Our airplane adventure back to North Carolina was all that we had expected.
Diann and Zoey at the airport
Zoey under the seat
We took the Dinner Key water taxi to shore so our dinghy could remain secured to our Gemini catamaran, Yacht A Fun.
The loop bus picked us up at the former Pan Am terminal, now home to Miami City Hall. The cost was 25 cents each.
The loop bus took us to the metro rail station at US #1 and 27th Avenue. The cost there was $5.65 each. We got off at the Tri-Rail station and paid another $3.75 to take the Broward rail to the Ft Lauderdale Airport Station.
From there we took a bus to our Motel 6, near the airport. That fare was so inexpensive, I’ve forgotten the amount.
All told, the cost of public transit, for both of us, was about $20. Taxi fare from Dinner Key would have been $75 plus an obligatory tip. We had the three and a half hours for the trip. So, we saved money and added to our adventure.
The Motel 6 was less than $100 and was remodeled to look good. A number of decent restaurants were nearby. Our choice was Italian. After dinner we walked to Publix for desert and what would become our breakfast pastries and milk.
Our departing bus stop was in front of the motel- how nice. We returned to the rail station and then transferred to a free airport shuttle.
Motel 6 Bus Stop
The flight, to Raleigh NC, lasted two hours. Two hour flight vs. 40 days by boat!
Daughter, Alix, picked us up; fed us; and loaned us a car to do our Sunday trip to Oriental to pick up our Jeep and some items left in storage.
Monday we drove to Hickory, where Diann picked up a rental to use to drive to her Mom’s. I had local business to attend to and enjoyed staying at my Mom’s for the week.
Saturday, back in Cary NC, we had our winter family get together at Alix’s. The son in laws did the “smokin”. It was a great time.
Delayed Christmas
Happy “grand dog’
Smoking beef ribs and chicken
Wednesday came and I attended a pair of necessary NC Real Estate Commission approved continuing education classes.
Cruising successfully has a lot to do with adaptation to changing circumstances. Diann’s Mom had a medical issue for which we delayed our return to Coconut Grove. Departure on Thursday was to Coeburn VA to check on Diann’s Mom.
Her Mom is doing much better and so that Sunday the Jeep headed for Coconut Grove.
Monday we made it back to Dinner Key at 3:30PM and so was able to dash to Fresh Market for curried chicken salad and fresh fruit & catch the next to last water taxi to our boat.
Our luggage and evening’s dinner are on the water taxi
A quiet dinner and early night’s bedtime was the result.
Tuesday morning……….the dinghy wouldn’t start. Yep, we were back on a boat. (The large number of systems on a boat means that something will be in need of maintenance, just as a matter of course.)