Wandering Around Punta Gorda near the harbor

Just walking around Punta Gorda taking some pictures, I spotted some Ibis on the side of the path in Gilchrist Park casually slurping from rainwater that had collected there.

I wound around past the statue of Ponce de Leon gazing over the harbor.

He seemed to be watching seagulls taking flight over the waters.

Then I meandered over to Retta Esplande past the A.C. Freeman house.

I do love it here.  

Last Chances to Visit Punta Gorda's Worden's Organic Farm Market in Fishermen's Village

Sadly, all too soon after it opened for the season, Worden's Organic Farm Market in Fishermen's Village will close for the season at the end of March.  But if you love the absolute lush freshness of their organic products, you will still find them for awhile longer at their other locations in Sarasota, Sanibel Island, and Naples.

Yesterday, I stoppped by their market in Punta Gorda, and got some new perspectives on vegetables:

A turnip from the garden:

A-mazing Daikons -- Japanese radishes.

Clearly seeing how your carrots are grown:

A micro view of lettuce....

In the early morning Fishermen's Village is an enchanting experience as  pelicans gather awaiting the day's catch,  feral cats stretch and begin their wanderings,  tour and fishing boats ready for the day's outings, and the quiet sounds and sights of the harbor are mostly yours before the daily hoard of tourists arrive.  And if you arrive  on Wednesday early in the next few weeks,  you can watch the Worden Market staff set up and get first choice of their harvest.

Punta Gorda DownTown Farmer's Market

After seeing the piece on Worden's Organic Farm this week and with the focus on "slow" locally grown food, I got to thinking about Punta Gorda's Downtown Farmer's Market.  Wandering downtown on a Saturday morning, picking up a coffee from Cafe Ruelle's stand at the market and perhaps sampling a sweet at one of the bakery stands -- ahh!   I guess I am supposed to focus on the veggies but..first things first.

The market has continued to thrive and grow since Jerry Presseller started running it with a  a few stands a couple of years ago across from the newly renovated "old" Court House.   There are now numerous produce and other vendors selling a variety of local items...including vegetables (some organic), bakery items, breads, pasta, jellies, citrus and more.  Usually there is some entertainment going on as well.

And while you are there check out some of the unusual vegetables...... at the stand towards the back near to the parking lot. Amazing!

If you decide to go:


Market Location:
209 West Olympia Avenue and Taylor Street
Punta Gorda, Florida


Open year-round
Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact Information:
Jerry Presseller
307 Taylor Street
Punta Gorda, Florida 33950
Telephone: (941) 391-4856
Fax: (941) 639-7675
Email: jerry@pressellergallery.com

City and Best Western reach agreement on terms for last piece of Harborside Promenade

Aligning the harbor of the Peace River, the long visioned promenade has slowly materialized. With the opening of the new Sheraton Four Points scheduled for this month, the stunningly landscaped portion of the harborwalk in front of the hotel will finally be accessible leaving only the small piece of harbor frontage adjacent to the Best Western hotel to complete the walkway from Fishermen's Village past the Harborwalk condominums.

The City Council of Punta Gorda and the Best Western Hotel reached agreement this week on terms that will pave the way for a 6-10 foot walkway behind the hotel and restaurant and development of a mooring field. If the commercial marina obtains approval from the Governor’s Cabinet, the Best Western will construct the walk and initiate design, allowing the eventual construction of a mooring field off Gilchrist Park. This portion of the walkway will be narrower than the 20-30 foot span promenade envisioned by Team Punta Gorda, understandable given that it must tuck around the front of Benedettos sprawling deck. (Lawyers are now working on the language of the agreement which will be presented at the next Council meeting.)

It's been five years since I worked with others on the communications committee of Team Punta Gorda and developed a small brochure summarizing some of what TPG working with the Correa Group outlined for the City. The words "imagine strolling along the picturesque waterfront watching boats dock in the marinas" from the brochure now ring true. I remembered them last weekend at the Redfish Festival as I gazed across Laishley Marina at the boats docked there, and watched and engaged in the festivities of that event.

