Mike and Beth's Adventures

The Ferry Building and Coit Tower The crew of Amy Marie took to the rails for a two-night visit to San Francisco.  We patterned our trip on a technique we often use while boating.  Public Transit!  In the bay area, it is better than ever.   We live ~ 50 miles north of San Francisco, in Santa Rosa, in the middle of the wine country.  In fact, Amy Marie is currently docked on the Napa River adjacent to a vineyard.  After booking a room for two nights near Fisherman's Wharf, we discovered the hotel parking fees were $65/night.  That is a little steep. Time for a new plan.   Smart Train Santa Rosa is served by a light rail system called the Smart Train.  The southern terminus of their system is in Larkspur in Marin County, but still north of the Golden Gate bridge.  From Larkspur, you can catch a ferry which will whisk you to the Ferry Building in San Francisco.  The cost for a roundtrip adult ticket, from Santa Rosa to San Franci...

Amy Marie meets Lady Liberty New York City!  We made it!  Pinch Me! A major milestone on our voyage, by boat, around the eastern portion of the United States.  The last couple of days have been one some of the most memorable of the entire trip.  I would suspect the  last time we felt anything close to this was when we completed the 22 hour crossing of the Gulf of Mexico from Apalachicola to Tarpon Springs.  That was more of a milestone.  This was bigger.  Coming into the harbor from the Atlantic Ocean, under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and seeing "Lady Liberty" holding her torch high just covered us with goose bumps and puts a lump in your throat.   Thinking about all it represents, it's symbolism, it's location adjacent to Ellis Island were so many came to America seeking a new beginning.  All those thoughts and more wash over you.  Our country, which means us, are custodians of a set of  principles and values that proj...