Kathy gave an amazing historical overview of Naples and the Palm Cottage. Debra's warm welcome was…read moregenuine and we connected with her immediately. Kathy had a historical knowledge of The Palm Cottage and her presentation brought history to life. We are so happy that we met both Debra and Kathy. Shortly before we left, we met a 3rd member of the historical society team. They were all informative and were pleasant to talk to. We have shared our experience with others and we will mosvisit again. Nate and Ingrid

The Naples Historical Society is a non profit that was formed in 1962 to preserve the history of…read moreNaples for "future generations to enjoy". The Naples Historical Society is also the steward of the Naples Historical Society Foundation, Inc. which raises funds for historical preservation. The headquarters of the Naples Historical Society is the Historic Palm Cottage which is the oldest house in Naples. The 3,500 sq ft house was built in 1895 to be used as a summer cottage by Walter N. Haldeman, the owner and editor of the Louisville, Kentucky Courier Journal and Times. The house has now been turned into a museum. On May 24, 1982, Palm Cottage was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Tours are given of the house and educational programs are staged there. The Naples Historical Society purchased the 1/2 acre lot next to the house and turned it into a cottage garden that can be rented for events. Administration and archives is held at another historic property, a house built in 1910 that is a half block from Palm Cottage. Some of the programs the Naples Historical Society implements are the Naples History Tours, Christmas at Palm Cottage, Garden Side Chickee Chats, fund raising events, and guest speakers. Palm Cottage is currently closed due to the pandemic but I still enjoyed paying it a visit. I had to make my own history tour but I look forward to coming back to take the Naples Historical Society's downtown history tour that includes the cottage. Anyone who is interested in history will want to avail themselves of the excellent programs provided by the historical society.

Was a good place to fish at after dusk and you have baitfish around and in the summer you'd have…read moresnook and tarpon at night . However after Hurricane Ian this Pier has been boarded off from being accessed. No mention of what the status is with it coming back or anything my fear is they likely won't be and that's because some restaurants were effected by the Hurricane Ian as well and being sold to have something else built also they're focusing more on stuff to catering tourists than anglers. I'm sure there is debris in the water by the Pier as well so that's possibly another reason.

Underneath the tall Matanzas Bridge, you'll find this concrete fishing pier that extends about…read morehalfway out into the pier. Only about six feet wide, there's enough room for people on both sides if the fishermen and fisherwomen alternate and when I was here, they were doing that. There is one on the "mainland" side and another on the Fort Myers Beach side. I was on the mainland side today where I found a small free parking lot. The pier is not handicapped accessible as there are a few tall steps to get up to it. A few folks were catching but most were not. But it looked like a friendly spot and in the high afternoon, the pier is shaded from the sun. [Review 13360 overall, 678 of 2020.]

As a railfan it was a happy surprise to discover Locomotive 143 outside of the Railroad Museum of…read moreSouth Florida in Lakes Park in Ft Myers. In 1904 the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was the first railroad to serve the Ft. Myers area. Locomotive 0-6-0 Class E-4 #143 was part of a large order placed by the railroad to Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, PA. The locomotive was used to switch freight cars in rail yards around Charleston, South Carolina. In 1944, #143 was sold to the American Agricultural and Chemical Company of Pierce, FL. They used it for phosphate mining industry around Mulberry. In 1959 it was retired from service and placed on display outside the Company's office. Eventually the locomotive was donated to the Tampa Bay Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. and moved to San Antonio, FL. In 1979, it was donated to a private citizen and moved to Tampa. Locomotive was in danger of being scraped but it was saved by the Florida Gulf Coast Railroad Museum and relocated to the Railroad Museum of South Florida at the Lakes Park and Gulf Railroad Train Village in 1995. In 199 restoration work began in phases by Great Atlantic Boiler Services of Jacksonville, FL and was completed April 2001.Check out this fascinating piece of rail road history the next time you are in the area.

We were excited to return to the island after more than ten years. We used to visit over…read moreThanksgiving, then there was Covid, and Hurricane Ian. We were looking forward to being supportive of all the businesses that were able to rebuild and/or bounce back after the devastation. We came to celebrate my husband's birthday -- an annual "island" trip. We trekked around a bit -- toured the Shell Museum, some beaches and parks, did the Ding Darling drive through, collected shells on the beach, enjoyed the pool and hot tub at the hotel. We browsed in the shops. Gazed at the lighthouse; ate some great lunches (Lazy Flamingo; Mudbugs); Trekked to Captiva to lunch at the revamped Mucky Duck; Had two amazing dinners (Bleu Rendezvous; Old Captiva House) plus two good ones. And relaxed and rested and refreshed. Sanibel was a perfect vacation. Small enough to easily navigate the island without getting lost. We missed some of our old haunts (like the Island Cow and the Mad Hatter); the thrift shops (like Goodwill); and balked at the high price of t-shirts, etc. But overall we were thrilled to see all the redevelopment and new land preservation areas. Can't wait to return again...

