USA, Florida: Paradise Coast
As of June 2011
Right off Tamiami Trail, which is the old road connecting Tampa and Miami, you are able to explore the wonderful Paradise Coast and this is what the Tourism Office invites you to on their website:
Discover Florida’s Paradise Coast of Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades
Welcome to the one destination that offers the idyllic Florida experience, along with excitement and adventure found nowhere else on Earth. Swaying coconut palms and sweeping white-sand beaches only begin to tell the story.
Here you’ll discover a gentle pace and a tropical ambiance amid excitement, exploration and discovery. Thrill to the outdoor adventure of the Everglades. Discover one-of-a-kind culinary delights infused with local traditions. Immerse yourself within a whirl of shopping excitement. Plunge into a water-filled world that offers Florida’s best fishing. Or find inspiration in its breathtaking array of art and culture.
Naples
If a sophisticated enclave bursting with fine art, symphonic concerts and high-end shopping is your cup of tea, book a room at an inn or a resort in Naples. A charming city on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, Naples exudes stylishness. Stroll beautiful pedestrian walks with shops, art galleries and restaurants. See row after row of palatial homes surrounded by tropical landscaping. The area is famous for its beautiful white sand beaches, golf courses, fishing, boating, water sports and spectacular sunsets.
Marco Island
Families love Marco Island, the largest of the Ten Thousand Islands. A beachfront paradise located north of the Gulf Coast entrance to Everglades National Park, the island is surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico on one side and pristine wilderness on the other. You’ll find some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, shopping and dining here. Water lovers will relish immediate access to both the Gulf and mangrove-lined estuaries for shelling, fishing, boating, bird and wildlife watching, kayaking and canoeing.
The Everglades
Surrounded by Everglades National Park, the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Big Cypress National Preserve, Collier-Seminole State Park and the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Everglades City is content to remain a small village on the edge of the Florida wilderness. It and Chokoloskee Island provide a glimpse into Southwest Florida’s past with several notable museums and quaint small-town charm.
You can download the Official Visitors Guide here: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/milesmedia/paradisecoast_ovg2011/#/0
Of course we did want to explore this beautiful region as well and spent time in Naples, on Marco Island and The Everglades.
Naples: We loved this city, especially the Old Town with its magnificent homes and buildings. Mediterranean feeling. Stylish and very sophisticated. Quiet. Wonderful shops along 5th Avenue. Beautiful and lined with ancient trees: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Avenue. Art galleries, stylish venues to have a sumptuous lunch or dinner. From here you can also set out on a day trip into the Everglades, rent a yacht or enjoy the wonderful beaches, but I am sure you would also like to spend a day just walking and enjoying those quiet and beautiful streets.
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Marco Island: Just south of Naples we crossed the bridge to get to the northernmost point of the Ten Thousand Islands. Of course Marco Island offers Nightlife, Clubs, Bars and Restaurants, Shopping, Excursions etc. Everything which vacationers are looking for. But we experienced Marco Island also to be an island which is quiet, without the hustle and bustle of a big city. Island life. Island time. Beautiful. Clean. With wonderful beaches, homes and residences. A place not only to spend a vacation but maybe move to as well.
Before heading to the Everglades National Park we first needed to visit the Smallest Post Office of the USA. Unfortunately we did not keep in mind, that they are closed on weekdays for lunch time …
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After that we took our time to experience not only a Swamp Buggy Tour but also an airboat ride at Wooten´s Everglades Airboat Tour Experience.
The Everglades: As we had experienced an already great day in the Eastern part of the Everglades National Park we wondered what we would see on the West side of the huge National Park that stretches from coast to coast. Off East Tamiami Trail you take Country Road 29 and reach Everglades City in no time where you find the pretty *Ivey House*.
Only another short drive takes you to Everglades National Park. If you assume getting to kind of a gate this is not it. THIS already just IS Everglades National Park and the perfect point to either charter a yacht or take one of the day tours on a boat to explore and enjoy the scenery of the Ten Thousand Islands. Of course you can also drive further south which gets you to the remote Chockoloskee Island. Very quiet, kind of reclusive, but nevertheless beautiful.
The Paradise Coast is just wonderful. Unfortunately we did not the least have time enough to explore this amazing region. We could just take glimpses of what was put right in front of us. I am sure it will take you a lifetime to explore all the beauty of this Paradise Coast.
I can highly recommend the Paradise Coast and hope to return to this magical place again.
Please visit: www.paradisecoast.com