I just came across a wonderful article published by
Farmer and Rancher about our beautiful town and I have to share it! It really explains some of the features that make Punta Gorda a gem of a city!
PUNTA
GORDA
A
Gem
of
a
City
on
Florida’s
SW
Gulf
Coast
May
02,
14
WARREN RESEN – North American Travel Journalists Association •
PHOTOS by JEANNE O’CONNOR
In Act 2, Scene 2 of Wm. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet says to
Romeo
“What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would
smell as sweet…”
Every state has a town or city whose name warrants a second
glance, a chuckle, or a head scratching in wonderment of its meaning. One
particularly memorable name seen on a sign near Houston, Texas told me that I
was in Bottle ‘N’ Smoke. There was absolutely no confusion in my mind as to what
the name meant. But when place names use a foreign language, sometimes a
translation or clarification is in order.
Aerial Fisherman’s Village
Back in Florida, one of the State’s better known cities is Boca Raton,
Spanish for Rat Mouth or Mouth of the Rat depending on your outlook, perhaps
predicting that centuries later a close relative would become Florida’s most
famous rodent. The name came from the shape of its inlet opening to the Atlantic
Ocean on Spanish sailing charts. But this story is about Punta Gorda or Broad
Point on early Spanish maps. However another translation is Fat Point and that
proves Shakespeare’s point.
Fisherman’s Village Villas - All have balconies with
water views
Punta Gorda is located in the geographic area known as Charlotte Harbor &
the Gulf Islands, nine coastal communities surrounding Charlotte Harbor on
Florida’s SW Coast. With 270 plus square miles of open water, it is the second
largest harbor in Florida.
The city sits on the southern shore of Charlotte
Harbor making it a water lover’s paradise. The Peace River flows into Charlotte
Harbor from the east and the Myakka River from the north. Opportunities for
sailing, power boating, fishing and all other water oriented sports are
seemingly endless because of the area’s rivers, inlets, and bays, including the
Gulf of Mexico. Sailboats and large power boats have unrestricted access to the
bay and Gulf west of the Route 41 Bridge over the Peace River.
Sunset from Fisherman’s Village
There are 830 miles of shoreline in the greater Charlotte Harbor area, nearly
84 percent of which is protected from development. This area offers some of
Florida’s most diverse salt and fresh water fishing and there are some two
hundred miles open for kayaking and canoeing on the Charlotte Habror Blueway
trail.
Punta Gorda is the only incorporated city in Charlotte County. While
relatively small, it boasts amenities usually found only in much larger cities
but without the crowds and traffic. With a year ‘round population of about
17,000 full time residents, Punta Gorda is home to less people than some of
Florida’s gated communities.
The Gulf of Mexico only minutes away
There is a Performing Arts Center, Symphony Orchestra, and Visual Arts
Center. Shopping, restaurants, waterfront boutiques, art galleries, festivals,
live theatre, museums, historical sites, marinas, parks, and much more and
most are generally within walking distance of the city’s central core.
A must
visit is the locally famous Fisherman’s Village. It is a 2-story weather
protected open air mall and promenade sitting out over Charlotte Harbor that is
also a shopping and dining destination with many unique local shops and
restaurants. There are no chain stores or restaurants in here.
A Military
Heritage Museum in the Village houses a large collection of WWII memorabilia
that brings back memories of a time long ago for those who have become known as
“The Greatest Generation.” There is no charge to visit the museum. The Village
encompasses a large marina with docking facilities, charter and tour boats, and
of course fishing boats for both inshore and Gulf outings.
Kayaking through the mangroves on Charlotte
Harbor
Fisherman’s Village is also a complete resort. The second story has 47
furnished 2-bed room vacation units that sleep up to six with fully equipped
kitchens, and living room and all units have water views. Amenities for guests
also include a heated swimming pool, tennis courts and more.
There is much to
do and see in the area. For local sightseeing leave your car at Fisherman’s
Village and pedal through Punta Gorda courtesy of Florida’s first FREE bike loan
program. Bikes are available at Fisherman’s Village and other locations around
the city. Tour waterfront parks, art galleries, and historic buildings at your
leisure or go on a treasure hunt and try to find as many wall murals as you can
on buildings throughout the city depicting local history.
Charlotte County is
a large area geographically but sparsely populated leaving lots of open
undeveloped land. Just east of downtown Punta Gorda is the BABCOCK RANCH
Wildlife Management Area. This is a 90,000 acre working cattle ranch and
preserve, shared between state and federal jurisdictions, and it is home to
Babcock Wilderness Adventures.
Muscle Car Museum
A narrated 90 minute ride here in an open-sided “buggy” transports visitors
to Florida as it used to be. Passing through pasturelands, pine flatwoods and
freshwater marshes, including the huge Telegraph Cypress Swamp, will bring you
face to face with lots of wildlife if, Mother Nature cooperates. Remember, this
is not Disney. This is real. If you want to be assured of seeing alligators, and
lots of big ones at that, the buggy ride through the Telegraph Swamp is the
place to do it.
For a trip back in time, head south of downtown to the
wonderful Muscle Car Museum. Housed in a 99,000 square foot building, more than
200 GM performance cars of the 60’s and 70’s are on display. These mint
condition cars sit there seemingly waiting for someone to take them out for a
spin.
Just inside the door, a lineup of the first Corvettes are show
stoppers. Everyone spends their first moments drooling over these earliest
production models. When they were on the road, these cars were art in
motion.
1954 Corvette
The museum’s offerings recall a time when there were actually exterior design
differences between cars. You could tell what kind of car was coming down the
road from blocks away. If you ask the museum’s owner, Rick Trewogry, what his
favorite car is he will tell you, “the next one.”
When it comes to that all
important decision of where to dine, Punta Gorda offers an amazing number of
options for such a small city. Having visited the restaurants listed below, and
which represent only a small sampling of availabilities, I can personally vouch
for their excellent food and service.
In a waterfront city where fresh sea
food is king, The Village Fish Market, right in Fisherman’s Village, is highly
recommended for either lunch or dinner. A more casual family style fish
restaurant would be Peace River Seafood & Crab Shack in an authentic Florida
Cracker house and a really special setting for seafood lovers. For a more
upscale atmosphere try Laishley’s Crab House overlooking Charlotte Harbor.
1954 Corvette
Evening dining in downtown Punta Gorda can be enjoyed at the award winning
The Perfect Caper, featuring “Asian-Fusion foods accented with French and
American flavors.” Equally captivating is the Trabue Restaurant “offering fresh
and modern American fare.” Dining can be enjoyed inside surrounded by its
eclectic decorating or outside in its delightful garden patio.
This article
only highlights a few of the many wonderful experiences awaiting travelers to
Punta Gorda. At the beginning of this article I quoted those famous lines from
Shakespeare’s play Romeo & Juliet, “…A rose by any other name…” Place names
can be deceiving, grandiose, humorous, or misleading. It all comes down to
whether or not it is a place you would want to visit, return to and/or live.
Punta Gorda ranks high on my list for all of these options.
