Linger Lodge Drive-To 2018

On May 6, 2018, the club had a destination lunch at the Linger Lodge near Bradenton, FL. Jim and Debbie Wilson led a caravan of 9 cars from our most frequent jumping-off spot at the Fruitville Texaco station on a two-hour drive over back roads through the Florida countryside. Other members joined the group at the restaurant.

To quote from the Linger Lodge website: “Remember when people had the time to linger? Reminiscent of days gone by, Linger Lodge is the perfect place to recapture those lazy, carefree times. Large, live oak trees dripping in Spanish moss shelter the restaurant and campground. This is “Old Florida” at its best. Located in Bradenton, on the picturesque banks of the Braden River, Linger Lodge is untouched by time.” Forbes.com named it as one of the “Most Unusual Restaurants in the World” and NBC’s Al Roker called it one of the “Top 5 Weirdest Restaurants in America.”

Since those “awards” were bestowed, the Linger Lodge has lately been completely remodeled. Gone are most of the stuffed serpents and flea-bitten varmints that used to lurk over your shoulder as you ate your meal. The menagerie has been scaled back in number or put in glass display cabinets. Although the restaurant might no longer be on the weirdest list, the menu still offers varied Florida favorites and the food is excellent. All members enjoyed the experience.

Photos by the author. 

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