Need some Rec's (Florida)

[Grass]

I'm heading back to PA to see my parents for Christmas and then doing a trip to Florida. We are flying into Ft. Myers. I have never been to this part of Florida so I'm going in blind. Need rec's on where to stay (area) and things to do. We are planning a trip to the Everglades (might do an air boat) for a day. Also planning on checking out some properties while we are there. Thanks in advance.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

A great place to visit.

Go to the Edison and Ford museums. They're worth the time.

For beaches, I'd recommend Sanibel Island or Captiva Island (they're right next to each other). I stayed on Sanibel, but also went to Captiva. If you want to stay overnight on either, over the holidays, you probably should start looking now for accommodations. You could also visit one (or both) as a day trip from Ft. Myers. The waves aren't great (you're on the Gulf side of Florida), but the shell collecting on Sanibel is amazing. There are some excellent restaurants on both islands. There's a park (can't remember if it's national or state) on Sanibel that is a very nice drive.

I didn't get to the River District in Ft. Myers, but it has a nice reputation.

I also wanted to check out the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Ft. Myers, but didn't have time.

Have fun

 

[NewEra 2014]

I'm not sure what your taste in lodging is, but the Gasparilla Inn is an Old Florida type of resort that you might like. As far as things to do, take a boat over to Cabbage Key, which is the only way to get there. The Jimmy Buffet song "Cheesburger in Paradise" is reportedly about this place. I didn't get a cheesburger, but the crab claws were great. Tom's recommendations about Sanibel and Captiva Islands are good ones. There are also some really cool shops and restaurants in a small town called Matlacha on Pine Island. You can drive there.

 

[Grass]

I'm not sure what your taste in lodging is, but the Gasparilla Inn is an Old Florida type of resort that you might like. As far as things to do, take a boat over to Cabbage Key, which is the only way to get there. The Jimmy Buffet song "Cheesburger in Paradise" is reportedly about this place. I didn't get a cheesburger, but the crab claws were great. Tom's recommendations about Sanibel and Captiva Islands are good ones. There are also some really cool shops and restaurants in a small town called Matlacha on Pine Island. You can drive there.

I did hear about Matlacha from someone else so I will plan on hitting that up.

 

[PSU87]

I'm not sure what your taste in lodging is, but the Gasparilla Inn is an Old Florida type of resort that you might like. As far as things to do, take a boat over to Cabbage Key, which is the only way to get there. The Jimmy Buffet song "Cheesburger in Paradise" is reportedly about this place. I didn't get a cheesburger, but the crab claws were great. Tom's recommendations about Sanibel and Captiva Islands are good ones. There are also some really cool shops and restaurants in a small town called Matlacha on Pine Island. You can drive there.

Cheeseburger in Paradise is not about the place in Cabbage Key. The actual place is in Road Town, Tortola BVI.

Not saying a visit to Cabbage Key is not a good thing....

 

[s1uggo72]

Cheeseburger in Paradise is not about the place in Cabbage Key. The actual place is in Road Town, Tortola BVI.

Not saying a visit to Cabbage Key is not a good thing....

That’s what I have heard as well

 

[PSU87]

That’s what I have heard as well

I'm sure there are bigger Parrotheads on the board, but I'll put my bona fides up against anyone...


I'm too lazy to find it, but the Tortola story is a very recent on camera telling by Jimmy himself. If I get bored later I'll find a linky....

 

[PSUForever]

A great place to visit.

Go to the Edison and Ford museums. They're worth the time.

For beaches, I'd recommend Sanibel Island or Captiva Island (they're right next to each other). I stayed on Sanibel, but also went to Captiva. If you want to stay overnight on either, over the holidays, you probably should start looking now for accommodations. You could also visit one (or both) as a day trip from Ft. Myers. The waves aren't great (you're on the Gulf side of Florida), but the shell collecting on Sanibel is amazing. There are some excellent restaurants on both islands. There's a park (can't remember if it's national or state) on Sanibel that is a very nice drive.

I didn't get to the River District in Ft. Myers, but it has a nice reputation.

I also wanted to check out the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Ft. Myers, but didn't have time.

Have fun

Also take a drive to Naples and stroll their downtown area. Very nice. About 30 minutes from Ft Myers.

 

[BW Lion]

Cheeseburger in Paradise is not about the place in Cabbage Key. The actual place is in Road Town, Tortola BVI.

Not saying a visit to Cabbage Key is not a good thing....

I have always understood, from reliable sources, that CIB was actually based on this place….

Le Select
Rue de la France, Gustavia 97133, St. Barthélemy

They don’t have a website (probably on account it’s French and thus snobby) but If you’ve ever been there, it makes sense.

 

[PSU87]

I have always understood, from reliable sources, that CIB was based on this place….

