Day 90 - December 30, 2012: Clearwater Beach Day

One of the Outback Bowl activities is a day at Clearwater Beach with marching bands, cheerleaders, tug of wars, and prizes for both UofM and USC fans. We got up early and took the Jolly Trolley in a seasonally unusual 45 degrees and strong winds.

Two of Elizabeth's friends on the UofM Waterski Team (Katrina who is also her roommate and Laura) joined us for the activities. We started with lunch at Frenchy's Saltwater Cafe, a longtime popular restaurant on the beach, and then moved on to Pier 60 and the beach in front of the Hilton Hotel for the activities.

Anne and Elizabeth in UofM gear

Elizabeth, Katrina and Laura

Larry, Anne, and a great Outback Bowl sand sculpture

The UofM Marching Band, arguably the best in the nation, drew in the fans by playing all the well known football song favorites starting with "Hail to the Victors." The cheerleaders and dance team performed with them to add to the excitement.

UofM Marching Band Brass

Performing on the beach

We are now hyped up and ready for game day on New Years Day!

GO BLUE!

Day 89 - December 29, 2012: The "Gold Star" of Tarpon Springs

There is no disputing that eating Greek food is the gold star of all activities in Tarpon Springs!

A looping couple we met earlier on the river system stated that it was "their goal to eat in every Greek restaurant in Tarpon Springs." We thought that very intriguing, and after being here, we found ourselves agreeing with that objective.

Greek cooking offers an incredibly rich and diverse array of foods and beverages that are the culmination of centuries of evolution and cultural influences. What is Greek food and why is it so good? Yes, it is the Gyros, but a lot more. A little research, asking questions, and a lot of eating reveals the following.

The basics components of eating in ancient Greece were breads, olives, and wine. Added to that over time were cheeses, fruits, nuts and grains, and spices such as oregano, basil, mint and thyme, all grown locally. Then, of course, there were the ever present fish and seafood from the seas that surround Greece as well as lamb, poultry, beef and pork from the central region. Today, all of these are currently plentiful and freshly accessible. Put them together in new and creative ways, and voila, you have a fabulous Greek meal. Opa!

When we sat down to enjoy a meal, the unfamiliar names of foods on the menu demanded that we read all of the ingredients and have a certain degree of bravery in choosing a selection. It helped to ask the waiter plenty of questions, and they were very helpful. These are some of many, many examples: spanakopita (spinach pie), saganaki (flaming cheese), tzatziki (sour cream, cucumber, and garlic spread), taramosalata (fresh caviar spread), pastitso (Greek-style lasagna), moussaka (layers of eggplant, potatoes, and ground beef topped with cream and tomato sauce), dolmades (ground beef and rice wrapped in grape leaves stuffed and topped with egg-lemon sauce), keftedes (homemade Greek meatballs), makaronia (traditional Greek spaghetti topped with fried onions), bakaliaro (cod fish with horta and skordalia).

Here are some of the restaurants we have eaten in and examples of the unusual dishes. We discovered that the amounts of food were far too great to consume in one sitting, so we learned to split a dish and still were able to take some home. We would highly recommend any of these restaurants, and they are all within walking distance of the Tarpon Cove Marina.

Mama's Greek Cuisine - We liked the whole, fresh Grouper!

Hellas - The salmon with lobster sauce is just fabulous!

Dimitris - The Grouper sandwich is great!

Costas - Spanakopita is a treat!

Mr. Souvlaki - The Greek chow mein is so tasty we will go back!

Mykonos - To be determined

Day 88 - December 28, 2012: The Outback Bowl DeBartolo Team Lunch

Sometimes you just get lucky in life

We returned from a great Christmas vacation in Michigan to Tarpon Springs with Elizabeth last night and were happy to find Great Laker just as we left her.

We got lucky because Bonnie's husband, Dwayne, through a friend, got us two tickets to the Outback Bowl DeBartolo Team Lunch at the Tampa Convention Center. With all three of us being UofM fans, it was a tough decision, but graciously, Anne agreed that Elizabeth and I, as a student and alumnus, should attend.

Approximately 1400 guests attended, including all the players, coaches and support personnel from both the UofM and University of South Carolina teams, along with many individual and corporate sponsors. Luckily, we got a table right next to the UofM team and took many pictures. Denard is a very likeable person with a great smile, and it is obvious that the players love Coach Hoke. They are both so unpretentious and down to earth. GO BLUE!

DeBartolo Team Lunch

The Outback Bowl Trophy

Wolverines

Elizabeth working game strategies with Jake and Denard

Elizabeth with Coach Brady Hoke

Larry with Coach Brady Hoke

Later, Anne's relatives, Mary Kay, Emilio, and Jared, drove up and joined us for a Greek dinner at Hellas. They are spending a few days here, and we will all be attending the Outback Bowl on January 1. 

Day 87 - December 9, 2012: Merry Christmas from Great Laker

Today we joined Shari and Jim again for lunch. They have been so kind to drive back and forth so many times to see us.

