The Great Loop

After a few weeks of prep work we are finally under way and on our adventure. This should be a year long experience up the Atlantic Coast, over the Great Lakes, and down the inland rivers. Read more

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Trip start
January 18, 2023
The Great Loop Traveler
Day 1 WP Franklin Lock and Dam
January 18, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F
We left Cape Coral and entered the river, stopping for the night at the lock. The lock was closed for maintenance so we were unable to proceed any further.
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Cape coral
January 18, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
We are starting our adventure! Departure from Cape Coral on the 18th.
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Moore Haven
January 19, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F
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Stuart
January 20, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F
Today we boated for 9 hours across the rivers and Lake Ockeechobee. We passed through two locks and ended our day anchoring in Stuart
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Bathtub Reef and House of Refuge
January 23, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F
We anchored near Bathtub Reef on the ICW side. We took the dinghy to Bathtub Reef Beach at low tide to see the reef formation as well as the House of Refuge for a tour.
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JIB Marina
January 26, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F
Near Jupiter Island we anchored for a night then went to JIB Marina for a night. The marina was quaint with some nice deck seating and a pool. It was also walking distance to the beach. Beach access was through a neighborhood trail. The trail was lined with beautiful trees and flowers. It even had a sand rinse off area.
We also took the dinghy to Tiki 52 for dinner. The atmosphere was amazing and food delicious.Read more
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Munyon Island
January 29, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F
Munyon Island has many water trails through mangroves. We kayaked through and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere and saw wildlife including an iguana and mangrove tree crabs.
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Phil Foster Park
January 30, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
Amazing clear water and colorful sea life. The park has an underwater snorkel park with artificial reef to attract fish. We saw many lovely fish as well as barracuda and starfish. We anchored right off the park and enjoyed swimming in the clear blue water.Read more
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Peanut Island
February 2, 2023 in the United States
Peanut Island is like a little tropical paradise. The water is clear and blue with lots of different marine life. The island has amazing snorkeling and very soft sand. We spent a few days relaxing and swimming in the warm tropical water and saw sting ray, parrot fish, green moray eel, etc.Read more
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Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center
February 4, 2023 in the United States
As we hunkered down at the marina avoiding the wind storm, we ventured to the Oceanographic Center. There we fed stingrays, touched horseshoe crabs, and saw all sorts of creatures. There was also a mile long walking trail through the swamps.Read more
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Fort Pierce
February 6, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
We ventured to Fort Pierce and went on a stroll. There were historic shops, buildings, and peacocks.
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Navy Seal Museum and Aquarium
February 7, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
While I’m Fort Pierce, we went and toured the aquarium and Navy Seal Museum.
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Vero Beach
February 8, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F
We spent a day in Vero Beach and played in the waves. The town has a nice free bus system that took us from the City Marina to the beach. We walked a little past some cute shops and stopped at Cravings for ice cream.Read more
Travelerlooks like a nice day to play
2/9/23Reply
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Melbourne
February 10, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
We took a stroll around Melbourne, FL. There were lots of quaint shops with hidden gems. We even fished a bit and caught catfish.
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Cocoa Village
February 11, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F
Cocoa Village is adorable and lovely. Art is everywhere. So many cute shops and cafes. The day was busy with festivities including a sip and stroll, a beer crawl, a concert with Clay Walker, and a space launch. We didn’t participate in most of those activities, but was still fun to be there. Matt’s friends came out for dinner.Read more
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Kennedy Space Center
February 12, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F
We took a little trip to Cape Canaveral and visited the Kennedy Space Center. Lots of things to see and explore including a space shuttle simulation.
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Universal Studios
February 13, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 52 °F
This is our family’s second time coming to Universal. The first time we did the VIP Private tour. This time we opted for the VIP Group tour. We went on all the popular attractions without waiting in lines. After our tour, we were able to continue going on rides with an express pass. We also chilled for a bit playing with our wands in Diagon Ally.Read more
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Orlando Tree Trek
February 14, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 45 °F
Orlando has an awesome ropes course in the trees. There are 4 segments, each with 9-11 challenges that include zip lines, crawling through things, walking on wobbly things, etc. it took 3 hours to complete and was a fun experience. We finished it with a very long zip line.Read more
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New Smyrna Beach
February 15, 2023 in the United States
We anchored in New Smyrna and took the dinghy to the Grille for some food. Then took a stroll through the beach town to the beach. The beach was ranked #1 most dangerous beach in the US for shark attacks and rip tides. We walked briefly and found ice cream. Dolphins are common and a few were sleeping next to our boat.Read more
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Palm Coast
February 16, 2023 in the United States
A Looper told us about a nice resort with marina. We were able to get slips there and enjoy the amenities of the resort including many pools (one with a sandy beach), lazy river, water slide, hot tubs, and a pink sand beach. We also walked to the European Village which had a courtyard surrounded by shops and restaurants and condos on the upper levels.Read more
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St Augustine
February 18, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 61 °F
There is so much to do in this historic town. We took the Old Trolly tour which is a hop on hop off tour which allowed us to see all the staples.
Travelerdid you drink the water of the fountain of youth
2/23/23Reply
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Jacksonville
February 22, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F
Stayed one night on the free dock on the outskirts of Jacksonville. Took an Uber to tie. And saw Sweet Pete’s candy.
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Cumberland island
February 24, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F
We have entered Georgia. Our first stay in this state is next to Cumberland Island. We took a dinghy to shore and saw lots of wild horses, ancient oak trees covered in Spanish moss, and ruins of the Dungeoness Mansion. Michael and I kayaked to the beach later and saw many small sand crabs.Read more
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Jeckyll Island
February 25, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
We stayed at a marina that offered complementary bikes. We rode to the historic town, toured the Mosaic museum and had a trolly tour. We passed by many cottages and the club house. Fun little island and a must see place.Read more
Traveleris that a turtle rescue?
2/26/23Reply
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St Simons Island
February 26, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
We spent the day looking for tree spirits around the island.
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