Okay, I promise this is the last post about Florida. Unless you want more, because trust me, I’ve got more.

I think it’s safe to say that we visited the Naples Pier every (full) day we were in Naples. We love the ocean, and while we are adventurous at times –trying new restaurants out, attempting to blend in with the rich and retired, boating, and exploring the Everglades– we also like to calm walks on the beach, putting our feet in the sand, searching for pretty shells, people watching, and enjoying the views.

The first day it was fairly foggy on the coast, despite the sunshine inland. And the second day, it was raining when we went. This didn’t stop the old fisherman of course, so there was still quite a bit of action on the pier both of those days. By the third day, the sun had returned and we witnessed a gorgeous sunset, along with a ton of other people. I suppose watching the sun set on a beach in Naples isn’t such a unique idea on the Saturday before Valentine’s Day. Go figure!

So here’s a collage of some of my Naples Pier photos. It was probably my favorite spot to visit. At least in the top 3, and likely battling it out in the top two with 5th Ave Coffee Co. You can see in the first photo that the pier was yet another place we spotted dolphins. And that’s a baby hammerhead shark that fisherman caught.

PS. I realize that I never posted a single photo of me on this trip. I promise I was there, and there are photos to prove it, but let’s just say, the sexy beach hair most people covet, doesn’t exactly work for me. So there will be no photos of me with crazy, wild beach hair permitted on my blog.

Like I said before, our Florida vacation was a good mix of pretending we were rich and famous on 5th avenue and exploring the real Florida. You can only admire expensive home decor and clothing shops from the sidewalk for so long. So we headed to the Everglades to get a taste of wildlife. We’ve actually been to the Everglades before, and even camped! But that was on the southside. This time we figured we’d stick semi-close to Naples, you know, so we could get back to the awesome Naples Pier in time for a breath-taking sunset!

Everglades City is a small town near the Gulf Shore Visitor Center entrance to the Everglades. We had wanted to go kayaking, but the wind was strong due to a cold front which had passed through the day before, and the clouds hadn’t quite left yet either. Therefore, it was chilly. Instead, we settled for a boat tour, which ended up being pretty fun, despite still being very cold. Amusing crew and lots to see. Including dolphins! We only saw one at a time, as they would ride the current of the boat. It was adorable. I love dolphins, almost as much as I love pelicans.

After our boat tour, we did some hiking on short trails that jut out from Tamiami Trail – a road which connects Tampa and Miami through the Everglades. For lunch, we decided we’d be completely nuts if we skipped out on Joanie’s Blue Crab Cafe. We were sort of right. It was definitely an experience. From the interesting way of running the joint to the odd family of motorcyclists that had stopped for a beer. They kept us entertained while waiting for our food. The food wasn’t horrible, but if you do happen to stop at Joanie’s Blue Crab Cafe and order the famous Blue Crab as a meal, first find out how to eat one. We barely got any crab meat out of ours and it likely is because we are Minnesotans without a clue. Oh well, it was still an experience to try out Alligator nuggets!

Ok, I promise only ONE more Florida post. I think.

I’m giving you fair warning up front. This post contains far too many pictures of pelicans. You can probably ask just about any of my family members and they’ll agree that I have always had a special place in my heart for pelicans. From the time I was 2 years old driving with my parents in Florida calling out ‘bird!’ everytime we passed one.

I remember visiting the St. Pete Pier as a kid and being in awe of the number of pelicans that hung out there. And they’d allow you to get so close. And of course, watching them not so gracefully plop in the water to catch a fishy lunch, has always been a fun seen while walking the beach.

They are all over Florida, and now that I’m not a star-struck little kid, I can see how they could be quite a nuisance to local boaters and fisherman. But I still adore them. Something about them is just so cool to me, compared to other ocean birds. They especially like to wait for fisherman to return to the docks and wait for scraps of newly caught fish, which is what we got to witness as we waited to board the Naples Princess our second day of vacation. They swarmed the docks once they all realized it was free fish time.

Our trip to Naples was sort of a mix of a lot of different things. From fancy 5th Avenue and the busy Naples Pier to the Everglades.

This post shows a little bit of 5th Avenue, the heart of Naples. We parked here the first morning and got coffee before walking on to the beach (the first thing you must always do when visiting Florida – go to the beach). It’s surrounded by the beautiful houses I showed previously, and like I said before, lined with fancy shops and restaurants. We ate at McCabe’s Irish Pub and Grill for lunch that first day, and Cafe Luna one night, but most of the restaurants were out of our price range (we chose Cafe Luna bc of their 2 Dinners + 1 Bottle of Wine for $30 deal and, let’s just say, it tasted like it cost that much too). Sidenote: Later we found 3rd Street, which is another street lined with upscale restaurants, and were even more out of our price range, but looked amazing.

The second day started out rainy, so we hung out at 5th Avenue Coffee Co. and people watched while having breakfast under an umbrella on the patio. If I were rich, I think I’d do that just about everyday of my life. Just meet up with friends and have coffee and breakfast on 5th Ave in Naples. Peaceful, delicious, relaxing. Everything a morning should be. At least when you are on vacation. Or retired. I not so secretly wish I lived in a place where flowers bloom along the sidewalks in February.

I do, I do!

When we decided on Naples for our vacation destination in Florida, it was mostly due to it’s southern location. As meteorologists, and past vacationers to Florida, we knew that even in the Sunshine State, they could have “cold” days as well. So we wanted to go somewhere we could garentee at least some warmth. We had also visited Naples for just a night a couple of years ago on our way to the Everglades, but barely even got a taste of the city since we departed right away in the morning. But we liked what we had seen of the area and decided we needed to come back someday. So Naples it was.

Our first day, we headed down to 5th Street, which has loads of restaurants and shops, and of course, palm trees and chirping birds, and is surrounded by beautiful houses. I knew Naples was a rich city, but I guess it didn’t occur to me all the amazing houses we’d pass by while exploring. The photos below are just a few of my favorites. Some taken while walking to the beach, some taken while on a boat. And all belonging to people rich enough to own million dollar homes.