April 26, 2015

BUFFETT Bound - Palm Beach to Key Largo, SEYON style!

When we heard last fall that Jimmy Buffett was playing in Key Largo at my in-laws' club, we jumped at the chance to grab some tickets. What an awesome way to celebrate my husband's 55th birthday along with a cousin and another friend whose birthdays were just three days later? The Keys in April, best friends, Jimmy Buffett? What's not to love?!

Since the mighty Seyon was necessarily going to be our accommodations for us and our four guests, we first needed to get the boat there.
 We said a temporary "adios" to my beloved Palm Beach and headed south. The heat only got more intense, but after the winter I had, bring it, baby!
From one boat to another. Big container ships come to the Port of Palm Beach.
 We'll be back Peanut Island...
This guy got rescued by Tow Boat/US just in time before he smashed into the container ship. 
THAT would've left a mark!
 I never knew this was how boats got across the pond!
Here's another example - this was in Fort Lauderdale. Amazing!
We passed all sorts of marine activity. 
This barge was loaded with coral to make walls further down the waterway.
 The houses along the waterway from Palm Beach…
…to Boynton Beach...
…to Delray Beach

 …to Boca Raton are in as many styles as you can imagine. 
Some are gorgeous and some look like drug lords live there.
 These gardens were amazing!
 This house had so many wings for guests...
 …and it even had its own waterway boat house - so cool!

 The ivy on this house stopped me in my tracks.
 I LOVED the flagpole with the yardarm and all the code flags
And then in Deerfield Beach, we started to notice a change.
From giant mansions taking over huge corner lots…
 …to neighborhood canals off the waterway and the increasing amounts of condos
 I LOVED these Dads taking their daughters on a spring break cruise (or at least I HOPE they were these girls' dads, otherwise they'd be creepers - ha ha!)
This guy clearly didn't get the "Slow Speed, No Wake Zone" memo
 I liked the palm tree's shadow
Busy, busy busy! Richard Scarry would've had a field day!
Fun waterway restaurants - can you please pass me a pina colada?
And a rum punch with a rum floater on top?
The Addison Mizner famous Pink Hotel (Boca Raton Resort and Club) built in 1926 is an architectural stunner! 
Look at all those rooflines!

And to get to all these places, you have to go under a lot of bridges. 

 This chart onboard is very important because you have to figure out how much clearance under the bridge you'll have.

 Eventually, I just lowered the antennas
 For once, an easy job. Not like varnish stripping - ugh!!
We're ready for the next opening. It always cracked me up when the bridge operator said , "thanks Cap" to my husband
 There was no lack of gorgeous yachts to drool over along the way
 Would you happen to have any Grey Poupon?
 Pretty classic...
 …with a funny name. All I need to do is add a "No" in front and then the boat has my last name!
 Or maybe I'm being told something? 
(I don't think I say "No" too often but who knows?)
 And then, well, you see some boats that aren't so pretty or classic
And the name kind of says it all. Bada boom, bada bing!
Eventually, the waterway opened up and Miami came into view as night fell
 They were having some kind of celebration and this building was blinking sign language the whole time
But it was certainly nice of them to greet us with fireworks!
 We anchored for the night in this cool little spot off Miami next to a neat little island. 
I love the juxtaposition of island/city.
 Father-daughter speed boat ride. Life is different down here.
Don't jump!
 Off Miami on a sand bar in Biscayne Bay is Stiltsville! It's a funny cluster of houses built on stilts that started being constructed in the 1930's.
 No longer allowed to be built, some are occupied and others are sitting there left to rot. 
Kind of sad...
And when you get closer to the Keys, the water starts to change into a beautiful aqua blue. The channels are narrow so boats have to pass you pretty close. Some are nice and slow down when they do, like this guy. But others are jerks and go bombing by making stuff fly all over the cabin. Thanks so much - not!
 Ahhh, we made it to this small fishing club in the Keys. Ready to PLAY!
 Even the mighty Seyon looked good from far away! 
I told the dockmaster that we were a "work in progress" and he just laughed.
Life was good at the pool, and I did eventually enjoy that rum punch with a rum floater :)
My nieces and their husband/fiance, (respectively) and friends zoomed by us the day we took our guests snorkeling. They were headed to this great seafood dive bar named Alabama Jacks. 
 And on Sundays at sunset, they have a cocktail gathering out on the breakwater. 
People come by golf cart, but we could just walk from our boat
 I might have to make this picture my computer's wallpaper. 
The sky was so pink!

This could be a lifestyle…
 But the main reason we were there, was to celebrate a few birthdays and see Jimmy! 
First we had to decorate the cart. FINS UP!
 We were so close to the stage - people danced all night
 Fins to left, fins to the right!
Oh, yeah, and this happened too!
Here's to fun in the sun, wherever you find it!
Cheers!