We always say it’s important for kids on a family vacation to have a chance to burn off some energy. When you’re in Southwest Florida, the Fort Myers area provides a number of remarkable, uncrowded beaches, but before you hit the sun and sand, we suggest a day at the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. A slough is a long, narrow wetland with slowly flowing freshwater and at this particular slough there’s a 1.2-mile-long boardwalk that allows guests to stroll along and view alligators, turtles, otters and wading birds.
Note: Pets are not allowed at the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, so if you’re bringing Fido along for the ride, we suggest you head to Dog Beach in Bonita Springs, outside Lovers Key State Park.
Bonita Springs, 30 miles away from Six Mile Cypress Slough Reserve, is also home to the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa. It has just redone its rooms with a tropical vibe. Kids might not appreciate that fact as much as the resort’s three-acre water park with a lazy river; it has five water slides and several pools, including one for adults only.
Management says that the King Bedroom Bay View Suite with four balconies suits families well; the suite can connect with a queen bedroom and a king bedroom. Note: Luxury travel advisors can contact Jamie Wylie ([email protected]), sales manager, for special requests.
The resort has a quarter-mile boardwalk that winds through a mangrove forest. Walk far enough and you’ll get to the marina, which provides ferry service (a 15-minute ride) to Big Hickory Island, a private island that is part of the Estero Bay Ecological Preserve. It’s here that families can enjoy the beach. Note: The Hyatt provides chairs and umbrellas for its guests here. Good to know: The local marine life includes dolphins and manatees.
Back at the hotel, kids can enjoy lawn games and parents can indulge in a cocktail as the entire clan hangs out around a fire pit in the evening. Inside, the Belvedere Lounge presents live music at select times.
For a zen moment, adults can partake in the spa or check the schedule for a yoga class at the Stillwater Spa.
Naples, Florida, is just 14 miles from Bonita Springs and is in an area dubbed “Florida’s Paradise Coast,” which comprises Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades. In Naples, the nonprofit Shy Wolf Sanctuary has just purchased 17 acres of land to expand its existing campus. The expansion is all about providing guests with an “educational, environmentally sustainable, and therapeutic sanctuary.” The sanctuary is home to wolves and wolfdogs, exotic fox species, sugar gliders, prairie dogs, a North American Bobcat and more.
Word is that the new facility will allow more groups to have animal encounters and even experience “meditating with wolves.” The new sessions are led by trained guides offering different approaches to meditation, energy healing, yoga, and relaxation techniques with a unique opportunity to connect with the exotic animals rescued by the organization (45-minute tour, 45-minute guided meditation). A $35 donation per person per class fully supports the resident animals. Dates and registration are available online at www.ShyWolfSanctuary.org.
Good to know: The sanctuary also has adoptable animals for anyone looking to expand their fur family.
The Paradise Coast region also has a number of birding hot spots with more than 200 species that can be found in Everglades National Park, Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
We hear that Sea Excursions (seaexcursions.com) is a provider often used by the top hotels in the area. The company can provide a number of group tour options, including dolphin or manatee experiences, as well as boating trips through Big Cypress and the Everglades (think herons, egrets, ibis, osprey, pelicans and the American Bald Eagle). Party excursions or trips to beaches for shelling are also options. The company is also known for its “10,000 Islands Dolphin Project Eco tours.”
Automobile buffs will want to visit the Revs Institute in Naples; that’s a museum dedicated to the study of the automobile past, present and future. On tap are 100 of the most influential automobiles of our time; many of the cars are unique or exceptionally rare, and each meets rigid standards of historical, technical, aesthetic or social significance.
The museum has interactive displays and artifact showcases within four themed galleries. They include unique items from the extensive Revs Institute library and archives.
Big News: The Revs Institute has just acquired a rare and exotic automobile: a 1929 Du Pont Model G four-passenger Speedster. This is a historically significant car and very few examples remain in existence. The Du Pont Speedster epitomized the romance of the movies in the 1920s and was the darling of Hollywood film stars, New York socialites and Pittsburgh tycoons. It was one of the most desirable sports cars produced in the late 1920s.
Plan Ahead: For more hours, tour times and ticket prices, visit revsinstitute.org or call 239-687-7387. The museum accepts advance reservations only;walk-up visitors cannot be accommodated.
Sunsets and Romance in Southwest Florida
Whether you’re traveling as a family or as a couple, a great sunset is hard to beat and entertains even the most cynical traveler.
Lee County is famous for its spectacular sunsets; we’ve scouted out a few in Fort Myers and its surrounding areas here:
- Tarpon Lodge, Pine Island Sound
- Riverside Park, Fort Myers, Caloosahatchee River
- Northshore Park, North Fort Myers, Caloosahatchee River
- Mucky Duck, Captiva Island, Gulf of Mexico
- Dog Beach, Bonita Springs, outside Lovers Key State Park
- Bunche Beach, Fort Myers, San Carlos Bay
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