By ED LOWE
Special to the Journal & Topics Newspapers
Barron Collier knew a good thing when he saw it.
The millionaire New York transit advertising executive discovered the potential of Southwest Florida in 1911. Over time he amassed more than a million acres in the Everglades area. In 1923, when the State of Florida was building the route that would become known as the Tamiami Trail, U.S. 41, it ran short of funds to construct the portion of the road that crossed the swampy Everglades. Collier agreed to fund the road construction in return for the honor of having a county named for him. The State agreed and now, Collier County is the seat of some of the most spectacular development in the entire state.
The Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades of southwest Florida have now developed an extensive tourism infrastructure in an area that is highly affluent, being the winter retreat of many business executives who seek respite from the north's wintry bluster. Hotels, restaurants, cultural features and eco-tourism are open to those who want to experience the beauty of this region.
Getting there is now easier than ever. In Collier's time, the only practical access was by steamship from northern Florida ports. Later, railroads found their way south. Today, accessibility has moved into the 21st Century with the completion of the Southwest Florida Regional International Airport located about 30 miles north of Naples. Seven rental car agencies operate at the airport and, after a careful shopping expedition, we selected a car from Enterprise which offered the best deal and selection.
In Southwest Florida, hotels are available in almost every price range. Rates vary seasonally. Most vacation spots would be happy to have one five-diamond Ritz-Carlton installation in their promotional brochure. Naples has two.
One caters to the golfing community with two designer 18-hole courses; the other is situated on a broad beach and has among its many features a 55,000-sq.-ft. spa and fitness center that's the envy of the industry. The twin Ritz-Carltons have a total of 11 dining venues at all price and formality levels. The two facilities are connected by half-hourly shuttle service.
A second type of hotel complex is being developed at the Inn at Pelican Bay, also in Naples. Here, you can own your own hotel room. When you're not using your space, it becomes part of the rental pool so that owners can recover their costs and even, with a little luck, make a profit. The idea is relatively new, though there are similar hotel conversions in other parts of the country.
Finally, there's a conventional resort hotel bearing the Hilton label. This 20-year-old high rise is situated on Marco Island and features 297 rooms including 23 one-bedroom suites and four luxurious two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath penthouse suites. Virtually every room in the complex has a spectacular view of the Gulf of Mexico and its white sand beaches. All four hotels have tennis courts, fitness centers, whirlpools and an assortment of swimming pools plus the on-site restaurants.
From any of these facilities, you can make some very adventurous side trips. If you are tired of just relaxing in the sunshine, you have several options available. One might be a trip through the nearby Everglades.
Following your walk through this nature preserve, you'll arrive at Everglades City which calls itself the snow crab capital of the world and the mountains of crab traps testify to their main industry. Here you'll embark on an airboat ride through the mangrove swamps and grasslands. These boats are designed specifically for the shallow waters and sharply bent channels of the Everglades. They have powerful propellers which drive the boats much like an airplane is driven through the sky. While on board the airboat, you might see a lumbering Manatee wallowing in the shallow waters, and you will probably spot some alligators who seem to ignore the boats, their propeller roars and the intrusion that men make into their domain.
If you've had enough of the interior, you can head out on the Gulf aboard a catamaran. On a sunset sail, we had the opportunity of talking to a researcher working on a five-year project to study the dolphin population with the help of on-board volunteers. Though they are quite common in the waters around Marco Island and Naples, little is known about their numbers, their family habits and their migration patterns. Identification of individual dolphins and their pods will help assure their continuing viability as a species.
Another cruise that proved interesting was through the channels leading past the "high rent" district of Naples called Port Royal. Aboard the 117-foot-long "Naples Princess," you can glide past the estates of the rich and famous. Lots in this section of Naples can sell for more than $4 million and 15,000-sq.-ft. houses are common. The area is built on one-time mangrove swamps, but dredges have created a Venice-like community where every house is situated on a canal that will provide mooring for the owner's yacht. At the entrance to the Gulf, the captain noted that Naples is only 90 miles north of Key West and about twice that distance from Cuba.
The affluence of Port Royal is also the basis for supporting a cultural center for this city of 21,000. The beautiful Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts was packed to capacity for a pop concert presented by the city's resident symphony orchestra. Adjacent to the Philharmonic Hall is the Naples Museum of Art which, in addition to its permanent collection of modern art, was displaying three separate temporary exhibitions. One featured the art of the Wyeth family and highlighted the famous Andrew Wyeth "Helga" pictures. Another hall held an exhibition titled "Frank Lloyd Wright and the House Beautiful." The third temporary exhibit featured work by Chilean born Claudio Bravo. The museum is filled with examples of the glass art of the Seattle artist Dale Chihuly. His glass ceiling and an elaborate chandelier are museum fixtures.
The permanent collection consists of a broad spectrum of abstract art, much of it related to the famous 1913 Armory Show in New York which art lovers will recognize as a watershed event in the evolution of American artistic taste. There is also an extensive display of 20th-century Mexican art with pieces by such well-known names as Rivera, Tomayo and other artists of the Mexican muralist tradition.
Dining experiences in Naples come in a variety of cuisines. One, for example, is McCabe's Irish Pub located on fashionable Fifth Avenue. The owner, Boston-born Philip McCabe, decided that Naples needed an Irish accent. He flew to Dublin and hired a designer and the workmen needed to create a true Irish pub. Then he imported the workmen and all the materials to complete the project which is as real as anything on the Emerald Isle.
Another dining stop in Naples is called Naples Tomato Restaurant and Grocery. It's a new venue, open less than a year, but its owner, Jack Serfass, has worked with his brothers, Matt and Mike, to created a compelling menu. Besides a unique antipasto bar, there's a shrimp martini appetizer and some wonderful porcini and truffle risotto. Entrees include shellfish linguini loaded with shrimp and lobster and three varieties of lasagna.
Wherever you might go in the Naples, Marco Island area, you'll find a degree of elegance. The stark natural beauty of the Everglades is juxtaposed against the opulent Port Royal estates; the calm blue beauty of the peaceful Gulf of Mexico stands as a contrast to the cypress groves and mangrove swamps that were the foundation of Barron Collier's original dream. Visiting this part of Florida offers the opportunity of experiencing the diversity of the region where, at the same time, you can enjoy the luxury of top-of-the-line accommodations and dining.
Resources
Naples Marco Island Everglades Visitor's Bureau:
www.ParadiseCoast.com
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples: www.Ritzcarlton.com
The Inn at Pelican Bay: www.innatpelicanbay.com
Busy coastlines such as this one are commonplace in Collier County, Florida. Below, a family boats its ways through the back waters. Photo by Lois A. Lowe