Sarasota

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Sarasota - February 10, 2007

We hustled down to Punta Gorda on Sunday morning to catch a 9am boat to the primitive State-owned barrier island, Cayo Costa. A great breakfast at Elena's on Route 41 South nourished us for the two hour boat ride. We have never been so close to dolphins in the wild as on this trip. A trio or more raced the boat on each side as we left (and later on returned to) to Charlotte Harbor. Cayo Costa is WILD - there are signs not to feed the feral pigs!

We brought a picnic lunch (sales of ANYTHING arebanned from the island), walked and shelled a bit, and set up our folding chairs to sun and read. Cayo Costa is located along the Inter Costal Waterway which accounts for plenty of large pleasure boats dotting the safe harbor. It and some of their neighbors, including Cabbage Key, are only accessible by boat. The island is under the jurisdiction of Florida State Forest Ranges. Primitive cottages are available to rent - really of interest to our camper friends - we saw several groups who had tented on the island the previous evening. This is REAL camping and makes our Lake George Island camping forays look very tame.

Back on the boat, which was from King Fisher Fleet, I won the raffle. I have my choice of a return to Cayo Costa, lunch at Cabbage Key, or a Peace River Nature Tour. Can't wait to return.

We had a nice dinner on the upper deck once the Captain's Table on Fisherman's Warf corrected an annoying lapse in service. Yummy seafood chowder and broiled fresh jumbo shrimp (a shrimper sells his catch of the night at this warf every morning from 8am until he sells out).

On Saturday, we bought oranges, onions, and Pennsylvania Dutch style jars of condiments at an orchard and farm market operated by Pennsylvania Dutch farmers near our RV Park.

Later in the day on Saturday we enjoyed setting our chairs up and reading at a little beach at New Pass on Long Boat Key. After having enough sun, we parked near St. Armand’s Circle on Lido Key and browsed great shops. Dinner was WONDERFUL at Columbia, a Cuban restaurant on the Circle. We ordered a pitcher of sparkling white sangria and Cuban caviar (a delish black bean spread) for starters. Two combo entrees one with Cuban roast pork and a steak sauced with chorizo; and the other with shrimp and chicken sauced with lobster bisque had us so sated that we actually resisted making a purchase at the very tempting Kilwin’s Chocolates & Ice Cream Shop on our walk back to the car.

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Photos

Dolphin in Charlotte Harbor
Several dolphin raced with our boat on the way to and from Cayo Costa.