Englewood, Florida has a wild side. I’m thinking parks and beaches and dining discoveries. What were you thinking?
Moving right along – Swim, paddle, board a boat, walk, run, amble or meander, it all works in Englewood.
Day of Discovery in Englewood starts at Lemon Bay
I started my Englewood day of discovery at Lemon Bay Park and Environmental Center, 570 Bay Park Blvd. Since my last visit they have really upped the ante in their butterfly garden. The park is an official monarch butterfly way station, loaded with nectar and host plants. Eleven different kinds of butterflies visit here regularly.
Winding paths with arbors, benches and easy to read plant identification signs along the way make this butterfly garden an inspiration for backyard butterfly gardeners.
North and south trails, easy to do on hard packed sand paths offer walkers a variety of habitats – shoreline, tall pines (home to eagles’ nests) and scrub. The Eagle trail, for example, on the north side is two miles long or 4,000 steps. Hum. Whose steps are they using to get that number?
Reading a sign about all the dos and don’ts for the park, I notice dogs are allowed, of course, they must be well behaved and leashed. And you clean up, being the responsible dog owner that you are.
My Welsh Corgi, Obi, Mr. Short Legs, stayed home on this day but Lemon Bay definitely is a lovely place to be with your four-legged friend.
On the Environmental Center porch sits a rain barrel that gathers rain from the roof. And beneath the barrel is a dog water bowl. Creative recycling!
Take a Ramable on Dearborn Street in Englewood
Don’t have a four-legged friend to walk with you? Consider visiting EARS (Englewood Animal Rescue Sanctuary) at 145 West Dearborn Street. Cats are available for adoption here. Dogs are in foster homes and appointments can be made to see them. EARS is a no kill, no cage shelter open Tuesday through Saturday from 10-3. Adoption fees vary. Just down the street is an EARS thrift store, another way to support their work.
Caffeine addicts cross the street from EARS and go to Joe Maxx Coffee Company open 7-3 seven days a week. Avert your eyes from their pastry offerings or maybe not, they are wickedly good.
I liked the Old Florida Outdoor Center and Gallery further down the street on Dearborn. Florida eclectic and more – stationary and art supplies. There is a glass blowfish hanging in a doorway that would be perfect hanging in my doorway. Next time!
Fortified by browsing on Dearborn, I head for Stump Pass State Park located at the end of Gulf Blvd. Parking is $3. Bring change. You put your fee in an envelope.
Stepping out of the car, coughing started at once. Wind out of the west. Red tide still here but there is a way to test the air ahead of time. If the wind is blowing out of the east, it blows everything away out into the Gulf of Mexico.
So, east wind = beach weather.
Englewood is home to Stump Pass State Park
Stump Pass boasts long stretches of white sand beach, easy canoe access, trails through the sand scrub, fishing – and honestly the air should get better with cooler weather that puts an end to red tide. All right, we need cooler weather. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.
The Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center at Cedar Point on Placida Road has an upstairs meeting room for classes along with a ton of free literature about the natural areas such as Charlotte Harbor. Nice walk down to the water but check ahead, sometimes the trails are flooded by tides and rain.
All these adventures led to one conclusion – it was time for lunch.
The choice for today is Farlow’s on the Water on McCall Road. I ordered their famous fish tacos. Farlows has a Caribbean vibe combined with Southern cooking. Outside seating is well appointed plus you can walk over to their herb garden where the chef picks parsley, basil and rosemary.
Farlow’s (named after the husband and wife owners) is my kind of place – i.e. the environment matters to them so they have taken the pledge to limit use of plastic straws to help keep beaches and wildlife safe. Did you know that in 2017 Americans consumed 390 million plastic straws every day? These straws end up as trash in the ocean. Seabirds and marine life eat them and die.
We can do better. Just stop using straws. It is a start.
And for the finish I must confess the menu had Salted Carmel Chocolate Pie. You know what happened next.
Yes, it was delicious. And thus ended my day of discovery in Englewood.
I barely scratched the surface. Here are more ideas:
Bike on the Cape Haze Pioneer trail. Take a dolphin tour or a sunset cruise with Gasparilla Boat Tours.
Go paddle boarding with Hooked on SUP. Heck, you can even do yoga on a paddleboard.
See, I told you Englewood had a wild side. Go for it.
October event – you are invited
MEDITATION IN MOTION
A Labyrinth Talk and Walk
Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018
10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
St. Boniface Episcopal Church
5615 Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Key
The labyrinth at St. Boniface was one of the first labyrinths in Florida that author Lucy Tobias walked and in part became the inspiration for her new book Circle the Center Labyrinths in Florida. Rector Wayne Farrell will bless the refurbished labyrinth and Ms. Tobias will do a presentation on labyrinths and be available for book signing. There will be opportunity to walk the labyrinth, and light refreshments will be served. The event will take place in the labyrinth courtyard and all are welcome to attend.