Discover Southwest Florida

Centennial Park, 200 W. First St. in downtown Fort Myers, (239) 332-6638. A 10-acre waterfront park with a large playground, including equipment for handicapped children, fishing pier, dock facilities, two picnic pavilions, sand volleyball courts and a promenade path. The park is host to several annual festivals and is available for rent.

Charlene’s Classic Carriages, 19600 Pine Echo Road, (239) 543-2290. Southwest Florida’s premier service for horse-drawn entertainment. Downtown carriage tours, hayrides, and special events.

City of Palms Park, 2201 Edison Ave., (239) 334-4700. Hosts Boston Red Sox spring training games in March.

ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization), 17391 Durrance Road, (239) 543-3246. Local chapter fighting hunger through innovative ideas, information, agricultural training and seeds. Edible landscape nursery and herb garden and six climate demonstration areas. No fee but donations are appreciated. www.echonet.org.

Eden Vineyards Winery, 19709 Little Lane, (239) 728-9463. The southernmost vineyard and winery in the United States, located in Alva, a rural community 10 miles east of Fort Myers. Producing five to seven grape wines from hybrid grapes as well as wines from tropical fruits.
www.edenwinery.com.

Edison & Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd., (239) 334-3614. The winter homes of Thomas A. Edison and Henry Ford. Tour the restored Edison moonlight garden, Edison’s chemical research laboratory and museum filled with hundreds of his inventions. Enjoy a mini-river cruise on a replica of Edison’s electric launch for $5.50. $14 adults, $7.50 children six to 12; children under six free. www.edison-ford-estate.com.

Fort Myers Skatium, 2250 Broadway, (239) 461-3145. Skating facility providing in-line and ice-skating programs for all ages. Adults $5, children 12 and under $4.
www.yourpagemaker.com/fmskatium.

Fossil Expeditions, 213 Lincoln Ave., (239) 368-3252. Search for bones and teeth of ancient mammoths, mastodons, camels, sloths, horses, tortoises, jaguars, saber-toothed cats, capybaras, tapirs, giant armadillos, whales, dolphins and sharks.
www.fossilexpeditions.com.

GAEA Guides, Guided Kayak Tours, (239) 694-5513 or (866) 256-6388. Kayak clinics, bird, manatee, archaeological, full-moon, sunset and bat kayak tours.
www.gaeaguides.com.

Generations Skating Center, 2095 Andrea Lane, (239) 482-7199. A roller-skating facility with snack bar, game area and novelty center.
www.generationsskatingcenter.com.

Hickey’s Creek Mitigation Park, 17980 Palm Beach Blvd., (239) 728-6240. A 1,020-acre wildlife preserve with five miles of trails, canoe/kayak landing, educational pavilion, boardwalk and fishing pier. www.florida conservation.org/recreation/hickeys_creek.

Imaginarium Hands-On Museum, 2000 Cranford Ave., Fort Myers, (239) 337-3332. Hands-on exhibits on weather, water, the human body, physics and math. Featuring a preschool area, aquariums, outdoor lagoon and theater and citrus grove. $8 adults, $7
seniors, $5 children; children under three and members free. www.cityftmyers.com/
attractions/imaginarium.htm.

Lakes Park, 7330 Gladiolus Drive, (239) 432-2000. This 277-acre park offers swimming, nature trails, mini-train rides, bike and boat rentals, picnic sites with barbecue grills and shower facilities. Visit Fragrance Garden for the visually impaired. Parking 75 cents per hour, $3 per day.

Lee Civic Center, 11831 Bayshore Road, (239) 543-8368. Concerts, trade shows, expos, rodeos, company picnics and more. www.leeciviccenter.com.

Manatee Park, S.R. 80, east of I-75, (239) 461-7477. Family picnic areas, nonmotorized kayak/canoe launch, fishing deck on the Orange River, and native plant habitats. Visitor center, gift shop, kayak rentals and programs. Parking $3 per day. Manatee viewing update line: (239) 694-3537.
www.leeparks.org.

Manatee World, 5605 Palm Beach Blvd., (239) 694-4042. Eco-boat tours in search of manatees, alligators and birds. Closed during the summer. www.manateeworld.com.

Miracle Professional Baseball, Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Parkway, (239) 768-4210. Hosts Minnesota Twins spring training games in March. Open April to September. $6 box seats, $4 general admission. www.miraclebaseball.com.

Palm Tree Park, corner of Edwards Drive and Lee Street, (239) 334-0839. Palm trees from all over the world and a memorial to the 82nd Airborne.

Seminole Gulf Railway, Colonial Station, (239) 275-8487. Murder-mystery dinner train and holiday-themed excursions. Reservations required. www.semgulf.com.

Shell Factory and Nature Park, 2787 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 995-2141. Fun park and video arcade with miniature golf and bumper boats; shell-themed shopping; dining and nature park with petting zoo, education center and botanical garden. Entertainment most evenings. www.shellfactory.com.

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, Six Mile Cypress Parkway (one mile north of Daniels Parkway), (239) 432-2004. Two thousand acres of wetlands. Boardwalk trails, picnic areas and seasonal programs. Parking 75 cents per hour, $3 per day.
www.leeparks.org.

Southwest Florida Museum of History, 2300 Peck St., (239) 332-5955. Walk with prehistoric animals, live with the Calusa Indians, become a soldier at the fort or view turn-of-the-century downtown. Pullman railcar and Cracker house, plus traveling exhibits. $9.50 adults, $8.50 seniors, $4 children three to 12; children under three free.
www.cityftmyers.com.

