Eyewitness Travel Family Guide Florida Read online

  Hike, bike, kayak, and boat around this mysterious land of mangrove forest, forgotten islands, wetlands, and a river of grass that teems with rare wildlife (see Everglades National Park).

  John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

  Visit this undersea park to see brilliantly colored coral reefs by snorkel or aboard a glass-bottom boat (see John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park).

  Key West

  Head to this legendary island town to experience its eccentricity and unique spirit (see Key West).

  Fort Myers River District

  Take in local history and culture in downtown Fort Myers, which has historic buildings, museums, galleries, and monthly street parties.

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  The Best of The Lower Gulf Coast, Everglades, and Keys

  Christ of the Deep, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

  The great outdoors, history, and culture make this region a well-rounded destination with plenty for everyone. Families can get their fill of sunny beaches, warm seawaters, and watersports such as fishing, boating, jet-skiing, kayaking, and paddleboarding during their stay in this area. Massive national and state parks, as well as wildlife preserves, provide opportunities to hike, bike, and get close to nature.

  In and on the water

  Flanked by the Atlantic Ocean, Florida Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico, this area demands getting wet – or at least wetting a line. Key Largo is a good place to initiate kids into the wonderful world of underwater sightseeing. Ease them into it with a glass-bottom boat tour at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. When they are ready to jump in, try the snorkeling tours offered by the park, or sign up with one of the numerous operators in town. Fishing in the Atlantic can get rough, so begin gently with a backwater Everglades fishing excursion from Flamingo Visitor Center or in Everglades City. Head to Sanibel Island for an educational sea life cruise into J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

  Wildlife-watching

  Alligator sightings are practically guaranteed at Royal Palm Visitor Center, to the east of Everglades National Park, and at Shark Valley Visitor Center, in the west, while white-tailed deer and raccoons also make occasional appearances. At Flamingo Visitor Center, saltwater crocodiles often sun themselves on the boat ramp. Bird-watchers should be able to tick off dozens of bird species from their “life list” of sightings in the Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. Other birding hot spots include Tigertail Beach on Marco Island and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, north of Naples.

  Rambling around the Keys

  With five to seven days to spend in the Florida Keys, start with a trolley tour in Key West. Spend the remainder of the day walking around the Old Town and exploring the Key West Aquarium and the Eco-Discovery Center before hitting the beach at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. However, don’t miss sunset at Mallory Square. Heading north, families can bike or kayak into National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key, then factor in some quality beach or snorkeling time at Bahia Honda State Park. Marathon merits a day of exploration: go to Crane Point in the morning and either Pigeon Key or Sombrero Beach in the afternoon. Devote the remaining days to kayaking and snorkeling in Islamorada and Key Largo.

  Aerial view of Duval Street, a famous shopping and dining hub in the heart of Old Town in Key West

  History hot spots

  Local history runs deep throughout the region. One of Florida’s oldest commercial ports, Key West holds the most treasures in its Old Town. Pigeon Key has the historic remains of the operation to build a railroad to Key West. The Museum of the Everglades tells the story of the building of Tamiami Trail through the Everglades’ wetlands and swamps. The Marco Island Historical Museum focuses on the island’s past as an ancient Calusa Indian capital. The Edison and Ford Winter Estates, in Fort Myers, shed light on the lives of the two scientists who vacationed there. The Southwest Florida Museum of History explores the area’s fishing, cattle-ranching, and baseball heritages.

  < The Lower Gulf Coast, Everglades, and Keys

  The Lower Gulf Coast, Everglades, and Keys

  Informative displays in the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, Sanibel Island

  Florida tapers off to its narrowest and flattest at its southern tip. While barrier islands rim the shoreline along the Gulf Coast, sandy beaches, mangrove estuaries, saltwater marshes, and the shallow Florida Bay make up the unique Everglades. Farther south are the Florida Keys, a string of islands that rest on a bed of coral and limestone from ancient reefs. The Tamiami Trail (Highway 41), known as “Alligator Alley” when it passes through the Everglades, connects the areas in this region. Interstate 75 is a faster route, which links Fort Lauderdale to Fort Myers and Naples.