Le Select
Rue de la France, Gustavia 97133, St. Barthélemy

If you’ve ever been there, it makes sense.

Jimmy's own words
"The myth of the cheeseburger in paradise goes back to a long trip on my first boat, the Euphoria. We had run into some very rough weather crossing the Mona Passsage between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico and broke our bow sprit. The ice in our box had melted, and we were doing the canned-food-and-peanut-butter diet.

The vision of a piping hot cheeseburger kept popping into my mind. We limped up the Sir Francis Drake Channel and into Roadtown on the island of Tortola, where a brand-new marina and bar sat on the end of the dock, like a mirage. We secured the boat, kissed the ground, and headed for the restaurant.

To our amazement, we were offered a menu that featured an American cheeseburger and pina coladas. Now these were the days when supplies in that part of the world were rather scarce - when horsemeat was more plentiful than ground beef in the tiny stores of the Third World. Anyway, we gave particular instructions to the waiter on how we wanted them cooked and what we wanted on them - to which little attention was paid. It didn't matter. The overdone burgers on the burned, toasted buns tasted like manna from heaven, for they were the realization of my fantasy burgers on the trip. That's the true story. I've heard other people and places claim that I stopped or cooked in their restaurants, but this is the way it happened." ~ Jimmy Buffett

So unless your sources are as reliable as Jimmy's own words....I've heard the clip on Radio Margaritaville, so unless Jimmy is lying...

I'll try to find the clip....But pretty sure it was Radio Margaritaville only

 

[Dailybuck778]

I second PSUforever's recommendation of Naples. Go to the Naples Pier at sunset. Consider chartering a boat for fishing for half a day. (Of all things, I remember the name of my best charter, Captain Bubby Hail -- some people just go to the same spot time after time. He would go to different spots based on the conditions) Was reasonable when I did that about 15 years ago -- I did it in the summer and we fished for grouper. Almost certainly you can do the same in Ft. Myers.

Many high end developments in Southwest Fla. which you can easily find on your own. So, I will focus more on the lower end to give you a broader range of recommendations. In Fort Myers, Cape Coral is lower end but probably OK. Golden Gate in Naples used to be on the wrong side of the tracks, but might be a reasonable deal now. (About 8 miles from the Gulf) Consider looking at homes around the La Playa golf course in North Naples. It used to be a blue collar golf course called Palm River, which was plowed under for the much higher end La Playa. Homes there might be comparatively reasonable. Also, consider the Imperial Development in North Naples by Imperial Golf Club. In the past, I would characterize these homes as being slightly upper middle class. This is all from my memory of about 15 years ago. If things have changed, I am sure others will correct me.

For some winters my father was a winter golf pro in Naples, and he bought acreage at a good time, which I helped him sell.

Might want to check out Bonita Springs which is in between Fort Myers and Naples on the southernmost end of Lee County. Again on the high end, there are a large number of choices. Not far from the airport, but I don't know much about Bonita.

Wish you good luck.

 

[BW Lion]

Jimmy's own words
"The myth of the cheeseburger in paradise goes back to a long trip on my first boat, the Euphoria. We had run into some very rough weather crossing the Mona Passsage between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico and broke our bow sprit. The ice in our box had melted, and we were doing the canned-food-and-peanut-butter diet.

The vision of a piping hot cheeseburger kept popping into my mind. We limped up the Sir Francis Drake Channel and into Roadtown on the island of Tortola, where a brand-new marina and bar sat on the end of the dock, like a mirage. We secured the boat, kissed the ground, and headed for the restaurant.

To our amazement, we were offered a menu that featured an American cheeseburger and pina coladas. Now these were the days when supplies in that part of the world were rather scarce - when horsemeat was more plentiful than ground beef in the tiny stores of the Third World. Anyway, we gave particular instructions to the waiter on how we wanted them cooked and what we wanted on them - to which little attention was paid. It didn't matter. The overdone burgers on the burned, toasted buns tasted like manna from heaven, for they were the realization of my fantasy burgers on the trip. That's the true story. I've heard other people and places claim that I stopped or cooked in their restaurants, but this is the way it happened." ~ Jimmy Buffett

So unless your sources are as reliable as Jimmy's own words....I've heard the clip on Radio Margaritaville, so unless Jimmy is lying...

I'll try to find the clip....But pretty sure it was Radio Margaritaville only

I find it difficult to believe that a french-owned,open-air bar in one of the most beautiful harbours in the world, would falsely claim such a thing.

 

[PrtLng Lion]

I'm staying at Fort Myers Beach (a bungalow I found on Airbnb) right before the holidays; doing jet skiing, renting a boat for a day, paddleboarding a spot with dolphins and manatees. Location is great because it's an easy trip over to Sanibel and Captiva, to downtown Fort Myers, or to Naples. Taking the dogs too as there's a dog beach at the southern end of the island (I guess that's considered Bonita Springs). Lots of restaurants within walking or a 10-min car ride.

