We often brag about how conveniently located Punta Gorda and Charlotte County are. Interstate 75, Highways 41 and 17 are all easily accessible and can take you anywhere in Florida. Below are five of our favorite day trips.
- Lake Wales – Bok Tower Gardens – tour the historic El Retiro home, see the singing tower, walk through the gorgeous Olmsted Gardens and the Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden. As an added bonus, a short drive away is Spook Hill. The mystery of Spook Hill is that cars mysteriously roll uphill. Is it magic, an optical illusion, ghosts?? Drive time one way:* approximately 2 hours (just enough time to finish that podcast you started months ago).
- St. Pete – Salvador Dali Museum – displays over 2,400 works of Salvador Dali. A short 6 minutes away is the St. Pete Pier with restaurants and The Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center, featuring hands-on exhibits about local ecosystems and Wildlife Boat Tours. It’s a don’t miss, unless you don’t like fun. Drive time one way:* 1.5 hours.
- Sarasota – The Ringling Museum of Art, Circus Museum, and Ca’ d’Zan – tour the historic mansion, visit both museums, walk through Bayfront Gardens. Drive time one way:* just over 1 hour (shorter than most Marvel movies).
- Sarasota – Mote Science Education Aquarium – see marine life from around the world. Check out their kayak tours and the sea life encounter cruise. The Mall at University Town Center is just steps away with tons of shopping and dining options. Drive time one way:* approximately 55 minutes (that’s barely enough time for the kids to ask are we there yet).
- Ft. Myers – Edison Ford Estate – on the National Register of Historic Sites, where Thomas Edison and Henry Ford both had winter homes. Tour the homes, botanical gardens, the museum, and the laboratory of the Edison Botanic Research Corporation are open. Drive time* one way: approximately 40 minutes (less time than it takes to charge an electric car, ironically).
*Drive times calculated by Google Maps from downtown Punta Gorda
