On Saturday, Ron and I drove down to Gasparilla Island to climb two lighthouses - the Port Boca Grande and Gasparilla Island Lights. In honor of Florida Lighthouse Day, the Barrier Island Parks Society was hosting a special event with both lighthouses open to the public.
Since we weren’t sure how long the drive would take, we left home early and had plenty of time to explore the island before our first lighthouse climb at 11:20. Gasparilla Island is filled with Old Florida history. We stopped to take pictures of the Gasparilla Inn built in 1911, the original train depot (which now houses shops and a restaurant) and Banyan Street, a street lined with hundred-year-old banyan trees. Golf carts seemed to be the most popular mode of transportation around the island. I wished we’d thought about renting one for the day. They looked fun.