Monroe Harbour Marina: We spent about a week nestled into the calm, protected marina in Sanford, FL. What a fun, yet relaxing, busy little waterfront!
[Sanford and the St. John's River are a great "spur" off of the Great Loop route. Some south-bound navigation information and stops are in our previous blog about the trip down (up).]
The marina is part of a man-made peninsula -- Marina Island, built by the city in the mid 1960s. Currently, there is a boat yard/marina, a restaurant, and few retail shops. Construction of an assisted living facility is in progress, and a new hotel is planned. A popular St. Johns cruise ship departs from this marina. The Barbara Lee, an authentic sternwheeler (paddlewheel), offers 3-hour lunch & dinner/dancing cruises.
Veterans Memorial Park is right next to the marina. Unfortunately, we were a day late for the Veteran's Day activities and Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall.
History:
During the Second Seminole War in 1836, the United States Army established Camp Monroe.
Orlando Sanford International Airport started as Naval Air Station (NAS) Sanford in 1942 to conduct operational training. At its peak in 1943-45, NAS Sanford was home to around 360 officers and 1500 enlisted men. The base was inactivated and reduced to caretaker status in 1946. It was reactivated in 1950, in response to the Korean War and the Cold War, as a Master Jet Base for carrier-based and North American Vigilante aircraft. At its peak in the mid-1960s, the base was home to nearly 4000 military personnel, and nine squadrons that routinely deployed aboard large aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean and the Pacific. The airfield was conveyed to the City of Sanford in 1969.
Interesting Facts: A few movies have been filmed in Sanford, including Passenger 57 (Wesley Snipes) and My Girl (Macaulay Culkin). And a recent TV series, Leonardo DiCaprio's The Right Stuff, shot some scenes here.
An episode of HGTV's Tiny House Hunters features a home that is moored in the marina. Look for episode "Downsizing in Sanford" (Season 4, Episode 12).
Time to Explore: We got some exercise on the 1.5 mile paved river-walk along the shore of Lake Monroe. It is a nice paved path with bench and swing stops along the way.
We then reunited with our friends on m/v Griffin, who gave us a ride to dinner and grocery shopping before they returned their rental car. (They had driven cross-state for more manatee excursions.)
Food & Drink! There are so many great places to eat here -- within 4 blocks of the marina! The evening walks were even more enjoyable since the town had already donned Christmas lights on the trees!
Ray was happy to try some new beers at the 4 Sanford Breweries (a 5th is not yet ready for business). We learned these breweries are just a few of the 25+ breweries on the Central Florida Ale Trail ------------ if only we had a car!
We compiled our list of Sanford favorite points:
Best Desserts: Pecan Pie at The Old Jailhouse. Bananas Foster Cheesecake at The Sullivan.
Best Gluten-Free Option: GF pasta & GF burger buns available at Sanford Brewing.
Best Craft Brew: Java Jaguar at Wops Hops.
Best Patio: Sanford Brewery.
Best Meat & Vegetables: Short Rib Carbonnade at Buster's Bistro (Belgian).
Best Logo: It's Sanford, Son at Celery City Craft Beer Garden.
Best Vibe: The Imperial at Washburn Imports.
Missed Stop: Somehow, we ran out of time to try Hollerbach's German restaurant with traditional sing-alongs, Schunkeling, and dancing. Note: Schunkeling is when you lock arms with your neighbors and sway back and forth to the polka music while sitting together on those wooden Biergarten benches.
Activities & Events: The town, restaurants & pubs offer many entertainment options: monthly food truck fiesta, themed Alive After Five street gatherings, and Block Party. Bingo, karaoke, trivia, movies, open mics, bands, and stand-up comedy are frequently happening at a number of places.
Ray and I stayed up past "cruiser's midnight" (9 PM) to see a stand-up comedy event. One of the funniest guys was from Sumter SC -- Jimmy Fontaine.
Culture: m/v Griffin joined us for Orlando Big Band's Swingin' with the Big Band. Orlando Big Band is a vintage 40's orchestra, sponsored by Band Preservation, Inc., a charity organization. They provide loaner instruments to students and offer music scholarships. We saw the show at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, which was built in 1923 and just beautiful.
For this "date night", we splurged for dinner at The Old Jailhouse, an interesting preservation building. There were dining areas in the Visitation & Booking rooms, Mess Hall, Cell Block, and Solitary (private room where the waiter closed the gate behind him every time he went in).
Visitors: We enjoyed a visit from Daddy & his friends.
They rode the train an hour & half (each way), then rode the free trolley to meet us at the restaurant, then walked 6 blocks round-trip to get a quick tour of SCOUT.
If SCOUT awarded visitor recognition, they would win Greatest Distance Traveled & Most Energetic.
What a great week!
Now it's time to head back down river (North!).