Florida
- Day 10
Sunday 2nd November 2025
Participants: Tam, Kev, India, Georgia and Charlie
The clocks went back last night. We get up and realise Ind is up so find her watching the sunrise.
Breakfast in the villa of very tasteless cheerio type cereal or bagels and toast.
Ind and Charlie go out on the kayaks for one last time.
Catch the free trolley up to Coquina Beach where there's a Sunday market. There are lots of crafty stalls and India buys some bead earrings. We try some delicious salsa and guacamole, but we can't carry it round for the day so don't buy any.
[Kev - the market is at the end of the headland and this is the beach beside it. There are a number of different beaches on Anna Maria Island and nearly all of them are beautiful and not too crowded.]
We get the trolley back to Bridge Street where we secure one of the few remaining patio tables, this is an hour before the game. [Kev - what Tam hasn't mentioned is that this Sunday afternoon was set in stone as soon as we knew the Packers were playing. The Bridge Tender Inn is owned by a Packers fan and it's a great place to watch the games.]
There are loads of Packers fans. We have beer, wings and tenders to start, but also have chowder and fried cheese during the course of the game, plus multiple beers a couple of cocktails (one of which was free as the waitress said she'd rung up the wrong order) and Ind had a bloody mary with a huge array of pickles as garnish.
[Kev - I get that man cannot live by bread alone but I reckon I could have a pretty good go with wings alone.]
The match is a huge disappointment as they lose in the last minute, at home too. The only saving grace is they scored one touchdown so we got a jello shot. [Kev - one lousy jello shot? They give you a free shot every time the Packers score a touchdown. Last time we had 5.] Still, there's a great atmosphere. Whilst they watch I have a wander round shops and sit on the dock reading. Also do a spot of knitting. George wants some scuttler artwork and Ind buys her some driftwood art and she buys herself a manatee print and a top. The lovely waitress was a Chicago fan and afterwards changed from her Packer top and came out in her true colours.
[Kev - this is the view Tam had sat by the outdoor section of the Bridge Tender Inn.]
[Kev - I need to get me one of these for driving around town.]
Take a walk up the pier but it's getting cooler, so we go up to the Dacquiri Deck for frozen daiquiris at happy hour - only $5 . Loved mine which was a banana coffee combo.
[Kev - the sun's gone down and it's getting colder, so what do we do? Go to a rooftop bar for frozen dacquiris. We're not the brightest.]
[Kev - yes, it's another drunken selfie.]
There is a wedding on the beach but the sunset is behind a building, so not great. We catch the trolley back to Bortell's lounge for beer and a couple of pizzas between us. Not the best but the bartender is so sweet and remembered it's our last night.
[Kev - it might not be the best pizza ever, but there's enough of it.]
Back to the villa and early to bed -
I guess a day of early beer and the clock change takes it's
toll.
[Kev
- I think it's fair to say that we've all loved our time in Anna
Maria. The villa was amazing especially being able to kayak from
our dock. The weather could have been better at times, but at
least it was dry. It's off to Walt Disney World tomorrow. ]
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