Houseboating Adventures - Issue 18 - (Page 59)

B Beaches, Barrier Islands, & Birds. Florida has 1,000 miles of BEACHES, but most will not be viewed from a houseboat unless you are near Captiva and Sanibel Islands and the other smaller keys and islands to be found in the BARRIER ISLANDS area. Paradise Vacations and Holiday Cruise Yacht Charters offer their fleet of Gibson’s for cruising this spectacular area, as does their catamaran neighbor to the north, Coastal Houseboat Charters. B is also for BIRDS, because you will always see them when you are out boating in Florida. The pelican is the most popular bird and the state has a large population of bald eagles. The wetlands are home to resident waterfowl species and migratory waterfowl. The Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island is home to 200 types of birds. C Canals, Cayo Costa & Cabbage Key. ilies, even smugglers have found this spot useful. Cabbage Key offers a shipwreck survivor's dream of salvation. Situated at Milemarker 60 in the Intracoastal Waterway, Cabbage Key is actually a 100-acre ancient Calusa Indian shell mound. Accessible only by boat, the island centers around a white clapboard inn built by mystery writer Mary Roberts Rinehart and her son in 1938. Today, the inn offers rustic guest rooms and cottages, plus a restaurant wallpapered entirely in autographed $1 bills. According to legend, a local fisherman tacked the first one to the wall so he would be guaranteed a cold beer on his next visit. Subsequent visitors followed suit, and today an estimated $70,000 covers the walls. The inn’s famous clientele, past and present, includes Ernest Hemingway, Walter Cronkite and Julia Roberts. Music fans will be interested to know it was the inn’s delectable fare that inspired Jimmy Buffet’s song "Cheeseburger in Paradise." Cabbage Key is a great place to spend the night moored at their dock. Once the afternoon flood of tourists have departed the island, its small marina and restaurant become a "locals only" island paradise. It’s quiet, private and the food is great. Florida has thousands of miles of CANALS and levees. There are 3 types of canals - finger-fill, upland, and straight. The 6 major canals are North New River, Hillsboro, West Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Caloosahatchee, and Miami, which is the longest. CAYO COSTA is a barrier island located just north of Captiva that forms the northern portion of Pine Island Sound. Cayo Costa State Park is accessible only by private boat or passenger ferry services. The park contains nine miles of beaches and 2,506 acres of pine forests, oak-palm hammocks, and mangrove swamps. There are trails that run the length of the park and it is easy to spend hours hiking in this primitive, sub tropical forest. Among the wildlife that can be seen at the park are manatees, dolphins, and an assortment of birds. Shelling is especially good during the winter months. CABBAGE KEY is tucked into its eastern shore near the middle of the island. An indention called Murdock Bayou cuts into the island. In past times the Bayou was open to the Gulf of Mexico and provided passage from the sound. This wildlife preserve has always been a special place the Calusa Indians, European explorers, fishing schooners from Cuba, local fishing fam- )6B@" A05("%C&5AB9&@

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Houseboating Adventures - Issue 18

Houseboating Adventures - Issue 18 Editor's Desk Desert Ritual River Dream Boatel 2007 Top Houseboating Accessories 2007 Impact Design of the Year 2007 Comeback Company of the Year Florida A-Z The Perfect Florida Houseboat Under Thirty Feet? Adventure Guide

Houseboating Adventures - Issue 18

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