Catmandu On The Loop: Irish Cabbage Key

We left Venice on a beautiful day under sail in the Gulf bound for Charlotte Harbor Inlet. We got about halfway there before the wind turn on our nose and we were a motorboat again. How did Columbus do it? Plan was to go to Cayo Costa but as we were motoring into the Charlotte Harbor Inlet we heard Irish Attitude call Cabbage Key for a slip! Irish Attitude is a Looper boat out of Liberty Marina, Bay City, MI!! We’ve hooked up with Mike & Gay a number of times during our trip and thought like most of our Looper family they were further south. So onto Cabbage Key! We actually got a twopher…not only was Irish Attitude there but also Larry and Sherri on Lady KK! Cabbage Key was made famous as the place where Jimmy Buffett penned “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” We all went up to the restaurant for our cheeseburgers and drinks. The walls and ceilings are lined with $1.00 bills with customer’s names. Every so often we are told the money is removed and donated. When we arrived we learned Mike and Gay’s exciting news is they are waiting on the birth of their first grandchild…like within hours as their daughter was in the hospital!! The next morning the proud announcement their grandson was born shortly before midnight!!!! They are off to Ft. Myers to find a flight to Grand Rapids. Along with selling house and cars to live on the boat Mike told me he donated all his warm clothes to Goodwill. I think he might be buying some back!!! Congrats!!!!!