Ft. Myers - Naples, FL Trip

Day one was a flight in from MB to Ft. Myers with a 30-min drive to Uncle Gerry/Ellen's place in Naples.

JP with statue of Thomas Edison in front of massive Banyan Tree

I had a CME in Infectious Dz from Fri-Sunday each morning from 8-12:00.  Each day I would break and go out with Uncle Gerry and Ellen.  The first day we did dinner at Gers.  The next afternoon we "took Uncle Gerry's famous tour of Naples" which entailed driving about downtown Naples to people watch, a trip to the beach and boardwalk and pier.  We also checked out some local cribs.  Yes, we unabasidly went to a few open houses to look at $6M+ houses (but hey the houses were free, you just had to pay for the lot).

 Crazy expensive McMansion, on the water in Naples, FL.. this monstrosity 7200 sqft.  With a dock that you can berth the QEII and a master suite for each bedroom, built in 1991 with lots of updates.  Asking price in neighborhood of $6.5 M. (million that is), yeah in today's economy.  The 2nd one was much more demure but was listed for $7,300,000.

$6,490,000 3330 GIN LN Active | 211504198

PS:  Sharon had a stalker the whole time we were at the open house... he he he.. ask for details.

Rounding things up we diverted to the "place of the monkeys"... but alas, as on previous trips there was only thick vegetation and no evidence of any squirrel monkeys, but maybe we did indeed hear them.  Maybe???  After attempting to gain access and a table at the "Blue Martini" http://www.bluemartinilounge.com/event/12/naples.html we ducked the noise and crowd for a "JP" special 15-minute spaghetti dinner.  

Calabash Tree with unusual green fruit

Calabash exotic tree on of many on the grounds

 Thomas A. Edison's Winter Home in Ft. Myers

 Henry Ford's place next door....

Sharon in front of massive exotic fig tree

The following night Ellen was cooking in at her place.  A pork-chop and potato casserole.  That followed an afternoon at the Edison & Ford Winter Homes museum and gardens in Ft. Myers.  Was an awesome educational and horticultural experience (my two favorite trees were the silk-cotton tree and the calabash tree with its unusual fruit).  http://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/  for more info.

 see why we skipped the BlueMartini (meat market)