We had a great day yesterday! We ventured out of the house and jumped into activities wisely, but without reservations. After waking up early, we ventured to downtown Punta Gorda for the farmer’s market. The market just opened up last week, and there are rules to be followed. We wore a mask and tried to avoid passing by others too quickly. Sure, there were times when we were within 6 feet of each other but that’s OK as we need to get back out into the world. It was great to be able to purchase freshly squeezed orange juice and local produce.
We then ventured down to Pine Island as we found little french bakery in Yelp we had never seen — Pine Island Getaway Cafe. Very cute building with a solid assortment of backed goods. They also sell cafe con leche (we take ours with no sugar). But the star of breakfast was the very well done crepe. We enjoyed our food on their little screened in porch with other couple sitting on the other side. Again, we wore our masks to order, so not perfectly normal. But it still felt good to sit and enjoy a meal!
The reason we never saw this place is that it is in a commercial area off the main road. A very odd place to be, but reminds us of some of our favorite finds in Hawaii. Driving back, we ran into a seafood market that, again, was new to us. They provide produce to the restaurants and have a simple sign on the door with their availability. You tell the friendly worker and he brings it out with ice. We bought the largest blue crabs and soft shell crabs we have ever had!
Next up, mangos! We had driven by Stanley’s Mangos on the main road and stopped in. It is very early in the season, but they had multiple varieties in stock. A large, extended Indian family appeared to be negotiating the purchase on dozens of green mangos. We bought just a few that should be ripe later this week.
To continue our day of exploration, we decided to make the 45 minute drive to Sanibel, knowing that it would not be too busy given that the island has been closed to visitors. On the way, we ordered seafood on the way from Cape Cod Fish Co. They did a great job with the take out process and it all felt very safe. After venturing on island, we found a DQ to order ice cream and drinks and sat outside at a picnic table to enjoy our lunch, far removed from the other patrons.
We then did a little shopping as a couple of the stores that were open. Again, the employees all wore masks and social distancing was not difficult. The owners were very grateful to have customers. The most interesting stop is an amazing bookstore called Gene’s Books. They specialize in mysteries from around the world. To see their entire selection, you stroll between three cottages through gardens with reading areas. Very unique experience. And, a great day of exploring!