Living in Florida has its perks, and one of them is the ability to explore different islands and beaches. This time I visited Boca Grande, just a half hour from my house. I’d been wanting to check it out for a while but had never found the time.

Then the perfect day had come to visit Boca Grande when a couple friends flew down to visit (Peyton & Brooklyn). Of course, if you’re a Midwesterner visiting South Florida, you have to have a beach day; and if it just so happens to be on an island, even better.

It was the perfect beach day — a warm 82-degree Saturday. My boyfriend, Sawyer, and I packed the essentials: beach chairs, an umbrella and a cooler. On the way to Boca Grande, we stopped in Englewood for drinks, gas and ice. After a quick pit stop, we hit the road. The drive was peaceful with Placida’s open green pastures. Soon we reached the bridge and paid the $6 toll to cross.

In my mind, once we crossed the bridge, island time had begun for the day. As soon as you cross over you first notice just how blue the water is and how many beautiful homes there are. The atmosphere is quiet and laid-back with a slight ocean breeze. You see many out walking or on golf carts enjoying the Florida sunshine. One thing you don’t see is chain restaurants or big box stores, just local shops and restaurants, truly reminding you that you are, in fact, on an island.

Before setting up on the beach, we decided we should probably eat first. We decided to get takeout to eat on the beach; we had ordered online from South Beach Bar & Grille. With the restaurant being right on the beach, the parking was limited, to say the least, as the restaurant ensured that parking was for customers only. After Brooklyn and I picked up our food, Peyton and Sawyer set up a spot on the beach. We eventually got our sandwiches and found a parking spot, then headed to the white, sandy beach where I could eat my delicious crab cake sandwich.

The beach was somewhat packed, as we could tell from the parking lot and the number of families and friends having beach days just like us. The sun was warm and the ocean was cold, but we were all getting our tans/burns on either way. It was the perfect, ideal beach day … until a pop-up rain cloud showed up. We all huddled under the umbrella while it passed rather quickly. It was now past 5 and was rather cloudy, so we decided to pack our things and explore downtown Boca Grande.

Within a 5 -minute drive we made it downtown, where many charming local shops were. I was more than ready to check out what they all had to offer. We began making our way downtown when we notice a trend that all of the shops had closed by 5. We had just missed them by a half hour. After taking a walk downtown, it soon begins to pour, so we all raced to the truck to attempt to not get soaked.

The day at Boca Grande was an ideal beach day with beautiful beach scenery and beautiful coastal homes that one could wish to have one day. Overall, I was happy to experience island time with friends and have a great beach day. I can’t wait to explore my next island!

— Megan Gragg, business development associate