Naples, Florida Family Vacation Ideas

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Florida: Naples, Family Vacation Ideas - Beaches, Swamp Buggies, and a Zoo Adventure.

Egrets and alligators, miles of shopping and fairways, friendly museums and toe tempting beaches, fine dinning and unbelievable sunsets - they have it all in Naples according to Leona Wren-Faust. That is why it is a perfect vacation spot for her and it works for her whole family too.

Leona and her husband Glen have been going to Naples for years, without the kids. Two years ago while enjoying and incredible sunset at The Naples Fishing Pier they decided to invite the kids to share one of their favorite vacation spots. Their vacation get together (reunion) was so successful that there are plans to do it again. A week was not enough time to do everything because they made too many discoveries along the way. “Memories, this is the place to make memories,” Leona told me as she scanned her journal for family vacation details to share with us.

Name that beach. Enjoying a day at the beach is always a treat and in the Naples/Collier County area there are many wonderful choices, some effortless and easy, others serene and uncrowded. The ceremony of releasing feet from shoes to sand cannot be duplicated in words it must be done. For many it is an essential part of connecting to Florida. Barefoot Beach in North Naples is a barrier island wildlife area with sand waiting for feet. Need to know: For families with teens that demand a little more action, Lowdermilk Park in Naples has volleyball and picnic facilities fronting the beach as well as a duck pond and a play area just for little tykes. (2 Barefoot Beach Blvd, Bonita Springs. 1(239) 591-8596 or www.explorenaples.com/barefoot_beach_preserve_county_park.phtml)

Find Clam Pass. Clam Pass Recreation Area is an ideal option for families that want to explore tidal pools adjacent to a quiet undisturbed beach. It has a boardwalk over a mangrove estuary leading to the beach. Once on the sand the area provides easy access for kayaking or just beach walking. The tidal flux in Clam Pass provides ideal fishing from shore. This beach has access to food, drinks and public restrooms. Need to know: On Marco Island visitors use Tigertail Beach because of its excellent shelling and tide pool variety. This is also a spot for fishing from the beach, and windsurfing. For a beachfront sunset ceremony, the members of the Wren-Faust family recommend The Naples Municipal Fishing Pier. (410 Seagate Drive, Naples. 1(239) 254-4000 or www.explorenaples.com/clam_pass_beach_park.phtml)

Spy on nature. Located in the heart of Naples, the Naples Nature Center features an exhibit of natural history where visitors can learn about the wildlife unique to the area. Visitors may explore the underwater world of Florida and watch recuperating patients through the O.W.L.S. online video monitoring system. The state-of-the art viewing system provides a spy’s eye look at bald eagles, hawks and owls. They also offer guided trail hikes and boat tours through mangrove forests. Bonus points: At the Briggs Nature Center families will find canoe and boat trips for bird watching in Rookery Bay National Reserve and for shelling on Key Island, plus other interpretative nature programs. There is also on site a butterfly garden, visitor's center and half-mile wilderness boardwalk. (Naples Nature Center. The Conservancy is located at 1450 Merrihue Drive in Naples, just off 14th Avenue North and Goodlette Road. 1(239) 262-0304 or www.conservancy.org)

Go birding with the babies. While not all school aged children will relate to birding, small children and babies relate with no effort and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is the perfect place to have quiet time surrounded by exotic natural beauty. The sanctuary has a world-class reputation amongst nature photographers and seasoned bird watchers because it provides habitat for hundreds of alligators and almost 200 species of birds. Bonus points: To make viewing easy for novices they have built a 2.25-mile boardwalk that weaves through the nation's largest cypress forest. Stroller friendly the boardwalk is framed by a variety of tropical jungle of ferns and orchids. (The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 1(239) 348-9151 or www.corkscrew.audubon.org)

Imagine sawgrass prairies. On a much larger scale Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve is a daytrip guaranteed to provide memories. The wilderness park area is truly wild and natural. It is like no other place on earth. The protected habitat allows alligators, endangered bird species, white-tailed deer, bobcats and the endangered Florida panther to thrive. The park also provides fisherman with plenty of chances to snag tarpon, snook and redfish. Bonus points: There are guided boat tours through the mangrove bays and estuaries which border the sawgrass prairies and the park is open for kayaking, canoeing, fishing and camping. (Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress National Preserve borders Golden Gate to the east. The Oasis Visitor Center is located east of Everglades City on U.S. Highway 41. Everglades City. 1-800-445-7724 or l (239) 695-4111. Access to the Everglades is 30 miles south of Naples in Everglades City on U.S. Highway 41. www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm)

