Posts Tagged With: Peace River Botanical and Sculpture Gardens

The north lighthouse on Gasparilla Island

Punta Gorda, FL. March 28

Our plans were to bike Gasparilla Island, one of the Gulf Coast islands with a state park, two lighthouses, an old town and new fancy housing. We did not, for two reasons. First, it was a little breezier than we prefer for biking. Second, the paths/trails were overrun by golf carts, sometimes driven by adults, sometimes by kids, sometimes by adults holding toddlers in one arm while driving with the other arm.

Gasparilla Island is reached via a toll causeway bridge connecting the mainland to the island. The southernmost lighthouse has a nice museum detailing the history of the area. Gasparilla Island was home to the Calusa Indians who used the area for fishing and harvesting the natural vegetation. They did not practice cultivation farming, they had no need to. When the Spanish arrived, the Indians refusal to farm resulted in the Spanish assumption of Indian ignorance and low intelligence. Over time, the Spanish ways predominated and with the later English settlements, the Calusa either died off or moved with the Spanish to Cuba.

The island and its population center of Boca Grande survived based on the fishing industry; first shipping salted fish to Cuba, and then with the arrival of the railroad and ice, shipping fresh fish to the eastern seaboard. Recreational fishing for tarpon and other fish also contributed to the marketing of Gasparilla Island to wealthy northerners. Later, the shipment of potash replaced the fishing industry. Eventually potash shippping was cheaper from other locations and today the island subsists on tourism and second homes.

We wandered around the island and the beach, visited the museum and had lunch at a small bakery. Lazy beach days will probably wait for Key West and Miami Beach.

Peace River Botanical and Sculpture Garden

In the afternoon we drove a little northeast of Punta Gorda to the new Peace River Botanical and Sculpture Gardens. Only open for 18 months but years in the planning, the gardens are the vision of a former chief executive of McDermott Industries and his wife. McDermott is big in oil drilling pipelines and drilling rigs. At one time, McDermott also owned Babcock and Wilcox which is deep into energy and environamental technology. The present appearance of the gardens is that a bundle of money has been spent on the project, with more to come when a planned art museum opens. A very nice project. Many of you know my biases; it is money from an overpaid executive who is spending funds that could have been paid to company employees instead of being used to create an appearance of a local philanthropist.

View from Peace River towards the botanical and sculpture garden

Putting my uninformed biases aside, the gardens combine manicured lawns, water features, shrubs and sculptures among 11 acres on two sides of a road. The western side fronts on the Peace River. The gardens need more flora to be truly memorable; at present it is pleasant with real promise for the future. The sculptures have a flavor of whimsy. While I am not conversant with the names of top sculptors, the signs informed us that one of them at least has created works for well-known celebrities from around the world.

Chris and I returned to Punta Gorda, did some book shopping and had a picnic dinner watching the water. We finished up the evening chatting with our great Evergreen hosts and playing a few games of Mexican Train which I only mention since I was the winner.

Ed and Chris. March 29