Southwest Florida - the weekend is here and for some of us it's a 3 day weekend. So what is there to do? There are LOTS of things to do in Southwest Florida. I know we all get caught up in the big 3; beach, shopping, and restaurants. But there's so much more. So I took to Trip Advisor and mapped out more things than you can do in a whole winter of weekends. As a 20 year resident I even found a few things that I hadn't heard of. Keep in mind there's always specialty events, like this weekend is the Chubb Classic golf tournament at the Ritz Carlton in Naples. That's not what this list is. This is a bookmark for when you hear the cries of "there's nothing to do", because there's plenty to do. Just get out there and do it. Based on where you live, some of these are a bit of a drive, but I wanted to include a wide variety of things from Marco Island all the way up to Sarasota.
And while I was making this list, I found something in Naples that I had no idea existed. And I think I just put that destination on my list.
Naples Botanical Garden
170 beautiful acres. I do get kind of sad though since I can't stop at Del's for a Coke.
The Ringling House
The Ringling is located in Sarasota and preserves the legacy of John and Mable Ringling. Lot of money in the circus.
Edison And Ford Winter Estates
Even back in the day, people escaped here to avoid the winters up north.
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
A 13,000 acre preserve in Naples. I always felt this would be a good place to dump a body. Not that anyone would do that..... I think I've been listening to too many 'murder' podcasts.
Keewaydin Island
A South Naples staple for a party weekend. Gonna need a boat for this one.
Lovers Key State Park
Been by this a thousand times and have never stopped. Gotta do that.
J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge
The preserve occupies 1/3 of the island.
Naples Pier
Just an absolutely amazing view.
Tigertail Beach
An outstanding beach, but check tide charts before you visit. You'll need to wade through some water to get to the best spot.
Wicked Dolphin Distillery
You gotta do more than just beaches and wildlife, right?
Caspersen Beach
One of my favorites in Venice.
Robinson Nature Preserve
This ones's in Bradenton.
https://www.google.com/maps/search/Robinson+Nature+Preserve/@27.5075087,-82.671456,15z/data=!3m1!4b1
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve
Pretty solid bike trail here.
Fort Myers Beach
Will Margaritaville make FMB better - or worse. Time will tell.
Barefoot Beach Preserve
This one is my go-to spot.
Venice Beach
Deep white sand beach.
South Marco Beach
Down by the hotels.
Fishermen's Village
Shopping, dining, live entertainment, and water adventures in Punta Gorda.
Lowdermilk Beach
A little light on parking, if you wanna check out this beach - get there early.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
A lot of nature in Sarasota.
Peace River Wildlife Center
The Peace River Wildlife Center was established to contribute to the survival of native Florida wildlife through rescue, rehabilitation and education. And they do tours!
Museum of the Everglades
You gotta make a trip down to Everglades City. And not just during the Seafood Festival. Get down there and see the real town.
Venice Fishing Pier
Another Venice spot on the list.
Revs Institute
This is the last one on the list and I had no idea it existed. Revs Institute offers visitors an exceptional opportunity to view over 100 of the most influential automobiles of our time. In Naples.