There's a spot closer to downtown Ft Myers with a lake you can rent kayaks on with a known population of manatees (Manatee Park)- might try it myself this trip. Naples is very nice, they have a winter wine festival (well, did before COVID, not sure if doing this year). Naples Zoo is very clean and well done. Take a catamaran tour of the "10,000 islands" from there. I've wanted to take a boat out to the abandoned Cape Romano fort but haven't had a chance yet. A friend told me Keewaydin Island is a great day trip by boat rental from Naples.

 

[s1uggo72]

Jimmy's own words
"The myth of the cheeseburger in paradise goes back to a long trip on my first boat, the Euphoria. We had run into some very rough weather crossing the Mona Passsage between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico and broke our bow sprit. The ice in our box had melted, and we were doing the canned-food-and-peanut-butter diet.

The vision of a piping hot cheeseburger kept popping into my mind. We limped up the Sir Francis Drake Channel and into Roadtown on the island of Tortola, where a brand-new marina and bar sat on the end of the dock, like a mirage. We secured the boat, kissed the ground, and headed for the restaurant.

To our amazement, we were offered a menu that featured an American cheeseburger and pina coladas. Now these were the days when supplies in that part of the world were rather scarce - when horsemeat was more plentiful than ground beef in the tiny stores of the Third World. Anyway, we gave particular instructions to the waiter on how we wanted them cooked and what we wanted on them - to which little attention was paid. It didn't matter. The overdone burgers on the burned, toasted buns tasted like manna from heaven, for they were the realization of my fantasy burgers on the trip. That's the true story. I've heard other people and places claim that I stopped or cooked in their restaurants, but this is the way it happened." ~ Jimmy Buffett

So unless your sources are as reliable as Jimmy's own words....I've heard the clip on Radio Margaritaville, so unless Jimmy is lying...

I'll try to find the clip....But pretty sure it was Radio Margaritaville only

Idk I heard him say that too, but I really don’t think he knows what he is talking about! Tic

 

[CF Lion]

My company is located in Bonita Springs and I travel back and forth from PA. I’m in Florida about two weeks a month, so I’ve gotten pretty familiar with the area. BS is located in between Fort Myers and Naples and is largely residential with some very nice shopping areas. My company has a condo at Coconut Point. Coconut Point Mall is there, which is a large, town center type retail development with lots of restaurants. If you have any shopaholics in your crew, it’s a good place to check out.

There is another nice shopping/restaurant district a little further south called Mercado. Lots of nightlife there.

Captiva and Sanibel are very nice but my favorite place for R&R by far is Naples. Great restaurants, a couple of really nice hotels on the beach. There is a JW Marriott on the north end of Naples if you want to spend a few nights and be pampered.

I rarely venture up to Fort Myers unless I’m headed to Dixie Fish Company in Fort Myers Beach. Open air dining with good seafood and cocktails.

If you are renting a car at RSW, be prepared to wait at least an hour If not more. During peak season car rentals can be a cluster there.

My company has a published list of things to do in the area, with restaurant suggestions, etc. I’ll dig it out and post in this thread.

 

[PSU87]

Idk I heard him say that too, but I really don’t think he knows what he is talking about! Tic

Lotta tours....Lotta weed.....who knows?
The place in St Barts
The place in Cabbage Key
Dennis Pharmacy in Key West

Can only go with Jimmy's own words on it. But who knows if he is either misrembering or just wanted another "Tale From Margaritaville"

 

[kgilbert78]

I concur with the suggestion of the Edison museum and gardens.

 

[Catch1lion]

Mercato complex in Naples is very intersting . Burn cigar bar by Rocky Patel is a great place. Blue Martini on a Friday night with live music is something . Get to see all the local money , local wannabees, and plastic surgery ladies. Also tall hot giraffe legged woman hunting sugar daddies . Quite the place to people watch as well as downtown Naples. Campiellos Italian is really good food and people watching . Jimmy P’s butcher shop and steak house has simply amazing cuts of meat . So much to do and see, it should be a blast .

 

[Catch1lion]

Turtle club in Naples is fun for sunset drinks and appetizers. Same with the Marriott on Marco .
Casual sports bar on beach, Docs in Naples, not pricey .
Casual breakfast , Cove Inn , Naples . Good stuff , busy .

 

[Catch1lion]

5th Avenue and 3rd street in Naples are kind of like Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills . Bentleys , Rolls Royces, Ferrari’s driving around . Great restaraunts , interesting shopping/browsing and people watching . Christmas decorations are nice .

Shopping, Dining, Entertainment in Naples, FL | 5th Avenue South

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