Blazing hot weather doesn’t deter tourists who long for a quieter ‘season’

Julie Blakeslee and her sister-in-law Karen Blakeslee were visiting Boca Grande this week after the Fourth of July for one reason: to enjoy Gasparilla Island during the quiet season. “We don’t like it to be so crowded,” said Karen Blakeslee. The extended Blakeslee family of six from Springfield, Mo. included three children. While here, they swam, fished for snapper and shot videos of the Fourth of July parade. The day after the Fourth, they were out on Park Avenue in front of Hudson’s, bringing home takeout for the family from Tortuga Mexican Street Cuisine, one of a steady stream of lunchgoers unfazed by the temperature.