Greetings from Naples/ Marco Island!

[vraiblonde]

Today we went for a drinkie at Island Gypsy marina in Isles of Capri, which is a cute little town near Marco Island. Then we went to Stan's in Goodland, which is living testament that if you build it they will come. Goodland is a dinky town with nothing going on...EXCEPT for Stan's bar and food emporium. On weekends it is the place to be, with bands, several outdoor bars set up, grills for burgers and such, and a sit down restaurant for those who don't want to party.



On the way we stopped at a small park that's mostly a kayak launch. They've dug up boats from the bottom of the Gulf and put them on display. They're covered in barnacles and cooler than you'd think:

 

[Bann]

I don't wanna rush the year along

...but I can't wait for May!

 

[littlelady]

And

The paella and empanada sounds yum! I'm not a donut person, either, so when I was in New Orleans and tried the beignets - I was like meh. Foxhound and I got 1 order between us and I might have had 2. I would probably feel the same with the Kronut. (I also don't care for the Fractured Prune Donuts. Don't get the craziness over them, either! )

Sorry you didn’t like beignets. Yum! What did you think of cafe au lait? How did you feel about your overall experience in NO? As a native, I would like to know.

 

[vraiblonde]

Yesterday I had some running to do so we stopped into Zen Asian BBQ so I could have my fix. I had the bibimbap and Monello had drunken ramen - both were really good. It was hard to decide because I found them by searching to "bibimbap Naples, FL", but then their menu had all kinds of wonderful looking dishes that I love so very much. Hot Pot, grilled meats, ramen... I stuck with my original craving but we'll have to go back and try some other things.

We went for a swim yesterday before errand running and it was delightful. This is a nice campground and the people - both campers and staff - are friendly and chatty. Naples is like the anti-Marathon, and Naples KOA is the anti-Jolly Roger.

 

[mAlice]

Today we went for a drinkie at Island Gypsy marina in Isles of Capri, which is a cute little town near Marco Island. Then we went to Stan's in Goodland, which is living testament that if you build it they will come. Goodland is a dinky town with nothing going on...EXCEPT for Stan's bar and food emporium. On weekends it is the place to be, with bands, several outdoor bars set up, grills for burgers and such, and a sit down restaurant for those who don't want to party.

View attachment 121382

On the way we stopped at a small park that's mostly a kayak launch. They've dug up boats from the bottom of the Gulf and put them on display. They're covered in barnacles and cooler than you'd think:

View attachment 121380
View attachment 121381

When we lived in KW, right after we were married, B salvaged a boat from the bottom. After he picked all the octopuses out of it, cleaned it up and stuck a motor on it, we went fishin'. He sold it in fairly short order.

 

[vraiblonde]

Yesterday there was a seafood festival in Everglades City, which wasn't so much a festival as a full-blown large carnival/small fair. Tons of vendors and food stalls of every type, a midway with good rides and carnival games, and several bands playing.

One of the stalls was a soup and dip company out of Maryland, and the girl manning it was from Waldorf.

On the downside, the "Maryland crabcakes, not Maryland-style" trailer was a lie. They were out of Havre de Grace and their crabcake was basically bread and minced vegetables with a little stringy crab meat. No, bebe, that is NOT a Maryland crabcake, and IS the very epitome of a "Maryland-style" disk of disappointment and sorrow that you see all over Florida and learn to avoid.

If Ben Cardin is so hot to introduce legislation, he should consider a federal law banning the use of the term "Maryland-style crabcake" to describe pucks of bread crumbs and minced green pepper, as it is slander/libel against the actual Maryland crabcake.

Anyway, Everglades City was cooler than I thought it would be. I figured it would just be a wide spot with maybe a marina and bait shop. No. They have a small commercial area with waterfront bars and restaurants, and all sorts of cute touristy places to visit.

We only have two weeks left here and I've been busy with work, which means we haven't taken our airboat tour of the Everglades yet. I need to jump on that.

 

[Bann]

And

Sorry you didn’t like beignets. Yum! What did you think of cafe au lait? How did you feel about your overall experience in NO? As a native, I would like to know.

