Southern Byways

Another fun day in sunny Florida. But really, are there any other kind??
*Went for a nearly morning swim. Can’t believe just how warm the water can be!! You can simply walk right in. Must look at the temperature to see just how warm the water is!!
*People seem to be very health conscious down here in Port Charlotte. Every morning I see several people out jogging and in 85 degrees plus, that’s just too hot for me. I will do all of my exercising either walking around a mall or swimming.
*Late afternoon, headed to the Port Charlotte Beach Complex. We simply …read more

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For our last day in Port Charlotte, we are going to take it easy. Just a nice relaxing day high above the ocean in a 1940’s era open cockpit airplane. We’ve toured the Gulf Coast by water and car, now we take to the sky with Classic Air Ventures.
If you’re not much of a plane lover, you may not want to even think about dinner. But if you’re at all hungry I must recommend…

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Now I’m not a golfer, and I’m quite proud of that, but as I keep saying “When on vacation you have to try new and wonderful things”, so strap on your hard hats and bring your sence of humor, today we’re going golfing.
Lemon Bay is a pure golf course, not a real estate course. The course was designed by Jim Petrides in 1981. Greens, tees and bunker redesign/ renovation was done by Chip Powell in 1997. Buck Creek and Lemon Creek run through the course from the Lemon Bay waterway. We have 3.5 acres of pine-straw ground cover in …read more

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Most people go to Florida for three reasons (although there are many more)
1. Disney World
2. Margaritas (This is actually my Mom’s #1 reason)
3. Beaches
So today we are going to play typical tourist and head off to the beach. Charlotte Country has some of the most beautiful coast lines in Florida, so there’s no disapointing anyone today. If lying in the sand isn’t your cup of tea, you can head over to the volleyball, tennis or basketball courts, heated swimming pool or play a round of horseshoes or bocci. The beach even has bathrooms, and may I mention clean bathrooms to …read more

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Today is a day for buying those vacation t-shirts you scratch your head about when you get home. Fisherman’s Village is a great little spot overlooking the ocean where you can buy all the aligator figurines your heart desires. While wondering around don’t miss The Serious Cookie Company, if you can walk out of that place with out reducing the weight of your wallet, you’re better person then I.

Fishermen’s Village is truly the most interesting vacation waterfront complex in Southwest Florida. You will find a multitude of exclusive boutiques and shops. Superb dining. Exciting daily nightlife. Something different for …read more

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Today we spend the day with Florida’s wildlife at the Peace River Wildlife Center. You’ll never know what you’ll run into during the tour, but that’s what makes it fun.

Tucked neatly into the mangroves overlooking Charlotte Harbor is the Peace River Wildlife Center — a rescue, rehabilitate and release facility for locally injured and orphaned wildlife. Stroll the paths meandering through the palms and meet pelicans, sandhill cranes, red-tail hawks, great horned owls and American bald eagles. Listen carefully as their story unfolds.

Don’t miss the old Florida charm at Nav-A-Gator Grill a must for lunch or dinner.

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Normaly I’m not a big beach fan! Hundreds of people lying around baking in the hot sun, is not my idea of fun, but when I read about this tour, it sounded promising. A boat ride, and a dolphin sight-seeing tour sounded good, but the part that really caught my attention was exploring a private island where you may actually find some peace and quiet.

Out Island Day Cruise to Cayo Costa State Park, departs 9:00 am. Begin your trip with a two hour narrated cruise, and then hit the beach! Cayo Costa State Park lies on an eight mile long …read more

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This month we are heading to a quite little coastal town of Port Charlotte, Florida. When most of us think Florida, we naturaly think Orlando. As great as Orlando is, sometimes you want a little peace and quiet and Port Charlotte is one of Florida’s hidden jewells!
Now when I say quiet, I mean the town, not what we will be doing everyday. So with that in mind our first day will be spent exploring the ‘un-known’s of Florida’s landscapes.

Enjoy a 90 minute Swamp Buggy Tour through the Babcock Ranch and Telegraph Cypress Swamp. Experienced guides offer in-depth descriptions …read more

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I went looking for this map as much for myself as for you. I wanted to see just how close *our house actually was to Punta Gorda. (See top of map) A few years ago, Hurricane Charlie missed us (Port Charlortte) by about 8 miles and took out most of Punta Gorda instead. We were lucky. We had two giant trees fall into our pool, taking out the pool cage, but the house was left standing. Luckily no one was renting the house when the hurricane went through. And all we could do is hold our breaths up here …read more

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“Areas damaged by Charley take another hit.
A tornado ripped through Port Charlotte on Wednesday evening, further damaging areas hit by Hurricane Charley less than two years ago.
The tornado damaged homes, knocked down power lines and sparked several small fires from Harborview Road through central Port Charlotte. The storm, which moved through shortly after a bright rainbow arched across the sky, did not cause any major injuries or deaths.”
Just guess where our house is located?? Yes, we bought a home in Port Charlotte a few years ago and since we then we seem to be a magnet for bad weather.
And …read more

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