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Old 02-09-2010, 11:27 PM
 
Location: Florida
2,209 posts, read 7,655,019 times
Reputation: 638

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Anyone know about this place? Just searched the name after hearing it over the years and it looks like a neat place. Is it?
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Old 02-10-2010, 05:15 AM
 
317 posts, read 772,311 times
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Never ventured off the main road, but it has lots of neat shops and a great local feeling.
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Old 02-10-2010, 05:23 AM
 
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I stayed there for a week - twice - 2002 and 03. It's nice, great if you canoe or kayak as all the water around it is very shallow and there's a canoe/kayak rental place right there. Nice art shops, nice restaurants. The only thing missing is beaches. Pine Island doesn't have many beaches either.
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Old 02-10-2010, 08:38 AM
 
1,500 posts, read 3,332,609 times
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I looked here for a inexpensive place on the water. Ran into it last year by accident. Been in Florida since the 70s and never knew it was there. Mostly small homes on even smaller lots on shallow draft canals. Some well-kept but also many funky homes. Funky shops, generally a funky town. I liked it. I was looking for something to renovate but I thought that one with the rug placed over nothing but sand in the family room was a bit much.

What I did not like was all the cats. Especially in the historic residential areas near the main drag. The place was overrun with them. I was there after a dry spell so no rain in a long time so much of the town where I was looking reeked of cat urine. Complete turn off. Too bad, otherwise it is an interesting little town.
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Old 02-10-2010, 06:07 PM
 
Location: Fort Myers FL/ Ottawa ON
1,210 posts, read 3,283,467 times
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its also very small, or at least appears so when driving through.

I think you will be disappointed if you base a whole trip on it.
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Old 02-10-2010, 11:24 PM
 
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Here's some pics from my house hunting tour of Matlacha. Please excuse the quality of some of the pics taken while driving (slowly, and no I don't text & drive, I only do photography & drive).

Main drag through town. Traffic rides very slowly as there's so much to see and to be careful of. Lots of people and cars and activity...

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/housingcrashsurvivor/Matlacha/IMG_0827_1.jpg (broken link)

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/housingcrashsurvivor/Matlacha/IMG_0804_1.jpg (broken link)


The shops are painted fun colors...

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/housingcrashsurvivor/Matlacha/IMG_0838_1.jpg (broken link)

And there's plenty of gimmicks to draw your attention...

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/housingcrashsurvivor/Matlacha/IMG_0801_1.jpg (broken link)

The area is, I think, an old fishing village built on a low-lying, canal sculpted spit of land between the mainland and Pine Island, so even though the area is small, the houses are small, the lots tiny, the road congested, you never get a sense of feeling closed in...

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/housingcrashsurvivor/Matlacha/IMG_0795_1.jpg (broken link)

You can pick up a cute bungalow on a canal lot for not a lot of money...

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/housingcrashsurvivor/Matlacha/IMG_0638_1.jpg (broken link)

Some of these are cuter than others & some made of a mish mash of materials...

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/housingcrashsurvivor/Matlacha/IMG_0707_1.jpg (broken link)

New construction in the historic district is constrained but I found this very clever solution to living here. You'll note that he was not allowed to raise the house too high which would have doubled the use of his land, but brought the home out of character for the neighborhood. As I found the natives there friendly, the kind owner of this house (not for sale) gave me a tour of his two-room home which I just had to see. I thought it was brilliant...

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/housingcrashsurvivor/Matlacha/IMG_0704_1.jpg (broken link)

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/housingcrashsurvivor/Matlacha/IMG_0619_1.jpg (broken link)

The canals are small but serviceable...

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/housingcrashsurvivor/Matlacha/IMG_0620_1.jpg (broken link)

And even around some of the funkiest properties, often picturesque...

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/housingcrashsurvivor/Matlacha/IMG_0729_1.jpg (broken link)

With such creative residents, I frequently found merrily painted scenes inside the homes...

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/housingcrashsurvivor/Matlacha/IMG_0631_1.jpg (broken link)


But then, you never know what you'd find when you walk into some of these houses and some of it is, well, surprising....

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/housingcrashsurvivor/Matlacha/IMG_0781_1.jpg (broken link)
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Old 02-11-2010, 04:55 AM
 
2,015 posts, read 3,380,275 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kroeran View Post
its also very small, or at least appears so when driving through.

I think you will be disappointed if you base a whole trip on it.
We enjoyed it enough to go back a second time. But then we could put the kayaks in the water just outside the accommodation. Fantastic places to paddle! We also took side trips to Sanibel and other areas. Did our shopping and some eating out on Pine Island. Did a boat trip over to the island that's a state park(?). If one isn't into kayaking or canoeing though I wouldn't recommend it as a place to just hang out - no beaches.
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Old 02-14-2010, 11:37 AM
 
Location: WI
1,133 posts, read 2,930,722 times
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Did you go to Bert's Bar? We LOVE Bert's!!!

Last edited by mrcoolmrcool28; 02-14-2010 at 11:37 AM.. Reason: spelling
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Old 02-14-2010, 12:22 PM
 
2,015 posts, read 3,380,275 times
Reputation: 1827
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrcoolmrcool28 View Post
Did you go to Bert's Bar? We LOVE Bert's!!!
Probably. Sounds familiar. I think we hit just about every bar and restaurant. Haven't been in 7 years though.
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Old 02-14-2010, 01:16 PM
 
Location: WI
1,133 posts, read 2,930,722 times
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It's a door or two before you get to the bridge, when you're going FROM CC to Pine Island. It has a huge pier, the bar area and a seperate eating part with a stage. They have music almost every night. They only have a beer and wine license, no booze. It's a GREAT place to sit at the bar and listen to the locals.
One of our great blues bands from up here in the Milwaukee/Chicago area are going to be down there this week Monday and Tuesday, "Reverend Raven and the Chain Smoking Altar Boys"
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