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| Even though a weather window has not opened we decided to raise the anchor and move south leaving Miami Beach. We motored on down the ICW to pass Miami on the right and into southern Biscayne Bay. Motoring on out the Cape Florida Channel we will travel when we depart for the Bahamas gave us a chance to check our computer waypoints were correct since we plan to leave in the early morning when it is dark. The water looks much different in the dark with buoys all blinking different light patterns than they do in the daylight when you can clearly see each buoy. It was a practice run. We returned to anchor Priority behind us in No Name Harbor which is part of Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. |
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| The state park has a hiking trail overlooking Stiltsville which used to be a community of houses built high on stilts or pilings 1 mile south of Cape Florida back in the 1930s accessible only by boat. Once the six remaining houses you see in the photo are no longer standing the area use will be reclaimed by the Park. Stiltsville is a unique Miami story you can learn more about at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiltsville |
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| We saw many of these Zebra Longwinged butterflies throughout the park. |
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| We climbed Cape Florida Lighthouse in the park which is still lit but the Fowey Light offshore has replaced it as the official navigational aid to mark the southern tip of Cape Florida. It has a grand entrance way called the Avenue of the Coco Palms. |
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| Cape Florida Lighthouse has a beautiful view from the top of the green and turquoise colored ocean water. |
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The lightkeeper's house has been restored and is open for visiting. Although it is peaceful now, one lightkeeper and his wife had eleven children which must have filled this little house and made for lots of busy times. The evening brought our first "sundowner" as the anchored boaters all brought a snack ashore to the Park pavilion to share as we met new friends and got reacquainted with folks we have met at other anchorages along the way south. We watched the sun go down and enjoyed fellowship with friends before heading back to our boats. |
