Saturday, December 30, 2017

Gulf View in Punta Gorda

Let yourself be charmed by the southern hospitality of Gulf View. As we entered the park we were greeted by a cute office building all decorated for Christmas.




There are always cookies on the table in the office building



The park has paved streets that are quite narrow which makes driving the trailer into a site (drive-through) difficult since cars and trucks are parked in front of RVs. As I drove into our site I almost hit a jeep parked on the other side of the street with the rear of our trailer as it was swinging out when the trailer was turning. Phew! I had stopped to see if I was in line with the large cement patio when I noticed that we were inches from hitting that vehicle.




The sites are large enough so we don't feel cramped. Many of the annual/seasonal sites are beautifully landscaped by their proud owners. The park is very clean. Garbage is collected right at your site three times a week and a propane truck comes by to fill tanks right at your door. Now that is service!

There is a nice pool with two very large umbrellas for shade and a hot tub. Nearby is the shuffleboard court with cute tiki-like shade structures.






But what really sold us on the place is the lounge area. The building is large with a nice veranda on the front with a double door entry. It's wheelchair accessible with its ramp just off to the side of the stairs. A lot of activities happen here! We were treated to a sing-along where cookies of all kinds were served along with tea, coffee or moose milk (eggnog). It was great fun as we sang along well-known Christmas carols. We also attended the free Christmas dinner featuring turkey, ham with all the trimmings and all kinds of delicious pies! We were so full after that I thought I wouldn't have to eat for a couple of days! Santa even visited the park on Christmas morning! A well-decorated golf cart with wooden reindeers in the front was driven by Santa and his wife. Santa even had a real white beard! The sleigh was followed by another cart full of gifts for different residents. I managed to get a candy cane.



Table is ready with goodies for the singalong








The large veranda at the back is very cozy with comfortable chairs, large fans to create a breeze on a hot day, and the view of the lazy river that separates the park from the housing development on the other side. We continuously hear and see fish jumping out of the water. It's quite entertaining and provides a sense of water movement. A fishing dock is located right beside the boat ramp. Oh! And we saw an Osprey catch a fish right in front of us!




Michelle using the free internet while Sadie watches the fish jumping in the river




There are benches here and there to just sit and enjoy the water view. Horseshoe pits can be found off the back of the lounge and on the side, there is a nice bocce ball court.

Bocce ball court

Horseshoe pits

Nice big firepit by the river




 With the large oak trees with the swaying spanish moss, it is a most relaxing place. Another bonus is that 9 minutes away is a beautiful large dog leash free park. It's been a blessing with Ally and Cheeka who both like to play and run. Cheeka thinks she runs the place! So we've been going every morning since we found out about it.



Cheeka quickly took on the job of park police

Enjoying the pool

Sadie used the pool periodically to cool off

Very clean and large fenced dog park
But the very, very best is the dog beach which is 1 hour away but well worth the drive! Bonita Beach Dog Park is hidden at the foot of a bridge. When you get there you can see all the cars parked in the small parking lot. You must have your dog leashed to walk into the leash-free area. As we followed paths between the brush, we were excited to see all the dogs playing in and out of the water. What a blast we all had! I really enjoyed seeing Cheeka being brave enough to walk into the water without hesitation (she's been reluctant to get her feet wet since we have her) and Ally just jumping into the water and running with other dogs. Ally's favorite move is to jump up with all four feet at the same time or doing a huge leap. She impressed us by her obedience, always coming back to us when called and keeping an eye on our location at all times. We saw Sadie run faster than ever, even through the shallow water. The water is fairly shallow so a lot of fun for all dogs (and kids) and with a soft sandy bottom there is no worry of injury.







Jumping right in!

This is as deep as I'll go

Smiling faces!

Ally and Cheeka playing in the water




Everyone here has been friendly and pleasant. We enjoy Gulf View so much that we would love to make it our destination for the whole winter next year.

Happy New Year from our family to yours! Take care of yourself and don't forget to smile.


Becoming great buddies


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