Tomorrow, we prepare Great Laker for 16 days of storage while we return to Michigan to celebrate Christmas with Elizabeth. During this time, I will not be posting but will begin again enthusiastically on December 28.

Merry Christmas to all the followers of the Adventures of Great Laker! Please stay with us as we explore Florida and the Keys after our return.

Christmas decorations along the streets and no snow

Day 86 - December 8, 2012: An evening out

Today Bonnie and Dwayne came by the boat for docktails, and we went back with them to their home for a wonderful steak dinner. After seafood virtually every day for weeks, this was a welcomed change. Thanks so much for entertaining us!

Anne and Bonnie on the roof deck of Great Laker

Day 85 - December 7, 2012: Dunedin and the Tarpon Springs Lighted Boat Parade

We awakened with renewed energy and decided to take the Jolley Trolley again, this time to Dunedin, which is another waterfront community with a Gulf view and marinas. One attraction for Anne was the farmers market, and for me it was more of the great seafood we are finding here. The salmon with crab sauce was really tasty!

Farmers Market

After coming back to Great Laker, we decided to walk up to see the Tarpon Springs Lighted Boat Parade. It was not as extensive, or the boats as expensive, as the ones we have seen in Newport Beach, CA, but fun nevertheless.

Day 84 - December 6, 2012: A day of rest

Every day can't be an adventure

Anne left for the day with Bonnie to "do some shopping." When women get close to a mall, there is a magnetic attraction that results in an irresistible urge to shop, whether anything is specifically needed or not. (:-) So, I got the day off.

I had lots of energy to find something different to do, like scuba dive or wind surf or sport fish. Maybe even ski dive? But, in the end, my list of things to do kept staring me in the face, asking for attention.

1. Look into a cruising permit
2. Get a haircut
3. Hang the new roll down shade in the pilot house
4. Fasten down the carpet
5. Write the Christmas letter
6. Order a towel rod
7. Order more boat cards

I even ate leftovers for lunch, with great pleasure, because they were from Mr. Souvlaki and so delicious. Then, I finished off the day with a nap and woke in time to greet Anne at the door.

A day of rest is good for the soul.

Day 83 - December 5, 2012: Entertaining on Great Laker

Shari and Jim were kind to lend us their car, and we spent several hours shopping and restocking Great Laker. After lunch they joined us, and we took a tour of the Anclote River and its bayous in the dinghy.

Jim and Shari

Captain and Admiral

Spring Bayou is famous for the St. Nicholas Orthodox Greek Cathedral's throwing of the golden cross for Epiphany. It is also home to many manatees in the winter, as the water there is warm. We looked but unfortunately didn't see any on this trip. Tarpon Bayou is the location of a number of large fishing boats and seafood shops on the docks.

Anclote River through Tarpon Springs

The Anclote River runs along the north side of the Dodecanese Blvd where the old town sponge shops and restaurants are located. Here, too, you can find many sponge and fishing boats along the docks. The pelicans love this area, feasting on seafood remains and food tossed by tourists.

Pelicans seem to love company

Pelican coming in for a landing

Anne made a fabulous shrimp gumbo dinner, and we reminisced and laughed about old times late into the evening.

Dinner together on Great Laker

Day 82 - December 4, 2012: The rookery

Jim and Shari invited us up to their condo to meet some friends and have a dinner party. We started with some bird watching.

One of the daily traditions here is for residents to gather around 5:00 PM to watch the sea birds return to the rookery in the center of the pond. This nesting place is in the very top of these trees, and by dark there are birds on every branch as close as they can fit. They cruise in a "V" formation back from the Gulf and then peel off and glide one at a time up to a tree and squeeze onto a branch.

There was great squawking and chatter by those already there, and sometimes birds were forced off a branch and had to make a return landing. Jim identified one of the highest branches as the "pinnacle" and insisted that certain birds delight in capturing that spot. The birds we saw consisted of Cormorants, Brown Pelicans, Anhinga, Egrets, and Herons.

One section of the rookery starting to populate

Looking to the pinnacle

Anne befriending an Anhinga

Jim made some very tasty sloppy joes, and we all had at least two! It was fun to meet some of the other couples in the area. As the day came to an end, we returned to Great Laker.

Sunset over the rookery

Day 81 - December 3, 2012: Another guest on Great Laker

It doesn't matter whether you are living at home or on a boat. Sometimes your computer stops working and you need help. This happened to Anne's laptop a few days ago, and I had spent sometime trying to figure it out to no avail. So, we took it over to Staples (glad for the bikes) and had a tech look at it. He concluded that the WiFi card needed replacement (my conclusion as well). A new one has put Anne back in business with secure access and a smile.

This evening another of Anne's sorority sisters, Bonnie, who lives nearby north of Tampa, came for a visit. We took the dinghy out for a sunset cruise and then ate another wonderful Greek dinner together at Hellas (salmon with lobster sauce).

We got the news that the University of Michigan is in the Outback bowl with South Carolina, and the game will be in Tampa! Go Blue! Maybe Santa will bring us some tickets.

