Blogs from Matlacha, Pine Island, Florida, United States, North America

Pine Island feels like home. We have been coming back for at least two visits each year for the past seven years! The KOA/Encore/Thousand Trails RV Park is friendly and relaxing. This time back we were thrilled to find a new hot tub and a newly enlarged, paved and landscaped pool deck. We never left the island at all this trip. The funky Matlacha shops, familiar restaurants, chatting at the pool, reading up a storm and occasional a piece of client work kept us occupied and satisfied for over a week. You’ll find our other Pine Island Blogs by hitting the previous button a few times. I’m working hard at not being repetitious when writing about this oft visited island. This trip started out with a 12-12-12 party at the Low Key Tiki with the great ... read more

Pine Island is like a hideout for artists, musicians, growers (landscape agriculture), fishermen, and retirees! Several years of RV camping on Pine Island from the convenient vantage point of the KOA in St. James City has allowed us a great “explore” of Pine Islands and environs. The island is sort of a secret; and people either love it or don’t get it! We met an artist at the Low Key Tiki on Friday night who said “Hush, don’t tell anyone about Pine Island. We like it just the way it is.” So, in direct violation of that well-meaning warning; we’re sharing! We like everything about Pine Island except for the occasional spate of “no seeums.” On our most recent visit, we lounged at the pool, finished a few books, extolled the attributes of fresh squeezed orange ... read more

They call us snowbirds. It's a fine term. We, like the robins, head south until spring brings us "home again jiggity jig." Our first stop is Pine Island, Florida via the Fort Myers Airport. We are in synch with a car service that picks us up and delivers to the KOA where our RV and Jeep have spend the holidays in storage. It doesn't take long to hook up, get the ice maker going, and set the clocks on island time. Day one: We catch some sun, get wet in the pool & hot tub, and get into the books we started on the plane. A band from the RV park "The Last Resort" is at Woody's, a fav restaurant, tiki bar and watering hole on the main canal. Grouper (for me), Rib Eye (for Wes), ... read more