VISIT WITH KAREN AND DENNIS ON MARCO ISLAND, FL

March 14 – Our friends Karen and Dennis from Richmond were vacationing in Marco Island for a few days. They invited us to visit them on Sunday. We spent some time catching up on what we all had been doing since we left them in Richmond.

They introduced us to Stanley --a paper doll made by their Grand Niece as a project. The purpose is to see how many places Stanley could visit. The niece sent him to spend some time with Karen and Dennis in Florida to begin his lifetime of adventures. We were happy to oblige our friends and pose with Stanley. They will send Stanley with pictures and journal back to their niece when their vacation is over. Maybe you know someone who is involved with such a project. I understand many young people are.




After a few drinks and snacks, we took a ride around the Island. It has really become a lot more commercial since we were last here, we think it was October 2001.

This is the public park and boat ramp where we used to launch our boat to go fishing for grouper in the Gulf. We’d always end up racing back to get in before they closed the gate!


Here is the timeshare we owned a small share of – The Eagles Nest. We sold it a few years after we bought the RV, must have been in 2001.

They were just beginning to build a new hotel on the vacant lot next to the Eagles Nest. We thought the hotel would be very small because the lot appeared to be too small to build anything on. This is what they built!! WOW!! How'd they do that??

We told Karen and Dennis that all we wanted was a good grouper sandwich. We went to Snook Inn where we used to go frequently went for lunch. The grouper sandwich was “to die for” – it now comes with the Soup and Salad Bar. We did not know we would have such a huge lunch!!

Our waiter stuck his hand into the picture. Said he used to be a "hand model". HA HA



Lunch at Snook Inn: Karen, Dennis, Ken and Me.



This was the view from the observation deck at Snook Inn. We used to bring our boat, Weekend Runner, up to the Snook Inn dock for lunch.





After lunch we messed around a little longer and then said our Goodbyes. It was fun seeing them again, as always!!

After leaving Marco Island, we drove up to Englewood to stay overnight with Ken’s daughter, Stacey. She was working that night as a bartender down on the beach. We thought about calling her to find out exactly how to find the Bar. That’s when I realized I did not have my cell phone!! I had left it in Marco Island.

When we got to Stacey’s bar, I used her phone to call Karen and Dennis to see if I had left our phone in their room. Dennis called back in a little bit and said he had found it in the back seat of the car. A miracle!!

While we were waiting for Dennis to call us back, Ken asked Stacey to make him a Manhattan. Stacey said he had never made one; so Ken told her how. First, she poured too much cherry juice in the drink; then too much bitters. Stacey quickly solved that problem by adding more bourbon!! It turned out pretty good! Guess you just can’t ruin Jim Beam!!

Early the next morning after breakfast and a good cup of coffee at Denny's, we took off for Marco Island AGAIN!! Just what we wanted to do!!

We retrieved our phone, said our goodbyes again, AND got back to TT Peace River just in time to go to Dean and Margie’s Happy Hour on the River!!!