.
• Take the boat out to Sombrero Reef for snorkeling.
• Take the boat out to Coconut Key to anchor for skinny dipping and nature.
• Visited the artist colony on Pigeon Key
• Gone to The Turtle Hospital
• Arranged a Balderdash Tournament
• Attended a lecture on some aspect of cruising.
• Yoga at the Tiki Hut
• Gone out for a guy's lunch (or a gal's lunch for Libby)
• Watched TV or surfed the net at the marina office.
• Gone for a hike at Cranes Point nature area.
• Gone for a day sail in The Atlantic Ocean
• Gone for a day sail in The Gulf of Mexico (Florida Bay.)
• Hosted a dinner party on the boat.
• Played tennis, or bocci ball, or softball in the park. 
• For young folks, played street hockey or skateboarding in the park.
• Gone for lunch and waterside atmosphere at Keys Fisheries or Sunset Grill.
• Gone for a cool waterside drink at Burdines or Dockside
• Toured by dinghy the mangrove forests or the network of canals of Vaca Key.
• Sat under "the tree of wisdom" joining the ever present crowd of regulars. 
• Taken the bus to Key West, Islamorada, Key Largo, or Florida City.
• Taken the bus to Big Pine Key to gather pine needles.
• Assisted another cruiser who asked for project help on The Cruiser's Net.
• Hung out my hammock and tarp on the forward deck and lounge in the shade, mild temperatures and gentle breezes as I read a book and snacked on chips.
• Gone to a movie.

In New Bern on that Sunday, the only thing that occurred to me was go to a movie, so that's what I did.

Note that that my list assumes you do not have access to a car, nor to a large wad of money, and it does not list nighttime activities or things to do on other days of the week.  I'm sure that blog readers could have added another dozen or two things that I didn't think of.  

No other place in the US East Coast, or The Bahamas offers such a long list.  No wonder cruisers like it.