I agree with the people from Lee. I spent two years down there and used the south library off…read moreGladiolus (I believe it was on Bass.) and the north Fort Myers just over the Edison bridge. Unlike what is left of the Charlotte libraries, I never left a Lee county library empty handed. Unfortunately, I believe the reason for that is the difference in the size of the population. I'm sure Lee gets a much larger amount of funding. So much so that they have enough books to actually seperate them by type, making it easier to find what you're looking for. There is no excuse I can think of to not have a complete set of a series though. Has happened to me enough times that I no longer take out any part of a series. I tend to just be glad we have a library at all considering the state of things today. Overall I believe these people are doing the best they can with what they have to work with.

We recently moved to Charlotte County from Lee and we're disappointed in the limited selection of…read moreBOOKS at the Punta Gorda Library. Just about anything I'm interested in reading is only available electronically. The Biographies and History sections are minimal. Fiction is no better - as an example, they'll have one book from a series of seven, maybe 3 books from a series of 15 and a 32-book series has only 10 books - and they're not in series order. Makes it frustrating.

Staff was very helpful and got the job done! The building was very clean and neat. Thank you all…read morefor your help

Excellent efficient service!! All done by a phone call, and honestly I was expecting the opposite…read morefrom experiences long in the past. I was amazed!!

Hi again. I apologize for the delay in posting reviews here yet it has been busy with all the…read moretraveling that I have been doing. Not too long ago I had the utmost pleasure of visiting the Florida Department of Motor and Highway Safety Office for Charlotte County out of Punta Gorda, Florida. And WOW! Soooo amazing! Truly unbelievable. And, after my first experience, I had to go back; despite it being a bit out of the way. Let me try to synopsize, as best as my recollection permits, all the things I got done there in VERY LITTLE TIME. I think I will have to bullet my commentaries as I have many reviews to write from my trip through Punta Gorda and the surrounding areas including Lee and Sarasota Counties. Real quickly, before I begin, it is OBVIOUS that whomever the Governor is these days in Florida, she/he is doing a GREAT job. Alas, that person's influence may not be as well represented in other Counties....yet, there is always tomorrow to see Government working as efficiently as portrayed in South West Florida. Okay, without belaboring my positive commentaries, here we go; vis-a-vis Charlotte County. I promise to address Lee and Sarasota Counties in subsequent posts. Okay....here we go, for the Tax Assessor's Office, which, unbeknownst to me oversees (I believe, the Department of Motor Vehicles). In my notes below I will also address issues that supplement the actual course of Official Protocols; specifically, the labor employed and the edifices themselves. Okay....lol....without further ado: * The place is SPOTLESS. I am used to picking up trash and garbage yet, here, none was found. I am not sure how they hire so many people to clean things up; but they do. Probably immigrants since they are the backbone of our 3,008 Counties, though I also saw some old ugly white dudes picking up trash as well. Perhaps everyone pulls their share. * The building had AIR CONDITIONING! They spare NO expense to provide services to their community. They also, with no offense, spoke English. Something that I am not used to in Florida. Very intelligent folks as well and I would not be surprised if they speak multiple languages to facilitate the transaction that the residents in their community need. * I got a PRINTOUT of all the vehicles that I had Registered in the State of Florida. The 'transcript' listed Vehicle Make, Vehicle Model, VIN Number, and a multitude of other things which I did not have time to note. I was in a rush. I very quickly filled out some Affidavits regarding vehicles that I was no longer in possession of and Officially 'Surrendered' my plates; thereby eliminating any potential liability issues that might come back to haunt me should those vehicles or plates be involved in any kind of undesired activity. I think I filled out four or five Affidavids....and, the good news is, that I was not charged A DIME for doing so. Nothing. Not quite sure how the County manages to do that considering the very little folks pay in both Sales Tax and Property Tax. Talk about efficient Governing Reagan style. Yum. * I was able to take care of a Motorized Vehicle which had been causing me some issues. I would rather not get into any specific details as, well, The Dealer who sold me the vehicle may be involved in some criminal activity; so, I will not say more. Yet, they handled it. Professionally and expediently. In addition, every 'Agent' or 'Representative' were SO forthcoming with such great answers to questions that have perplexed me for decades. I would not be surprised if The Staff goes through a 6-12 month training period. * I was able to get a new Real Identification Card which is SO beneficial as I have had at least FOUR instances of Identity Theft since 2016. I do not mean or intend to disparage other Counties that I have traversed since my arrival in South Florida in 1997, yet, these folks, are really, the EPIDOMY of how Government can protect their residents (and passers-by like me) (not sure if I spelled EPIDOMY correctly; I am sure that I will be notified if I have not). * Such valuable information pertaining to Electronic Bicycles, Mopeds, Motorcycles, Trailers, Mobile Homes, etc. Next time I go (and I may go out of my way to once again traverse that SPLENDIDLY BEAUTIFUL County), I may inquire about Vessel Registration so that I can once again safely and appropriately travel the Seas (and Gulf I guess). * Not sure how The County did it, yet they partnered with Publix Supermarkets (which is the largest food distribution company in Florida - - and which DONATES millions of their $$'s to provide nutritional foods to those in needs), to enable folks to take care of some of their business from within Publix Supermarkets! How great and convenient is that?? Imagine getting new Tag Authorizations right from the Kiosk as one maneuvers through the splendidly wide aisles filled with food stuffs (granted, perhaps not the CHEAPEST items....yet, that is a review for another day). I have more....yet no more space.

