Monday - Took a long walk this morning on the opposite side of the resort.  There is a nice park along the bay with a nice walk for several blocks, and at the end of it, there is a fishing dock.  Two men were net fishing for mullet - very interesting.  They whirl the net out, let it sink, and then pull it back in.  (see photos)  They were catching fish, but were throwing a lot back.  We saw a flock of wild parrots, and heard them making noise. (see photos) We came back for lunch at Harpoon Harry's again, and again sat at a table looking out at the bay.  (We saw a school of mullet swim by, and it took about 10 minutes! Honestly! We see them jumping clear out of the water all the time while looking over the bay from our balcony.) This time we just had a bowl of chowder.  Very difficult not to order scallops, but we are trying hard to eat light.  Linda has no weight problem, but Bob has gained over 10 pounds since surgery in June, even with all the activity of rehab.  It's a constant battle!  Easy afternoon, then early snack late afternoon because we took the sunset cruise at 5:00.  Only a little over an hour long, but a nice ride up the Peace River a little, then back to the main part of the bay to see the beautiful sunset.  (see photos)  From our balcony at the villa, the sun sets behind some condos on a point that sticks out into the bay - beautiful sky, but we don't actually see the sun set into the water.  The bay is about 5 miles across to the opposite shore (not the point mentioned above) and about 20 miles long before opening into the gulf west of us.  East of us, after a few miles, it narrows down and becomes the Peace River. 
Tuesday - After breakfast, we drove 35 miles to Gasparilla Island to a state park right on the gulf at the entrance to Charlotte Harbor bay.  (It takes about an hour because of driving through Port Charlotte with its stop lights.  Also, the last 25 miles or so is on a small highway with lots of 30 mph speed limits. If we went by boat, it's about 10 minutes!)  It's as far south as you can go driving along the Gulf of Mexico south of Tampa.  There is a sequence of keys, cays, and islands, so you have to go inland and back out to drive the length, but Gasparilla is the end.  Across from it is Cayo Costa, a state park on a island only accessible by boat.  South of it is Pine Island, then Sanibel Island, then Ft. Myers Beach, then Marco Island - all of which have bridges you must cross to get to them.  We really enjoy this quiet beach at the state park, because it is never packed.  It is pretty isolated, and it costs $5 for a toll bridge, then $3 to park.  The beach is full of shells, and the water is very pretty.  (see photos) We walked the beach for an hour, looking for shark's teeth, saw fisherman catch a 2 foot long shark, pompano, and try for flounder.  Then had a picnic lunch, sat in our camping chairs under our beach umbrella (very sunny and warm - 82 today) and read, took another short walk and saw pelicans diving for fish, also saw 4 dolphins close to shore. We left at about 2 p.m., and on the way back, stopped at a coffee shop in Boca Grande (an upscale small town near the end of the island) for coffee and a treat.   

Fishermen on the pier.  See the fish in the net?

 One of the parrots sitting in a palm tree.

 Sunset from the cruise boat.

same

same

Sunset from our balcony.

From our balcony, moon over the bay.

At the state park at the end of Gasparilla Island.  Across the water is Cayo Costa state park.  The Gulf of Mexico is to the right and Charlotte Harbor bay is to the left.  Lots of boat traffic through here.

This is a 'drift' of shells - thousands!  An old pier in the distance,

which had on it about 30 pelicans, a bunch of gulls, and 2 osprey at a nest.



The gulf side of the state park - notice the lack of people and the beautiful water color.

The water temperature is about 64, so a little cold for swimming.