A Walk About Town

I took a walk along Estero Boulevard which runs the length of Ft. Myers Beach. I walked from the library to the northwest tip of the island at Bowditch Park. Not many people hanging out at the bars or on the beach this time of year but a few families and couples were enjoying themselves in the hot sun.

I was trying to remember how I felt when I first visited Florida from the north. I couldn't wait to sit in the sun and walk along the beach. Today I just walked mostly along the beach and it was hot but very enjoyable. After 2 1/2 hours I felt like I earned the cold Yeungling I consumed at the bar. Yum.

Here are a few photos from my walk......



This view above is from the bridge (Mantanzaz Pass) leading to the beach. The close water is the back bay and the further water is the Gulf of Mexico.


The view to the right is of the mooring field taken from the bridge as well. In the far view Enee is the 1st sailboat on the left. You may want to enlarge to see it.









The photo at left is one of about 40 beach access points. There are several hotels and resorts on the beach but the public is very welcome to enjoy the beachfront all along Estero Boulevard.



I love the bright white sand along this beach. And today the sky was clear and the sun was high and the colors were crisp. If I were to live on a beach I would choose a house something like this one at the right. A nice little beach house on stilts (space for a car to park underneath) with a deck facing the water. Not a bad way to spend the evening watching the sun set as you sit in the hot tub. Although I'd wait for December or January before entering the 'hot tub.'

I continued along the shore and spotted a house for sale, similar to the one in the photo. The asking price was $1,400,000.00 - a bit out of our range but not ridiculous for beach front property I think.

I spotted 3 different types of palm trees. At least they looked distinctively different enough to me. For example, the tree below: both photos are of the same tree.















Maybe because it's a young palm, I'm not sure, but notice how short and 'barky' the trunk is and how full and pointy the palm leaves are. The right photo is a close up of the bark.

This palm at the left is not only much taller but the trunk is much much smoother and very bulbous at its base. Is this perhaps a mature tree and the tree pictured above will look like this in a few years? Hmmmm. Some research needs to be done here.

But wait, there's one more:
the palm at the right has flowers! Well they look more like berries that I think bloom at a certain time of year. And...the bark is yet of a different variety - not extra 'barky' and not very smooth - something inbetween.

So, there you have it. My observations of palm trees in Florida. And where are the coconuts you ask. Missing in action. I didn't see a one.


I of course also spotted quite a variety of birds:
















Toward the end of the island near Bowditch Park there were quite a number of different birds nestled in their own groups all facing southeast and basking in the sun. I was able to get fairly close before they would pop up from their roosting and scurry away from me waiting for me to pass so they could settle in again and gaze toward the sun. Even more research needed here.


At the very end of the island is a clear view of the channel markers (left) showing the way around the island toward Matanzaz Pass. Doesn't seem like a sail boat much less a large commercial boat would fit, yet this is our way in and out of the back bay area.







And finally.....
a picture of a sailboat sailing off into the sunset. Well, not really, it was only about 1:30 p.m. and definitely time to find that Beach bar to meet Scott and have that cold brew.