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RV-Dreams.com Home -> RV-Dreams Community Forum -> General Travel -> Fort myers / Cape coral / Sarasota / Naples area
Post Info TOPIC: Fort myers / Cape coral / Sarasota / Naples area
The Junkman


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Fort myers / Cape coral / Sarasota / Naples area
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I can see why some just stay in a place for a week or 2. We may need to curb our program in the future.. 

We are fast paced . like touristy stuff, big city stuff, broadway shows, events, even fairs and swap meets..We are not nature people, or hikers. We eat on the fly, where we are.. food is food.. and it's seems most just make a day about going to dinner somewhere here.. That is boring to me, and not us. There is just so many ways to cook a steak..And it's hard to beat a costco steak , cooked by me.

 

I must say.. this area does not have much of anything..lol And the reason for my post

Did the sanibel/captiva island thing- won't be doing that again..

Checked out some beaches.. boring.. Though have found some tiki style places to hang out on the beach.. Mucky duck in captiva.. is cool..

did the ft myers beach / times square.. liked it.. may become a hang out, as it's right around the corner.

Planning the ford / edision torist stuff, dog track, couple of musems and tiny zoo's..

Love the weather.. but just seems like a place to live... or die.. We are in a nice rv park..Gulf waters.

 

Been here 5 days, and by monday.. we will be expanding the search north to sarasota and south to Naples...\

Anyone that is "like minded",  have found stuff to do,  that is not on trip advisor, or internet searches ? Just trying not to miss anything.. As I think it may be a while before I come back here.. 

 

We are here for a month !

Now, before you say it's about relaxing , sleeping, the weather etc.. I get enough of that between events.. really..lol

Thanks

Steve



-- Edited by The Junkman on Friday 5th of December 2014 07:37:40 AM



-- Edited by The Junkman on Friday 5th of December 2014 07:40:08 AM

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bjoyce


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You will like Miami and Fort Lauderdale more if you like fast paced tourist stuff. There is also Key West.

We like the Fort Myers/Naples area for the natural things, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Fakahatchee Strand State Park, Six Mile Cypress, day trips to Everglades and Big Cypress National Parks, etc. Different strokes....

There is water sports stuff out of Marco Island (south of Naples), the daily ferry to Key West, the casino in Immokalee for a bit of a change.

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manycats


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Definitely diff'rent strokes. My DH is happy when he can drive 200 miles or so just looking at trees and old houses. I like ballet, opera, Broadway shows and museums. He is happiest when there's not a soul around for 5 miles, I was born and raised in a city. He cringes when I say I love NY... or Europe.

I never liked living in Florida but it does have a lot to see and do. You may be surprised yet.

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The Junkman


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Yea, Thanks folks..

We are still looking..

Like you say Bill.. I think it will get better for us on the eastside.. No biggie.. We set out to see ALL of Florida.. Now we know about this area. Went to the dog track yesterday.. That was cool.

Did the ding darling thing, Luckily is was only $5.. lol .. not really up for parks.. unless it like the ones your drive through with monkeys sitting on your car..lol Not into water sports.. did the boating/jetski thing for ever.. I can see why people around here fish and golf.. I could "settle" , and do those.. especially if I lived here. Lived in vegas or a number of years.. Hate loosing money, so I don't gamble much, unless it includes entertainment.

The ford/edison thing should be cool.. got some stuff scoped up in sarasota and naples. not much. Maybe to some beach combing with my metal detectors.. if I get real bored..lol

The search continues here..lol




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The Junkman


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manycats wrote:

Definitely diff'rent strokes. My DH is happy when he can drive 200 miles or so just looking at trees and old houses. I like ballet, opera, Broadway shows and museums. He is happiest when there's not a soul around for 5 miles, I was born and raised in a city. He cringes when I say I love NY... or Europe.

I never liked living in Florida but it does have a lot to see and do. You may be surprised yet.

