Mai Thai Wanderings: August 2009

August 23, 2009

High Tea in Brandon, Florida

I'd thought I would get off the beaten path and rant and rave for this posting. Part 2 of Tennessee Trip will have to wait.

For several months now, my husband has been complaining about his web widow status. What can I say? There is just so much to do! Blogs to read, forums to comment, articles to write, videos to edit, webs to surf, the list goes on and on. Since I quit work, I spend more time on the computer than I did working as a software developer! When one of the bones in my right elbow started hurting so much it affected my hand and fingers, I decided to spend less time on the PC. There's your reason why I haven't been posting regularly (aside from my writer's block problem.) We spent more time biking, swimming, exploring the beaches in the area, gardening in the yard, reading books (the stuff that you hold in your hand), and watching TV. And it felt good.

The pain in the elbow has lessen somewhat. I am slowly getting back to my video editing. The next big project is working with home videos taken some twenty years ago, most I haven't watch since the taping! I had to borrow an old video camera since two of mine quit working.

Meantime, I did a quick edit on the High Tea video. Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet Lynn Kessel, a food blogger and columnist at Tampa Tribune, South Shore edition. She had invited a bunch of her facebook foodie friends to have lunch at the Tea Cup Room in Brandon. We all enjoyed a fun afternoon, meeting new friends, having a cuppa tea in a lovely cottage setting. The food was scrumptious - scones, cucumber sandwiches, chicken salad with cranberries on a croissant (my favorite), and a host of delectable desserts. Yum!

August 10, 2009

Favorite Destination: Chattanooga, Tennessee

The beautiful Tennessee River

This is our fourth year boating in the deep South. My family finally came to visit us in Tennessee. On a road trip. Seven adults, two cars, driving all the way from Philadelphia. In five days. Mind you, it's a twelve hours drive, not including rest stops. And of course they wanted to see everything. They cannot fathom coming to Tennessee and not visit Graceland. Oh no! Not knowing that Tennessee is a state so wide it borders seven other states, and Memphis is at the other end of the state. My sister bribed us by offering to pay for all our admission tickets to Graceland. That's when I gave in. Because Memphis is also my favorite destination in Tennessee.

First stop was Chattanooga, where Mai Thai is docked. We showed them the marina grounds, and after a fellow angler caught a largemouth Bass, they hastily looked for some fishing rods and spent two hours fishing on the docks. Next day, we went to Rembrandt's Coffeehouse for lunch. Located in the Bluff View Arts District, in a European-style setting, the cafe is surrounded by art galleries as well as a sculpture garden. Its sandwiches, coffee and delectable desserts are just fabulous. We walked off our lunch exploring the area - the Walnut Street pedestrian bridge and downtown - all the while admiring the waterfront and the scenic Tennessee River.

Point Park on Lookout Mountain

Next stop was the Chattanooga Choo-Choo, a renowned landmark of the South. The 1909 terminal station had been turned into the Holiday Inn, and you can sleep in an authentic railcar! How cool is that? In the late afternoon, we drove up to Lookout Mountain, widely known for its many unusual geological features, of which the most famous are Ruby Falls and Rock City. Unfortunately, we only had time for Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park (Point Park on Lookout Mountain), where the battle for Chattanooga was fought during the Civil War.

Did I mention that almost every boater here has a grill or a smoker? How can we not end the evening with a good ole southern barbecue? So while some were trying to catch a fish or two, the rest of us were grilling boudin (New Orleans-style sausage with rice), baby-back ribs (marinated in Lee Kum Kee's Korean BBQ sauce) and pork chops, marinated in Teriyaki sauce. We complemented our dinner with salad, sweet corn, and cool refreshing tapioca pearls with cantaloupe (recipe courtesy of food blog Steamy Kitchen. Thanks, Jaden!)

Stay tuned for part 2 - Nashville
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Exploring Chattanooga, Tennessee	A Slice of Paris in Philadelphia	Favorite Destination: Memphis, Tennessee

August 02, 2009

Cruising during the dog days of summer

Updated: August 5, 2026

We sold Mai Thai last year. While it was a bittersweet decision, it also brought peace of mind. No more worrying about hurricane seasons, rising fuel prices, or the endless list of maintenance that comes with owning a boat.