As Team Punta Gorda's website reads in part, walkers, bicyclists, runners, social groups, gatherings, art fairs, festivals, can now enjoy and take advantage of what the promenade will have to offer. Also, the larger plan includes linking the harborwalk to linear parks, being started, that will eventually extend throughout the city with bicycle and walking paths. Over time, the addition of new venues and amenities,e.g. Laishley's Crab Shack due to open this Fall, will further enhance the waterfront experience.

It seems like a long time coming...but when you realize what has been accomplished here in five years after a hurricane literally tore this town apart...you'd have to say incredible.

Babcock Ranch near Punta Gorda

The sky blazed crimson at the horizon as the first rays of the sun touched the edge of the dawning day. Through the mist ghostly shapes of cattle emerged and the twittering sounds of morning filled the air. Florida, the way the pioneers saw it, is visible still in Charlotte County. And maybe, thanks to an agreement reached between Syd Kitson and the Babcock Ranch a few years back, will be for generations to come (despite some of the negativity that still surrounds Mr. Kitson’s. ideas).

Kitson acquired 17,000 acres of the 90,000 acre Babcock Ranch, which sprawls over Lee and Charlotte counties, for development, and the state obtained 73,000 adjacent acres of environmentally sensitive land for preservation. Kitson’s goal is to build the first totally solar-powered city in the world. A working ranch and the eco-tour would be retained as part of the overall plan.

We recently visited the Babcock Ranch and took the Wilderness Adventure Tour, a guided ride through portions of the ranch, which allows visitors to experience, quoting the tour information, “Old Florida.” We hopped aboard a modified bus, “swamp buggy,” which bumped its way through much of what will be the preserve area of the ranch through pinewoods, marshes and swamp, while the guide rattled on about the history of the ranch and the ecosystem which contains it. Longhorn cattle wandered up to the bus, as well as wild boar. We splashed through swampland and caught sight of alligators, and stopped for a visit with panthers that the Tour keeps in a zoo-like environment for the tourists to see.

At one point, a guide comes aboard the bus with a baby alligator for a close-up view

This is truly worth the experience, and something, if you live here, and haven’t done yet, you should do. Moreover, it’s the perfect guest thing taking up a reasonable amount of time, and engaging enough to keep both adults and kids of all ages entertained.

Average Time to See Attraction:
2 and 1/2 hours

Directions:

From the North:
I-75 to exit 164 to Highway 17 head North one mile to State Road 74 and go East 15 miles to State Road 31 then head South - look for Tour Entrance 6 miles on left

From the South:
I-75 to exit 143 head East on Route 78 to State Road 31 and go North 9 miles - Look for Tour Entrance on right

All Tours are by Reservation only:
Phone: 1-800-500-5583
Fax: 1-941-637-4611
Admission Prices:
Adults: $19.95 plus 7% tax
Children (3-12): $12.95 plus 7% tax
Call for prices for groups of 20 or more.

http://www.babcockwilderness.com

Laishley Park and Trabue Harborwalk -- Another of the Parks of Punta Gorda

Sunday a week ago we were looking for a place to walk.  The Y doesn't open until noon on Sundays, and it was glorious day. We'd been wanting to walk along the east side of the Harbor and the day was perfect for it. 

Over the course of Punta Gorda's history, the citizenry of Punta Gorda has fought to keep access to the Peace River and the harbor open to the public.  Some ten years ago, issues about access to the then land called Laishley Park  were being argued up to the Governor's level.  Then after Hurricane Charly a vision  set forth by the citizenry of Punta Gorda and community leaders, mobilized by a common disaster and  shared ideas of what Punta Gorda could be, began the process that will ultimately result in a network of parks and walkways aligning the Punta Gorda waterfront.   Laishley Park (and  its Marina) is part of that vision.  

The  new Laishley Park Marina  is the centerpiece of what will be a complete renovation of Laishley Park.  The Marina  will be followed by the soon-to-be opened  building anchored by the Crabshack  Restaurant with spectacular Harbor views as well as offices and retail stores.   Also nearing completion are the adjacent scenic walkways as well as an interactive fountain with lighted jets of water continually changing  shape and color. 

Since it is the spirit of Punta Gordeans over time that have continued to improve this small, charming city.  it's only fitting that a sculpture christened "The Spirit of Punta Gorda" stands proudly at the harbor's edge in Laishley Park.  