Travel back in time. The Collier County Museum is really three museums in three locations. The Naples location has about five acres and showcases history and archaeology. They have alternating exhibits featuring prehistoric Florida fossils, the Calusa and Seminole Indians, early Spanish explorers, the frontier life. Bonus points: At their website they have line drawings for children to color. Making use of the coloring pages before going is very useful for engaging young children in a museum visit. From time to time each of the locations has events that provide a perspective on the history of the area. (Collier County Museums. Immokalee, 1(239) 658-2466; Everglades, 1(239) 695-0005; Naples, 1(239) 774-8476 or www.colliermuseum.com)

Speed on an airboat.

Riding in an airboat is an absolute blast. For a family with teenagers this adventure will get their attention. Skimming over the shallows the unique vehicles are designed specifically to navigate the shallowest of canals and water ponds within The Everglades. Airboats are noisy, bouncy and fun. During the intermittent idle times riders may see swamp residents unconcerned by the intrusion of an airboat. While there are many companies that provide airboat excursions Leona and her family like Wooten's Everglades Airboat Tours because in addition to riding high over the marsh like shallows they also have an alligator and crocodile farm as well as a snake exhibit. No one will be bored. (Wootens Everglades Airboat Tours. Located on U.S. 41, 1-800-282-2781 or www.wootensairboats.com)

Enjoy the zoo. For Leona and her grandkids this is the first stop. Small, comfortable and well suited to families with young children, Caribbean Gardens includes 52 acres of mature tropical foliage among manicured walking trails. Each day the zoo provides a short cruise around the islands where monkeys, lemurs, and apes live. Bonus points: Also on site is a state-of-the-art multimedia Safari Canyon Show. It provides a way for visitors to observe natural behaviors of animals just a few feet away. It combines the experience of watching a nature program on television with the appearance of the same animals live. Created specifically for Caribbean Gardens, this unique presentation method engages even the uninterested. While on the grounds visitors may also speak with professional zookeepers and observe the animals under their care. (Caribbean Gardens and Zoo. The Zoo also is a great location for weddings and other special events. 1590 Goodlette-Frank Road, Naples 1(239) 262-5409 or www.napleszoo.com)

Shop just for fun. Just imagine the warm sun, cascading waterfalls and palm trees shadow painting on the walkways. Then imagine a sidewalk concierge dispensing shopping advice and you have shopping in Naples. The area has variety from opulent boutiques to designer consignment shops. The area is filled with shops to browse enough for more than one day of meandering.

Explore the Arts. The Naples Art Association at The von Liebig Art Center is a community arts center. The center provides visual arts experiences through exhibitions, education programs and outdoor festivals. They also have a series of brown bag lunches that work well for short time visitors. The gift shop features unique art items and wearable art objects. (585 Park Street, off 5th Avenue South, Naples. Call 1(239) 262-6517 or www.naplesartcenter.org)

Try 5th or 3rd. On 5th Avenue South there are places to take a coffee with a pastry and to enjoy the sun. There are shops and enchanting galleries. Just as much fun is 3rd Street South in historic Old Naples. Stroll charming shops and take a tropical lunch break café style. Unique to Naples is Tin City, a string of waterfront shops and restaurants. Created from an old clam shelling plant, the seaport ambience is grand. This is also the place to secure a fishing trip or take a sightseeing cruise. For a mainstream shop, Prime Outlets has a mall between Naples and Marco Island. No dedicated shopper will be disappointed with shopping in the Naples area.

For families with multiple generations and diverse interests vacationing separately together makes sense. Naples provides choices and makes participating easy. According to Leona, “The chance to vacation together yet separately was very appealing to all of the adults. We had five families with ages from six months to 93 years and everyone had fun. I never asked the kids exactly how much fun they had but in all of the pictures they are grinning.”

Getting Around:

Naples Trolley Tours.

Any place that has a trolley tour is ideal for three generations vacationing together. The narrated trolley tour takes visitors about the town pointing out more than 100 points of interest. It makes convenient stops along the way and is a fun way to access shopping area. (1010 6th Avenue South, Naples. 1(239) 262-1443 or www.naplestrolleytours.com)

Naples Horse & Carriage. Located at the east end of 12th Avenue South at the Naples City Dock, this company provides candlelight, music and the ambiance of a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride through Old Naples. (5191 Coral Wood Drive, Naples. 1(239) 649-1210)

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