Boca Grande/Gasparilla Island - bike ride
Description
Rich Taylor Presents Boca Grande, Florida
I resided in Boca Grande, Florida for over 20 years. The feeling of living in paradise has yet to escape me. With world-class beaches, fishing, and golfing this family-friendly island has become a favorite destination and home to many. I sought out a production company to work with hand in hand. Together, we created a video that truly captures the essence of this gorgeous island that I call home. I hope you enjoy! For all news and listings visit OnBocaGrande.com
Boca Grande by Bike
9 April 2012 1 of 2 After checking out Lighthouse Beach, the boys head back through downtown Boca Grande. Along the way we cover rules of the road, there is a crash and we run into mom.
Boca Grande Golf Cart Rules of the Road
Whether you own a golf cart of are renting a golf cart, knowing the Boca Grande Golf Cart Rules of the Road are critical for your safety and those around you.
Driving Across the Boca Grande Causeway in Florida
The Boca Grande Causeway is a causeway located in Charlotte County, Florida connecting the community of Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island with the mainland near Placida. The 2.5 mile causeway crosses Gasparilla Sound and consists of three bridges, and is the only vehicular access to the island.
History
The causeway was built parallel to the now abandoned Charlotte Harbor & Northern Railway bridges
The Boca Grande Causeway originally opened in 1958 after six years of construction, replacing a vehicle ferry service. The causeway was built parallel to the now abandoned Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railway. Passenger rail service to the island was discontinued by the railroad shortly after the causeway opened. While the railroad was abandoned in 1981, the adjacent trestles remain mostly intact today and are visible from the causeway.[1]
The Causeway was privately built, but was sold to the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority, a government agency created to oversee operation of the causeway, in 1998.[2] The northernmost bridge (connecting to the mainland) includes a 213 ft swing span over the navigation channel. The swing bridge, which is one of a few remaining swing bridges in Florida, is 13 feet tall at its highest point. The center and south bridges are fixed span bridges, and are 12 feet and 25 feet tall respectively.[3]
Bridge Replacement
The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority has been gradually replacing the original bridges since the mid 2000s. Replacements for the center and south bridges were completed in 2013.[4][5] The swing bridge is the causeway's only original bridge from 1958 still in operation, although its replacement, which will be a similar swing bridge, is under construction and is set to be completed by late 2016. The new bridges are taller and also include shoulders for bicycle traffic allowing improved access for bicyclists using the popular Boca Grande Bike Path better access to the mainland and to the Cape Haze Pioneer Trail.[6]
Walking Around Downtown Boca Grande, Florida
There are no gas stations in the village of Boca Grande, so many local residents use a golf cart as their main mode of transportation. On any given day in Boca Grande, you will see golf carts, as well as some automobiles, making their way throughout downtown. A Lee County ordinance designates all but two streets as golf cart paths. Drivers must be at least 14 years old to operate a golf cart on these designated streets.
Boca Grande provided the backdrop for Denzel Washington's movie, Out of Time, where the quiet village was renamed Banyan Key in reference to the banyan trees that populate the island. Scenes for the 2006 film based on Carl Hiaasen's book Hoot were also filmed on the island, which was again renamed for the filming. This time it became Coconut Cove.
Boca Grande's serene beauty also makes it a destination for high-profile weddings and residences for the elite seeking privacy. Sara Blakely (Spanx founder and owner) and Jesse Itzler were married on Boca Grande in 2008, while the Bush family and Audrey Hepburn have called it home seasonally.
Hurricane Charley hit Boca Grande heavily on August 13, 2004, causing some $20 billion USD worth of damage to Southwest Florida. There were no deaths or injuries on the island, but many buildings were damaged and numerous banyan trees were heavily damaged.
Boca Grande is very popular with affluent seasonal residents, many of whom keep a second home on the island.
For all that it offers the occasional visitor and admirer, it is probably best known for its fantastic fishing and Tarpon tournaments.
Millionaire's Island - Gasparilla & Boca Grande Island, Florida
Boca Grande Village on Gasparilla Island in Lee and Charlotte counties, on the Gulf coast has been the home to the wealthy for decades. The village was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. A $5 toll bridge connects the island to Charlotte county's mainland.
Visitors and residents agree that the charming island is a bit of paradise just miles from Fort Myers and Port Charlotte. The island has no stoplights or franchise food outlets. Structures are limited to two stories in height. There was no road access until 1958 when the bridge was built.
From a small fishing village in 1870 to a booming commercial port in the early 20th century, Boca Grande is now a tourist destination and second home for hundreds of millionaires.
Many structures are now placed on the National Register of Historic Places including the rail station, lighthouse, Gasparilla Inn, and marina.
