Southern Style: Cabbage Key, FL

We have been making our way south along the west (Gulf Coast) of Florida. On Tuesday December 11th we had left Venice, FL and came to Cayo Costa Island just a little north of the Fort Myers area. Our plan was to anchor off this island which is a Florida State Park. When we arrived at our anchorage area, the wind was pretty strong and none of the anchorages had any protection from the wind. We searched for another place to anchor in the area; however, the more protected spots were too shallow for Southern Style. So we went to a plan B. We cruised up to Punta Gorda and pulled into Burnt Store Marina for two nights. This turned out to be a good stop. We got to play some tennis at their fitness center. Keith and I have not played tennis since college (that is 30 years for those of you doing the math). We had fun, did not injure ourselves, and hope to continue to play once we get to Marathon. Captain Keith also played golf and I got a coat of Semco on the portion of the teak decks that Keith had cleaned the other day. So it was a productive stop.

Osprey that perched at Southern Style's Bow in Burnt Store Marina I took his picture through the front window while he was watching me.

Sunset in Burnt Store Marina

After two nights in Punta Gorda at Burnt Store Marina, we headed back to Cayo Costa State Park. We were able to anchor for a few hours before going into our next marina at Cabbage Key. From our anchorage we dropped the dinghy and road over to the State Park at Cayo Costa. Our goal was to search for some fossilized shark teeth and we were successful. Along with some shells we found in Venice (including a Scotch Bonnet), we found several sharks teeth.

Our most recent beach treasures (Game on Dave Hawley)

After exploring on Cayo Costa, we went back to Southern Style, pulled up anchor, and went into Cabbage Key, immediately south of the park, to dock. Cabbage Key is a small island with a big history.

Around 10,000 BC as the last ice age receded from the region, this island was formed as what some call an Ice Age Sand Bar. The first inhabitants were the Calusa Indians around 100 BC. They inhabited Cabbage Key as well as many of the surrounding islands in the Pineland region of western, Florida. It was in the 1700's that Cuban fisherman came to the region and they established a fish camp or "Ranchos" on Cabbage Key and other nearby islands to dry and salt fish that would be shipped back to Havana. Local Indians were employed to work at the ranchos alongside the Cuban fishermen. Around the late 1800's the island began to be a place that locals came to get away. Some owners built small cottages on the island and there was even a time when a squatter lived on the small island. At the turn of the 1900's, well known mystery writer and Saturday Evening Post correspondent, Mary Roberts Rinehart came to the region.

Mary Roberts Rinhart's son Alan fell in love with the islands of the Pinelands. He and his wife Gratia (heiress to the Corning Glass Works fortune) purchased Cabbage Key. They built a large family cottage on the island, a boathouse and docks, water tower, and power house. The main cottage had 2 large porches, 3 smaller porches, and 6 fireplaces. When the Rinehart family no longer was using the island, it again went through several owners and eventually was turned into a resort type facility with an inn and restaurant as well as cottages for rental. The current owners are from High Point, NC.

Boat House and Inn with Restaurant on Cabbage Key (boat house in foreground, inn up on slight hill)

Southern Style docked at Cabbage Key (viewed from the boat house)

Sign on Boat House (they are serious about conserving water)

We walked the nature trail around the island.
Nature Trail

Sign along nature trail (we will keep our eyes peeled)

Water Tower

View from the Water Tower toward Cayo Costa State Park

View toward Useppa Island which is the next island over

Located on Cabbage Key are many Gopher Tortoise. These tortoises are an important species here in southern Florida and are protected. They live entirely on dry land and dig burrows that can be 3 to 52 feet long and 9 to 23 feet deep. Their burrows provide homes and protection for up to 360 other species of animals and the burrows are also protected by the state. The Gopher tortoise can live up to 80 years in the wild. There are several on Cabbage Key

Gopher Tortoise