Dunedin

Bob and I moved across the state this week to a small Scottish town on the Gulf Coast, west of Tampa, called Dunedin. It has a charming downtown, expansive views of the gulf and we were lucky to get the only site available for a week in a very nice RV park. The gulf coast is extremely popular in the winter months and we found it hard to get a spot in any RV park that was close to the water. We also picked this park because it had a really great pool area and was a block from the Pinellas Trail, a paved walking and biking trail that is over 40 miles long.

Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to use the pool at all, and only biked once, due to the cold weather. We also got 1.5 inches of rain the first two days we were here, so we are back to winter weather in Florida. We are SO thankful that we got that great warm week when we were sailing.

One rainy blustery day, we drove down to Sarasota, about 90 minutes south, to explore that area and have lunch with an old friend of mine. Larry and I worked together in Minneapolis in the early 1970s and he married a close friend. We hadn’t seen each other in almost 30 years and it was great to reconnect.

Bob and I are really impressed with the white sand beaches of this coast. Clearwater beach is sparkly and clean, the Siesta Key beaches near Sarasota were soft and like powdered sugar and the islands off Dunedin have spectacular natural beaches. They are flat and perfect for long walks.

While in this area, we have been driving around looking at houses that are currently on the market. We haven’t settled yet on a place we would like to live, but it’s always interesting to see what our dollar will buy in each area. Prices are a little higher over here than on the north and central east coast, but there are still many foreclosures and some good bargains.

Wherever we might move, it’s important that I have a wildlife group I can plug into. Mote Marine Lab in Sarasota has volunteer opportunities in their marine mammal rehab department, and so does the Clearwater Aquarium near Tampa. Both coasts have manatees, dolphins, and turtle nesting seasons.

Bob and I visited the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary just a few miles from our RV park. They care for more than 70 animals, and over half of them are 65+ years of age, including Cheetah the chimp from the original Tarzan movies. This little facility struggles to make ends meet and could use a total makeover. While it was nice to visit with chimps, orangutans, baboons and over 10 species of monkeys, I found this place depressing. It was clear the animals were cared for, and the organization is dedicated and doing their best, but I couldn’t watch these lovely animals in their small chain link prisons. If I win the lottery…..