The Lakeside Inn Marco Island

Maureen and I visited the Lakeside Inn on Marco Island or a 2nd time. This time it was just for a 4 day long weekend. We left early Thursday morning with Jenna taking us to the airport on her way to work. The flight and drive were uneventful and we arrived there at about 1 PM. We met Anthony Flatt, but our room wasn't quite ready. We made a quick trip to the Publix then returned to get checked in. They room was the same one we stayed in 6 years ago when we were last here. We finally got to the beach around 3 PM. We used the public parking on the south end of the island. Someone had left a all day parking voucher on the ticket machine so we didn't have to pay the $8 parking. The beach there is very nice. The water temps were in the high 80's. We stayed a few hours then got cleaned up and went to CJ's on the Bay for the end of Happy Hour.

CJ's has a tiki hut outside with live music on the weekends. Boaters can pull in a dock right there. There is a very nice sunset view. The restaurant is attached and has a bar and dancing area inside as well. It started to rain after about an hour and we moved inside. There were quite a few characters working the dance floor and the two of us had fun watching them. We hung for a bit but called it a day about 10 PM.

The next morning we drove north to Lover's Key State Park It was about 15 miles off I -75 past Bonita Springs. It was $8 per car to get in. They offered a tram ride to the beach which was about 1/2 mile from the main parking. We were only the 2nd group on the beach that day. it was deserted. Later we found out it was most likely due to the Red Tide which had arrived a few weeks earlier and caused massive amounts of fish to die and be washed up on the shores along southwestern Florida. According to the news over 3 million pounds of fish had washed up along the coast. As we sat on the beach volunteers were still cleaning up dead fish and the smell was a little funky. After a few hours a wicked storm moved in and we took shelter in a gazebo there on the beach. Everyday we were there the rains came at about the same time 3 PM. My understanding is that is typical southwester Florida weather. That evening we went to dinner with Anthony Flatt the manager at the Lakeside Inn. We went to Snooks another cool place right on the water. We had been here before but it was now under new management. The food was quite good I had the grouper and Mo had stuffed shrimp. There was live entertainment as well. I enjoyed meeting Anthony and learning of the interesting places his career had taken him.

Saturday we found a great place to park for free. Turn left at Pinchers, go one block and there were about 15 parking spaces on the street. Beach access was right across the street and landed us right on the beach at the Marriott Beach club. There were chair and umbrellas for rent, para sail, jet ski, and paddle board rentals too. We just chilled on the beach and spent most the afternoon in the water. It was so hot and the water was the only relief. We did some shelling and found lots of live sand dollars as well as a few other cool shells. I'm bringing a few home for our Grandchildren. That afternoon we found a spa for Maureen to get a pedicure and I waited around in the brew house next door. That evening we had the most awful Chinese carryout. Found out later that is not the thing to get on Marco Island.

We checked out the following morning and visited with Anthony at his home near Bonita Springs. We went to lunch and then flew home later that afternoon.