We settled into Laishley Marina in Punta Gorda for the week. Today is Thanksgiving and we will not be having turkey….except for perhaps a sandwich.
Our plan for the day was to take a walk around the area and to visit Fishermen’s Village, one of the other marinas where loopers usually stay. We knew that Avalon stayed in one of the marinas in the area but we did not know which one. Since Fishermen’s was an easy walk, we walked around the main dock and Peter noticed a Kadey Krogen on one of the other docks so we went and took a look. Sure enough, it was Avalon proudly displaying her gold looper flag. I took a quick photo of the boat and sent a text to the captain. The response was immediate…..”we just missed you since we went home for Thanksgiving but will be back on Monday or Tuesday.” We told them that we would be staying the week and would meet up with them when they returned. It is interesting to note that this is the first couple we met on our first day of our loop but since we took different paths along the way we have only run into them a few times but have maintained the connection. It will be good to reconnect next week and actually have time to spend with them.
Another text was sent to our friends from the Peekskill Yacht Club who spend part of their winter in Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte. They have been following us on Nebo so knew we were in Punta Gorda but called me immediately when I sent them the text of the Christmas tree at Fishermen’s Village. Apparently they spend many days walking the docks and enjoying the harbor. We compared notes on the weather since it was quite chilly in upstate NY.
At Laishley, there are a number of live aboard singles and couples. Later in the day, they had planned a pot luck but it was primarily one person who did all the cooking and a few others purchased sides and dessert. When we walked up to the boaters lounge, they invited us to eat with them but I had already planned to cook chicken for dinner. Peter did have a piece of pie since that was not on our menu.
One thing that we realized traveling across the Erie Canal and around the Great Lakes was that many harbor towns may not have a grocery store nearby but they all seem to have one of the dollar stores. We have found that along with all their miscellaneous items, the stores can provide some food staples. It has been a good source for bread, eggs, canned goods, pasta, etc. So of course I checked to see if there was any dollar store nearby that would be an easy walk and sure enough, Dollar Tree was only a mile away. We planned a visit for the next day and combined that with our walk to the public library, another of our usual stops. The Punta Gorda Library is new and only recently opened. While we usually look at a library’s used book sale section, I think this is the first time we saw one that was really well organized. We have visited some libraries where the books were alphabetized by author or perhaps in fiction and non-fiction but this was actually a separate room that as organized by fiction/non-fiction but also by history, biography, romance, science, best sellers, etc. Peter bought four books since it was the first time he had a real selection of non-fiction/history books. After the library, we ventured to the dollar store, picked up a few things and then back to the marina.
We also had the opportunity to reconnect with folks on Floating Debt who we spent time with at Shady Harbor’s Pig Roast and waiting for the locks to open in Waterford in June. Their boat is a swift trawler and they completed the loop in August. It was a trial run to see whether they would enjoy the trip and now plan to do it again in a few years on a different boat and take their time and following the northern route instead of crossing the Erie Canal and going across Lake Erie. They invited us to visit them at home and it was the first time in close to six months that we have been inside a house. It felt a bit strange but we had a very pleasant afternoon. In addition, to spending the day together, the offer to take me food shopping before we left was greatly appreciated. Loopers all recognize the need to re-provision and access to a car greatly improves the process.
Laurie Jean has begun to settle back into their home and plan to rip out their kitchen immediately. Before this happens though we were invited, along with Aquaman, to come to dinner for a home-cooked meal. Two houses in a few days has set a record. A home cooked meal was enjoyed by all and most of the conversation centered on things we did on the loop, things we didn’t have a chance to do, and things we plan for the future. While no one is ready to take on another major cruise immediately, we did discuss potential trips for 2021 and beyond.
Avalon returned to Fishermen’s Village and we had dinner with them on their boat. We also discussed some of the upcoming holiday festivities that were planned for the area – a holiday market at the Visual Arts Center, the annual tree lighting, etc. Since we were all interested in at least some of the activities, we agreed to get together a few times before we left.
Punta Gorda is a very nice town and has a walkable downtown area. Since we were planning to be in Fort Myers for about six weeks this winter, we decided to spend another week in Punta Gorda at Laishley to explore the area and then possibly anchor out a few nights at Cayo Costa State Park before going to Fort Myers.
Follow the markers! 
Laishley Marina 
Fishermen’s Village
Around the Great Loop on the Answer 