 We are rethinking our "monthly" stays.. I think some may require much less time to see the areas..

I could care less about plant life.. Some of the birds are ok.. but already bored with those. I think growing up in "nature areas" and "water areas " , has alot to do with it.

 

Yea, Nyc.. is way cool.. Broadway was always a great trip.. yankee stadium.. the local taverns.. times square, Juniors.. and on and on.. So much to do.. Now I miss it..lol 



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cherylbrv


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I'm afraid to ask if you've been to Epcot Center yet? I like that place.

We'll be in Ft. Myers/Naples first week of Feb. but I have family in those places whom I haven't seen for years. My plan for FL (from Dec. 9th until the boondocking rally Feb. 8th in Ft. Ogden) is St. Augustine, Kennedy Space Center, Pompano Beach (friend), Naples (family), Ft. Myers (family), Ft. Ogden (rally), then Clearwater (friends) and Panama City Beach (family).

Personally, I'm not a great fan of Florida either.

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The Junkman


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cherylbrv wrote:

I'm afraid to ask if you've been to Epcot Center yet? I like that place.

We'll be in Ft. Myers/Naples first week of Feb. but I have family in those places whom I haven't seen for years. My plan for FL (from Dec. 9th until the boondocking rally Feb. 8th in Ft. Ogden) is St. Augustine, Kennedy Space Center, Pompano Beach (friend), Naples (family), Ft. Myers (family), Ft. Ogden (rally), then Clearwater (friends) and Panama City Beach (family).

Personally, I'm not a great fan of Florida either.

 Just reserved a spot in Bushnell for Jan.. It's worse than here as far as things to do, I know.. but is 15 min from the house we bought to flip/rent.. it also puts us about 1 hr to orlando.. so we will be hitting all of orlando from there.

Maybe some more of Tampa/st petes/clearwater etc, area too. Depending on the house, we may have to be there for Feb as well, we'll see.

Seems we will miss each other..



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bjoyce


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Steve: I am sure you already bought a Sunpass to take the toll roads for a discount. In parts of Florida, especially closer to Miami, only some exits and entrance ramps can be taken without a Sunpass.

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The Junkman


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bjoyce wrote:

Steve: I am sure you already bought a Sunpass to take the toll roads for a discount. In parts of Florida, especially closer to Miami, only some exits and entrance ramps can be taken without a Sunpass.

 Yes.. for the truck pulling the rv and the car. Thanks..

 

And btw Gulf waters rv resort was a good call.. Thanks again!

 

Seems we are headed back to central FL.. in Jan.. Maybe do Miami and The keys next winter.. and make reservation this year for next year ! But who knows.. we are just going with the flow..



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bjoyce


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We will be in North Fort Myers on the 22nd and will stay through January. Trying some place different. Today we arrived in Wildwood (The Villages).

We use the Sunpass from here if we go to Orlando, it is much faster than the free roads (US27 is quite slow). We have the suction cup model and move it between the motorhome and car. They count the axles, unlike EZPass where you have to have different transponders for each configuration.

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The Junkman


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bjoyce wrote:

We will be in North Fort Myers on the 22nd and will stay through January. Trying some place different. Today we arrived in Wildwood (The Villages).

We use the Sunpass from here if we go to Orlando, it is much faster than the free roads (US27 is quite slow). We have the suction cup model and move it between the motorhome and car. They count the axles, unlike EZPass where you have to have different transponders for each configuration.

 We got the stick on ones.. Haven't used the truck one yet.

 

When you get down here, Give me a shout..



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cherylbrv


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Make sure ya'all update your locations on RVillage!

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2008 DRV MS 36TKBS3 (the CoW: Castle on Wheels), 2005 Ford F550 hauler (the Bull)

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manycats


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If you can find a place for your rig, Miami, Orlando and maybe Jacksonville might be the right places for you. All kinds of action, particularly in Miami. Lived there for more than five years and, except for the heat and humidity, loved it. You may have to learn some Spanish, though.

