We drive to the Pink Elephant in Boca Grande. They meet us on the dock with their rubber dinghy and transfer us to the Coyote.
Boca Grande means "big mouth" in Spanish. It's an upscale community on Gasparilla Island.
We have lunch on cabbage key. I order a Reuben sandwich and am pleasantly surprised to find that they substitute grouper for the pastrami. The ceiling has about $70,000 in currency attached by customers with scotch tape.
The area was inhabited by Calusa Indians from about 5,0000 B.C. By the mid-18th century, the Calusa had all but disappeared, the victims of European diseases, slavery and warfare.
Gasparilla Island and the big Gasparilla blowout in Tampa are both named after the legendary pirate, Jose Gaspar. Jose died in 1821 after many daring exploits. No trace of him appears in writing until about 80 years later. Some feel this calls his actual existence into question.
Ken is towing a dinghy for the first time. The noise it makes as the waves lap against the hull bother him a little. He like the silence of sailing quietly to and fro, going nowhere slowly
Boca Grande is best known for Tarpon fishing. Tarpon are large fish that fight fiercely. They are not good to eat so it's a sport that pretty much involves pure animal abuse. About 5,000 Tarpon a year are caught and released here (worse for wear).
We pass a pod of porpoises lat in the day and then say goodbye to Ken and Karen until perhaps next fall...
