It rained overnight and is overcast now. Bummer. I seem to bring precipitation where ever I go on my vacations (it rained in the desert in Israel, it's raining here). So I'll have to find something I can do that doesn't require lots of sunshine.
So after a lazy morning I decided to drive to Naples. I took a scenic drive, through Fort Myers Beach. Little touristy shops, restaurants, hotels, and motels dotted the way.
In Naples, I stumbled upon a seafood shop which also happened to make something out of their fresh catch (Captain Kirk's Stone Crabs Fresh Seafood Market). The very friendly lady at the counter was very helpful in explaining the choices and letting me know that they catch their own seafood every morning. I saw no tourist anywhere in sight and was encouraged by the constant stream of locals some who purchased the fresh catch and some who had lunch. I ordered seafood bisque and seafood salad. It was the silkiest, tastiest bisque and the seafood was so fresh it was sweet. I lingered over the soup and salad for about an hour. It was a very leisurely lunch as I sat there eating my food and reading my book.
I then decided it was time to go exploring and went to the botanical gardens. The gardens are very lovely and quite serene. There is a butterfly pavilion and an area for kids to play and explore. The rest of the gardens offer a variety of designs and the sculptures are very cute.
For dinner I decided to drive to Fort Myers Beach since it has more dining options that the area around my hotel. The restaurant for this evening was
Yucatan Beach Stand Bar Grill. It has a vibrant island atmosphere (though I'm not sure which island it's supposed to be), and the food was pretty good. I came back to this restaurant another day for the same dish and was not disappointed. I've gotten into the habit of asking the locals, wait staff specifically, what they'd recommend and why. If it sounds good, then I'll order it; if not, I'll keep looking. More often that not, this strategy pays off really well. This case was no exception.
The waitress recommended the Pompano and it was grilled to perfection. I wonder how to recreate it at home. My fish always sticks to the grill, of any variety, but this was perfection on a plate; with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. So good! And I didn't feel too guilty since it was fish and veggies. Oh, and the restaurant had live music every time I was there. Not great music (there are only so many times I can listen to a Jimmy Buffet song), but it was live entertainment.
But by the time I got out of the hotel, it was time for lunch. So being a little adventurous I decided to check out The Parrot Key restaurant. I was really hesitant for all the kitch and "tourist trap" written all over it. I mean, how good could the food be at a place that specializes in Pirate dinner cruises and deep sea fishing? But my fears were allayed when I saw several tables full of coast guard members. Coast guard = locals. If locals eat there, I can give it a try.
I was very pleased. So much so that I went back the next day. But on this day, I decided to order a fish sandwich. I am a new convert to fish and I've been experimenting with it, but I figured that while I'm in Florida, I'll have ample supply of fresh fish at restaurants. I've also not had mahi mahi in many years and thought I'd give it a try in the grilled variety in a sandwich. I really liked it. LikeI said above, I was so happy with this restaurant that I came back the next day.
After lunch I thought it would be a good time to explore the region's natural wonders and drove out to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. The drive didn't seem to be that long but it took about an hour. By the time I got there it was just after 4:00 PM and after talking with the man at the front desk he suggested I come in the morning and spend as much time as I'd like. Since the sanctuary closes at 5:30 promptly it would not have left me enough time to walk through and see all it has to offer. So, I got back into my car and drove back.
