After Ludington, Alex and I made our way south to visit my family in Naples, Florida. Florida is definitely a tourist destination, but not many people make it to Naples on the southwest coast. My mom moved to Naples when I was about 21 and so I’ve spent a bit of time here. It’s a very laid back, chill, Florida town. Here’s what I recommend to do in Naples:
Walk through the Everglades
The Everglades is a tropical wetland on the southern tip of Florida and the Everglades ecosystem isn’t found anywhere else in the world. If you have time, I recommend taking an airboat tour through the glades, but walking through the national park is equally as beautiful. My mom took us to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary where we walked on raised platforms through the wetlands. We also saw a Ghost Orchid! The Ghost Orchid is an extremely rare type of orchid, but we were lucky to see one in bloom (and take a photo through a telescope). Tickets cost $14 with discount options.
Brave your way through an alligator swamp
If you aren’t scared of walking a few feet (or in some cases, inches) from wild alligators, CREW Bird Rookery Swamp Trail is the place for you. Usually, we bring bikes and ride the 10-mile loop, but this day we walked. The deeper you go into the swamp, the bigger the alligators get. Once, we had an 8-foot alligator completely blocking our path. One by one people rode past him, but he started to get angry and hiss at us, so I bailed and rode back haha. This path is free of charge.
Ride Sea-Doos/Jet Skis in the Gulf
Riding Sea-Doos is one of my favorite water activities (despite the lingering PTSD of being thrown off a Sea-Doo when I was 6). Fortunately, my mom owns two Sea-Doos, but they are available to rent all over Naples. We park and dock at Landing’s Park then ride through the canals and out to the Gulf.
Visit the Naples Botanical Gardens
On select Sundays and Tuesdays, the Naples Botanical Gardens hosts Dogs in the Garden and opens it’s doors to dogs! It’s so fun walking around the beautiful gardens with your cute pup. We brought my mom’s french bulldog, Stella.
P.S. Naples is where Alex had his first ice cream truck experience!
I made a video from Naples, Florida. Watch the full video here:
Let me know if you travel to Florida’s hidden gem and what activities you do!