The second full day started with a two-hour drive south down I-275 and I-75 through Sarasota and Bradenton until we got to Punta Gorda, a town I had never heard of. But Mom is taking her next tour group over there, so we checked it out. We took a quick drive through the town and it seemed very old-fashioned and quaint. There didn't appear to be a ton going on and we were struggling to see why a lot of people had mentioned it as a good town to visit.
We had a 10 am tour at Babcock wilderness, which is a 91,000 acre property filled with wildlife and different ecosystems. It must have taken 25 minutes of driving from any hint of civilization until we got to the place. We took a 90-minute buggy tour with about 40 other people. One of the highlights for me was getting to pet a baby alligator. She felt very scaly and jagged, but still smooth. I also saw three-horned cows, wild turkeys, and an actual Florida panther named Ossie. In the sea, I must have seen 20 alligators. In the air, I saw a blue heron, a few hawks, and a group of circling vultures. It was a fun experience and was worth the time.
We headed back to Punta Gorda and checked out Fisherman's Wharf. It was basically a pier with a bunch of local, unique shops. I really liked this place, as there was a nice blend of expensive stores and casual stores. I nearly purchased a really nice black, short-sleeved, button-down shirt, but since I already have one like it, I took a pass. We ate at a New England style seafood restaurant. Mom had a lobster roll, which was about as predictable as the sun going down come late afternoon. Thankfully, she liked it. We split an order of onion rings; this place makes over 25,000 pounds of them every year. They tasted light and had a nice crunch. Really good rings. Also, the portion size was manageable. Too many times, I order onion rings or strings and there are just so many that I feel full. Thankfully, that didn't happen. I ordered a whole belly Ipswich clam roll. It came on a toasted hot dog roll, with nothing. No tartar sauce, no lemon, no lettuce and tomato. Just the clams. They came out crispy and full of flavor. After all that fried food, at least I ordered a salad for my side. Unfortunately, the waitress never refilled our drinks. But she must have been in her 60s and I give her credit for learning to take orders on a tablet.
I did a little more window shopping. I went into an ice cream parlor and I was tempted to try either the orange pineapple or they key lime ice cream. I asked to sample them and I was told that the staff was not allowed to hand out samples. So I walked away. I liked the board game store too. I thought about getting games like Rook, Cribbage, and Sequence for Dogs. They even has bacon toothpaste, bacon bandages, and Jesus soap. I really wonder how excited the Lord is to know we're naming soap after him.
Anyway, we headed back north on the Tamiami trail. Port Charlotte was the first city over the Peace River after we left Punta Gorda. Suffice to say, there is nothing that would entice me to return there. It's just blah. Around Sarasota, there was some punk kid blasting his music so loud in the truck next to us that I felt my eardrums vibrating. Actually, I take that back. It wasn't music. It was vulgar rap. And our car windows were closed! I'm sorry, but that crap deserves a ticket. We eventually got back to the hotel around five.
After watching two episodes of Forensic Files, I left for Engine No. 9, a hockey-themed burger bar in downtown St. Petersburg. Of course, I wore a Rangers jersey and asked to watch Rangers vs. Devils. I had a Dogfish beer, which I enjoyed, before switching to a Yuengling draft. I ordered the Demi-God burger, which had Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, portabella mushrooms, caramelized onions, and horseradish mayo. It came out cooked perfectly medium and juicy. This burger was absolutely tremendous and I would definitely order it again. The sweet potato fries were crispy and thick. They came with ketchup, so of course, I just had them as is. Also, they had a little bit of a vanilla flavor to them. As for the game, the Rangers were winning 2-0 when I left and wound up winning 3-1 as Derek Stepan notched a hat trick. And for dessert, I finished off that last cannoli. I might need to work out in the morning before church tomorrow...
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