Located on the south side of the Caloosahatchee River by the Gulf of Mexico, Fort Myers is called the “City of Palms March 1885, Thomas Edison bought 13 acres on the Caloosahatchee River, and before long he was planting palm trees along the dirt road between downtown and his spread. The road is now McGregor Boulevard, lined with thousands of royal palms. On the northwest side of the river is the city of Cape Coral features a sandy beach and public fishing pier. With water and nature come many parks such as Centennial Park, Lynn Hall Memorial Park & Pier, Matanzas Pass Wilderness Preserve, Bowditch Point Regional Park, and Bay Oaks Recreation Center. Other places to visit include the Burrough’s Home, Children’s Science Center and Imaginarium.
Accommodations range from bed and breakfasts to luxury resorts, including the Hibiscus House B&B, Casa Playa Resort, Winyah Hotel & Suites, Springhill Suites, Best Western Waterfront Hotel, Clarion Hotel, Santa Maria Resort, Ramada Riverfront, Hilton Garden Inn, Bay to Beach Resort, Courtyard by Marriott,
Popular dining options include the Sunshine Café, Stonewood Tavern, Liquid Café, Blu Shushi, Joe’s Crab Shack, Blue Pointe Oyster Bar & Grill, Carson’s American Bistro, City Tavern, Pawnbroker Restaurant & Fish Market, The Veranda, and the Smokey Bones BBQ & Grill.
With dozens of excellent golf courses in the area, a few are the Golf-Fort Myers Country Club, Heritage Palms Golf & Country Club, Whiskey Creek Country Club, and the Legends Golf & Country Club.
Attractions to visit are Babcock Wilderness Adventures, Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium, Edison and Ford Winter Estates, Everglades Day Safari, Sun Splash Water Park. River cruises are also popular on JC or Old Florida River Cruises.
Area festivals include the Medieval Faire, Edison Festival of Light, Swamp Cabbage Festival, Lee County Fair, Spring Boat Show, Greek Fest, Championship Rodeo, Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival, Fort Myers Beach Offshore Grand Prix Boat Races, Annual Hibiscus Show & Plant Sale, Annual Cat Show, and the Fort Myers Beach Sand Sculpting Festival. Fort Myers is the winter home for the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins baseball teams.
Written by: Natasha Lawrence