There are quaint shops, two grocery stores, two banks, a school, and hair salons. There is no gas station or chain stores. A bike path runs most of the length of the island and golf carts are the preferred method of transportation.
Visitors are free to use wire-less internet at the Community Center 24/7 or the Johann Fust Library. The Boca Grande Reference Room at the Center has automated book check out as part of the Lee County Library system.
The Gasparilla Inn & Club has had guests including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and the George H. W. Bush family, as well as many other notable celebrities.
At the southern tip is Gasparilla Island State Park, a popular beach location and home to one of six Florida lighthouses open to public.
Visitor Tip: Pick up an excellent free Visitor's Guide published by local newspaper the Boca Beacon for everything one should know about the island.
From the video:
Port Boca Grande Lighthouse and Keeper's House Museum - Built 1890
Amory Memorial Chapel - once the Shiloh Baptist Church for the African-American community
Pilot's House - About 1898, now privately owned residence
Boca Grande School
Boca Grande Community Center - auditorium and community meeting place (author Amy Bennet-Williams giving a talk about the Caloosahatchee River)
Banyan Road
Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church
Hudson's Grocery's Pink Gas Pump
Whidden's Marina - Built 1926, former dance hall now a small museum. Pet goats.
CAPE HAZE RESORT Placida Florida Boca Grande Englewood Palm Island FL
FOR RENT: ...RELAX and ENJOY this 3 Bdr Condo for rent at Cape Haze Resort (South West Florida, Gulf Coast)...Vacation Year-Round Rental Near the famous Boca Grande & Palm Island - Placida, FLORIDA with amazing pool... Club House, State of the Art Fitness Center, Lake View and minutes from several immaculate beaches! Click here for details and unbeatable amenities:
Lifeproof Case - Boca Grande, FL
Lifeproof Case for iPhone 5
Boca Grande, FL - Beach House Rental
Boca Grande Beach House is a one story duplex.
It has two units, each sleeps 4 and can be rented separately.
Boca Grande Chapel
Located in Boca Grande, Fl the chapel is near the lighthouse and overlooks the ocean
Boating from Cape Haze to Boca Grande and Stump Point
Nice outing with friends Hans and LaDonna. Saw lots of dolphins by Stump Pass.
BGRE: Boca Grande Shores 6
In considering Boca Grande for your vacation, fishing trip, or just a weekend get-away, you've found the quietest and most friendly spot on Florida's southwest coast. Although easy to reach by car, train (Amtrak to Tampa) or air (to Tampa, Sarasota, or Ft. Myers), Boca Grande is off the beaten path; a quiet island you can drive to.
We've been coming here since the early '70's, drawn by the beautiful beaches, the Gulf and inland waters teeming with fish and birds, and the variety of things to do. We picked our home in Boca Grande Shores when there were only empty lots. The site is beach front, but gentle sand dunes provide privacy and seclusion. The pool is at the side of the house, so it's easy to check on your family at the pool from the living room or rear bedroom windows. One of the advantages of Boca Grande Shores is that it contains the only homes on that particular stretch of road - across the street is a state preserve. As a result, the beach is very private, and this particular stretch is quite wide, so there's room to fly a kite, or play catch, volleyball or tag without disturbing the folks sunbathing, swimming or collecting shells at the waterfront. Our home is fully stand-alone, not a condo or villa. We think you will appreciate the privacy and quiet.
The island bike path accommodates not only bikes, but walkers and golf carts. It parallels the road at the entrance to Boca Grande Shores. To the south are the light house, a large state park, and a great beach-front restaurant and snack bar; to the north is town, with shops, lots of dining options, and a great ice cream shop. Either way, it's a short half-mile trip, and can be made on the beach one way, and path the other way.
As the original owners, we were able to add a few extras to our house, which everyone seems to appreciate. There's an extra window in the upstairs guest bedroom to give cross-ventilation and a view of the pool. The sun deck off of the master bedroom has a wood deck and railing for comfortable relaxing and sunning. For those cool winter and fall evenings, there's a wood-burning fireplace in the living room. There's a small balcony off of the downstairs guest bedroom, so your guests can sit outside in the evening in their own private space. The downstairs screened porch has a paddle fan and good lighting for a comfortable card game, or just relaxing.
Bedrooms: 3 Sleeps: 6 Minimum Nights: 2
For more information, please visit:
Boca Grande Fishing Charters in Cape Coral _ (239) 719-2355
In the city known as a Waterfront Wonderland, Forbes Magazine named the City of Cape Coral as # 9 of the Top 25 City's To Retire in the United States in 2016. Cape Coral is connected to Fort Myers by two bridges - the Cape Coral Bridge, that connects Cape Coral Parkway to College Parkway in Fort Myers and the Midpoint Memorial Bridge, that connects Veterans Parkway to Colonial Boulevard. The city features a sandy beach and fishing pier on the Caloosahatchee River at the public Yacht Basin & Club.
