Although there are no adobe houses, cacti, or deserts, and, as far as we know, no John Edwards's Crossing Over mystics hawking crystals here, Southwest Florida is definitely the Southwest in terms of serenity, golf, retirees, and expensive homes. While the area itself may be staid, and the ride here, through the Everglades, may be the only adventure you'll have in this neck of the woods, it's definitely an area worth exploring.
As primitive as it gets, Alligator Alley (I-75) is the closest thing to a dirt road in South Florida. Once a desolate two-lane road connecting Southeast Florida with the Gulf Coast, Alligator Alley is still pretty quiet, but hardly lifeless, thanks to the presence of the egrets, wood storks, owls, herons, osprey, red-shouldered hawks, belted kingfishers, and, of course, alligators that call the area behind the fenced-in, protected shoulders home. As you go through Alligator Alley, en route to or from Southwest Florida, your cellphone will not work and your only option for refueling will be at the Miccosukee Indian Reservation. Driving through Alligator Alley is like entering a time warp. When you reach the end, you will enter another world, where million-dollar mansions, posh resorts, golf courses, and all the signs of the good life are juxtaposed with nature.
Bordered on the east and south by the Everglades and on the west by an intriguing island-studded coast, Southwest Florida traces its nature-loving roots to inventor and amateur botanist Thomas A. Edison, who was so enamored of it that he spent his last 46 winters in Fort Myers. His friend Henry Ford liked it, too, and built his own winter home next door. The world's best tarpon fishing lured President Theodore Roosevelt and his buddies to the 10,000 or so islands dotting this coast. Some of the planet's best shelling helped entice the du Ponts of Delaware to Gasparilla Island, where they founded the village of Boca Grande. The unspoiled beauty of Sanibel and Captiva islands so entranced Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist J. N. "Ding" Darling that he campaigned to preserve much of those islands in their natural states. Finally, the millionaires who built Naples made their town one of the most alluring -- and expensive -- in Florida.
Southwest Florida International Airport, on the eastern outskirts of Fort Myers, is this region's major airport. From here it's only 20 miles to Sanibel Island, 35 miles to Naples, and 46 miles to Marco Island. If you have a car, you can see the area's sights and participate in most of its activities easily from one base of operations.
Excursions to the Everglades & Key West -- You won't be in Southwest Florida for long before you see advertisements for excursions to the Everglades. Naples is only 36 miles from Everglades City, the "back door" to wild and wonderful Everglades National Park, so it's easy to combine a visit to the national park with your stay in Southwest Florida.
From Southwest Florida, you can also easily make a day trip to Key West by air or sea. Cape Air (tel. 800/352-0714; www.flycapeair.com) shuttles its small planes (and Continental Connection planes) several times a day between Key West and both Southwest Florida International Airport and the Naples Municipal Airport. The same-day round-trip fare is about $185. The Key West Shuttle (tel. 888/539-2628 or 239/732-7744; www.keywestshuttle.com) runs to Key West from both Fort Myers Beach and Marco Island between November and May, departing in the morning, arriving in Key West about midday, and beginning the return voyage about 5pm. That gives you about 5 hours in Key West, so you may want to stay there overnight in order to more thoroughly explore the town. Round-trip fare is about $123 for adults, $113 for seniors and $50 for children 6 to 12. Contact the shuttle for schedules and reservations.
