LONGBOAT  KEY   

                                                                       

LONGBOAT KEY

                                                                           

The Sunshine Bridge 

                                 Docked in front of Moores Stone Crab Restaurant

                                                                              

We traveled 30 miles and stayed on Longboat Key.  The bay we docked in was picture perfect with beautiful blue green water and tropical landscape.  We docked in front of Moores Stone Crab Restaurant.  When you eat dinner there you get free overnight dockage. Lots of diners came out to talk to us while I was practicing on my new steel drum and Bill was attempting to smoke a cigar. I think we had a couple of people talked into doing the loop.

The next day we traveled 10 miles to the other end of the key and stayed at Longboat Key Club Moorings.

            Longboat Key Club Moorings (marina is part of their resort) 
                                                            

DOCKED RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE POOL

          The next 2 nights we stayed at the beautiful Longboat Key Club Moorings, a very fancy marina in a very high end area. Longboat Key is all about golf and tennis resorts, big money and large yachts.  They hosted the Sarasota Open, a professional tennis tournament here last weekend. There are no hotels there. Talk about getting spoiled. Free muffins, coffee and newpaper in the morning- all resort privileges. Their swimming pool was heated (the first heated pool we've encountered) When it gets too warm they chill it! Bill was nervous pulling out of the slip as there was a multi-million dollar boat that pulled in during the night right behind us (he did fine).  The funny thing was their view was of us, we got to look at them.

          We went to the boat show in Sarasota for free.    The marina provided a free shuttle to the shopping area 8 miles away.  From there we took the city bus which just happened to be free that day to the Sarasota Boat Show across the causeway.  At the entrance they gave us free boat show tickets ($24) for test driving their new Lincoln cars.  While at the boat show we got all kinds of free stuff.  Going home we took the free bus/shuttle again.  It’s kind of freeing to travel like this!