College Roommate Cruises Florida - April 1-6, 2016

Rob Matthews spent four years with me as we negotiated the challenging waters of our college careers at Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN.  We are both very proud of our Alma Mater, if not of some of our shenanigans while enrolled there.

Rob spent his first week of April visiting me in Florida, so I felt we should do a tour that included both coasts, sailing and rockets.  We drove south to Naples, then northbound along Florida's Gulf coast in hopes of finding CaptMurph's friend, Jim Clark.  Unfortunately, we missed Jim on this trip but we certainly didn't miss any watering holes!

Rob at pub view of the Peace River 

Murph with pub view of the Peace River

We enjoyed the drive along the Tamiami Trail (US 41) along the Gulf Coast and continued north after a night in Venice until we crossed the Sunshine Skyway into St. Petersburg.

We hung a left turn into St. Pete Beach to catch an old work buddy of mine who earns pocket money as a musician at the beach bars in St. Pete Beach, when he's not working his day job selling computers around the country.

Rob and Kenny at Sirata on St. Pete Beach

The evening in St. Pete concluded our Florida road trip, but not our Florida experiences.  Rob and I settled for his last couple days in Titusville where we went sailing, then visited the Kennedy Space Visitors' Center.

Rob and I sailing the Banana River

Rob steering our charter sailboat

This pic proves Rob wasn't sailing singlehanded!  :-)

This is the shuttle "Inspiration" built of wood and plastic for a tour
introducing the shuttle program.  This full size model was sitting on
 a barge waiting to be moved to its final disposition.  We sailed past on our
little boat as we went to and from the Banana River and marina.

Rob sets the perspective on just
how large the shuttle was

Rob enjoys the display of shuttle "Atlantis"

Rob "surfing" outside Fishlips restaurant