New Years Eve - Cape Coral, Florida

I’m still having trouble finding campgrounds with tent sites. Sanibel Island was on my itinerary for the beaches, hikes and photography but all the websites indicated that the island was still closed because of hurricane Ian. Apparently, the bridge had been repaired but not open. I decided to visit the Botanical Gardens in Cape Coral the next day instead.

Pine Island

Pine Island is a large island located near Cape Coral in Southwest Florida. It is known for its natural beauty and diverse wildlife, including a variety of bird species, manatees, and dolphins. There are several trails on Pine Island that offer the opportunity to explore the island's natural surroundings and see some of its unique flora and fauna. I had high expectations but when I got to the island it seemed there was a lot of destruction.

Alltrails pointed me to a short trail called Pinewood Trails Park. I dropped the bike of the top of the car and asked a woman which direction I should take. She indicated that either direction were fine because the trail was a loop. The trail was less than one mile long, so it didn’t take very long to get around. I saw the same woman when I was putting the bike back on the car and she said there had been a lot of damage to other trails and parts of the island.

I decided I would forgo hiking or cycling and just checkout the hurricane damage on the island. I was shocked with what I saw. Ian was so many months ago and the cleanup was still going on. I don’t know how often the debris is collected along the streets but it was everywhere. It seemed that the entire marina was gone.

Another popular trail is the Pine Island Ding Darling Indigo Trail. I loved the name. This trail offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Pine Island Sound, as well as the opportunity to see a variety of bird species, including pelicans, herons, and egrets. After seeing the damage on the island, I decided to go to a local planet fitness, shower and use the Hydro-massage.

New Years Celebration

I was looking for somewhere to get dinner close to the Cracker Barrel. I had checked out the Cracker Barrel and wanted something different to eat. I found a restaurant called the Cove. There was a huge parking lot and I could see a very large screen in the distance. I thought it was a stadium. It turns out it was a large soccer complex and there was girls U12-16 invitational tournament going on over the weekend.

The Cove was part of the Paradise Coast Sport Complex and they were having a New Years Celebration. 99.9 percent of the people there were somehow related the invitational soccer tournament. I was the .1. percent that was dropping in. The New Years Eve party cost $50 for one pass through the buffet and a glass of Champagne. At $25, it would have been a little over priced.

There was a local reggae band from Cape Coral named Nostaljah. They were pretty good and people seemed to be into their music.