Gilchrist Park is a large public space on the south side of Charlotte Harbor in Punta Gorda FL. On a nice day it is a great place to walk, bicycle or skateboard. But at sunset on Tuesdays it is home to a jam session by local musicians who serenade, gratis, anyone who cares to take their sunset with music. It is a lovely way to spend an hour or two. Especially when it is snowing up north.
I have been to Gilchrist Park several times in the past month, in the company of a new lady friend, Marlene. She introduced me to the free concerts as she has been attending them for years. The music is usually pretty good, depending on who is jamming. The singing – it is a bit of a karaoke scene as the musicians let anyone who wants to sing have a turn at the mic – is… shall we say “uneven”.
If you want better music and some good food, you can walk along the shore to Hurricane Charley’s which has music most nights. We did exactly that last Tuesday and were serenaded by Island Troy, a troubadour with a good voice and a fine repertoire of beach and island tunes. We dined on some good jambalaya and – and this was a surprise – sushi. Hurricane Charley’s is a rare sushi-on-the-beach kind of place.
Marlene, like me, is a widow. But, more importantly, she is a dancer – loves to dance – and is easy-going and a lot of fun. I sure could use some easy-going fun. We already have plans for New Year’s Eve together. I expect we will be dancing.