Cape Coral is home to the SunSplash Water Park, more than 30 recreational parks, and seven golf courses. Cape Coral offers a variety of Gulf beaches within 15 miles, such as Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach. The area is known by birding enthusiasts for a
wide variety of wildlife.
Boca Grande Fishing Charters
Cape Coral
(239) 719-2355
Segment 4 The Gasparilla Inn & Club Boca Lighthouse
Segment 4
BGRE: Boca Grande Shores Colony Overview
Nestled between the beach and a state preservation area Boca Grande Shores is one of the most popular destinations on Boca Grande and is home to many fantastic vacation opportunities. Boca Grande Shores consists of twelve private beach houses just 1.35 miles south of the village. These separate homes offer more privacy than a condo or villa and the location offers an unspoiled beach setting.
The wood-frame homes offer a comfortable setting with all the modern amenities for a great beach holiday. Each home is three bedrooms and two baths and is uniquely furnished to the individual owners taste. You can enjoy the views and sunsets from your private porch or living room or enjoy the beach right out your back door.
There is a spacious heated community pool to enjoy and perhaps meet other guests. Access the bike path across the street to jog, walk or take a golf cart to the shops and restaurants in the village or just enjoy the natural surroundings.
Boca Grande Wedding Photographers, Boca Grande Weddings, Boca Grande Wedding Videographer
This video was done by Nelson Photographers. Boca Grande Wedding Photographers, Boca Grande Wedding Videographer, This wedding took place at the Boca Grande Club on Boca Grande, FL ip3mti
Gasprilla State Park Boca Grande Amory Chapel
Friday 22 November 2013. A visit to Gasprilla State park for the rehearsal of Matt and Paige's beach wedding. We get a good look at the historical Armory Chapel and the beach where we conducted the ceremony rehearsal, later that day. The following day, November 23rd, we Hosted and DJ'ed their reception and provided music and audio support for their beach ceremony.
This chapel is a perfect beach venue for weddings under 70 guests. Contact Celestial Event to learn learn more about this and other great gulf coast wedding or event venues.
Cisterns Gasparilla Island State Park
The two cisterns located at Port Boca Grande Lighthouse and Museum in Gasparilla Island State Park.
Driving Boca Grande Island
Boca Grande is a small residential community on Gasparilla Island, in southwest Florida. Gasparilla Island is a part of both Charlotte and Lee Counties, while the actual village of Boca Grande, which is home to many seasonal and some year-round residents, is entirely in the Lee County portion of the island. It is part of the Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area. Boca Grande is known for its historic downtown, sugar sand beaches, blue water and world class fishing.
Its name - Spanish for Big Mouth - comes from the mouth of the waterway, called Boca Grande Pass, at the southern tip of the island. The pass was used as a busy shipping point for many years as the waters in the pass are naturally deep. Processed phosphate from the Bone Valley region was loaded onto waiting ocean-going cargo vessels via the Seaboard Air Line Railroad at the dock located on the southern tip of the island. Shipping business to the island declined in the late 1970s as it was no longer cost effective to ship phosphate by rail to Boca Grande when it could be loaded at Tampa. The phosphate plant at Boca Grande was old and its tons-per-hour rate was slow. Therefore, it made economic sense to discontinue the operation. Evidence of the island's industrial past can still be seen.
Same Beach, looking south in November after re-naturing.
There are no gas stations in the village of Boca Grande, with the exception of a street pump at Boca Grande Marina, so many local residents use a golf cart as their main mode of transportation. On any given day in Boca Grande, you will see golf carts, as well as some automobiles, making their way throughout downtown. A Lee County ordinance designates all but two streets as golf cart paths. Drivers must be at least 14 years old to operate a golf cart on these designated streets.
Boca Grande provided the backdrop for Denzel Washington's movie, Out of Time, where the quiet village was renamed Banyan Key in reference to the banyan trees that populate the island. Scenes for the 2006 film based on Carl Hiaasen's book Hoot were also filmed on the island, which was again renamed for the filming. This time it became Coconut Cove.
Boca Grande's serene beauty also makes it a destination for high-profile weddings and residences for the elite seeking privacy. Sara Blakely (Spanx founder and owner) and Jesse Itzler were married on Boca Grande in 2008, while the Bush family and Audrey Hepburn have called it home seasonally.
Hurricane Charley hit Boca Grande heavily on August 13, 2004, causing some $20 billion USD worth of damage to Southwest Florida. There were no deaths or injuries on the island, but many buildings were damaged and numerous banyan trees were heavily damaged.
More Info Here:
Robert Myrick Photography