We went to Naples a couple of weekends ago.
No, not that Naples, although there are some superficial similarities, such as a location on the southwest coast of similarly-shaped peninsulas, a warm climate, and inhabitants who speak both English and a Romance language.
We were nearing the expiration of the hotel voucher we'd earned by listening to a timeshare presentation in Hawaii, and chose to use it at the Naples Grande Beach Resort, a Waldorf Astoria hotel in Naples, Florida. You see, it was a $200 voucher, but good only for the hotel room, and only for one night. Hence the pricy hotel.
It’s a four-hour trip—about like driving from Florence if you’re thinking of the other peninsula—and we made it longer by stopping in Lake Wales for several hours. That’s where the lovely Bok Tower Gardens are. (As usual, click on a picture for a larger image.)
One of my favorite places in the Gardens is the Window on the Pond, where we can observe the wildlife from inside a duck blind style shelter. Corn kernels are scattered on some large tree stumps to encourage the birds to come close. But as with any bird feeder....
The next day we headed for nearby Marco Island, where we enjoyed a walk at Tigertail Beach Park. Much of the flora was identified, but not this gorgeous purple grass:
These Aqua-Cycles, suitable for sand and water exploration, were available for rent. We did not try them out, but immediately thought, “Wouldn’t that be fun at the Maggie P!”
But lest any nephews or grandchildren (or uncles) get too excited, when we later investigated we learned that it would take over $3000 to make that dream come true! Not this Christmas, folks.
After an ice cream treat at the beach café, we turned our GPS toward home and drew the curtain on a much-needed weekend of R&R.
