TERI ANN: Cabbage Key

11/16/14

We had a warm sunny day to travel to Cabbage Key. The restaurant there is rumored to be the place that inspired Jimmy Buffett to write "Cheeseburger in Paradise". The place was packed for lunch, but we were told there would be room for us after 2:30 PM, and then we could pull in and stay the night. We dropped the anchor to wait, then put the dinghy in to take Hooper to shore. When we got to shore Hooper did something very unusual for him. Instead of running the beach, he started swimming out into open water. That was odd because he usually doesn't like to swim too much. I think my mighty dolphin hunter was trying to swim out to the dolphins. The dolphins are making him crazy! He wouldn't swim back in, so I had to pick him up in the dinghy. I'm not sure what would happen if he actually met a dolphin in the water.

At 2:30 we raised anchor and went to a slip in the marina. It really is a cute place, and reminded us of some of the marinas we were at in the Bahamas. There were large schools of fish visible right in the marina. I walked the nature trail and read all the signs of different things that could be seen on the trail (all varieties of palm trees, mangroves, oaks, flowers, birds, snakes, ect.) At night we had a delicious meal at the restaurant. Inside the restaurant the ceiling & walls are covered with dollar bills. We added our dollar to the collection. They estimate that there's at least 70,000 bills hanging.

Today's history lesson:

In 1929 the Rinehart's bought Cabbage Key for $2,500 in preparation for their winter estate. They later spent $125,000 on the amenities which exist today as a popular resort. It was constructed high on an Indian shell mound, at 38 feet above sea level, it is one of the highest points in this area of Florida.

Had to wait for the Boca Grande Causway Bridge to open