11
NAPLES, MARCO ISLAND AND THE EVERGLADES
|
PARADISECOAST.COM
|
1 - 800-2-ESCAPE
Stone Crab Capital of the World
Everglades City and its sister community on Chokoloskee Island
are sometimes called Florida's Last Frontier. Everglades City
hosts the western entrance to the saltwater part of Everglades
National Park and the Ten Thousand Islands. With authentic
seafood shacks, stone crab fishing vessels, and renowned
fishing and adventure guides, this picturesque Old Florida
outpost still embodies the character of its wild and colorful
history. Skirting the 1.5 million-acre Everglades National Park are
Big Cypress National Preserve and Fakahatchee Strand Preserve
State Park, known as the Amazon of America. Luxury is not in the
Everglades vocabulary, but "adventure of a lifetime" certainly is.
D I S C OV E R
Everglades City
MAY WE SUGGEST
BY DAY: Kayak through shadowy mangrove
tunnels, fly across wet grasslands on a wild
airboat ride or join swamp walkers in the watery
Fakahatchee Strand in search of rare orchids. Visit
Smallwood's Store, an authentic (and possibly
haunted) Indian trading post on Chokoloskee
Island.
BY NIGHT: In winter months, go stargazing with
astronomers in Big Cypress National Preserve.
Ranchland, Preserves and a Casino
The farmlands in Immokalee supply much of the nation's
tomatoes. Vast natural forests, wetlands and prairies
include the largest old growth bald cypress
forest on the continent; yet just minutes away,
the Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee
vibrates 24/7 with high-stakes gaming
and high-energy entertainment.
D I S C OV E R
Immokalee
MAY WE SUGGEST
BY DAY: Ramble along the
boardwalk at Audubon's Corkscrew
Swamp Sanctuary; visit the Pioneer
Museum at Roberts Ranch; take
an exhilarating airboat ride through
alligator habitats on Lake Trafford.
BY NIGHT: Rock the casino vibe. Stay the
night at the Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee.