I loved this signage driving across Sanibel Island along the Sanibel Captiva Road. I can't make up…read morethe signs tortoise and then owl crossing. I pulled over on the side of the road to take pictures and to look

The Bonita Springs Historical Society stewards the McSwain Home in Downtown Bonita Springs,…read moreFlorida. Events include speaker series, author series, historic walks and garden tours of their Florida friendly garden plants and pollinators gardens.

The Bonita Springs Historical Society is a non profit founded in 1984 by a small group of local…read moreresidents who wished to preserve the landmarks, artifacts, and historical stories of Bonita Springs for future generations. The historical society promotes local history through events, educational programs, teas, socials, and community events. They will even schedule custom group tours and events. Walking historical tours include information about the Calusa Native Americans who once lived in this area, native plants and ecology of Island Park, the 1920s-era Lilas Hotel, the 1921 Bonita Springs Elementary School, and the Castner house bungalow. A $10 donation is suggested for tours. Dates for 2024 tours have not been announced yet. The Bonita Springs Historical Society owns the historic McSwain home built by Joseph and Elizabeth McSwain from Osyka, Missouri in1915. The McSwain's built their wood family home on a dirt road called Heitman Avenue, which later became part of the Tamiami Trail. At the time the house was built Bonita Springs didn't even exist, the area was called Survey because it was a camp of government surveyors in the 1870s. At the time the house was built it was so far out in the wilderness that this section of road between Naples and Ft. Myers was not even able to be traveled by car for the next two years. The city was renamed Bonita Springs in the early 20th century, to attract residents who became interested in the area by a boom in citrus grove planting. In the 1970's, the home was purchased by Hudon and artist Ann Humphries. In 2011 the couple bequeathed the home to the historical society who had to restore the house from the ground up. Hurricane Irma did further damage before restoration was complete. By 2019 the historical society was fully able to open the restored home and use it as an event center to raise funds for the historical society and as a meeting place for local organizations. Historic walking tours are also able to view the home. The societies efforts to safeguard the town's architectural heritage contribute significantly to the community's sense of identity and character. Bonita Springs offers several yearly heritage events, including the city-sponsored Celebrate Bonita festival and the Bonita Springs Historical Society annual history walking tour. In addition, the historical society provides a pamphlet for a self-guided tour of the city's historic sites and conducts outreach to the local elementary school, offering private history tours and presentations. From its early days as a settlement to its growth as a vibrant community, the historical society preserves the challenges and triumphs that have shaped Bonita Springs over the years. The society's commitment to preserving and sharing the heritage of Bonita Springs is evident in every aspect of their well-curated exhibits and engaging programs.

If you're coming to Sanibel Island or Captiva for the first time (or even if you've been multiple…read moretimes), I highly advise you stop here. It's located right when you get off the causeway, conveniently. The people who work here are so helpful and can answer any questions you have about the islands. Even better, they can make suggestions for restaurants, where to go, etc. The shell sculpture on the inside is incredible too. I love how whimsical and colorful the building is too. Very highly recommend!

There are trails that share the parking lot with the chamber. About half way into one trail we got…read morea great shot of two nesting bald eagles!! Staff was friendly and informative. A worthwhile stop.

We went to this event on 11.21.10 and went again today (11.18.12). It is still just as good, and…read moreperhaps even better. We tried Pastrami on Rye ($3), Prime Rib Sliders ($2), Shrimp cocktail with lots of shrimp ($2), 4 yummy BBQ ribs ($3), and maybe some other stuff, then proceeded to waddle home. This year there were only locally owned "mom & pop" restaurants allowed to participate and that proved to be a big plus.This continues to be the best "taste" event in the area that we have been able to find. Burp.

Taste of Bonita is one of the biggest events in the area. It welcomes back the seasonal residents…read moreand introduces them to new restaurants and brings them back in touch with old favorites. The festival is usually the 3rd Sunday in November and is hosted by Bonita Springs Rotary Noon. The official website is www.TasteOfBonita.com

New, unique restaurant, but I don't think they were ready to host a Yelp event...Just yet. As a…read moreretired chef I don't normally try new restaurants until they establish their flow. I think 2 months from now try it. Their menu is smoked meat forward, but we really only were given a rib, a cheese app, "frito pie" onion rings in the 1 1/2 hours we were there. We still hadn't received the chopped brisket or the other sides and a dessert, but we couldn't stay because food came out so slowly. We saw some tables were brought a baguette type item, but they never came to us. Nothing stood out, but then again we didn't really get to enjoy the main items.

We attended a special Yelp event at Hey Day Cookshop in Naples. Hey Day Cookshop has both indoor…read moreand outdoor seating. We sat in a covered outdoor patio with huge overhead fan. The place is busy, packed with a lot of patrons. Start off with lime and watermelon non alcoholic drink- very refreshing. Had a Pub Sub, it is savory but I did not know what is in the Pub Sub. Next came Baguette with tomato, cheese and basil. A big bowl of onion rings "frito" with chopped brisket was shared with the whole table. It was tasty! The star of BBQ sample. Our table did not get the ribs, pickles and roll according to Yelp menu. Dessert was banana pudding, chocolate chip and apple hand pie. The banana was presented in a jar with a right amount of sweetness. Very nice! Thank you, Adela, for putting this event together.