And on this Punta Gortageous day, as we walked along the harbor and stopped to exchange greetings and pet dogs,  I once again knew for sure where I belong.  

The Art Galleries of Punta Gorda

As  I have noted in previous blog posts,  artists are drawn to Punta Gorda and its visual opportunities. Consequently, it is no surprise that there are numerous galleries here for visitors and residents to peruse and patronize the arts.  Below is a list that I am building of Punta Gorda galleries.  In upcoming blogs I will write more about each of them.   

• Art Galleries & Museums A C Freeman House 639 Hargreaves Ave Punta Gorda, Florida (941) 637-0077
  
• Gabriele Childs Studio 251 E Olympia Ave Punta Gorda, Florida (941) 575-1711
  
• Gallery Joe Matthis 403 Sullivan Street Punta Florida (941) 639-8488
• Presseller's  Gallery & Delicatessen 213 W Olympia Ave Punta Gorda, Florida (941) 639-7776
  
• Sea Grape Artists Gallery 113 W Marion Ave Punta Gorda, Florida 33950 (941) 575-1718
  
• Sunart 307 Taylor St Punta Gorda, Florida (941) 639-3956
  
• Visual Arts Center Galleries 210 Maude St Punta Gorda, Florida (941) 639-8810
  

Gilchrist Park -- One of the Parks of Punta Gorda

This past weekend we took a picnic dinner down to one of the wonders of Punta Gorda -- Gilchrist Park.  Situated on Retta Esplande along the Peace River, the park hugs the shore of the river with a winding pathway dotted with amusements and places of rest including a playground, benches and picnic areas, tennis courts, a gazebo, and a pier jutting out over the harbor.  There are also convenient and clean restroom facilities.

Sunsets are one of delights of southwest Florida...natives and snowbirds alike make the excursion near nightfall to somewhere near water in hopes of witnessing the elusive green flash.  And, among other things, Gilchrist Park is a lovely setting for this nightly ritual.  We never tire of watching the sun descend in a blaze of color over the river.

We've also enjoyed bringing our granddaughter here, listening to music at the gazebo or at one of the other spots in the park on Thursday evenings, walking, playing tennis or just enjoying time here -- time in a way we thought was long gone, of another era.  From the park you can see flocks of birds wading or flying across the horizon, admire the Victorian homes on the other side the Esplanade, enjoy dogs walking with their owners and children at play.  

Curious about the namesake of the park, I found that Albert Gilchrist was a Punta Gordean, originally from South Carolina -- most Punta Gordean's were and are now from somewhere else.  He worked as a surveyer, real estate broker and ultimately Governor of Florida.  His legacy and name rests with the park, and the bridge that crosses the harbor, and one of the counties of Florida.  But there is one other great tradition that remains with Punta Gorda for which we can thank Gilchrist.  Every Halloween the Masons provide free ice cream near Gilchrist Park to children who come in costume to the historic district of Punta Gorda.  It was Gilchrist who left money in his will for the perpetual gift of ice cream to the children of Punta Gorda.   

Out to the Ball Game -- Phillies vs. the Rays at Charlotte Sports Park

Only a short 10-15 minute drive from downtown Punta Gorda, if you know the back roads that is, the American and National League champion baseball teams played ball yesterday. 

 This season the revitalized Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte became the home of spring training for the Tampa Bay Rays, making it possible to  see major league play at 4 stadiums within an hour's drive of Punta Gorda and more venues if you want to travel just a bit a bit further to, for instance, Clearwater.  Check out this year's spring training schedule and more on the  stadiums of the grapefruit league, many on the west coast of Florida.  

We headed up to the Charlotte stadium yesterday to see the 2008 World Series competitors, Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays, battle it out again in front of  a sellout crowd.  The Rays won this one 3-2.

It was our first visit to the handsomely refurbished facility. A couple of things we really liked about the renovated stadium--- the clear, attractive signage marking entrances by first base, home base etc., the comfortable chairs, the part of the seating that was shaded from the hot, Florida sun, the upgraded concessions scattered about the perimeter of the stadium, the clear scoreboards.   Only a few misses we didn't like--not enough space between rows to accommodate long legs, the dirt parking lot--but neither of these complaints deterred much from our enjoyment of the game.