Day 80 - December 2, 2012: Bike riding in Tarpon Springs

Today we rode our bikes. These are compact folding bikes, and I had built a rack to keep them in the engine room where they stay dry and out of any corrosive environment. These bikes give us fresh air and sun, a sense of freedom from the boat, and a chance for exercise that is so needed after so many days underway.

This is one of the bikes which is made by Dahon. It has 20" wheels, which are probably the same size as your first real bike as a child. However, the advantage of the smaller wheel is that this bike folds up into a very compact package that is only 1 ft x 2 ft x 2 ft. They ride very easily, with 7-speed shifters to cover both hills and straightaways.

Dahon 20" 7-speed folding bike

Folded in a compact package

The bikes are also great for touring the areas we visit. Today we rode through the old town spending time in some of the shops, and then we explored some of the sights around the city. Later, we visited a yacht club where we were welcomed and invited to come for lunch, dinner or brunch.

Day 79 - December 1, 2012: Touring the area with family

My sister, Shari, and her husband, Jim, arrived yesterday from Michigan for their winter stay in New Port Richey. They came down today to see us and give us a tour of the area. It was nice to have transportation and to be with family.

We drove through Palm Harbor and into Ozona where we had lunch at Ozona Blue, a restaurant at Home Port Marina which overlooks the ICW. Then, we headed over to John Chestnut Senior Park on the east side of Lake Tarpon where we spent time walking and enjoying the scenery and wildlife.

Jim and Shari with Anne

Bridge over alligator waters

Bambi

Are you going to feed me?

Cormorant drying its wings

Heron and its image

The Cormorant (see above) is an all black bird common in Florida. It eats mainly fish and hunts by swimming and diving. The Cormorant's feathers are not waterproof, so they must be dried out after time spent in the water.

We looked diligently for an alligator, with no luck. We'll keep up the hunt. There are also manatees here in the marina, and we are on the lookout for them as well.

Day 78 - November 30, 2012: A preview visit to Clearwater Beach

Since we are staying in Tarpon Springs for several days, we decided to take the Jolly Trolley down to Clearwater for a preview of what there was to see in advance of visiting by boat after Christmas. For a few dollars you can get an all-day pass that takes you down through Dunedin and Clearwater and includes the local bus transit, as well. For lunch we shared a Super Grouper sandwich and soup at Frenchy's.

The Jolly Trolley

Frenchy's Salt Water Café

Clearwater Beach is just what I imagined Florida to be: sun, ocean beaches, high-rise hotels, restaurants and lots of t-shirt shops. We walked the hotel strip, got our feet wet, and explored the shopping. People come from all over the world just to enjoy this kind of vacation spot.

Mega hotels

Salt, shells and sand

I must say that while these beaches are great, I am still very partial to the West Michigan beaches and their singing sand. We will return to Clearwater Beach in January with Elizabeth and explore some more. Back on Great Laker, we enjoyed another always unique Gulf sunset.

Sunset over the Gulf

Day 77 - November 29, 2012: Tarpon Springs: a Greek community and the sponge industry

Today we walked the Tarpon Springs old town and explored the history of the sponge industry. It reminded me a bit of the preserved fishing port of Leland, MI.

Tarpon Springs was just a sleepy little fishing village until the sponge industry began to rapidly expand during the 1880s. To support this growth, Greek immigrants with sponge diving experience were hired, and soon Greeks began to settle here in significant numbers. Today, Tarpon Springs has the largest Greek community of any city in the U.S.

Sponge capital of the world

We watched a movie in a local store and learned much about this fascinating industry. Sponges are organisms that thrive on the bottom of the ocean, adhering to rocks and outgrowths. Their bodies have a very fine skeletal structure surrounded by a mucous membrane and are full of pores and channels that allow water to circulate through them. They don't have a mouth or stomach, but absorb nutrients from the water.

We also learned that, by law, a sponge must be larger than 5 inches across to be harvested. Initially, sponges were retrieved from row boats in shallow waters using small rakes on long poles. Later, as the sponge population near the shore was depleted, Greek divers, who were skilled at diving in deep waters, were hired to find sponges.

In looking at the sponges, we observed many shapes, including round, cylindrical, and hollowed out like a basket. They are used for all kinds of cleaning such as washing dishes, floors, cars, people and animals, polishing delicate surfaces such as silver or plastic, and even applying makeup to faces.

Local boat loaded with sponges

After harvesting, boat workers scrape the membranes off the sponges, and they are hung out to dry on lines. Back in port, they are taken to sponge factories where they are further cleaned by removing debris and flushing the interiors with water. Then they are sorted and auctioned for sale around the world.

 Sponges drying on lines

Sponge factory

So many sponges have been taken over the years, that today the number of sponge boats still working has been significantly reduced. As a result, Tarpon Springs is primarily a shrimp fishing port and a boating and tourist destination.

Actually, I have never purchased a real sponge and can only vaguely remember my parents owning one that they used to wash the car. We looked at them, but have not convinced ourselves that we need one!