The Markel’s Fun Weekend in Punta Gorda

By Melanie Markel

My husband and I decided to spend the entire weekend in Punta Gorda and we had an absolutely wonderful time!

We started our weekend on Friday night with an awesome dinner at the River City Grill in downtown Punta Gorda. The meal was wonderful and the service on point. I would highly recommend their Cracker steak or the Butterfish, as both were delicious.

After dinner, we headed over to Dean’s South of the Border for cocktails, live music and of course, dancing. We really enjoy live bands and Dean’s has live music just about every evening.

Saturday, we went to Fisherman’s Village for breakfast at the Village Fish Market and maybe a Bloody Mary or two. I am never disappointed in their breakfast. My personal favorite is their French Toast.

After breakfast, I wanted to stop at Salty Paws to get our little Lexi some new doggy toys and some fun treats. And then to Simply Sweet’s to grab a box of my husband’s favorite popcorn and an few yummy chocolates for later.

Our next stop was Ponce De Leon Park to sit on the beach a bit and visit the Peace River Wildlife Center. They have all kinds of native Florida wildlife where they treat injured and ill animals. Their volunteers do a great job of telling you the stories of the animals. After visiting their gift shop, we took a nice walk through the mangrove on the boardwalk trail in the park.

Then, time for a late lunch at Hurricane Charley’s Raw Bar & Grill. It was a gorgeous day to sit out on the deck and enjoy the view of the Harbor before heading home!

Sunday, we started at LMB Bagels on McKenzie Street, Punta Gorda, for a quick breakfast. The bagels are made fresh everyday and are THE best.

After getting our bagels, we decided it was a great day to do a little fishing, so we brought our boat over to Downtown Bait and Tackle to stock up with a few dozen live shrimp and some tackle, before heading out into the Harbor for a little water fun. After a morning of fishing up river, we motored over to TT’s Tiki Bar for lunch and more music before heading back out on the water to enjoy the sunny afternoon and then another gorgeous sunset.

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend spent totally in Punta Gorda. There is so much to do here, we’re already planning our next local ‘stay-cation’!