  1. Fort Myers

  2. Sanibel and Captiva Islands

  3. Upper Islands

  4. J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge

  5. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

  6. Naples

  7. Marco Island

  8. Everglades National Park

  9. Biscayne National Park

  10. Miccosukee Indian Village

  11. Big Cypress National Preserve

  12. Everglades City

  13. Key West

  14. Big Pine Key

  15. Bahia Honda State Park

  16. Marathon

  17. Islamorada

  18. Key Largo

  19. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

  >>Practical Information

  >>Sights Map

  >>Where to Stay

  < The Lower Gulf Coast, Everglades, and Keys

  1. Fort Myers

  Sunny skies and island beaches

  Art of the Olympians Museum

  Born out of the Seminole Wars that drove Native Americans into the Everglades, Fort Myers grew slowly along the Caloosahatchee River. In 1885, Thomas Edison saw bamboo growing here, and, hoping to use it as filament for his new invention, the light bulb, he built a winter home, putting Fort Myers on the map. Today, the Historic Downtown District draws visitors to its museums, theaters, shops, and restaurants. A trolley service links Fort Myers’ main sights.

  Key Sights

  1. Edison and Ford Winter Estates Edison built two homes and a lab on the river and his friend Henry Ford of Ford Motors later moved in next door. Tour a museum, botanical gardens, and the homes.

  2. Southwest Florida Museum of History Learn about the calusa tribesmen and cow-hunters, visit a cracker shack, and see a private pullman railcar at this museum.

  3. Imaginarium Science Center Children will delight in seeing the local marine life (including sharks), feeling the force of a hurricane, or even touching a cloud.

  4. Cape Coral Enjoy a day of fun at the Sunsplash Family Waterpark and Greenwell’s Bat-a-Ball and Family Fun Park, located in this town across the river from Fort Myers.

  5. Naples Botanical Garden Walk among several beautiful tropical and subtropical gardens and a nature preserve spread over 170 acres (69 ha). Kids will love the interactive Children’s Garden, complete with colorful butterflies, a tree- house, and a Hidden Garden.

  6. Manatee Park In winter, watch snout-faced manatees in the warm waters of this park from the observation decks, or kayak among them for a whole new experience.

  7. Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium Meet fascinating creatures from southwest Florida, then head to the planetarium to view the heavens.

  Left Imaginarium Science Center Middle Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium Right Pirate manatee at Manatee Park

  >>Practical Information

  >>More Things to Do

  >>Eat and Drink

  >>Kids' Corner

  Kids’ Corner

  Do you know…

  Unlike cattle drivers in the West, those in Florida took offense at being called “cowboys.” Do you know what they were called instead?

  Fort Myers’ Summerlin Avenue is named for Jake Summerlin. Who was he?

  Is it true that manatees feed on fish?

  >> Answers
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  Inventions Galore

  Thomas Edison patented more than 1,000 inventions in his lifetime. The museum at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates displays many of them. Edison also helped to put an end to the practice of free-ranging, as he got tired of cattle roaming through his gardens.

  Garden riddles

  Look for the answers to these tree riddles in the Edison and Ford Winter Estates: I’d like this with shortcake.

  I’ll take this to the movies.

  I’ll order this with eggs for breakfast.

  We should crown this tree king or queen.

  >> Answers

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  < The Lower Gulf Coast, Everglades, and Keys

  2. Sanibel and Captiva Islands

  Shell-bent and water-bound

  Vacationers at one of Sanibel Island’s beautiful beaches

  These two barrier islands, attached by a short bridge, boast a reputation for shelling, and also for wildlife and watersports. The islands have given rise to the expressions Sanibel Stoop and Captiva Crouch, which refer to the posture shell-seekers habitually assume while hunting on the shell-blanketed beaches.

  A causeway from the mainland brings visitors to Sanibel Island, more than half of which is a protected wildlife refuge. The Sanibel Historical Museum and Village exhibits historic island homes and buildings. At Sanibel’s Lighthouse Beach, there is lots to do – from fishing off the pier to exploring the historic lighthouse and the nature trails. Along the island’s “conservation corridor,” nature-lovers can learn how the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) administers to sick and orphaned animals. Visit a butterfly house, climb an observation tower for fine views, and hike trails at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF).

  Farther north, Captiva Island has an off-the-beaten-path vibe. Rent a boat or kayak at one of the marinas to fish, or to explore the upper islands. Charter and tour boats customize tours for shelling, fishing, and dolphin-watching.

  >>Practical Information

  >>Take Cover

  >>Eat and Drink

  >>Kids' Corner

  Kids’ Corner

  What kind of shell am I?

  See if you can solve these shell name riddles when you visit the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum and comb the shelling beaches of Sanibel and Captiva Islands: You can write a message in the sand with me.

  Some people use me in their eggnog.

  I strike during thunderstorms.

  You might think I should be wearing boxing gloves.

