Life In Bonita Springs

Garden of Hope & Courage Naples NCH | 176/365 Things to Do

I’ve spent a fair amount of time over the past few years visiting downtown Naples Community Hospital but only recently visited a little pond and garden area at the NW corner of 8^th St N and 2cd Ave N named The Garden of Hope And Courage. It is actually a little bigger than I at first realized, and there’s even a little play area for kids tucked back in the corner.

Apparently, during construction at the hospital back in the 1980s, they encountered an artesian spring and rather than fill it in they decided to make a nice little garden and pond area.  It is dedicated to Dellora and Lester Norris, whose idea it was to create the sanctuary.

The park has a concrete and boardwalk path around the lake, with benches along the path and in little quiet spots tucked away along the path. I noticed several trash cans but no drinking water. There are a couple of emergency buzzers on posts at a couple of locations along the path.

I think the biggest surprise to me was finding a little children’s play area with several tyke-sized picnic tables and benches for bigger sized folks. The paths around that area are made of some kind of compacted mulch which is pleasantly springy to walk on. There is a small stage set up with a couple of percussion instruments, one made of wood slats of various lengths, and the other of metal tubes. So, of course I played with those for about five minutes a piece.

There is a gazebo, a sandbox and a wishing well in the play area, as well as one of several water fountain features found around the lake.

There are several entrances to the park, it is surrounded by parking areas for the hospital. I don’t know what the hours are but there were lights all around the walking path. I don’t believe it is pet-friendly, I did not see any bag-dispensers like you would expect if it were. As far as I am aware, it is free of charge.

If you find yourself spending time visiting someone at the hospital and need a relief or a way to stretch your legs you can take a walk in the park.  You can read more about the Garden of Hope and Courage Park and its mission at their website www.gardenofhopeandcourage.org

The Garden of Hope and Courage is located at 332 8th St N, Naples, FL 34102

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About the author - John Farren is a resident of Naples, Florida and an avid kayaker.

Read also: Francis J. Farren Redevelopment Area 92/365 Things to Do

McGregor Palms Fort Myers Florida | 175/365 Things to Do

The Ford and Edison Estates are on McGregor Blvd. in Fort Myers, Florida ... the City of Palms. The estates are on two of the most picturesque real estate parcels in the area overlooking the Caloosahatchee River.  Purchased and built when gulf access was more for commerce than recreation. 

Did you know that Thomas Edison was the financial push behind the royal palm row on McGregor Blvd. in Fort Myers?  He financed the trees a few times as the first shipment of trees from Cuba died when there was a yellow fever outbreak that delayed delivery. Then there were trees finally planted on McGregor and after caring for them for two years Edison turned them over to the city then many of them died. Finally, he purchased and installed hundreds more and, under the direction of a newly formed parks commission, they were kept alive and flourished.

The tree lined boulevard really does set the area apart from any other.  It’s regal and distinguished and the real estate in the area is not only prestigious but it offers some of the finest riverfront property in the area with deep water access. 

If you’re looking for interesting things to do a drive down McGregor Blvd. is not only scenic but historic.  There are great restaurants in Downtown Fort Myers and you can even stop at Centennial Park for a nice walk.

Third Thursday on Third Naples Florida | 174/365 Things to Do

If you’re looking for fun things to do, especially in the summer, don’t forget about Third Thursday on Third!  There’s a lot of action going on in Downtown Naples and it’s not all on 5th Avenue.  Third Street South offers a variety of restaurants and boutique shops. It’s a great place to people watch and to network at organized events such as Third Thursday on Third.  This is also where the tree lighting and “snow on Third” occurs around Christmas time.

You can keep pace with current events on Third by following their Facebook Page, here: www.facebook.com/thirdstreetsouth

For more information about Third Street visit: Third Street South

The Bonita Springs Rec Center | 173/365 Things to Do

Did you know that the City of Bonita Springs has a Recreation Center? The Bonita Springs Rec Center is located off West Terry Street on Pine Ave. There is something for everyone at the Rec Center.

Amenities and features of the Bonita Springs Rec Center include fitness center, community pool, baseball fields, disc golf course, tennis courts and a playground. Membership is required for to use the Fitness Room, Locker Room/Showers and for Community Pool Activities. Memberships and daily rates are really affordable for an individual annual pass for a property owner the cost is $55.00 and for a non-property owner it is $70.00. A one time day pass is $5.00. It’s rather inexpensive if you’re looking for things to do without breaking your budget. 

I grabbed the summer class schedule for June 2019-September 2019

Stretch & Tone

Monday,Wednesday, Friday 8:00am-9:00am

Mah-Jong

Wednesday 1:00pm-3:00pm

Table Tennis

Wednesday 5:00-7:00 pm

Saturday 2:00pm-4:00pm

Pickleball

Monday 5:00pm-7:00pm

Saturday 11:00am-2:00pm

Non members can join classes for a fee. 

Read also, Swim at Bonita Springs Community Pool | 158/365 Things to Do

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About the Author - Jenna Hatfield is a life-long resident of Bonita Springs, Florida and mother of two boys.

Bonita Springs Community Pool

Centennial Park Fort Myers Art in Public Places| 172/365 Things to Do

Just off the banks of the Caloosahatchee River is Centennial Park.  Centennial Park is a beautiful green space located in the River District of Downtown Fort Myers.  The park itself offers beautiful views of the passing boats, marina and has walking paths along the river. Most interestingly there is art on display at the entrance to the park. 

Parking is ample and there is a parking garage not far away.  If you go you might want to consider going on the evening of an Art Walk Fort Myers when they close down the city streets for socialization and artists. If you are looking for fun things to do with kids, these are kid friendly locations as there is a playground nearby, also.  Several restaurants are in the area so you can easily grab an inexpensive slice of pizza or have a full sit down meal on the water.

