After a great start to our Naples, Florida vacation at the Edgewater Beach Hotel, we woke up the next morning to see that the waters from the Gulf of Mexico had ebbed to reveal a series of sand bars.

So before breakfast we had fun exploring those areas along the white sanded beach to find birds, as well as crabs and beautiful shells that were now easier to discover.

 

 

Afterwards, we were treated to yet another personal touch by this hotel: two individual large picnic hampers each filled with a delicious brunch to enjoy on the beach. As we enjoyed yet another beautiful warm day, we met other guests from New York, Michigan and as far away as Germany and France who were happy to escape the cold.

This was wonderful, but you know me: as fun as this was, it was time to explore our destination.

Naples Zoo: Naples’ great weather and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico help make this location one of the wealthiest area’s in the country. So as we took the 10 minute drive from our hotel to the our first stop, the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, we passed a line of luxury homes that could easily have been worth millions of dollars.

This relatively smaller zoo was fun, and it had a nice variety of wildlife including lions, monkeys, asian deer and fosas of Madagascar. At certain times of the day you can even feed their giraffes.

We stayed for a couple of the shows, and I especially liked the attraction that involved the zoo’s alligators.  I was impressed how well the animals responded to their given names, including “Jaws” and a staff member’s interesting explanation of why our feeding these creatures can result in so many negative effects.

Third Street South: Then it was on to the shopping/dining district, Third Street South. Located at the birthplace of Naples, this historic area lies two blocks from the Gulf of Mexico  and is surrounded by the colorful original beach cottages and homes of Old Naples. Nicely decorated with beautiful lush greenery, it has a wide variety of elegant stores as well as a good mix of fine and casual dining.

 

Naples Pier: By this time it was almost sunset, so we walked the two blocks to the historic Naples Pier. This well maintained long pier is on the Gulf of Mexico at the west end of 12th Avenue South.

We were joined by many sightseers as well as fisherman. Fishing from the pier does not require a license as the City of Naples has purchased a bulk fishing license for the pier.

It was there that we met retirees who  said that they love to stay in Naples six months out of the year. Lucky! It was recommended not to right away put down permanent roots, but to instead first try a few places around the area. I could see staying at the Edgewater for at least a short period of time to initially get one’s bearings. This beach front hotel has a great location, and as mentioned before, our suite had the feel of a comfortable condo.

Dinner at Ocean Prime: All of this fun built up an appetite, and we were lucky to be invited to the pre-opening of Ocean Prime on Fifth Avenue. The restaurant was only about 10 minutes from the hotel, but we decided to go from the Naples Pier.

One of 14 Ocean Prime restaurants in cities across the country including Manhattan, this restaurant specializes in steak and seafood. The pre-opening was crowded with VIPs and foodies who were obviously happy with their choices. I loved the lobster sushi, as well as their succulent teriyaki salmon. Robert and I shared their multi-layer carrot cake- wow!

Another great time in Naples and to learn more about Florida’s Paradise Coast, go to http://www.paradisecoast.com.

The next day we would drive to nearby Marco Island for a dolphin excursion and a visit to the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort.