a August 9, 2024 Stratford Times OH, THE PLACES WE'LL GO: Cabbage Key - a paradise for cheeseburgers? PAUL KNOWLES Times Contributor Cabbage Key, off Florida’s west coast, is the place of inspiration for Jimmy Buffet’s famous ode to fast food, “Cheeseburger in Para- dise.” “Cheeseburger in paradise/ Heaven on earth with The actual “paradise” of Buf- fet’s song has long been debated by Parrotheads ~a self-description proudly claimed by Buffet fans. In fact, the late songwriter himself once tried to explain the source of the song but that only left fans ar- guing about the geographical de- tails of Buffet’s comments, leay- ing the question still unanswered. truth is, although Jimmy Buffet did visit Cabbage — that’s almost certainly not the source of the Cheeseburger ditty. So don’t go there in search of a genuine Jimmy Buffet song-writ- ing connection. Instead, go there because the boat trip to Cabbage Key and your time on the 100-acre island is a terrific experience, an ideal day out as part of any trip to Florida. We travelled to Cabbage Key on the Lady Chadwick, which is owned and operated by Captiva Aplaque on Cabbage Key honours the jon ti in Cruises, sailing out of Captiva Is- land — a not-to-be-missed destina- tion in its own right. The voyage is very pleasant. What's not to love about sailing in the Gulf of Mexico under sun and blue skies? And our experi- ence was augmented by commen- tary from a knowledgeable guide, and even more, by the antics of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins that gamboled beside the ship for long stretches of the journe: Our guide suggested that the Lady Chadwick sailings are “a good Opportunity for dolphins to see humans in captivity.” Well, they certainly seemed to enjoy something about the experience, even though the marine mammals had to slow down to stay with the boat — dolphins can travel at 30 miles per hour, while our ship topped out at 10 miles per hour. The dolphins had left us behind well before we arrived at Cabbage ashlee cae = € occupation of the Calusa Native Ameri- cans. Shell mounds left by them remain on the island. _ at Cabbage Key for a few bucks under $70,000 in dollar bills. ey — so named for the cabbage palms that grow there. Cabbage palms are also known as sabal palms, and they are the official tree of Florida, although they are not actually a tree at all, being more closely related to grass. For some reason, this factoid amuses me greatly. Cabbage Key was occupied by the Calusa tribe for about 15 cen- turies until 1570 AD, and rem- nants of their occupation can still be found in the shell mounds on the island. More recently, the is- land was purchased by mystery novelist Mary Roberts Reinhart, in the 1930s. Her claim to fame is coining the phrase, “The butler id it.” The property eventually became an inn and restaurant — which it is to today. The rustic restaurant is decorated with about $70,000 in autographed dollar bills, a prac- tice that allegedly goes back to fishermen who left signed bills a ZI 3 5 g = = | By in the bar as a “line of credit” in case they were broke on their next visit. And yes, just to keep the mystery alive, there is in fact a dollar bill on display behind the bar signed by Jimmy Buffet! There are also carefully protected bills ae LS Presidents Kenne- dy and Cart I'm told i $10,000 to $15,000 worth of dollar bills fall off the walls and ceiling every year; the money is donated to a local char- ity. New visitors are quick to re- plenish the supply. You can visit the island on the Lady Chadwick or another cruise ship, oe privately, but the former is a better idea since the restaurant isa se popular place, and the cruise ticket includes immediate admission. You jump what can be a very long queue. So... should you order a cheese- burger on Cabbage Key? Well, thousands do, in a nod to the prob- ably apocryphal story, but I opted for a totally delicious grilled ma- The Lady Chadwick. hi-mahi sandwich, accompanied by a local mango wheat beer. I didn’t regret my no-cheeseburger order for one minute. I love the fact that the servers in the restaurant wear T-shirts with ten answers to questions on the back. For instance, answer one is $70,000; two is $10,000; four is “The Cabbage Palm Tree.” If you have been paying attention as you read this piece, you already know the questions. swer five is “Yes, we live here” — the staff does not have to commute. Answer eight is “un- derwater cable” — the source of And answer ten is “Thru the bar on the left” — the location of the loo. Your stay on Cabbage Key in- cludes enough time for a stroll along the nature trails around the island. You are sure to encounter a variety of birds and beast, but most famous are the gopher tor- toises. They hang out outside their holes around the restaurant, and you will also find them along the trails. Eventually, unless you have booked one of the accommoda- tions on the island, the time will come to re-board the Lady Chad- wick and find a comfortable chair on the top deck for the voyage back to Captiva Island. You'll prob- ably spot more dolphins; you'll certainly hear recorded music by Jimmy Buffet; and I am pretty sure you will be adding your trip to Cabbage Key to your short list of “best travel experiences.” Paul Knowles is an author and travel writer, and President of the Travel Media Association of Can- ada. To contact Paul about travel, his books, or speaking engage- ments, email pknowles@golden.