DMV located in Tax Collector's building. We were helped so fast we didn't even need to get in line…read moreto get a number. Short, sweet, to the point. Sooooo different from CA DMV. This place had six people in booths waiting to help the next customer, of which there were only three. In CA you'd have six people waiting with one DMV employee serving the community. Love CA but our DMV could really learn some lessons from Punta Gorda, FL location. Great experience.

There is some confusing info in terms of the city signs, but this is actually located at the A C…read moreFreeman House at the corner of W Retta Esplanade and Cross St 41S. The hours that are stated change from time to time, but I have to say that the location is excellent, there is plentiful free parking in the lot behind it, and they're very helpful. Also, the fliers in the boxes on the deck of the house have some of the most useful info you'll need to explore the city.

There are a few places that still exist that can only be discovered when they find you…read more Located just before the El Jobean bridge on State Road 776. Unseen by most,because of its remote location within the Myakka State Park forest. Originally, in the early 1900s it was the home of El Jobean's only post offices/ general store by a visionary named, Joel Bean. Today the historical property remains intact as a restaurant and lounge for local musicians. Ironically the history of Joel Bean can be best defined in verse 9 of a song titled The Ballads of El Jobean. "But there is only one here who has visions Of a city not so mean That shall rise above the present To dream of El Jobean" Should you visit this property you will find yourself surrounded by local and ageless musicians playing songs like that one. Along with a handful of other travelers and visionaries who have answered the calling to the sound of old El Jobean.

Beautiful views of the intercoastal waterway from the 1 mile two-way bridge with unobstructed…read moresunset western views with plenty of open water for boating and fishing. Driving back from Tampa to Alligator Alley several times and always love this well maintained bridge. Always wondered the value of the houses with long wood docks in the small fishing village atmosphere.

The Ponce de Leon marker in Punta Gorda sits quietly inside the park that shares his name, a small…read morehistorical pause tucked between the shoreline and the steady flow of visitors heading toward the beach. The nearby statue, dressed in stylized conquistador armor and feathered plumage, feels like an artist's attempt to give shape to a figure who exists more in legend than in certainty, and it adds a bit of theatrical flair to an otherwise simple presentation. The brief marker reads, Juan Ponce de Leon. Born - San Tierra de Campos, Palencia, Spain - 1460. Died - Havana, Cuba - (probably Mid-June) - 1522. Interred - Entombment beneath the high altar of the Dominican Cathedral of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Epitaph to Ponce de Leon 'Beneath this stone repose the bones of the valiant Lion whose deeds surpassed the greatness of his name.'" What makes the stop interesting is the contrast between the local setting and the truth. Visitors might assume that a park named for Ponce de Leon would also be his resting place. His tomb is in the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Standing there among the palms and the soft Gulf breeze, the marker becomes less about claiming him and more about acknowledging the long arc of his story, grounding a familiar name in its real history. [Review 109 of 2026 - 2230 in Florida - 25299 overall]

This marker sits quietly at the edge of the Isles Yacht Club parking lot, tucked between the modern…read moremarina and the curve of the Peace River, and it does a good job of reminding you that Punta Gorda's waterfront once looked very different. Before the canals, before the yacht slips, and long before the city became a boating community, this shoreline was the terminus of a railroad that pushed as far south as any tracks in the United States at the time. The Florida Southern Railway chose this spot because deep water came close to shore, making it one of the few places on the lower Gulf Coast where railcars and steamships could meet without elaborate dredging. The marker reads, "On this site, in 1887, ended the southernmost railroad trackage in the U.S. Florida Southern Railway's narrow-gauge tracks ran out on a 4,000 foot "Long Dock," where connections were made to New Orleans, Key West, and Havana steamers of the Morgan Line. Sailing schooners and paddle wheelers were a common sight. Governor Albert Waller Gilchrist, then a young civil engineer, was in charge of construction. The railroad was extended South in 1904." It is marker number F-114 and it was erected in 1964 by the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in cooperation with Punta Gorda Isles, Inc. Today the dock is long gone, but standing by the sign you can still imagine the clatter of railcars rolling out over the water and the steamers waiting to carry Punta Gorda's cargoes across the Gulf. [Review 111 of 2026 - 2232 in Florida - 25301 overall]