  Some people tell the time using my name.

  I don’t grow in Holland as my name suggests.

  I know my ABCs.

  I look a little like a pet’s foot.

  I fly in the heavens.

  Noah sailed in one.

  >> Answers

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  < The Lower Gulf Coast, Everglades, and Keys

  3. Upper Islands

  Adrift from the mainland

  Boating off a beach at Cayo Costa State Park

  North of Captiva Island are a set of islands with no bridges to the mainland, and no means of access other than by boat. Closest to Captiva, North Captiva Island broke off from its parent island during a hurricane in the 1920s. Private and vacation rental homes, a grassy airstrip, and a club occupy the quiet, 5-mile- (8-km-) long island, along with superb beaches and restaurants. Walk or rent a golf cart to get around the island.

  Farther north, Cayo Costa Island is mostly occupied by the Cayo Costa State Park, where visitors can swim, collect shells, hike, and camp or rent cabins. Look out for the pioneer cemetery along one of several nature trails.

  Between Cayo Costa and the mainland, Cabbage Key has no beaches, but its rustic 1920s Cabbage Key Inn is a great attraction for the island-hopping lunch crowd. Have a bite to eat, and then walk it off along a short nature trail. Visitors can also spend the night at the inn, or in one of its cottages.

  >>Practical Information

  >>Letting Off Steam

  >>Eat and Drink

  < The Lower Gulf Coast, Everglades, and Keys

  4. J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge

  Into the wild

  Horseshoe crab in J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island

  Named for Jay Norwood, a Pulitzer-Prize-winning American cartoonist, and covering more than half of Sanibel Island, “Ding” gives the island its reputation among wildlife-lovers, especially birders. It counts about 230 species of birds among its resident and migrating populations, including the bald eagle, the roseate spoonbill, and the mangrove cuckoo.

  At its main campus along Sanibel-Captiva Road, the refuge has an Education Center, a 4-mile (6-km) Wildlife Drive through wetlands, an observation tower, and several trails. Nearby, Bailey Tract protects a different freshwater habitat, which alligators and nocturnal bobcats frequent.

  >>Practical Information

  >>Take Cover

  >>Eat and Drink

  >>Kids' Corner

  Kids’ Corner

  Bird’s eye view

  At J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, climb the observation tower on Wildlife Drive. Peek through the telescope and see how many different types of birds you can spot. Look closely for markings, and beak, leg, and feet colourings.

  Did you know…

  Pileated woodpeckers drum on trees with their beaks to establish their territory and to attract mates.

  Eastern screech owls come in red, brown, or gray colors.

  The two main reasons why bald eagles are brought to CROW are electrocution and fights with other eagles.

  The magnificent frigate bird is also known as a man o’ war.

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  < The Lower Gulf Coast, Everglades, and Keys

  5. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

  A big bird’s nest and age-old trees

  Black-crowned night heron in the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

  Some 20 miles (32 km) inland lies a whole different brand of water wonderland – the swamp. The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is the regional headquarters of the Great Florida Birding Trail, and here nature-lovers can wander a 2-mile (4-km) boardwalk to explore a rich habitat where alligators, bobcats, black bears, and white-tailed deer cavort. Perhaps the sanctuary’s most important creature, however, is the wood stork. These big white-and-black birds come to nest in the 500-year-old bald cypress trees. The towering trees, with their protruding “knees,” constitute the species’ largest old-growth stand in the country. The wood stork is only one of the 200 or so species that visit the sanctuary – others include wading birds, songbirds, raptors, the tricolored heron, and the fabulous painted bunting.

  >>Practical Information

  >>Take Cover

  >>Eat and Drink

  >>Kids' Corner

  Kids’ Corner

  Do you know…

  What is the name of the margin where seagrasses, shells, and other flotsam are washed up at high tide?

  Florida’s signature food fish is sweet and mild and goes by a “gang” name. Can you guess its name?

  Fresh and salt water mix to support a blend of sea life in a specific type of habitat. Do you know what this habitat is called?

  >> Answers

  Crazy creatures

  South Florida has some funny-looking animals – pink birds that eat with spoons, potato-shaped manatees, and toothy gators, crocodiles, and sharks. See what really bizarre creatures you can come up with by mixing different parts of the animals in your drawings – a manatee with a roseate spoonbill’s legs and beak, for instance. What names would you give your invented critters?

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  < The Lower Gulf Coast, Everglades, and Keys

  6. Naples

  A little Italy, Florida-style

  Vanderbilt Beach, a popular white-sand beach in Naples