Pine Island Florida, USA
It all started because I wanted to see where my favorite coffee is roasted. Really! My MiL and I packed up the kids and took a 40 minute drive to Bones Coffee in Cape Coral Florida. The manager wasn't in to give us a tour, but we took some pictures, got some coffee and swag, and had a few squees. Then MiL decided to play Tour Guide, and I LOVE that. So off to Pine Island we went! We crossed the beautiful Matlacha Pass Charlotte Harbor estuary , a tidal node connecting Charlotte Harbor and the Caloosahatchee River . The winding water is home to oyster bars, mangrove islands and seagrass flats. It contains the Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve , and ends at the Matlacha Aquatic National Wildlife Refuge . Unfortunately, it suffers from Red Tide . Tucked in between Pine Island and the mainland is a tiny island called Matlacha. Matlacha, Florida , population 537 ( 2019 ), reminds me very much of the tiny fishing town on the way to Apalachi