Sun Harvest Citrus, 14810 Metro Parkway, (239) 768-2686. A behind-the-scenes look at how hand-picked citrus fruit is cleaned, graded, packed and juiced. Fruit shipping available. Educational tours are offered daily 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
www.sunharvestcitrus.com.

FORT MYERS BEACH

Big "M" Casino, 450 Harbor Court, (239) 765-PLAY. Gaming aboard an 186-foot yacht featuring blackjack, roulette and slots. Buffet available on every cruise. Ages 21 and up. www.bigmcasino.com.

Fun Rentals, 1901 Estero Blvd., (239) 463-8844. Harleys, WaveRunners and scooters.
Estero Island Historic Cottage and Nature Center, 161 Bay Road, (239) 463-0435. Near the entrance to Matanzas Pass Preserve, the center celebrates the history of Fort Myers Beach with artifacts and photos. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Ghost Tours, 1000 Estero Blvd., (239) 949-3644. A lantern-lit stroll through haunted Fort Myers Beach. Times and nights vary; call for reservations. $18 adults, $10 children.

Matanzas Pass Wilderness Preserve, 199 Bay Road, (239) 229-1610. Fifty-six-acre sanctuary for native plants and animals. Open seven days a week from dawn to dusk. www.ecotrail.com/mpass_preserve.htm.

Ostego Bay Foundation Marine Museum, 718 Fisherman’s Wharf, (239) 765-8101. Touch tanks and a shark tank. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free; donations appreciated. www.ostegobay.org.

GASPARILLA ISLAND

Boca Grande Lighthouse, (239) 964-0375. A historic structure surrounded by parkland. Open seven days a week. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through May, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June through October. www.bar rierislandparkssociety.org/lighthouse.html.

PINE ISLAND

Museum of the Islands, 5728 Sesame Drive, Bokeelia, (239) 283-1525. Features island culture from the Calusa Indians to modern times. Call for hours.
www.museumoftheislands.com.

Randell Research Center, 7450 Pineland Road, (239) 283-2062. Operated by the Florida Museum of Natural History. Tours of the former Randell family site. Reservations required. www.flmnh.ufl.edu/rrc.

SANIBEL ISLAND

Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, 3075 Sanibel-Captiva Road, (888) 679-6450 or (239) 395-2233. About 30 exhibits displaying shells from Sanibel and Captiva islands, Southwest Florida and around the world. Discounts and special programs for group tours. $6 adults, $3 children five to 16; children four and under free.
www.shellmuseum.org.

Cabbage Key, at channel marker 60 on the Intracoastal Waterway, (239) 283-2278. A tiny island built on a Calusa Indian mound, accessible by boat. Restaurant, bar and inn.

C.R.O.W, the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, 3883 Sanibel-Captiva Road, (239) 472-3644. This 37-year-old wildlife center cares for more than 3,000 animals each year and conducts educational presentations $5 adults; children under 12 free. www.crowclinic.org.

Everglades Day Safari, (239) 472-1559 or (800) 472-3069. Everglades eco-tour 7:45 a.m. daily from Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach and Naples. Includes riverboat ride, nature walk, airboat ride and lunch. $135 for adults and $99 for children.
www.ecosafari.com.

J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, 1 Wildlife Drive, (239) 472-1100. More than 6,000 acres of mangrove forest, cordgrass marshes and West Indian hardwood hammocks. Fishing, hiking trails and five-mile auto route. Bicycles, canoes and kayaks for rent. Guided canoe tours and narrated tram tours available. $5 per car, $1 adult bicyclist or hiker. www.fws.gov/dingdarling.

Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, 3333 Sanibel-Captiva Road, (239) 472-2329. Plant nursery, butterfly house, nature center and more than four miles of walking trails, including an observation tower. Programs vary with the season. $3 adults; children under 17 and members free. www.sccf.org.

Sanibel Historical Village and Museum, 950 Dunlop Road, (239) 472-4648. Tour six buildings, including a 1926 Sears Roebuck kit house. Guides offer stories of pioneer settlers, farmers and fishermen, the Calusa Indians and those who were involved in Florida’s early tourist industry. Donation requested. $5 adults.

Sanibel Lighthouse, Lighthouse City Park, (239) 472-9075. The lighthouse on the southern tip of Sanibel has been a landmark since 1884, when the entire island was a nature preserve. The park features a lush tropical landscape, beach and bayside fishing pier.

ACCOMODATIONS

ow comes the hard part: choose a beachfront high-rise or a city inn overlooking galleries, boutiques and bistros. Should you go for a Mediterranean estate-style resort on a famous golf course or a condo at a tennis resort where the world’s top pros have played? Colorful cottage on the sand or spacious family suite at your favorite chain hotel? Our tropical paradise offers an enticing selection of bed-and-breakfast inns, mansions by the sea, rustic fishing lodges and both four-star and five-diamond-rated world-class resorts. Like a tasty selection of fine spices, accommodations along the Gulfshore offer something for every palate and every vacation style. We have budget-friendly; we have luxury; and we have unabashedly over-the-top accommodations. Do you require a personal butler and an orchid on your pillow? Is a fitness center all you need, or do you crave a full-scale world-renowned destination spa? Some hotels delight parents with bountiful kid-friendly services. Some lure the bride and groom with magazine-perfect wedding packages, like ’Tween Waters Inn (above). Others clearly make golf the raison d’etre. The choices at this banquet aren’t easy, but you won’t walk away hungry. Enjoy the menu!