Ft.+Meyers


 * Travel Tips for Ft. Myers, FL:**
 * Fort Myers Wikitravel Website:** []
 * Everglades National Park Wikitravel Website**: []
 * South Florida Wikitravel Website**: []
 * Sanibel Island Wikitravel Website**: []
 * Captiva Island Wikitravel Website**: []
 * Captiva Island Wikitravel Website**: []

--- Fort Myers is located in southwest Florida. The airport (Websites: [] and [] ) is technically known as Southwest Florida International Airport. The designator **RSW** was originally assigned for "**R**egional **S**outh-**W**est" (for **Southwest Florida Regional Airport**). In 1993, the Lee County Port Authority renamed the airport. Frontier uses Concourse B. The airport has the following rental car companies on-site: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, Enterprise, National, and Thrifty. The airport's Rental Car Service Center is located on the ground level of the parking garage. Arriving passengers proceed downstairs, exit baggage claim and walk across the street to the rental car facility. Customers will walk into the service center and drive out the back - making rental car shuttles obsolete. When returning vehicles, follow signs for Rental Car Return as you approach the terminal building. Parking will be located on the lower level of the parking garage. In addition, Advantage does not have a check-in counter at the airport and is located off-property. The Advantage shuttle pickup point is on the east end of the garage on the lower level. Advantage customers should walk to the end of the garage and around the side for shuttles. A phone to contact Advantage rental is located in the shelter at this pickup point. You can also take public bus transportation from the terminal into town. LeeTran bus #50 provides public transportation between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm. Bus service is provided to a transfer point located at Daniels Parkway and U.S. 41. Connections can be made from that point to the remainder of the LeeTran routes. For routes, schedule and fares or for more information visit LeeTran's website at www.rideleetran.com. As for things to do, head to the beaches! Other attractions would include Manatee Park (Website: [] ) where you can see the Manatees. Another place worth visiting is the Edison and Ford Winter Estates (Website: [] ), where these wealthy, famous men spent their winters. If you're around during baseball's spring training, head to JetBlue Park and take in a Boston Red Sox game (Website: [] ). Or visit Hammond Stadium and take in a Minnesota Twins Game (Website: [] ). Bonita Beach is our favorite Beach to sunbathe, people watch, and enjoy the gulf, but I've attached a website for all of the Fort Myers Beaches: []. Fort Myers Beach is another great one to visit (Website: [] ). No visit to this area is complete if you don't visit the Everglades National Park (Websites: [] and [] ). Make sure you take an airboat ride/tour into the 'sea of grass'. It's worth the price and a great experience. Marco Island is located between Fort Myers and the Everglades. Here's two websites for this beautiful island: [] and [] .Near Marco Island is the city of Naples (Website: [] ). Food choices are extensive in this area. The Smokin Oyster Brewery in Fort Myers is solid (Website: [] ). On Marco Island, we loved the Marco Island Brewery (Website: [] ). And in Naples, head to Chops City Grill (Website: [] ). It's a little pricey, but it has great food and atmosphere. As for lodging, we either use VRBO and rent a condo (Website: [] ) or go with Hotwire and get a hotel (Website: [] ). If you want to drive to Key West from Ft. Myers, plan on a 5.5 hour trip. To Miami from Ft. Myers it's 2.5 hours. To Tampa from Ft. Myers the trip takes 2 hours, and from Ft. Myers to Orlando it takes 3 hours. Fort Myers is located in a great part of Florida. Check it out!

Sleepy Sanibel (Websites: [] and [] ) and Captiva (Website: [] ) are barrier islands located 30 miles west of Ft. Myers on the Gulf coast, but they feel like old Florida thanks to mom-and-pop shops and calm beaches traversed by shell seekers; Sanibel's unique east-west orientation means that a bounty of rarely seen sea shells wash onto its 15 miles of shoreline. If shell hunting is not your thing, there's fishing, 22 miles of bike trails, and wildlife sightings aplenty (osprey, pelicans, and dolphin). Head on over to J.N. Darling National Wildlife Refuge (Website: [] ), home to over 220 species of birds that roost in over 6400 acres of mangrove forests. It's best seen on Tarpon Bay Explorers' two hour evening paddle ($40.00) (Website: [] ). The next day, head on over to Yolo Watersports (Website: [] ) in Captiva, which is Sanibel's western neighbor just a 15 minute drive from Sanibel's town center. You can rent paddleboards, wave runners, parasailing equipment, or banana boat rides. If you want something more 'up to speed', try the Sanibel Thriller (Website: [] ) a motor yacht speed boat that circumnavigates both islands while dolphins leap in its wake -- arrive early to secure seats in the back for $42.00. You can rent a bike from Billy's Rentals (Website: [] ) and take it around Sanibel's palm-fringed byways; three day rentals from $25.00. Once your over being outdoorsy, find Floridian tchotchkes at Islander Trading Post (Website: [] ) at 1446 Periwinkle Way. There are three good places to stay. The most expensive is South Seas Island Resort at $229 per night (Website: [] ). A little cheaper is Casa Ybel (Website: [] ) at $209 per night. Smaller still is the Island Inn (Website: [] ) at $129.00 per night. All are in great locations. There are plenty of places to eat. Here's our favorites: Gramma Dot's is known for its grouper sandwich (Website: [] ). If you catch your own fish, head to the Lazy Flamingo (Website: [] ), where, for $9.00 they will blacken, fry, or grill your catch and give it back to you with fries. For the sports bar scene, go to Doc Ford's Sanibel Rum Bar & Grille (Website: [] ) and have some fish tacos, watch sports, and drink the local brew called Key West. The Island Inn's Traditions restaurant (Website: [] ) has nightly live music and seafood spaghetti. There's a surprising lack of waterfront restaurants; so, at lunchtime, pick up picnic fixings at Jerry's Foods (Website: [] ) and eat on the beach. For dessert, buy a slice of coconut cake from Captiva's famed Bubble Room (Website: [] ). Enjoy the variety and fun of these two towns!

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