TRAVEL
A Weekend in Paradise Punta Gorda evokes the feeling of a far-away vacation destination within a few hours' drive. BY ADAM HAMERSKY
I
had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday on a weekend getaway to Punta Gorda, Fla. I was greeted with open arms at the Wyvern Hotel by Matt Nemec, manager, and Frank Ceresoli, general manager and was blown away by their hospitality. Nemec invited me out to dinner at his restaurant 88 Keys, the restaurant on the first floor of the hotel. The ambience of the restaurant was absolutely stunning as I was struck by the light and dark grey walls with an incredible light fixture above the bar that resembles a treble clef. The food was fine contemporary American cuisine with locally sourced ingredients. I ordered the special for the night, zuppa di pesce and it was one of the best seafood dishes I’ve had in my life and I was able to enjoy with it with a fantastic red wine with my new friends.
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| JUN 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM
The new pastry chef was from Austria and her special of the night was homemade apple strudel. Of course, we had to have cake for my birthday, so we ordered the chocolate mousse and key lime pie. If you want to enjoy a memorable meal with your significant other, 88 Keys is the place to do just that. On top of the Wyvern Hotel is Perch 360. The rooftop bar is accompanied by a pool and an almost unobstructed 360-degree view of the Peace River and Charlotte Harbor. Both relaxing and exciting the setting is ideal for either getting some sun, planning your next stops, or just unwinding. After a great meal at Perch 360, I headed toward the town of Arcadia, where I was greeted by a motivated kayaking guide, Nick Holzerland. We kayaked 4.9 miles down the Peace River observing everything in sight.
Nick was very educational about the wildlife we saw and answered any questions I had. I felt like I was in a completely different world on the water with a few other guests in awe of what we were experiencing. There were several alligators along the riverbanks getting sun and giant ospreys that flew overhead. Nick was composed and confident in his abilities to keep everyone completely calm during the sightings of the alligators. I felt no fear whatsoever after some of the stories Nick shared with us. Following my kayaking adventure, I headed to the Alligator Bay Distillery, just four minutes from the Wyvern Hotel. There, I met with owners and brothers Alexander and Benjamin Voss who were an absolute pleasure to speak with. They hand craft some of the best local rum possible and give tours
