Port St Lucie to Grayton Beach

We left Port St Lucie before 9 am, probably a record of some kind. Chris, Peter and Cragen left seconds before us, bringing to an end our warmest january / february ever! This southern Florida certainly has the most attractive weather if this year is an example.

Our accommodations worked out well in spite of the long driving distance to the beach. Shelling was the best we've had in decades and the experience very positive. Our friends Terri and Richard not only set up a very good short cruise for about 30 of us, but they also welcomed Peter, Gloria and Rick into their golfing circle of friends. Our stay in Port St Lucie would not have been the same without them.

As we left for Grayton Beach, Chris and Peter were headed for home near Moncton. Hope they manage to avoid all the storms headed their way. Two months with them passed by very quickly as we laughed a lot. Friends are fun to be with so we're hoping for a happy repeat in 2012.

We arrived here ahead of schedule after a leisurely trip up the Gulf coast side of southern Florida. We really liked Venice and the surrounding areas so now we have to check the possibility of renting there for next year. It was disappointing to see so many businesses shut-down, houses and buildings for sale. There are lots of people looking for work and no jobs to be had. Downtown areas of the small villages along the coast are looking pretty sad. Such a shame that the greed of the 'haves' have hurt the lives of the 'have-nots'.

The cameras were packed with great care, but mounded over by more stuff so no pixels were shot during our transit. Now that almost everything has been unpacked, new pictures will appear in a few days or so.