Read also, Art Walk Fort Myers River District | 157/365 Things to Do

Join the Pickleball Academy Naples | 171/365 Things to Do

One of the fastest growing sports in the area is pickleball. It’s all the rage, second to tennis.  Pickleball courts are being installed in nearly every community and many of the community tennis courts are being retrofitted to play pickleball. 

If you’re new to the area and haven’t found places to play pickleball you can sign up at a few places including the Bonita Springs YMCA and you can join the Pickleball Academy at Veterans Park in Naples Florida. 

If you’re not a member of the Bonita Springs Estero Community Forum, you can join and also ask to find pickleball players or new locations to pick up a game.  Many golfers find golf partners in the group, as well.

If you’re looking specifically for real estate in pickleball communities, read also: Pickleball communities in Bonita Springs

Fondue at The Melting Pot Fort Myers | 170/365 Things to Do

If you’re looking for an out of the ordinary dining experience consider The Melting Pot in Fort Myers, Florida.  The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant where you can experience different cooking styles with many different entrees, salads and desserts. The Melting Pot Fondue Restaurant is perfect for a romantic date, girls’ night out or celebration of any kind. It is a dining experience so it takes longer than just your average dinner since you cook the food at your table.

You are seated at a table with a cook top burner in the middle of the table. You start with a cheesy appetizer but keep in mind everyone at the table has to agree on the choice since there is only one burner. The cheese comes with breads,vegetables and apples. After the cheese you can choose to have a salad or you can skip it. My group chose to skip it as we felt like it was too much food.

The main course - You must decide a cooking style again everyone has to pick the same style to cook your food on; for example our table chose cast iron grill to cook our entrees on. Your server will give you instructions on how long to cook the meats or fish, when to flip and how not to cross contaminate with raw meat and utensils.

My group had a variety of steak,chicken and shrimp. I ordered the vegetarian option which included meatless meatballs,tofu, asparagus and mushrooms. The Melting pot server also gives you probably 6-8 different types of dipping sauces for your meal.

After you have had your entrees your table again needs to agree upon what type of chocolate you NEED for dessert options included dark chocolate, original milk chocolate, smores, oreo and a vanilla swirl mix. We chose the smores chocolate which was brought with fruits,cakes,brownies, rice krispies, and waffles to dip into our chocolate fondue. We also closed the night out with specialty martinis which was the Yin-Yang martini that tastes like vanilla ice cream yum!

Overall the experience was one of a kind and a great girls night out!

The Melting Pot Fort Myers is located at 13251 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, Florida 33919

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About the Author - Jenna Hatfield is a life-long resident of Bonita Springs, Florida and mother of two boys.

Mushroom Hunt at Cullum’s Bonita Trail | 169/365 Things to Do

It may sound silly to look for mushrooms but if you have children and you struggle with getting them outside and their faces out of electronic devices this is a great exercise with minimal time commitment. 

First, Cullum’s Bonita Trail is not a huge time commitment so you can keep the kids focused and organized.  Second, after our summer rains mushrooms come out.  I learned this after being voluntold that I was entered in the Bonita Springs Film Festival. I used to take a lot of photos and tiny things were my favorite so I made a silly movie about mushrooms at Cullum’s Trail. There are literally dozens and dozens of tiny mushrooms growing all over the forest and on the bark of trees. 

You can easily create a contest about who can find the most or different types of mushrooms while on the walk. It gets everyone out of the house and it gets kids in nature.  Of course, you shouldn’t pick the mushrooms, just take pictures and tally how many you found.  You will also be amazed at how many other types of animals and bugs you might find, too.

To learn more, read also: Cullum’s Bonita Trail and you can see the ridiculous mushroom movie, here.

Calusa Ghost Tours Kayak Rental |168/365 Things to Do

One of the prettiest places to paddle a kayak is the upper Imperial River. The river is cool, shaded and there are cypress trees older than you and me put together.  Paddling the river is easy, even upstream.  You can rent kayaks in a variety of places around Bonita Springs but to paddle the upper river you should rent from the downtown Bonita Springs vendor, Calusa Ghost Tours.

Not only does CGT rent paddle craft but they also sell it. So if you’re looking to get outfitted and you’d like expert advise you should stop by their store which is on Old 41 by Bensons Grocery Store. CGT also organized river clean ups and special event paddles like full moon paddles at night and they also organize races.  They can also tell you where they’ve seen the manatees last and point you in the right direction so you can observe them in person.  You can learn more about CGT here: Calusa Ghost Tours

While you’re in downtown Bonita Springs don’t forget to visit Heaven’s Shakes Ice Cream!

Read also, Canoeing the Imperial River

Fiddler Crabs Estero Bay |167/365 Things to Do with Kids

There’s nothing terribly exciting to the locals about seeing fiddler crabs but if you’ve come from outside of the area and you’re visiting Bonita Springs or Estero you may not know that we do have different critters in this area.  The fiddler crabs are near the water on Estero Bay, Estero Bay State Preserve and Lover’s Key by Dog Beach.  

If you’re looking for interesting and basically free things to do with kids this would be a cute idea. You can even pick up a few sand tools and nets at the dollar store and scoop for things in Estero Bay or on the gulf while you’re down there.  The crabs won’t hurt the kids. They’re basically too fast to be caught so you can walk around or just sit down and wait for them to pop out of their dens.

If you do scoop in the bay there are a variety of shellfish and even sea stars in the bay. A local program called Estero Bay Buddies may also have organized activities for kids so check their website before you arrive.