December 4 When I woke up I saw the beauty of my location. The name of the hotel, Holiday Inn on the Bay, was very accurate. Across the street was a cruise ship pier, the Maritime Museum, the USS Midway Museum, the Coronado ferry, dinner cruise boats and the beautiful views! It was a beautiful day. I had breakfast in the hotel restaurant. After breakfast, I walked outside and went to the Maritime Museum just across the street. The Star of India was the featured ship at the museum but there were many interesting ships on display. The Star of India, which is one of the oldest active sailing ships in the world, was my favorite, the Berkeley, a historic steam ferry, the Medea, a steam yacht, a Soviet submarine, the USS Dolphin, another submarine, and ... read more

I WAS INTRIGUED BY THE IDEA OF A DAY TRIP TO KEY WEST ON THE KEY WEST EXPRESS FROM FORT MEYERS BEACH TO KEY WEST AND RETURN INSTEAD OF DRIVING THERE (A TRIP THAT TAKES A FULL DAY EACH WAY). SO I TRIED IT OUT ON DECEMBER 18. THE BOAT STARTED BOARDING AT 7:00 AM, SO I LEFT FROM SARASOTA AT 5:30 TO DRIVE TO FMB. THE BOARDING WENT SMOOTHLY AND WE LEFT THE DOCK A LITTLE LATE FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON. THE HYDROFOIL MOVED VERY SMOOTHLY (THE GULF WAS VERY SMOOTH THAT DAY) AND QUICKLY (ABOUT 40 MPH) FOR THE 3 1/2 HR TRIP. SEVERAL DOLPHINS PLAYED IN THE WAKE AS WE LEFT FMB. A SNACK BAR WITH GOOD COFFEE, PASTRIES AND BREAKFAST SANDWICHES WAS REASONABLY PRICED AND GOOD. THEY ALSO HAD HOT DOGS, HAMBURGERS ... read more