# United States & Canada Vacations Forums > Florida Travel & Vacations Forum >  >  Naples

## amyb

Phil and I will be in Naples, Florida in October. Any recommendations for dinners, scenic lunches, and sightseeing and things to do would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Amy

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## MartinS

Don't forget the skeeter spray. We grow them pretty big down here...

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## amyb

Thanks Martin. I was thinking more along the lines of where we could go for a meal rather than for whom we would provide a meal!

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## RichBouker

A nice day or overnight side trip from Naples is the Key West ferry...There are several that go daily.  Rum bar, steel drums, nice trip.  You can Google for more info....

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## amyb

Thanks for this suggestion, Richard. So far we are planning to do Sanibel and Captiva-drive around and do lunch with a water view. We were told to skip Marco Island-we had been there before .

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## GramChop

amy....i've been told that sanibel and captiva are excellent shell-seeking locales!

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## carbontwelve

the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is of interest for birders, those interested in learning about left coast FL fauna

http://www.fws.gov/dingdarling/About/about.html

and Sanibel, as of 10 years ago, was still an amazing shelling beach. Enjoy!

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## amyb

I am looking forward to the ride through the everglades and new bird sightings as well. The shells are amazing and I hope I can stand up straight after I comb the beach.

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## PIRATE40

..Make a reservation at the Mad Hatter on Sanibel right before you get to Captiva..... Gulf front and excellent....or the Mucky Duck on Captiva....or Green Flash......Kings Crown restaurant at South Seas Plantation...Take the ferry to Cabbage Key for lunch from South Seas...

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## MIke R

Ron..I love Cabbage Key.....I was the first to ever ferry people over there - from Ft Myers...went over there in a private boat for lunch with a friend who knew the place...I fell in love with the place..so I asked the owner if he was interested in me ferrying people over on the weekends....he said sure..but when I told him I had a 110 foot boat (booze cruise boat that was a New England  whale watching boat in the summer ), he said no way that gets in here...so we made a deal..I would do a dry run with crew only and if we got her in, we had a deal...we did, and the rest is history....this was the winter of  86

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## MIke R

go see the wild boars on Punta Gorda too

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## PIRATE40

Mike..I moved to Sanibel in '87 and worked for South Seas as maintenance director for all their island properties...made regular trips to Cabbage Key..did a lot of night shark fishing in the passes..We own a 2000' ft grass airstrip on North Captiva so we fly down there alot(12 minute flight)..the boars are still on Cayo Costa and there are 12 cottages you can rent from the park service..Cabbage is a hang out for author Randy Wayne White, heir apparent to John D. Macdonald...
great reading.

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## MIke R

wow... we were there in 87 as well and we did quite a few charters for South Seas Plantation....bet our paths crossed...I was on Cabbage Key every Saturday and Sunday through the high season...we limited it to 30 people so  as to not overrun the place....great trips....the boat I ran was called the Whales Tale...a white hulled 110 footer..dont know if you remember it or not....we tied up to the Ramada inn on the Caloosahatchee River in Ft Myers just off Macgregror

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## PIRATE40

South Seas stil runs a charter..Lady Chadwick is the boat...must have been fun squeezing a 110' into Cabbage Key docks...South Seas was leveled by Hurricane Charlie 4 years ago..was closed for almost two years..you must have eaten at the Chart House on the river..cool place

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## MIke R

I did eat at Chart House a lot.....and yes getting a 110 footer into Cabbage Key was no small feat...but it was worth the trouble

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## amyb

Hi guys, we are looking forward to exploring your old stomping grounds, Pirate and Mike. We will have the laptop so I will let you know how and what we find in that part of Florida and environs.

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## GramChop

give hugs to beachbob and tommye from us if you get a chance to see them!!!

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## amyb

Sadly, Bob will be on a business trip but we hope to link up with Tommye.

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## GramChop

oh...too bad....she's certainly the better half...don't tell bob i said that though!!!!

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## GramChop

has hurricane phil and amy hit florida yet?

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## phil62

We are here!!! Arrived in South Beach Wednesday for successful business meetings, and drove to Naples yesterday. We had the pleasure of spending the day by the pool with Tommye, of Beachbob fame. Great afternoon, great weather, great company. So, we spent the afternoon at the very beautiful Ritz Carlton talking mainly about St Barth. Go figure.

Phil

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## GramChop

YAY!  so glad you're having good weather and even greater company!  i hope you gave tommye three bisous from eric and me! safe travels for the rest of your trip.  the countdown has begun....we have to coordinate our dinner schedules for november!

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## BBT

Ok Missy you will pay for that better half comment when I get to NOLA :-)

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## GramChop

bring it on, florida boy!  i can take whatever you dish out!!!!

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## BBT

All forgiven :)

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