I didn't say I didn't like the beignets. They were just "meh". It's fried dough with a ton of powdered sugar on them. I had one when we went, but didn't see all the hooplah over a huge plate of them. Cafe au lait - I drink black coffee. :shrug:

My aunt's husband is NOLA born & raised. He retired from the Fire Department about a year before Katrina hit. My maternal grandparents lived in NO for many years, so I've been to NO more than a few times over my lifetime and more than a couple Mardi Gras parades.

This was just my first trip with Foxhound. Since that side of my family has been there since I was young, it's not like a tourist-y place to me. My uncle always takes me to the BEST places, where the locals go to eat - not the tourist-y places. We did some of the food, drinks, sights and sounds & had a great time.

 

[littlelady]

I didn't say I didn't like the beignets. They were just "meh". It's fried dough with a ton of powdered sugar on them. I had one when we went, but didn't see all the hooplah over a huge plate of them. Cafe au lait - I drink black coffee. :shrug:

My aunt's husband is NOLA born & raised. He retired from the Fire Department about a year before Katrina hit. My maternal grandparents lived in NO for many years, so I've been to NO more than a few times over my lifetime and more than a couple Mardi Gras parades.

This was just my first trip with Foxhound. Since that side of my family has been there since I was young, it's not like a tourist-y place to me. My uncle always takes me to the BEST places, where the locals go to eat - not the tourist-y places. We did some of the food, drinks, sights and sounds & had a great time.

That’s cool. I didn’t know you had such ties to NOLA.

 

[vraiblonde]

Sunday we went on an airboat tour of the Everglades - SO much fun! If you ever get to the Everglades you must do this. First of all, the ride was a blast. I told Sharon we need to go in together and get our own airboat. And of course the Everglades are gorgeous and way more interesting than I thought they'd be. I mean, really, you seen one gator you've seen 'em all. But the Everglades ecosystem is fascinating and our guide was entertaining and knowledgeable. Afterward I got to hold a baby gator - she felt like a really good handbag



After, we went to Gator's Crossroads, which is a biker bar pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Drank beer, ate mini tacos, and listened to a pretty good classic rock band. Bikers always know where the good bars are.



Yesterday we met Sharon and 2A at Lani Kai, which is a hotel and beach bar in Ft. Myers Beach. Sat on the deck and watched the sun set over the Gulf.

Supposed to get in the high 80s today, so I'm pretty sure we'll be at the pool when I'm done with work.

Our next stop - Cedar Key/Beverly Hills - is more remote, so I need to stock up on Target and Ulta things before we leave Naples.

 

[Monello]

I've been itching to go target shooting for a while now. I did a search and found a place not too far from where we are staying. Looking online I see it's reasonably priced but opened only a few days a week. So off I go, only to find out you have to buy a membership in addition to the daily usage fee. Newp. But close to the parking lot was an inviting body of water. There was a makeshift, sandy boat ramp. I had some fishing gear with me and tossed out a couple of lures. I was rewarded with a few exotic species of freshwater fish that inhabit the southern Florida canal system that drain the Everglades.

Both fish fought well, especially the 2nd one. They were roughly the same size. They were similar to oversized panfish but much thicker. Come to find out the first one was a Mayan cichlid. The 2nd was an oscar. I remember growing up the pet store had oscars in the bigger aquarium.

Yesterday I loaded up the boat and decided to fish the canal properly. I tried a few lures with not much luck. Then I gave a black beetle spin a try. First cast success. In all I got around 7-8 fish. Mostly oscars with 1 cichlid. They are a great fish on a bass pole. When I got back home to research what I had caught, they listed small spinner baits as a good lure for the oscars. The fish and game website claims that they are also good to eat having white, flaky meat.

I also had a half dozen or so gators that kept popping up and checking me out. I've never fallen out of the boat in the 11 years I've owned it but knowing that there were alpha predators lurking in the dark water is a bit unsettling. I wasn't sure how they would react when I was reeling in a fish towards the boat. I know some times in Alaska the bears will chase after a hooked fish or try to get fish that someone has on a stringer.

So if you ever find yourself in south Florida anywhere near the massive canal system that crisscross the landscape, give a beetle spin lure a try.

Mayan cichlid


Oscar




wally gator