Florida park an island of relaxation to itself

For a different vantage point, kayaking is a great way to explore the island, which is on the route of the Great Calusa Blueway water trail. Kelly and Cullen spent an afternoon paddling to and from Cabbage Key, where there are a restaurant and cabins. "When we were going there we saw a pod of dolphins only five feet away from us," Kelly said.

Although we saw no dolphins, we did hang out with two frequently surfacing manatees in a cove, with great herons, egrets, and osprey flying overhead. Farther along, we rested in a cluster of mangroves to watch a busy crew of pelicans dive-bomb for food a few feet away.

For repeat visitors, Cayo Costa has had a different look since Hurricane Charley blew in on Aug. 13, 2004. Winds of 145 mph knocked down dozens of Australian pines. Ironically, what campers lost in shade and ambience, the park service gained, as it had planned to remove the invasive species. The park didn't reopen to campers until Dec. 23, breaking some families' hearts that year, said Teresa Foster, who works in the district park office on Gasparilla Island.

"I had people calling literally in tears because they had children who had never spent a Thanksgiving anywhere but Cayo Costa."

Diane Daniel, a freelance writer in North Carolina, can be reached at diane@bydianedaniel.com.