This corvette is one of the many cars on display at Muscle Car City in
Punta Gorda.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 159
The town already has its own school, a health
center and other necessary facilities to make it a
wonderful place for a diverse population from
young families to retirees to live harmoniously
together. It includes a 73,000-acre preserve,
50 miles of planned hiking and biking trails,
along with high-speed fiber optics in every home
and business so that the residents can have a
digital lifestyle while they enjoy the pleasures of
nature. We dined at the Table & Tap restaurant
that is located in Babcock Ranch’s town center,
where Chef Richard Howze uses homegrown
microgreens, herbs, spices and vegetables from
the community garden, along with fresh, locally
sourced ingredients, to create dishes with a
modern, artisan flair.
A few minutes out of town, Babcock Ranch
Swamp Buggy Eco-Tours operates in a preserve
that was once part of the Babcock family’s historic
Crescent B Ranch. The preserve was established
to protect regionally important water resources,
diverse natural habitats, scenic landscapes and
historic, agricultural and cultural resources. The
well-organized ride on open-air school buses
takes you through a variety of habitats filled
with Florida wildlife, including Cracker Cattle,
wild hogs, alligators and even a well-protected
Florida panther. The guides are fabulous and
make you wish that you had more time to spend
viewing the museum area that is set up next to
the office and barbecue restaurant.
At Rick Treworgy’s Muscle Car City, we saw
one of the largest General Motors muscle car
collections in the nation, which features a corvette
from every year from 1954 to 1975, and several
models from each series of corvettes from 1975
to 2014.
No visit to Punta Gorda is complete without a
stop at the Fishermen’s Village, which was built
in 1980 on the site of some old fish processing
plants. It is now an area filled with shops and
restaurants. We dined at the Village Fish Market
and Restaurant, where the huge portions were
enjoyed while we watched the boats on Charlotte
Harbor. We then took a sunset cruise aboard a
sightseeing boat of the King Fisher Fleet that is
located at Fishermen’s Village. This peaceful,
1 ½-hour boat ride glides around Charlotte Bay,
while the sun displays its art show of colors as
it dips below the horizon.
While in Punta Gorda, we stayed at the Four
Points by Sheraton that overlooks the waterfront
and harbor, close to the revitalized downtown.
It is across the street from the newly renovated
Wyvern Hotel with its rooftop restaurant and
Perch 360 lounge. We ate dinner in the Wyvern’s
other restaurant, the beautifully decorated 88
Keys Florida, where Chef Josh Booze amazed us
with his presentations and flavorful concoctions
that were based on old standards. Dining at 88
Keys Florida is well worth the drive, so we know
we will be back to Punta Gorda soon. 9
PUNTA GORDA
WHERE
TO STAY
Four Points by Sheraton
Punta Gorda Harborside
33 Tamiami Trail
(941) 637-6770
Wyvern Hotel
101 E. Retta Esplanade
(941) 639-7700
WHERE
TO VISIT
Peace River Botanical
and Sculpture Gardens
5827 Riverside Drive
(941) 621-8299
Babcock Ranch
Swamp Buggy Eco-Tours
8000 Florida 31
(941) 637-0551 or
(800) 500-5583
King Fisher Fleet
Fishermen’s Village
(941) 639-0969
Muscle Car City
10175 Tamiami Trail
(941) 575-5959
WHERE
TO DINE
Peace River Seafood
Restaurant & Market
5337 Duncan Road,
Highway 17
(941) 505-8440
Table & Tap
42860 Crescent Loop,
Babcock Ranch
(941) 253-6906.
Village Fish Market,
Fishermen’s Village
1200 W. Retta Esplanade
(941) 639-7959
88 Keys Florida
at Wyvern Hotel
101 E. Retta Esplanade
(941) 639-7700