Went to a street market there, plenty of vendors, farm stands, and lots of people. Would have…read morebenefitted if more chairs or benches in the area. Had to go into restaurants to find seating or even shade. We were lucky to find street parking nearby.

A beautiful Valentine's Day and it feels like a weekend in Naples. Beautiful shops filled with…read morebeautiful people and even more gorgeous dogs. Lots of free parking on the street and in lots. The outdoor cafés have wonderful lunch specials from 1130 until 3 o'clock. Colorful flowers, spectacular fountains, and beautiful windows. Tommy Bahama, Eileen Fischer, Lilly Pulitzer.... Lots of beautiful cafés without outdoor dining.

I was born in Naples, I've lived almost every year of my life here since Nixon was President. The…read morehouse I grew up in backs up to Goodlette Road, and I'm old enough to remember the trains rolling behind our house frequently and learned how to count by the number of cars on the trains. I also remember when Goodlette Road stopped at Pine Ridge, and there were these strange concrete pilings at the corner of both roads and where the train tracks continued north past Pine Ridge Road. We never really knew their meaning or their purpose when we were kids because there was nothing there to explain what they were. I only learned about their meaning over the past 20 years. As Naples has grown over the past 5 decades, I know I'm not the only one who has forgotten about Plot N the thousands of times I've driven by it in my lifetime. I'm ashamed to say it. I won't forget now, and I'm definitely going to be telling more people about it. Today, I finally took some time to come back here and pay my respects to these forgotten souls. I was pleasantly surprised to see a dedicated plaque from a local Boy Scout Troop explaining the history and significance of Plot N. There are 8 new, beautiful markers that say "Rest In Peace" on each one. The entire area looks well managed with new landscaping. The Troop who rededicated this plot needs to be commended for preserving and honoring these original Neapolitans who richly deserve to be remembered. I hope they put another sign on the opposite side of the post that faces the parking lot for South Street so more people would be aware of what is there. I'd bet 99% of people who shop in this plaza have no idea of the significance of this little strip of land. If you've lived in Naples for a significant amount of time, I'd recommend everyone take a moment to visit.

Plot N is a quirky part of Naples history. At the corner of Pine Ridge and Goodlette-Frank roads…read moreare four concrete posts that are the site of 8 graves. A map from 1944 that plots out where graves are located has this spot labeled as labeled 'Plot N 8 Negro Graves Unmarked'. In the 1930's Naples was home to less than 3,000 people. Most of the people who came to Naples were wealthy snowbirds from the north. Only a few people lived here year round. It is believed that the people buried here were involved in the building of the railroad. Naples like all of Florida was segregated. African-Americans of the time worked as laborers laying the railroad tracks, logging, farming and domestic work. A train used to run where Goodlette-Frank road is today which is why it is thought that the people buried here had something to do with the railroad. It is believed that people who are buried were possibly killed while working on the railroad. With no permanent records it is unlikely that the mystery of who is buried here will ever be solved. Another site listed as plot W was paved over before any examination for graves was ever done. Plot B is the Rosemary Cemetery which has a wrought iron fence around it and is in the parking lot of a CVS. The city restored that site in the mid nineties. Paved over and lost graves is not an unusual story in Florida. As cities grew they weren't always precise in moving graves before building. Unless someone can find documentation or do ground penetrating radar, how many people are here and who they were will remain a secret.

Bonita Springs has a small downtown area, charming with character. Not a lot of activities to do in…read morethe area, but they have a nice park, a great local library, some store and lots of eateries with many options. The buildings are old, well preserved, cute, giving the area some personality. Pretty laid back, a small arts center, a park where they have festivals, outdoor concerts, more work in progress for future establishments promising to expand the area and bring more activities. Don't expect a nightlife here, more like day time activities, nature oriented (Wonder Gardens are a landmark of downtown), places to enjoy a meal, some ethnic store. I'll be back to explore it some more!

Hey it's in the works and it's beautiful so far! it's small but growing. I can't wait until i…read morevisit again and see what's been done. Praying that they get the vision completed beyond their expectations!

This a nice beach area to hang out, chill, and have fun at. I went here with my family to catch the…read moresunset. We got here a few minutes after the sun started going down. There was a crowd gathered to see the sunset but it was not overly crowded or anything. We still found a good spot to stand and watch. After sundown, we walked on the beach to enjoy the moment as the weather was pleasant (in late December). The beach area was clean and it's in a nice neighborhood. There's paid parking nearby. I am not sure of any free parking area.