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The Junkman


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cherylbrv wrote:

Make sure ya'all update your locations on RVillage!

 Yea, I should join over there.. Haven't done so yet.. I'll get to it..

Maybe I don't want some people to know where I am? lol



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The Junkman


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manycats wrote:

If you can find a place for your rig, Miami, Orlando and maybe Jacksonville might be the right places for you. All kinds of action, particularly in Miami. Lived there for more than five years and, except for the heat and humidity, loved it. You may have to learn some Spanish, though.

 I lived in vegas for 6 years. I never learned a word. I contracted mexican ebay listers who doubled as interpreters .. really. they negotiated deals for me into the mexican communities and swap meet.

 

We will hit orlando from busnell in jan/feb.. then maybe move to the northern part of FL.. including jacksonville. After here though, I will be a little more cautious where I park. I need to stay busy and have stuff to do.

 



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Jack Mayer


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It has been my observation over the years that people that primarily like Broadway Shows, big cities, etc do poorly as fulltimers. Most do not make it beyond 3-5 years.

The facts are that the fulltiming lifestyle is not well suited to those activities. Can you do those things fulltiming? Sure. But it is a large compromise. And most do not make it long.

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Alie and Jims Carrilite


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There was a blog I followed for a while about a Texas couple that went fulltiming. They did the US in a year, saw everything they wanted, including a whole bunch of interstate highway, never staying more than 2-3 days in a spot. I got tired just reading their blog with as much as they jumped from 1 place to another.
But ultimately its up to the individual person with what their travel style will be like.

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The Junkman


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Jack.. 5 years.. is exactly what I had/have in mind. Maybe a little less.. I'm really not in it for the long haul.. but who knows,, I know a guy who has a house in Cape coral, and a park trailer in NY..for the summer.. I could become one of those ( but not cape coral ) Maybe leave the rv somewhere, and a condo somewhere else..
I'm just out on vacation for a few years. That's all. I want to see the best of America, maybe north america.. Not interested in "living" in the best of america, now. Just want to see it, experience it.
Think of it as my vacation Hotel on wheels..lol

Alie and Jim.. yea 2-3 days is way too short. We don't mind sitting around a few days a week.. but need activities at least 4 days a week, I'd guess. That could change too. We are a month at a time.. now.. in winter.. I think it may be shorter time frames as spring rolls around, and we start heading north. I guess we will see. All still a learning process for us.. but we'll figure it out pretty quick.We are in no rush, and don't want to feel rushed.. but a month in some areas is just too long, for us... Today is a clean up day at the rv..lol. Yesterday fleamarket and the ford/edison christmas thing.. Fun day yesterday..I want fun filled days.. most days..or for me, why do this ?

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manycats


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Jack, your comment made me laugh. My DH and I are such opposites no one would have believed we would stayed married for 30 years and going. Actually, I believe full-timing when we married brought us even closer together. Compromise and adaptation is the glue and also lots of personal freedom to do what each one of us wanted. Hey, maybe we're exceptional??

Like Junkman, we don't hike, bike, or kayak. We don't entertain, socialize or visit family or grandkids (don't have any) but we did enjoy our travels. If we were in a totally boring area we'd pick up and move. That's the beauty of the home on wheels. Right now we are fed up with S&B life and will be part-timers by Spring. A couple of old fogies on the road again.

We'll see what our friend Junkman finds at his next stop, it may be right up his alley!



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Ed and Beth


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Love the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge!  Amazing, peaceful place.  Sanibel beaches too,  yes, it is different strokes.... 

Hope you find what you're looking for.



-- Edited by Ed and Beth on Tuesday 15th of September 2015 12:45:28 AM

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bjoyce


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This thread was from last year and The Junkman (Steve) and his wife did spend time in Fort Myers, where my wife and I met up with them.

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Bill Joyce,
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Ed and Beth


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BJoyce -  I'll learn to check dates!  Thank you.



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