Five years after hurricane, Punta Gorda is back

What might strike you first about Punta Gorda, Fla., is that the town looks spanking new, despite being about 120 years old. Then you might remember that Hurricane Charley nearly obliterated Punta Gorda in August 2004. Today, just over five years later, there are two new hotels on pretty Charlotte Harbor, an attractive and compact downtown poised to dazzle when the economy turns and a destination restaurant that's earning a national reputation.

Here are some worthy stops within 15 miles of the crack of spring training bats.

Start your engines, please

Find a collection of vintage muscle cars sure to ignite car lust and conjure memories dripping in chrome at the cavernous Muscle Car City (3811 Tamiami Trail; 1-941-575-5959 or www.musclecarcity.net). Admission is $12.50; children 12 and under free). The former Wal-Mart houses nearly 200 shiny vintage cars, mostly Chevrolets, with some dating to the 1930s.

For the birds

Climb aboard Capt. Kate Preston's Nature by Boat Excursions on the Peace River (1-941-626-7590, or e-mail the captain at naturebyboat@aol.com.) pontoon boat for a spin on the river, where a flock of wood storks, brought back from the edge of trouble, nest in a rookery. Add to the menagerie a couple of alligators, some menacing buzzards and plenty of stately herons and ibis.

Art and more

Just down Retta Esplanade from Gilchrist Park on the harbor is Fishermen's Village (1200 W. Retta Esplanade; 1-800-639-0020 or fishville.com), a tangle of shops and restaurants that attract tourists, who can rent villas upstairs by the night, week or longer. On Wednesdays, local Worden Farm holds an organic market here.

Across the street from the village is the Visual Arts Center (210 Maud St.; 1-941-639-8810), which hosts festivals and shows in addition to classes and workshops.

The food is fine

For the third year, chef Jeanie Roland of the Perfect Caper (121 E. Marion Av., 1-941-505-9009 or theperfectcaper.com) has been named a James Beard semifinalist in the Best Chef in the South category. Appetizers of crispy pork belly on steamed buns with hoisin sauce and three-bite lobster tacos spoke to the chef's prowess. Tucked into the back of a low-rise stucco office complex, the Perfect Caper draws diners from tony Naples and other cities miles away.

Laishley Crab House (100 W. Retta Esplanade, 1-941-205-5566, www.laishley crabhouse.com) on the eastern downtown waterfront offers a wide porch and fabulous views of the harbor, plus a friendly bar and lots of TVs. This is the place to get a mess of stone crabs before the season ends May 15.