Naples, Fla.

Dave Palmer_3

on first vacation in years to Naples, has anyone been lately? Things to do? Going with kids so late night life is out :(
thanks in advance, Dave

Jim_67

beautiful public beach and pier. Very nice homes and downtown. Absolutely no industry or manufactoring. Just people living off of people.

Garret

If you're that far south, make a side trip to the everglades. It's an amazing place... the "fan boat" rides are a lot of fun, even with the sick feeling you get seeing gas and oil leak out in the wake into all that pristine scenery.

If you're game for a trip north a bit, Sarasota has a lot going on... as does Tampa St. Pete. But if you're just looking for a nice quiet beach, Naples is probably going to be wonderful... Just get off the beaten path at least once and see Florida the way it was before all the development. Either hit the everglades, or find a state park and walk/hike/bike the trails.

Er, and wear sunscreen.... like SPF60. Unprotected, you'll burn to a crisp in about 2 hours, even this time of year.

Have fun!

jackchips_2

The Edison

museaum in Ft. Myers is a good day trip within about a half hour of Naples center and well worth the trip.

There is also a small public zoo down Goodellet/Frank road which is one of the main roads off of Pine Ridge road which is the main road from 75 to Naples Center. An excellent two or three hours with a short boat ride and a place to get a light lunch. There is an admission charge but I don't recall what it is but well worth it from small kids on up.

One of the best beaches is at the end of Vanderbilt road which is off Rt. 41. The road goes right into the parking areas and is a good place to spend a few hours.

They are building a real nice water park but it isn't do to open until sometime in June.

One thing Naples does not lack is good restaurants and good weather. One thing you have to get used to is waiting at red lights. They have turn signals for every direction and it takes a while to get used to the waits.

Have a great trip.

Jack

Troy_3

Headin to Fla myself

Headin out tonight. Actually gettin married on the beach next week. I'm praying the second time is a charm. Made 24 years the first time. I'm banking on a longer term this time around. Englewood beach for any wallys hangin on the gulf. Stop by.

John@Reliable_11

Have you ever. . .dreamed of being on a tropical island, your toes in the soft white sand, an expansive beach, swaying coconut palms, lush tropical foliage and beautiful crystal blue water. Imagine watching the pelicans and herons fish for their dinner, collecting “treasures from the sea”, pastel colored seashells, while the sandpipers scurry along the surfs edge.Sanibel Island has everything one could wish Dave! People come from all over the world for sea shells on Sanibel,some can only be found there.I think it was also voted one of the top 10 beaches in the world. Marco Island is right over the bridge from Naples.You can rent boats to travel the inland water ways which is a blast,just don't try to get into the Gulf of Mexico with them!Don't ask how I know hehehe, By the way did I say sunsets. Great area to relax have fun John@Reliable

Unknown

hockey!

There's a echl hockey team, fla everblades, right off highway 75 just south of ft meyers... If they are in the playoffs, u'll be able to catch a game or two...

clammy

englewood beach

If i'm not mistaken englewood beach and the streach of beach there is noted as the shark tooth capital of the world great place to bring young kids in the morning let them use up some endless engery searching for prehistric shark teeth along the beach ,my parents often brought my nieces and nephews there to burn off some engerny and have fun.wonderfull beach and people not crowed by any means .Peace and good luck and have a great vacation clammy

Garret

Luckily, there's no red tide right now...

One thing that visitors to the SW coast of Florida need to be aware of these days is "red tide".... There's a micro-organism called "Karenia brevis" that causes red algae blooms along the gulf coast beaches. I've been at these beaches when a red tide was blooming, and you don't want to experience it... you can hardly breathe, with all the irritation to your lungs.

A few minutes exposure is mostly harmless to humans, but it does shut a beach down. In the last few years, red tide monitoring has gotten much better, so you can avoid it. There's a status page from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commision here:

http://research.myfwc.com/features/category_main.asp?id=1884

John R. Hall

Marco Island

It's a must to visit this resort area since you are so close to.

Dick Charland

I'll trade room with you

Hey Dave if needed, I'll trade rooms with you and Sheila:)
Very intersting, vacation should be a respite from work, when did you start working? Just kidding, hope everyone is well and still trying to figure out what your father is doing with his time.

Dave Palmer_3

love you too

sorry ****, trade any other time. 1st time I won't be worrying about who's minding the store,Dave

ChrisL

Naples

The pier downtown is nice either for fishing, or just to watch the fishermen. Kids usually get excited to see the catch. Cambier park is a nice park for little kids...lots of slides, etc.. Riverwalk restaurant at Tin city is a great place for lunch or early dinner. Food is good, but main attraction is the ambience along the harbor. Catch a sightseeing cruise on the Double Sunshine boat at the same time just a few steps away. Kind of costly, but most people think its worth it. The zoo is also a great time for kids, but it might still be closed due to the hurricane...not sure. Finally, a day up in Sanibel is nice. The Ding darling reserve is a lot of fun, and the kayaking tour is a definite must. Pretty reasonable, and unbeatable for the view, and fun.

Have a great time...

ChrisL