PUNTA GORDA — It’s easy to overlook this quaint and resilient waterfront village because not far away is a trio of southwest Florida’s legendary resort islands: Sanibel, Captiva and Gasparilla.
The islands get the ink in glossy travel magazines thanks to swanky visitors, beautiful beaches and outdoor adventures aplenty. Punta Gorda you may find only if you deign to wander off Interstate 75 or are cruising south on the Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) toward Fort Myers. But there are some gems here that will make it worth the effort, especially if you’ve got tickets for a Tampa Bay Rays spring training game in Port Charlotte, about 15 kilometres north.
What might strike you first is that the town looks spanking new, despite being about 120 years old. There’s not a lousy roof to be found and the paint looks barely dry. Then you might remember that Hurricane Charley nearly obliterated Punta Gorda in August 2004. The Category 4 storm slammed into Punta Gorda and left a trail of 11,000 destroyed homes and 300 leveled businesses. Even today, there are empty lots downtown and scattered throughout residential areas.
While the buildings were weak, the town’s spirit was not. Today, just over five years later, there are two new hotels on pretty Charlotte Harbor and an attractive and compact downtown that’s poised to dazzle when the economy turns.
Worthy stops:
Muscle Car City — A collection of vintage muscle cars sure to ignite car lust and conjure memories dripping in chrome. (It’ll be tough, but resist the urge to sit in the cherry-red 1956 Corvette.) The cavernous building — it used to be a Walmart — houses nearly 200 shiny vintage cars, mostly Chevrolets, with some dating to the 1930s.
On a recent weekday, the place was crawling with car lovers and their wives. Yeah, it’s a guy’s place mostly, but even a nonbeliever can’t help but get swept away by all that glistening chrome and pristine upholstery. The music of yesteryear pumps through the sound system and more than one visitor sings along. By the time you make your way through the gift shop and get a seat at the ‘50s-style diner, you will too, with “It’s so groovy now, that people are finally getting together.”
Muscle Car City is at 3811 Tamiami Trail (941-575-5959 or www.musclecarcity.net). Admission is $12.50; children 12 and under free. Open Tuesday through Sunday.)
Capt. Kate’s Nature by Boat Excursions: A flock of wood storks, brought back from the edge of trouble, nesting in a rookery on the Peace River. Add to the menagerie a couple of alligators, some menacing buzzards and plenty of stately herons and ibis. We climbed aboard Capt. Kate Preston’s pontoon boat for a spin on the river on a recent windy and cold day. (Haven’t they all been cold recently?) We launched at a spot about 12 kilometres east of downtown, in a place called Liverpool. You can guess where the man who developed the area is from.
It’s quiet on the river, befitting the name. We only see two other boats during our 90-minute cruise, which allows us to conjure images of the Calusa Indians who plied these waterways centuries ago. (We bet it wasn’t they who left the plastic chair or the rope swing at a small beach area.) We idle near the rookery to watch the birds hunker down in the red mangroves; they’re trying to stay warm, too. The ruffles of the snowy egrets flutter when they poke their heads skyward. We pull our flimsy jackets tighter. (Capt. Kate’s trips can be booked by calling 941-626-7590 or e-mail her at naturebyboat@aol.com. Cost is $25 US per person. She also ferries kayakers to dropoff points and pilots photo safaris.)
Downtown murals: An early 1900s cattle drive roaming across the side of a building, one of 23 downtown murals depicting the life of this Florida city. A self-guided walking tour downtown takes visitors to 14 sites (some include more than one mural). Some of the original murals survived Charley, but most are new since the hurricane.
The murals depict early life in Punta Gorda, including a nod to railroad baron Henry Plant. (At one time, the rail line ended in Punta Gorda.) There’s a mural of the first city council of 1889, a lovely depiction of “school marms” rowing across Charlotte Harbor to their schoolhouse and several tributes to the area’s natural beauty. In addition to the walking tour, there are trolley tours of the murals several times a month. (Get more details from the Punta Gorda Historical Mural Society at puntagordamurals.com.)
A national juried fine arts show, an outdoor arts and crafts festival and an organic farmers market, all within a few blocks of each other.
Gilchrist Park: Located on the harbor, Gilchrist Park hosts many outdoor festivals, and on the days we visit, there is a cluster of tents housing handmade jewelry, clothes and other art. It was a bonus to our stop but the park hosts a Saturday morning farmers market where you can wander and sample goodies.
Just down Retta Esplanade from the park is Fishermen’s Village at 1200 W. Retta Esplanade (1-800-639-0020 or fishville.com), a tangle of shops and restaurants that attract tourists, who can rent villas upstairs by the night, week or longer. For anyone who has traveled much in Florida, Fishermen’s Village will seem like lots of other tourist attractions and it is. But for shoppers, it’s a lot of fun with plenty of funky jewelry, nice home decorating items and quality resort wear. Grab the trolley here for tours of downtown or hook up with a fishing excursion.
Across the street from the village is the Visual Arts Center at210 Maud St.; (941-639-8810). Take a stroll among the impressive paintings. The exhibition is free. The art center sponsors the annual Peace River National Art Festival on March 20-21 at Laishley Park on the eastern downtown waterfront.
If you go . . .
Punta Gorda, pop. 17,000, is on the south edge of Charlotte Harbor, about 90 miles south of the Tampa Bay area. The county seat of Charlotte County can be reached by exiting Interstate 75 at U.S. 17 and heading west. If you are attending a Tampa Bay Rays spring training game, Punta Gorda is about 10 miles south of the Port Charlotte Sports Complex, 2300 El Jobean Road. Turn south off El Jobean on U.S. 41, also called the Tamiami Trail, to get to Punta Gorda. For spring training ticket information and a schedule, go to tampabay.rays.mlb.com or call toll-free: 1-888-326-7297.For general information about Punta Gorda, contact the chamber of commerce at 941-639-2222 or puntagorda-chamber.com.
Where to stay: There are chain hotels clustered around the Interstate 75 exits, but two new hotels downtown offer more personality and lovely views.
The Four Points by Sheraton at 33 Tamiami Trail (941-637-6770 or starwoodhotels.com) is perched on Charlotte Harbor on the site of the Holiday Inn that was destroyed by Hurricane Charley in 2004. The 106-room hotel has fantastic views and sparkling-clean rooms as might be expected from a new hotel. Rates start at about $120 US. Its restaurant serves breakfast and dinner.
The 63-room Wyvern Hotel at 101 E Retta Esplanade (941-639-7700 or thewyvernhotel.com) is just south of the Sheraton and has views of the harbor from some rooms. A rooftop pool, patio and bar are a lovely respite from the world. Rooms are large and bathrooms are larger. Rates start at $115 US.The Wyvern’s Lulu restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with a Latin flair. Breakfast is surprisingly reasonable for a hotel restaurant (about $20 for two) and we’d recommend the chorizo pigs in a blanket. Different and delicious.