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By: Chris Gonsalves
Best of... 'Net surfing
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If you’re feeling disconnected in this sun-soaked paradise, there’s nothing like a little Web browsing alfresco. The area boasts a number of free wireless Internet hotspots from county libraries to car repair shops (Rick Johnson Auto & Tire). If you just can’t wait to update your blog or check your e-mail, here are some sweet spots to surf by the surf.
The side-by-side locations of Panera Bread and Starbucks at Coconut Point in Estero offer more than just competing cups of java; the pair serves up free Wi-Fi that works both inside and out. Upside: great place to people-watch. Downside: often crowded with bored husbands waiting for their wives to exit Chico’s.
If you like a little Napa Valley with your Netscape, Calistoga Bakery Café on Airport-Pulling Road in Naples offers a smooth, northern Cali vibe. Take your PC out to the shaded courtyard, which spills into the fab statuary at Annie’s Gardens. Upside: Parking is at a premium, but bandwidth isn’t since the majority of people are here to sample executive chef Paul Touin’s heavenly sandwiches. Downside: With a dozen working fountains, sitting downwind could mean a damp laptop.
Kissed by the shifting winds off nearby Tarpon Bay, The Bean of Sanibel on Periwinkle Way is about as laid back a spot as a Web surfer could want. This place delivers a true island vibe, insanely good coffee, and even has some PCs you can borrow. Upside: Located mid-island, the Bean is in the shadow of the Sanibel’s “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. It’s a great stop to upload all of your roseate spoonbill photos. Downside: hard plastic chairs, the natural enemy of the sunburned tourist.
—Chris Gonsalves
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