Fernandina, FL
To kick off December, we celebrated our anniversary at a charming B&B in Fernandina with festive Christmas decorations. Unfortunately my anniversary present was a nasty head cold, but I enjoyed the beautiful room, large bathtub and delicious food delivery that Tyler brought back to lift my spirits.
We planned on staying in Fernandina for a few nights and then sailing to Jacksonville, where I had a flight to catch for work. The night before we were set to leave we hesitated. We really liked Fernandina and we really really liked the idea of chilling after lots of moving.
The only question was how to get to Jacksonville for my flight. At a delightful Mexican restaurant, we puzzled over our options and I decided to see if I could get an Uber to Jacksonville. Lo and behold, for 30 mins of car time I’d be at the airport. We chuckled at this wake up call reminder that when we travel by boat it’s all about the journey not destination – for a full day of sailing out of the inlet, down the coast on the ocean and back up another inlet to Jacksonville I could just take a 30 min car ride.
New Smyrna, FL
I landed from my work trip, met Tyler and Felix on the fuel dock and we traveled through the night to New Smyrna. Nothing to wind down from travel and a full work week like sleeping in shifts while your boat is underway. Alas, when you’re covering miles and threading weather windows overnights become an excellent option.
We pulled into New Smyrna and happened upon their Christmas boat parade! Our anchorage had a front row seat and I loved the light shows and music from passing boats.
Cape Canaveral, FL
On our next section we navigated ICW waters with lots of bridge research and a little holding our breath to Cape Canaveral.
We enjoyed dinner out by the water near our anchorage in Titusville and hoped to catch a rocket launch. Tyler was especially excited to visit the Kennedy Space Center. We checked out exhibits and a few short videos – even got to see the space shuttle Atlantis.
Turns out a lot of things need to line up for a rocket to launch on schedule and unfortunately for us, the launch got rescheduled. I have a feeling it won’t be our last time at the Kennedy launch viewing site.
Miami *by car
We tucked the boat into a tight marina slip in Port Canaveral for the holidays and hopped in a rental car on a very rainy day to make our way down to Miami.
We spent a week in Miami enjoying the city and catching up with friends. Towards the end of the week, Tyler planned a day to visit Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. That same day, he gave me a gorgeous arrangement of flowers so I had a pretty good feeling the manicure I got in Port Canaveral would be in pictures later…
I left room for uncertainty as we walked through Vizcaya until I leaned into Tyler and heard his heart. His heart was beating so fast, like a rabbit darting through a meadow, fueled by pure, electric excitement and anticipation. We walked through the gardens and Tyler found a secluded spot where he reached in his backpack, said some incredibly sweet words and proposed. YES!
After the initial shock and exuberance, I noticed Danny – the photographer that Tyler hired to capture the moment and an engagement shoot in the gardens after. We celebrated that evening with friends at a nearby bar and even had a surprise appearance from my best friend Em. It was a magical night.
Puerto Rico *by plane
From Miami, we hopped a flight to Puerto Rico and had an awesome week there with Tyler’s family for Christmas. There were many highlights – mellow beach days, a beautiful rainforest hike, and fun game nights.
My favorite day of the trip was relaxing on someone else’s boat. You really appreciate something once you know what goes into it! Tyler’s mom Gail had planned a day aboard a sailboat with a captain, stand up paddleboards, snorkel gear and snacks and drinks. We chased sea turtles, sipped painkillers and felt truly stress free in vacation mode.
We returned to Miami for New Years with our friends Em and Maggie and rang in 2024 watching Miami’s epic firework show.
