GLORY DAYS ON THE GREAT LOOP: THE OTHER HOLLYWOOD.....FL

PAT CROSSING THE HOLLYWOOD BRIDGE

DAY 256; FRI. MARCH 30, 2012
DEP. DINNER KEY (mm 1095) 08:45 ARR. HOLLYWOOD, FL (mm1072) 12:30

D. 26.3 sm / 3862.3

We left Dinner Key thru the mooring channel and into the north section of Biscayne Bay. As we get closer to Miami, the bay narrows to a wide channel with the city of Miami to the west, and the port of Miami, the home of many cruise ships to the east. It’s not the natural beauty we have been seeing, but is very impressive, especially the Miami skyline. North of Miami the trip to Hollywood was mostly through highly populated areas with expensive homes and condos lining both banks of the river. When we arrived at the Hollywood Municipal Marina we pulled up to the fuel dock to empty the holding tank and get our slip assignment. The slips here have no finger piers so we have to depart the boat from the bow, which turned out to be next to impossible, or from the stern into the dinghy to get ashore, but there was no place to leave the dinghy. Fortunately the Harbormaster decided to put us on the end of “D” dock since the slip owner was away for a few days. We were totally alone on the dock and were able to get on and off the boat easily. That evening we took the bikes over the Hollywood Blvd. Bridge and went to dinner at Oopah, a Greek restaurant on the eastern shore of the ICW. The food was excellent. Instead of butter or oil with our bread, they served a highly seasoned chick peas In a motar and pestle. The idea was to smash the chick peas into hummus, and spread it on your bread. It was so good we could have made a meal of it. The best hummus I’ve ever had. The rest of the meal was also very good and we will make it a point to come back here next trip. The entertainment was a belly dancer, and we will let the pictures speak for themselves.