Not much beats devouring  a hot dog or a Phillie cheeseteak in early March in the warm sunshine watching the two best major league teams play baseball.  

We will be back again to see the Rays and then the Stonecrabs.  

Punta Gorda -- an artist's parardise

There is something about small towns with rivers running through them that attract artists --- add spectacular sunsets, palm trees , year-round warm weather and historical charm and you magnetize them.  While I painted and drew in my earlier years, life and career pointed me in a different direction.  But once relocated to Punta Gorda,  I found myself  easily reconnecting  to these early interests especially because of the accessibility of artist resources and subjects. 

 

I started taking painting classes at the Visual Art center Punta Gorda first in watercolor, then drawing with Bob Cassell, and later oil painting.  While in California for nearly a year I studied painting and drawing with several artists there as well.   But it was truly Punta Gorda that brought back the artist in me, and if you just wander around you would see why.

Tomorrow, for instance, the third annual Peace River Arts Festival, one of many art events will take place in Laishley Park.  Many of Punta Gorda's local artists will be displaying there--more on that following the festival. Then,  there are  the murals scattered about town noted in an earlier posting and the galleries.   In addition, to three galleries at the Visual Art Center, there is the Joe Matthis Gallery in the Swiss Connection building on Olympia, the Sea Grape Gallery-- a cooperative of 25 working artists, with work in all art media, Vicki Glynn's Gallery-featuring her own work as well as several other artists, Pressellers- a favorite lunch restaurant of mine as well- and many more.   Punta Gorda is also the home of many artist studios including the Red Hat Studio run by Liz Hutchinson, offering art classes.  

Punta Gorda Murals - a part of Florida History

Punta Gorda with 25 murals and counting probably has more murals than any small town in the state, preserving  the city's part in Florida history.   And because a large number of these artworks are viewable during  a walking through town, mural touring is a great way to spend an afternoon in Punta Gorda.   

On Thursday, February 26, another Punta Gorda mural, the original of which was destroyed in hurricane Charley, is being  rededicated.   The mural "Movie Memories" was formerly located on a Flower shop wall on Marion Ave.   The new painting by Michael Vires, which adorns the Charlotte Harbor Event Center, commemorates the old Punta Gorda theatre owned by Desquin family. 

According to the Punta Gorda Mural Society website,  in its heyday the old theater could seat about 300 people. Then in the late 1920’s renovations were made to accommodate the “talkies” that arrived in late 1929.  Later in 1936, L.V. Desguin bought the theater and made many improvements inside and out.  A new marquis gave the theater the name, “New Theatre.”   Admission to see a movie was only 9 cents for children and 35 cents for adults.

To see a complete list of Punta Gorda murals, their location and a history of the murals of Punta Gorda visit www.puntagordamurals.com.

Bamboo Farm Pottery

Friends had told us about the extensive pottery place at the Bamboo Farm on Zemel Road off Burnt Store in Punta Gorda, but seeing it was another story.   If you go be prepared to be awed by row after row of vast warehouses housing a  kaleidoscopic variety of pots and other ceramic art.  

The owners, wholesalers, tell us they get the stuff, which includes talavera fountains, bird baths and creatures of all kind, large Asian urns, rustic and  glazed pottery and garden art, water features and more, from Mexico and Viet Nam.  

Just browsing through the place with its surrounding bamboo farm is enchantment.  In addition to the Pottery warehouses, there is now, a recently opened, Inspiration  Gallery, displaying glass, watercolor and other art.  The owner indicated that the Gallery offered classes in jewelry making, watercolor and more.  She also discussed with us how she took pieces of a treasured item, broken by accident or otherwise, and turned it into a new piece of art by reassembling the pieces as a flat piece of art or other interesting recomposition.  

Located in a serene setting, a literal bamboo forrest, its a pleasant place to visit even if you are not in the market for pottery or other items for your lanai.  They do also vend the bamboo in various sizes.   See more on the Pottery Express at Bamboo Farm.

IF YOU GO
More information can be found at http://www.bamboo-farm.com/contactus.asp