A Local Hiatus

I see weekends as an invitation to go exploring for fun with my family. This usually entails driving at least an hour in any direction from our house. But after a few busy weekends, I decided that we should try to have a good time right here in our hometown. I scour the internet (ya’all know that Google is one of my dearest friends) searching for any happenings that might be taking place locally. Well that search did not yield much of anything. Even though we live in a relatively small town, there are a few things that draw people, especially snowbirds, here. So that was the plan, embrace our town as if we were tourists or snowbirds!

That morning my husband and daughter welcomed the idea of sleeping in before we set off on our adventure! First stop was the Punta Gorda Farmer’s Market. This collection of vendors takes place every Saturday morning. There’s a variety of offerings from fruits and vegetables to seafood to plants to artists and everything in between.

Our daughter enjoyed checking out the air plants that were creatively displayed. Of course, she found one she had to have! I learned about drinking vinegars that are wonderful mixers for adult beverages! I also had my first LuLaRoe shopping experience. There was even a portable dressing room! And like my daughter and her air plant, I found a couple items that I had to have! Hmmm… maybe she does get that from me! My husband fell in love with all the adorable dogs that were visiting the Market.

After we made our rounds at the Market, we were ready for lunch. There are more than a dozen restaurants within walking distance of the Market. We chose F.M. Don’s. I was disappointed that their brunch was only served on Sunday. So since it was Saturday, we just had their regular lunch menu to pick from.  We started with the Crispy Goat Cheese which was everything you would want it to be! It was coated with macadamia nuts and then drizzled with a sweet apricot sauce! It was served with pitas. My hubby and I both really enjoyed it. We would come back just for that alone! For our meal, we shared a Gulf Fish Po Boy. It was tasty but I wouldn’t feel the need to order it again. Our daughter had the Mac and Cheese and it was delicious! The pasta was covered in a homemade gooey cheese sauce that impressed us all! We did the “tourist thing” and ate outside and it was pleasant.

Next we walked over to Copper Fish Book Store. It’s a quaint little shop with a large selection of books and little odds and ends. The employees are always so sweet!

Copper Fish is around the corner from Punta Gorda Chocolate and Wine. So there was no way that I was going to be that close and not stop by! And good thing I did because they were having their Saturday beer and wine tasting. Don’t mind if I do! Hubby and I both enjoyed some of their cider offerings that day so we purchased a variety pack of them. Now I absolutely adore Punta Gorda Chocolate and Wine for so many reasons! First, all of the employees there are just the friendliest! Their chocolates are so flavorful and they have the most creative flavors. They also have many unique beers and wines! Their prices are reasonable and I love that they are a local owned business.

That was the end of our local Saturday…. Well almost! It was the end of our family local Saturday. But Nelson and I were coming back to Punta Gorda to partake in the Octoberfest activities at Sandra’s German Restaurant that evening. We were meeting some close friends there and we were ready to get our schnitzel on! But our friends had not been to P.G. Chocolate and Wine before so we had to take them or we really weren’t being good friends to them! So more chocolate, more wine and a bottle of Moscato to take home. Ok so now we are ready to get our schnitzel on!

We head over to Sandra’s where the crowd has already overtaken the outdoor pavilion. We opt to wait for a table inside. Now the live band was outside but the comfy seats were inside. So there was only one choice: Inside! We started with fried sauerkraut balls. They were a first for me but definitely not a last! Then we indulged in crispy pork schnitzel, zesty German potato salad and homemade spätzle. It was a well prepared meal that hit the spot!

After all those carbs, we needed to walk! So we strolled over to TT’s Tiki Bar. The weather was perfect to relax outside and take in all the Saturday night sights. This particular Saturday proved to me that sometimes you don’t need to travel far to have an enjoyable time!