Old But Free: Taking A Break

Today we made a trip to Punta Gorda crossing the Peace River to the south of where we live. After an errand was completed, we took the opportunity to explore the waterfront starting at a place called Fisherman's Village. It has an interesting history, and if you are a history buff like me, you can follow this link to a quick read about the location's origins. Today, it is a shopping venue, with lodging and restaurants on the waterfront of the Peace River that flows into Charlotte Harbor and ultimately the Gulf of America (see a photo below of a map onsite which was painted prior to the renaming of the Gulf.) Our condo is north of the Peace River in Port Charlotte, but the zip code for our address is affiliated with Punta Gorda on the south side of the Peace River.

We had lunch at The Islands Kitchen and Cocktail House overlooking the river. Sweet tea and a Cuban sandwich on Ciabatta bread with fried plantains was the choice we both made. It was a very southern lunch, but not my favorite rendition of these foods as both the bread and the plantains were dry and overcooked. Luckily the filling of the sandwich was delicious. The view of pelicans diving for food, boats passing by, and the sun sparkling on the choppy water made up for the food. The stroll through the covered wharf past shops that offered clothing, chocolate, ice cream, t-shirts, and other tourist trinkets was pleasant in the shade the roof offered. Next time we'll try a hamburger at the "Village Brewhouse" instead and save room for ice cream!

Following lunch, we drove westerly through Punta Gorda Isles. This is a residential area of homes all situated on waterways leading to the Peace River, each with their individual docks harboring boats of all descriptions.

Beyond the homes, the road led to Ponce de Leon Park overlooking Charlotte Harbor from a white sand beach bordered by a seawall. Here, a historical marker notes the location of the death of the first white man in America on May 24, 1513, during a confrontation with the indigenous people of this area, while ships were seeking a mainland colony site.