It’s starting to feel like we’re going in circles, but we are treading water a bit on this side of Florida before we make the trek through the Keys. We needed to find a marina for the week because I needed to catch a flight for a business trip. We tried the marinas around Naples or Marco Island, but couldn’t find any openings. Thankfully, Salty Sam’s has a slip and we really enjoyed our time there. Easy choice!

After a bumpy night in Ding Darling, we enjoyed breakfast before dropping the dinghy to do a little exploring. We went to the west side of the bay with the intent of going into Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, but it was low tide and we couldn’t get over the sand bar at the entrance. So we went to the other side of the bay to cut trough to Tarpon Bay.

Again… low tide… we had to get out and walk a little ways and pull the dinghy through, but made it into Tarpon Bay. We cruised around the edge watching a couple of Bald Eagles and other birds. We grounded again near Tarpon Bay Explorers, but then got out into the deeper water and decided to head back.

Coming back through the cut, the water was even lower. We beached again, but decided to take the opportunity to walk around and explore. We saw conch, starfish, crabs, and all sorts of little wonders. What a blessing that our dinghy got stuck!

After a short time, the tide started coming back in. With a fraction of an inch more water, we were able to move the dinghy into the deeper water and made our way back to Our Dash.

We weighed anchor on a rising tide at about 2:30 PM and made the short 12 mile trip across the bay to Ft. Myers Beach. The wind had started to pick up from the east, but we made it into our slip without any trouble.

We had dinner at the Original Shrimp Dock Bar and Grill at the end of the dock, chilled on the boat for a little while, and then went back for the Dueling Pianos show. What a fun show! It was a highly entertaining and engaging live show with a couple of remarkable piano players. If you get a chance, be sure to check it out.