Cruising on Last Dance


This blog archives the adventures of Glen and Jill Moore and provides a means of communication for friends and family. Exploration and adventure have been synonymous with boats and water for centuries. The joy of adventures shared while exploring new places and meeting new people has built a strong bond for Glen and Jill. Last Dance is the platform for the exploration.

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." St. Augustine, 354 - 430

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain, 1835 - 1910

"There is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- half so much worth doing as simply messing around in boats." The Wind in the Willows, 1908, Kenneth Grahame, 1859 - 1932

"I've never believed speed and ease are conductive to living fully, becoming aware, or deepening memory, a tripod of urges to stabilize and lend meaning to life." River Horse: a log book of a boat across America, 1999, William Least Heat-Moon,1939 -

The Great Loop -- The current adventure is a circumnavigation of the Eastern United States, cruising north up the east coast through New York into Canada, across the Great Lakes to Chicago, navigating multiple river systems south to Mobile, along the Gulf coast to the Florida Keys and back to St. Augustine. This trip by boat is commonly referred to as the Great Loop. Progress and current location are indicated by the red line on the map to the right. It was titled the Traceless Path in recognition of a German sailor we met in St. Augustine who published booklets of his travels with hand-drawn, detailed maps describing his travels across the water as the Traceless Path.



Saturday, February 25, 2012

Moore's Stone Crab at Long Beach


At the north end of Long Boat Key, a barrier island just south of Tampa Bay, there is a restaurant known as Moore's Stone Crab.  With that name, a visit was required.  The restaurant is located on a little bay along the Intracoastal Waterway and has a dock for visiting boaters.  An overnight stay is free if you eat in the restaurant.  A deal that could not be passed up.
























The stone crab dinners were offered in 3 sizes:  7 house size claws, 6 large size claws, or 5 jumbo size claws.  The jumbo claw dinner was priced at $74.99.  This fact made it easy to understand why there were so many crab traps offshore at Clearwater.  Very precious, these little crabs.

It is illegal to kill a stone crab - a meat bearing animal that does not have to give up its life to provide a meal.  Stone crabs are caught in traps, one claw is broken off, and the crab is returned to the water.  The crab is able to catch prey and feed itself with one claw and the lost claw grows back.




The community of Long Beach is a quiet, quaint village, far different from the highrise condos of Clearwater and St. Pete.  Smaller, older homes populate the village.



























And, the few newer homes make their impact through architectural details rather than outlandish size.





































Then, there were the interesting and quirky aspects of Long Beach, like Peacocks roaming the neighborhood.

































Seems the residents express creativity, and maybe a bit more quirkiness, through eschewing traditional mailboxes.































There is a beach in Long Beach; a nice, white-sand one.  Black Skimmers and Royal Terns stand on the beach, facing the wind in groups.


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