Walking the Harbor Walk

Day 255  |  Punta Gorda    

Sunshine and blue sky were the order of the morning. We each had a list of things to accomplish. Barry went out to run his errands and spotted this weird-looking bird sitting on a marina dockline. Topping his list were a haircut and visits to CVS and West Marine. We had a light in the commissary that was not working and I had requested a new fixture. Now that we have the space loaded up with Bahama-bound dry goods, the need for a working light in the under-the-floor storage area has risen to the top of the list. While he was gone, I did two loads of laundry, worked on photo management, caught up with logs and journals, and continued with route planning as the cloud cover and breeze increased. Shortly after Barry's return, we had the new light installed.

We spent the afternoon walking around downtown Punta Gorda, starting at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Veteran's Park. The former traveling wall is a one-half scale replica of the one located in Washington, DC. The dramatic display of names etched in polished granite was full-scale. As in DC, the flags and personal items placed at the foot of the wall tell a moving story. Adjacent to the Veteran's Park is Laishley Park, featuring a playground with interactive fountain (not on, too cold), concert area, fishing pier, boat ramp, and a 94-slip marina. Punta Gorda is known as the "Hibiscus City" and the flower is incorporated into trash receptacles and park benches. The water fountains were top-notch: wheelchair accessible and with a bottle-filling spigot.

We walked the docks at Laishley Park Marina and spotted another Crossroads for the first time. Along the boardwalk, it was both chilly and windy. My hair was flying, but Barry's freshly-trimmed mane was under control. The sculpture "The Spirit of Punta Gorda" stands on the point overlooking Charlotte Harbor. It was erected in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley, which made landfall here in 2004. The bent tree represents the wind which stopped the town clock, and the upright tree symbolizes the people who stood tall. The walking path took us to TT's Tiki Bar where plenty of outside seating was available. Directional signs area always fun to look at. Interesting how this one also points to the restrooms.

Always eager to check out off-the-wall sites, we headed three blocks back into town to the Radioactive Fountain of Youth. Fed by an artesian well, this fountain that dispenses rejuvenating water, dates back to 1894. The current tile structure was built in 1926. The Clean Water Act of 1974 led to the addition of the warning notice when levels of radiation were tested at twice the allowable amounts. The sign doesn't seem to deter the curious, and I cupped a handful for good measure. We passed the town clock (referenced above) and it was keeping perfect time.

During our walk, we had selected Laishley's Crab House as our dinner spot. Once in the building, things looked increasingly familiar and we both announced at the same time that we had been here once before. We were seated on the deck with the promise of heaters. The one closest to us was not lit and it took multiple "technicians" half an hour to finally diagnose the problem -- the propane tank was not turned on. Tonight, we got dinner and a show. The view of the marina was not bad for a cloudy evening. Like the Chesapeake Bay, Charlotte Harbor is an estuary which is fed by three rivers (Myakka, Peace, and Caloosahatchee) and eleven saltwater passes to the Gulf of Mexico.