The Wilson's Wanderings: February 2014

The pansies have taken a beating
Drooped like frozen lettuce
Even the decorative winter kale looks bedraggled
Snowdrops that offered a bright sign of hope are buried under more snow
The international diplomats are regretting the day they were assigned to this city,
Normally a plumb location
The locals mutter about the ongoing deep freeze

Enough said!

I wrote the lines above a couple weeks ago and not much has changed since. This winter drags on. Today we have about a foot of snow on the ground providing many with a day off from work (although many parents have had just enough days off already this year and are worried that the school year will stretch into July.) This is the first significant snow DC has had in four years (actually since Snowmeggedon in 2010.) Like many in this country we have endured the Polar Vortex slipping off its mantle to come visit those of us further south as well as consistently below normal temperatures for weeks. Here in DC, the temperatures are for the most part still bearable - and really nothing to complain about compared to my friends who live in Minneapolis or Winnipeg (otherwise known as the tundra) where I see their facebook posts proudly proclaiming their status of 20 or 30 degrees below zero. Given the cold and my decreased desire to leave the house, today I am going to crank up the heat and write about our recent trips to Florida. Maybe doing this will help :-)

Stillness off of Pine Island

Last June we visited Pine Island which is just off the coast of Fort Myers/Cape Coral. Most people head to this part of the country for fishing and boating. We went for two reasons. 1. Celebrate our ten year anniversary! And 2. (admittedly this was more my agenda) to check out the mango trees. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a little besotted with anything that reminds me of my tropical homelands so the concept of mango trees on the U.S. mainland is quite the novel concept to me. And while we have been to other parts of Florida in the past ten years, I had never before made it into the year round frost free zone. And indeed I was not disappointed.

Old Florida

Much of Pine Island is zoned for agricultural use with many orchards and nurseries growing palms and all kinds of tropical fruit trees. We arrived just at the start of peak mango season. Some houses set up tables outside selling mangoes on an honor system. Other houses just let their mangoes drop and rot on the grass much like apple trees further north (but much more of a travesty - except for when tropical longing folks come by and can pick up the good fruit lying there! Which we did.) There was also a great fruit stand that sold many variety of mangoes and other tropical fruit just around the corner from where we stayed. We had read online that you should get their early because the "asians" will swoop in and buy up everything some days. So we did...and it was true, after we had been there five minutes, the "asians" did come and finished up the baskets of lychees that had just been picked that morning. And who can blame them. This "Asian" would do the same thing if we lived closer. But we had to fly back so we were somewhat more limited. Fortunately we had already claimed our fruit which we enjoyed the next few days while still having enough to pack home with us!

Mangoes, Lychees and a pretty good view from our room

Tarpon Lodge

We stayed at the Tarpon Lodge which lulled us quickly into the charms of 'Old Florida' and loved every moment of our time there. (For my Trip Advisor review click here.) Being summer, the afternoon storms came in every day but just as quickly moved on. While we were there we realized that the owners of Tarpon also had a sister property across the water which was even more 'old Florida.' And the lure was set...

...for our return to Florida last month for what we call our annual "escape from winter." We left DC early in the morning while it was still dark (and below freezing of course)! Two flights, two taxis, and one boat ride later we arrived at my new favorite place - Cabbage Key, a small 100 acre island off of Pine Island. For a review go here. The island is perhaps most famous for its restaurant which is covered with one dollar bills (some estimate that there are over $70,000 in $1 bills) which guests have taped to the walls over the years. Supposedly this is also where Jimmy buffet wrote his Cheeseburger in Paradise song if that means anything to anyone. The restaurant on Cabbage Key can get between 600-800 visitors a day during peak time. Most just come to the restaurant for lunch and dinner either on their own boats or on tours with far fewer guests staying overnight in the rooms and cottages on the island. I wrote in my review on Trip Advisor that it was a challenge to review the lodging as it feels like I am sharing a secret that I shouldn’t be sharing (that staying on the island is awesome) and because I kind of want to keep it to myself! I wonder if others who have stayed overnight also feel the same way and they decided not to write a review in hopes of keeping it a secret. Even the website does not do justice to the accommodations – only showing an exterior view of each cabin/house. I was reassured that even if I reveal how great a place to stay this is, the owners are committed to keeping the island the way it is in all its old Florida charm and quaintness.

Cabbage Key main building and restaurant - what you see when you dock at the marina

We stayed in the Tarpon Cottage for four nights– a wonderful, light, bright, simple but very clean two bedroom cottage which included a well equipped kitchen. We could sit inside in the living room, on the screened porch or out on the dock and watch the water and sunsets, and the boats and dolphins go by. What more could you want!? We did read a previous review that suggested bringing your own supply of water if you are staying as the water is from a well and not filtered, which we did, and then we were told by someone on staff that we could probably drink the water but they wouldn’t advise it. We did drink it – it was a little brackish but we were fine -AND we discovered that if you make lime juice it tastes just like Nam Manao (Thai lime juice with a little salt added).

Tarpon Cottage with a friend

Close up of our friend

The view out the back window

Sunrise over our dock

The island is wonderful to explore and kept very natural - with birds and other critters in abundance. Going in January meant few bugs and we beat the busiest time of year. We can’t wait to go back and hope to make it a yearly event! Here are a few more photos.