Punta Gorda Part I

 

Avoiding Atlanta on Friday we cut the corner and headed south on 441 and then joined I-75 near Warner-Robins. We've been down this piece of highway many times and it was an easy roll to our next stop at the Quail Run RV resort just north of Tampa. Spanish Moss, palm trees, live oaks, and high humidity greeted us at this first class resort.

 

For your $50 you are treated to a 100 foot concrete patio, two sewer hookups, 70 cable channels; and ironically if you look at the small street sign you will see it says, "Hurricane Lane."

That was a beautiful night and then we had another easy trip to our furthest south destination for this run and that was Punta Gorda. From Barrie we have traveled 4,235 miles in the Flying Scotsman so far and the bus and its crew are doing great.

The reason for the Punta Gorda destination was that our friends from New Braunfels had sold their house there and moved to be near family who live around the area. We popped over to Pat and John Neely's house in a beautiful gated community to the south of town and were shown around their new place. The community boasts all forms of living from smaller condos to free standing homes like theirs below. The place came complete with screened in pool, outside furnishings, and of course the mandatory golf cart to get you to the marina club for afternoon happy hour.

Later that day we went into the town of Punta Gorda and enjoyed the evening at a tiki bar right on the bay. It was partly cloudy, about 85 and a nice breeze .... good for margaritas or spiked cider, eh. Here are the ol' guys with Pat and John.

And the setting sun was spectacular over the beach and bay as the clouds moved more to the east ... beautiful place!

I think one of the markers on this mile post says that Dallas was 1,550 miles ... and we'll be off that direction on 14th.