GLORY DAYS ON THE GREAT LOOP: CHEESE BURGERS IN PARADISE

DAY 204, TUES. FEB 6, 2012

DEPART PELICAN BAY10:15; ARR. FT MEYERS BEACH 4:15

AM SUNNY AND COOL, WIND < 5MPH

D. 33.Osm / 3520

After a leisurely breakfast we pulled anchor at 10:15 for the trip to Ft. Meyers Beach, with a planned lunch stop at Cabbage Key. The Old House Restaurant and Inn is one of those places you just can’t pass without stopping. The story goes this place was the inspiration for Jimmy Buffet’s “Cheeseburgers In Paradise.” After a short 2 mile ride we turned off the main channel into a very narrow channel leading to the Cabbage Key Marina. We tied up at 11:30 and the place was empty. By noon it was packed, which is interesting because the only way to get here is by boat. Inside, the walls are covered with money. One dollar bills, about $80,000 worth! It seems that the place was a refreshment stop for fisherman passing to and from the local tarpon fishing hot spots. They posted signed dollar bills on the bar and walls to guarantee a cold beer when they returned. Now, every square inch of the interior is completely covered with signed one dollar bills. After our “cheese burger in paradise” we left for Ft. Meyer’s Beach to pick up a mooring for the next 4 days. We cruised through Pine Island Sound, past Captiva and Sanibel Islands and across San Carlos Bay, a run of about 25 miles. The mooring field is owned by the city of Ft. Meyers Beach and is run by the Matanzas Inn & Resort. The cost is only $13 per night with free pump outs.