Date: 3/1/2014 – 3/6/2014
Who: Fran, Jean, Midge, Debbie, Michelle and myself
Weather: sunny, warm
Michelle and I took a 6-day vacation to visit her aunts and sister in Naples, Florida. The weather was just great: sunny with highs in the low 80’s. (In Colorado it snowed the day we left, and snowed again the day after we returned, so that provided some nice contrast.) Highlights for me included visiting with everyone, walking and hiking Naples beach, beach sunsets with Michelle, dolphin-sighting at the beach, relaxing, reading, Tigertail Beach on Marco Island, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, a bike ride, and good food.
My Naples beach hike on Monday made for a long walk. Starting at Lowdermilk Park, I hiked the full distance from Doctors Pass to Gordon Pass and back, stopping in Old Naples for fish and chips lunch. Naples certainly has many nice private homes along the beach!
Michelle and my visit to Naples Beach for a sunset happened to coincide with Fat Tuesday celebrations in Old Naples. We got lucky finding a parking spot, and enjoyed the crowds and street musicians that night.
The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is run by the Audobon society. It includes a section of old growth Bald Cypress forest with trees over 500 years old. I know so little about the Everglades wetland ecosystem and the wetland birds, but it was interesting to learn a little about it.
Michelle’s Aunt Fran was most welcoming and hospitable to us. Thanks, Aunt Fran!
Chris and Michelle on Naples Beach at sunset
Michelle, Midge, Jean and Fran on Naples Beach at sunset
Michelle, Midge, Jean and Debbie on Corkscrew Boardwalk
Map:
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What a lovely hike you had along the beach…flat too. Another great contrast to rocky mt hiking!
Florida is awesome=warmth, sun, and wild birds. Glad you made it to the Corkscrew Sanctuary…we’ve never actually made it there in 4 years visiting Bonita Springs, but I have thought of doing it every year! If we could just tromp through the glades from our accommodations, because the road doesn’t come north to us, we may be closer than you were in Naples. Thanks for the update, glad it went well, and our love to Michelle and her family!!