Looking back, all the adventures we shared aboard Mai Thai feel like a dream come true. We sure do miss her, especially on hot summer days like today. Mai Thai was more than just a trawler—she was our floating home, our escape, and our adventure companion for over two decades. Life moves on, but those memories are hard to top.

Original Post
It’s August, and along the Gulf Coast and southeastern seaboard, that can only mean one thing: hurricane season is kicking into gear. Officially, the season runs from June 1 to November 30, but it's this month when activity typically starts to heat up. According to AccuWeather, the forecast is for a "major reduction in the number of overall storms compared to last year." Only three tropical-force storms are expected, two of which could become hurricanes, with perhaps one developing into a major storm.

This marks our ninth year with Mai Thai, our steadfast trawler. We've been lucky—very lucky—to have dodged the worst of the storms over the years. We weathered two hurricane seasons in the calm and scenic cruising grounds of the Chesapeake Bay (James Creek Marina, Anchorage Marina), and one each at safe harbors in Jekyll Island, Georgia (Jekyll Harbor Marina), Daytona Beach (Halifax Harbor Marina), Jacksonville (Ortega River Boat Yard), and St Pete (Tierra Verde Resort and Marina). More recently, Mai Thai has ventured inland, exploring America’s river system with hurricane-free seasons in Fulton, Mississippi (Midway Marina), and Chattanooga, Tennessee (Hales Bar Marina).

But after fuel prices spiked last summer, our cruising lifestyle began to change. Mai Thai gradually became more of a floating cottage than a full-time cruiser, and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

We began traveling by car instead, which proved to be far more affordable. To put it in perspective, Mai Thai averaged about one gallon of diesel per nautical mile and carried a 350-gallon fuel tank, so every fill-up was a significant expense. Keeping her docked farther inland also reduced our boat insurance by about one-third, while giving us peace of mind during hurricane season.

Road trips opened up a different kind of adventure. We explored destinations throughout the central United States that we might never have visited by boat. Lower travel costs, reduced insurance premiums, freedom from chasing weather, and new places to discover—it was a win all around.

Poker Run at Oxford, Maryland

Our friend's boat Chandelle at sunrise (Gibson Island, Md)

We drove back to Florida this summer to spend a few weeks with family, and yesterday, on our way to our all-time favorite beach—Fort DeSoto Park—we passed by a place that brought back a flood of memories: Tierra Verde Resort and Marina, where Mai Thai was docked during the summer of 2005.

That summer didn't go as planned. Our generator failed, forcing us to abandon our plans to spend the season in New Orleans and remain in Florida. As it turned out, that unexpected change of plans was a blessing in disguise. Just weeks later, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast.

Today, the marina feels like a shadow of its former self. Most of the slips sit empty, a stark contrast to the bustling boating community we remember.

Back then, there was talk of a major redevelopment. Developers envisioned transforming the property into an upscale waterfront destination, but the timeshare owners weren't willing to sell. Then the housing market collapsed, followed by the financial crisis, and those ambitious plans quietly disappeared. Today, the marina seems almost frozen in time—a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change and how even the grandest plans can be overtaken by events.

Fort DeSoto's North Beach

But not everything has changed.

Fort DeSoto is still as stunning as ever. It’s the kind of place that reminds you why you keep coming back. Though we’ve never seen the north side of the beach this crowded (it was a Saturday, and maybe more people are opting for staycations?), it still didn’t feel overwhelming—certainly not compared to places like Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where my brother and his family are currently vacationing.

Here on Florida’s Gulf Coast, we’re spoiled—with warm, calm waters, powdery white sand, and that unmistakable low-key charm that’s getting harder to find. Fort DeSoto Park remains one of the best-kept gems in the state, run by Pinellas County. It's well-maintained, with showers, bathhouses, outdoor grills, picnic pavilions, concession stands, and plenty of parking. The park also boasts a historic fort, a popular campground, two boat ramps, fishing piers, playgrounds and a dog park.