Beach is good. Watching the repair work on the pier. However parking requires a process of using…read moreyour phone, credit card and spot number. My wife did that and then got a message to add more time which she did. We got back to the car and had a parking ticket. If you pay right away it's $77. We gladly did everything they asked to park. Her credit card shows the payments but does not give us the time. I believe they have an equipment problem or a greed problem. Never had this problem in Destin and the sand is nicer. Might be our last trip here.

Connecting the mainland to the Fort Myers beach which has been 75% restored since the horrific…read moredevastation from Hurricane Ian in 2022. We drove over this bridge today with visual of the beach and most of the restaurants and bars along the intercoastal.

Officially the Matanzas Pass Bridge but known locally as either the Sky Bridge or the Fort Myers…read moreBeach Bridge, this concrete girder bridge carries San Carlos Blvd (SR 865) over the Matanzas Pass between Fort Myers and the tourist destination of Estero Island. The current bridge was opened in 1979 and is 65 feet tall. It has two lanes, one northbound and one southbound with a pedestrian lane that is protected by a concrete barrier. It replaced a swing bridge that was originally built in 1927. At 65 feet tall, it is not a draw bridge as it is high enough to allow most of the area's larger vessels to pass beneath. There is no toll for the bridge. Traffic during busy season is intense. Even in late May, it was crazy. There are two lanes when approaching from the north. At a traffic light, this traffic alternates so that only one lane approaches the bridge. From the south, there is a short but steep climb due to the breadth of the island and the nearby traffic circle. There is a fishing pier underneath the bridge from the north side. You may find parking there and seafood restaurants. [Review 13356 overall, 674 of 2020.]

I love a historic tree. There is something so majestic about a tree planted generations ago, that…read morestands watch and as a witness to the history that unfolds around it. Some of the historic trees that i have visited include the Hardy Oak in Sebastian, the historic banyan trees in Palm Beach, the Council Oak in Hollywood, and the Candler Oak in Savannah. Now I can add the towering banyan tree in downtown Bonita Springs to the list. Near the Bonita Springs clock at the corner of Old 41 Road and Childers Street sits the historic Bonita Banyan. The scientific Name of the banyan tree is Ficus altissima, and it is native to southern Asia. It also goes by the name Council Tree and Lofty Fig. The 1920's were Florida's land boom years when the state saw a huge growth in it's population and construction.. One of the settlers who came to the area during this time was Cordell Smith, who moved to Survey which would later be named Bonita Springs. Smith was known for aiding his community and his love of train travel. In 1921, he took the tree from its original location at the intersection of Bonita Beach Road and Tamiami Trail and replanted it just south of the what is now Community Hall. The tree became a popular meeting place with locals telling each other to meet at the banyan tree. In the 1950's a building called the Pavilion stood under the tree and was used for community events like dances and movies. The Pavilion was torn down and replaced by the Community Hall. Today the tree is enormous and thriving. It is a protected tree so climbing on it is no longer permitted although generations of kids enjoyed doing that. Now you are asked to respectfully enjoy the tree. It was fun discovering this piece of Bonita Springs history and learning about it's roots in the community.

Gorgeous three story library on the beach. First floor I saw mostly movies/shows. Second floor has…read moreall of the books, with a big magazine room with a little aquarium and an entire large print section. Every shelf is labeled with what genre of books you can find there. There's lots of seating and even some separate rooms to read or do work in. There is a third floor with a coffee shop and book store that both weren't open when I visited. The library itself is beautiful! Murals, art, shells, and history of Fort Myers is all over the library. This is definitely the better library in SWFL, certainly worth taking a drive out for.

FMB Library is worth an hour peek. There are cool murals, shell collections, scaled model of…read moreprojected Bonita Bridge and lots of photo history of what Ft Myers used to look like. They offer many different classes. Gal pals and I did the shell craft class.

This is a decent library. It's right by the beach. It has a…read moreton of books and I FIU d a section full of puzzles! They also had turtles in the kids section as well as a fish tank. I thought that was pretty cool! The wifi here is always very good and you have parking right up front! Very convenient. It's just an older style library inside, but it does the job!

Wonderful library. Participates in Libby so I download audiobooks and totally enjoy the physical…read morelocation as well. Highly recommend this library.