2013 Our Long Winding Trip from Florida to California: Want a perfect day? Head to Naples, Florida!

Oooh, we are NOT done with the Gulf Coast Beaches! We spent the entire month of May in beautiful Naples, Florida.

Once you've been to Naples you'll know why everyone sighs when they see this pier.

Next we'll head to our furthest point south: Homestead, FL where we'll hop on the scooter and coast down The Keys. (Dede is super excited!!) After that, we'll head up the East coast, making contact with friends and family before making the BIG TURN Westward!

Naples reminds us more of Hilton Head than anywhere else we've been. The landscaping and architecture are so nicely maintained. Art is everywhere. And restaurants! :-)

These fountains are just like the ones at
Coligny Beach, Hilton Head Island, SC.

Highway landscaping on the way to Naples (I75S).
This was our first clue that we were in for a treat!

Mockingbirds Sing While they Chase!
The lead bird sings a phrase and the second copies
exactly. Then a different one, then another.
This goes on for half hour. (I have video, too!)

Here in Naples, FL we're staying at a beautiful new Sun RV Club Naples resort, on the small side. It's quiet now, off season, and we love getting to know the locals who stay year-round. Everyone is relaxed, unhurried and keeps a quiet lifestyle. We don't have any neighbors. Just us and the site across from us where there's an active bird feeder. We've seen some pretty cool duels between the mocking birds, the crows, the jays, the pileated woodpeckers (you know, the one with the red head, yeah, "Woody Woodpecker!" --you should hear his laugh!), and late night we're serenaded by a Chuck Will's Widow.

Our site with our new awning.
All alone at the end of the road.

We celebrated Kim's 62nd birthday this month! He had a "perfect day." On his list of accomplishments are: French toast in bed, birthday cards, tennis, reading, not cooking at all--out for dinner, nature boy (that's code), chocolate, phone calls from loved ones, live Hockey game, and a scotch to take to the resort "Man Cave" (28 TVs all tuned to sports channels) to finish the day. ah!

We found a new side-awning for our porch area.
Gives us better shade and keeps the breeze!

Can you see our bunny friend?
Here Dede is finishing Jean Auel's final Earth's Children Series--6 books!
(Usually she's reading her Kindle where we can keep a huge library without the weight.)

Our resort is outside of town, where the sidewalk ends. (Hey, I've got proof!)

Nearby we've found a fabulous public park with tennis courts, handball courts where we can warm up, tour the walking trails, basketball, swimpark and playground. The courts are very active and folks are friendly. We can get there in a few minutes on the scooter. Kim is doing great with his serve and has totally recovered from his injury last summer, when he smashed both wrists and had casts on both arms for about 6 weeks.

Kim leaves the hospital fighting,
Foley, AL (June, 2012)
after falling about 8 feet from a ladder while painting.

We took a day trip to Marco Island. It was more locked up than any other beach we've been to. The beaches are private and it's jam packed with tall condominiums. This is what Hilton Head Island town ordinances are trying to avoid!

On Marco Island, there was only one
public beach. Here's the walkway, edged between two condos.

Marco Island Beach

The town of Naples is much more community oriented. The park is active with public concerts. The beaches are public. There are "first Friday" art shows and "Second Thursday" music and wine tours with a band on every corner. (Reminded us of Virginia Beach where our vocal quartet performed for a couple years on Beach Street.) We went to a musical at the Naples High School, a new one for us, "In The Heights" about life in NYC. The character development of NYC youth is excellent; also good Hip Hop and Latin music! We'd love to see it on Broadway. Or better yet, maybe one day we'll get to perform it at a future school...