CHARLOTTE STONE CRABS
Charlotte Sports Park
Charlotte Sports Park is the Tampa Bay Rays' spring training home and High-A affiliate stadium in Port Charlotte, Florida. The Stone Crabs name is one of the most geographically specific in professional baseball — the Florida stone crab, harvested exclusively from the Gulf of Mexico, whose claws regenerate after harvest, is one of the most unique seafood traditions in the United States. Charlotte Harbor — the second-largest estuary in Florida — defines Port Charlotte's identity as a fishing and boating community.
The Food
Florida Stone Crab Claws
The Florida stone crab is unique in American seafood: only the claws are harvested, the crab is returned to the water, and the claw regenerates within 18 months. Harvested October through May, served cold with mustard sauce, stone crab claws are the most specific Gulf Coast Florida food.
Gulf Shrimp Tacos
Taco stands
Charlotte Harbor Gulf shrimp — grilled and served in corn tortillas with mango salsa and lime.
Key Lime Pie
Dessert stands
Key lime pie with a graham cracker crust. The Gulf Coast Florida standard dessert.
Stone Crabs Dog
Hot dog stands
Standard hot dog with Florida yellow mustard.
The Beer
Charlotte Sports Park features Gulf Coast Florida craft options. Bone Hook Brewing from Naples and local Cape Coral breweries represent the Southwest Florida craft scene.
Bone Hook Brewing Park Shore Pilsner
Bone Hook Brewing Co. · Naples, FL
Bone Hook Brewing from Naples brings their Park Shore Pilsner — named for the distinctive hook-shaped bone found in tarpon.
Cigar City Brewing Jai Alai IPA
Cigar City Brewing · Tampa, FL
Cigar City is available throughout Southwest Florida as the dominant regional craft option.
Bud Light
Anheuser-Busch
Volume beer throughout Southwest Florida.
Pilgrim Stops Near Port Charlotte
Weird, wonderful, and worth the detour.
Salvador Dali Museum St Pete
The largest Dalí collection outside Europe, in a spiraling glass atrium in St. Petersburg.
Ringling Museum
Rubens paintings, a full circus museum, and a Venetian mansion on the Florida Gulf.
Plan your pilgrimage
Every Park a Pilgrimage.
Plan a baseball road trip through Port Charlotte and beyond.
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