Back to Boca Grande

Another one of my favorite places to visit in Florida is the Boca Grande Lighthouse, so on a soggy Sunday morning, I hit the road and headed south.

Information board at the lighthouse. New since the last visit nine years ago.

The lighthouse, left, and the assistant lightkeeper's house, right.

The lighthouse.

Another view of the lighthouse.

Closer view of the light.

For the first time since my first visit over 20 years ago, park goers are able to access the lighthouse.

Beach driftwood.

Primitive sand sculpture (pun intended).

Natural beach art.

A pelican takes flight.

More beach art, this time featuring a coconut.

Foreboding skies just offshore.

Dunes and protective cover.

The old pier footings still stand, even after Charlie.

Another beach view.

Fellow visitors may notice a spot of sun in the background.

It pays to take heed.

More from Boca Grande

For some reason, on this trip to Boca Grande, I didn't take any photos of the lighthouse. Instead, I concentrated on the town, which is a destination itself. It's a beautiful village, and it has played host to a president of the United States. More in the captions, as well as links to information about Boca Grande in the Landmarks I've Visited section.

First Baptist Church.

United Methodist Church.

Gate to a private home. Not a particularly good photograph, but I liked the subject.

Looking south down the main road through town.

A Hibiscus. I can not believe how beautiful the weather was this day to provide such striking contrast between the flower and the sky.

Boca Grand Community Center.

Tower on the Community Center building.

Another building on the grounds of the Community Center.

Golfing at the Gasparilla Inn.

I believe this is the club house for the golf course.

A side entrance to the Gasparilla Inn.

The main entrance to the Gasparilla Inn and Club. President George H. W. Bush (41) and his wife Barbara have stayed at the Inn.

A pergola at a business in town.

Bouganvillia. Mind your eyes.

I love the entryway to this private residence.

More Boca Grande

On this day, my brother Cole and I went to Boca Grande. I was still getting used to the new camera, and experimenting in black & white.

Top of the lighthouse.

My brother defying a wave.

More wave watching.

A brown pelican.

Again, we see that birds like going to the beach just as much as we do.

Another thing you'll learn about me is that I like to take photos of things that one would normally ignore. Here, I've captured the essence of the sewage loading pier.

I also like making texturals.

The lighthouse shilluetted against the lowering sun.

Back to color for now. A brown pelican strolls the beach. While I'm not absolutely certain, I think my brother may have taken this photo.

An old pier endures time.

Boca Grande, Florida

Not too long after I moved to Florida I discovered Boca Grande. Boca Grande is a town located on Gasparilla Island in southwest Florida. A beautiful and distinctive lighhouse can be found at the southern tip of the island. The following photos are of the lighthouse and the immediate area.

View of the lighthouse seen through sea oats.

The lighthouse taken from the opposite direction as the photo above.

A wave crashes against a small jetty just to the west of the lighthouse.

Another small wave hits the jetty.

More sand and sky as seen from near the lighthouse. This photo was taked facing north-north west, if memory serves.