After more than a month off of R&R to work, celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with family, and enjoy/endure wintry weather in the Midwest, we drove back to Bradenton, Florida to resume our Great Loop adventure!




Our daughter Erika is joining us for a week of cruising South along Florida’s West Coast. On our way to the boat we visited eight national parks. Rhonda and Erika have National Park Service passport books and are working toward their goal of obtaining passport stamps from all national park locations. This is a meaningful way to learn more about our nation’s history and experience the beauty of creation.





We look forward to tomorrow’s short run from Bradenton to our second stay at the beautiful Longboat Key Club Marina!
Great to see your photos and know that you had a short, but sweet, “home again” for a short time. Sorry we didn’t connect, but maybe we’ll find you somewhere in FL – who knows? We have picked a time or location at this point,
having just ended a successful candy cane season at McCord’s. We were closed today – to take down all the
Christmas decorations and put things “back to normal.” Aside: my 3 kids are coming to Lafayette Jan 17-20 – just
the 3 for a wonderful few days. Really looking forward to our time together – as I’m sure you did! Have a blessed
2020 – on Das Boat, in warm waters, with love from the Bootsmas!
Ken, thanks for the note! I’m sorry we missed you in our short time “up north.” If you plan to be in Florida over the next couple of months, I hope we can connect! Please keep in touch.
Love and best wishes to you and Denise,
Rick and Rhonda