Life In Bonita Springs

Riverside Park and Depot Park Things to Do

At this time (Jan 2016) the downtown Bonita Springs area is in full redevelopment mode and a bit of a mess so it’s not as easy to find parking and access to the park system.  I’d like to recommend you drive to the Depot Park parking lot on Pennsylvania Avenue.  The entrance is right across the street from the Lion’s Club.

Many locals and vacationers visit Riverside Park for festivals or just to walk around however they do not realize that if they were to cross the railroad tracks to the Depot Park section and walk north to Island Park.  The Imperial River splits the two parks and there is a beautiful red footpath bridge that connects the two.  Enormous grandfather oak trees frame the walking paths.  There is even a floating dock in the water.

It’s a great place to walk and it is even pet friendly so you will frequently see a variety of locals who meet up on a regular basis to socialize their dogs.

Looking forward there will be easy access to the park once the redevelopment is complete.  The park is a hub for festivals and activity now and going forward new life will be brought to the downtown area as the infrastructure is completed and new development begins. To learn more about the downtown changes, read also: Downtown Redevelopment in Bonita Springs

Coot Lakefront Homes at Edenbridge

Aren't they coot? These coots were swimming on the lake that lies between Outback Steakhouse and Carabbas and the community of Edenbridge in Bonita Springs, Florida.   I was driving from The Fresh Market to West Terry Street and saw them. I thought I’d pull over and take their picture.  As usual, there were a couple of herons and egrets fishing on the shore, too.  Coots are one of my favorite Florida ducks because they have a cartoon quality to their look.  They’re tiny, black and sporting bright beaks.

Meanwhile on Hickory Island Bonita Beach …

Well, it looks like there was no winner drawn in the $950M power ball last night. I was really hoping that it was going to you be you. I was expecting a call so that I could set you up with the house with this view. It’s right on Hickory Blvd in Bonita Springs there is one that you should probably look at in Barefoot Beach, too. Sure, there are plenty of homes for sale in Naples but you get more for your money in Bonita Springs. Just because you’re filthy stinking rich doesn’t mean you should be foolish with your wealth, right?

Bonita Springs Tomato Packing Plants?

Most Americans do not get to see the tomato before it gets to the grocery store. They don’t know what a tomato plant looks like or that a tomato is picked green in the commercial  farming process.  A few weeks ago I spoke of Bonita Springs being the tomato capital of the world, back in the day.  It was not uncommon to see Gargiulo trucks hauling loads of tomatoes all over town.

These days the trucks make the trip from fields in Immokalee and Naples to the Bonita Beach Road exit on i-75.  If you get to this intersection and pay close attention to the green balls on the edge of the street you’ll quickly realize that all of the tomatoes do not make the turn successfully.  The trucks turn on Old 41 Road and head south to the Gargiulo processing plant by the Rail Head industrial park.  The green tomatoes are treated to ripen somewhere in the process. 

Now you know when you see a truck like this, what is on board – unfried green tomatoes.

The Ochopee Post Office on US 41

If you’re looking for something to do while you’re in the Bonita Springs area that doesn’t involve the beach or golfing consider a day trip to cross Florida on US 41. Besides being a lovely, scenic way to see the “river of grass” there are a few great places to pull over such as the historic Ochopee Post Office. It’s as big as a minute.  Notice the blue postal box behind the building to scale the size for you. 

While you’re out in Big Cypress consider stopping into Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery, too.  My last trip across 41 included a tour down Krome Avenue in Homestead.  Besides a variety of exotic fruit farms (like dragon fruit) there are all sorts of bromeliad and orchid growers.  For the orchid lovers, you can literally walk into greenhouses jam packed with thousands of orchids.  Some of the orchids are common but there are varieties that are so distinct and unusual that you just won’t see them in a common store.  It’s certainly worth the drive to see at least once.  If you’re an orchid lover you’ll give up a day, easily.

There are few orchid sales centers on the west coast of Florida, including East Fork Orchid in Bonita Springs, Florida but nothing matches Krome Ave. in Homestead!

From the Canal Front in Bonita Springs

A friend of mine took this picture for me a few weeks ago.  Recently, I purchased my own new home on the water, (new to me, anyway.  It’s  in Bonita Springs in the Bonita Farms area where homes are on canals.  From the left, person number 1 and person number 3 were getting a primer on canal and water safety.    1.) What to do if you’re near the water’s edge and 2.) what to do if you fall in the water at Grandma’s house.

You can never be to safe where water and kids are concerned in southwest Florida. There are pools, canals, lakes, ponds, rivers everywhere so you always want to make sure that kids are aware and don’t panic if they do fall in.  Both littles where told what to do, where to go to get out of the canal and not to panic. It doesn’t mean that any of the grown ups in this picture would not panic just at the sheer temperature of the water touching our flesh.

At any rate, we are all less afraid of the water and, more importantly, have a plan of what to do even if we do fall in.  First and foremost, standup … the water isn’t deep and odds are you’re in 2-4 foot of water depending upon the tide. Like most homes in Bonita Farms, Brendan Cove, Paradise Village, Plan of Riverside and Heitmans  with gulf access in Bonita Springs, there isn’t a lot of draft for huge boats.  The popular vessels in the area are fishing boats, pontoon boats, etc.  Outboard engines are easier and preferred to use due to tide fluctuations.

Gourmet Bakery at Deromo’s Bonita Springs

The "other" kind of lobster tails in Bonita Springs, Florida. #swfl #lifeinbonitasprings

I found this photo in my phone today ... you can almost smell the sugar, can't you? First and foremost, Deromo’s is off the hook in every department, not just the bakery department.  There are sections for everything – there’s a cheese section, meat section, deli section, pasta section, even an olive section but most importantly a bakery section.    You really have to go in and just take a walking tour for yourself.

The reason I share the bakery section with you isn’t even so much for the wonderful pastry, cookies and cakes but  to share a sneaky way to get a fast, tasty breakfast during tourist season in Bonita Springs, Florida. The bakery area also serves bagels with schmear, coffee and a few grab-and-go sandwiches.  It’s literally one of the easiest and fastest places to get a quick, delicious bite to eat instead of the traditional 30-60 minute wait for a table at a breakfast joint.

Deromo’s is located at The Promenade shopping center which is near the main entrance to Bonita Bay.  It’s within biking distance of Highland Woods, Brendan Cove and Bonita Farms, too.

Golf in Bonita Springs Florida

It was about thirty years ago that I moved to Bonita Springs, Florida.  At that time, Bonita Springs was the tomato capital of the world.  These days, I’m hard pressed to find a decent tasting tomato in this village because all of the tomato fields have been converted to golf courses.  The population of Bonita Springs also exploded from about 4,000 to 50,000+ during that time.

Now, instead of farm fresh produce, Bonita Springs offers a variety of Bundled Golf Courses and Equity Golf Courses in the area.  Our public courses are a little thin but you can grab a time at Bonita Fairways, Raptor Bay at Hyatt, Bonita National (subject to change), Stoneybrook Estero and San Carlos Golf Club in S. Fort Myers.  

Happy golfing, folks!

Southwest Florida Kids at Bonita Beach FL

When I was looking for a photo of Bonita Springs to share with you today, I found this photo. There are a few things I want to let you know about living in Bonita Springs and capturing photos and memories while living here on the Gulf of Mexico.

First and foremost, you have to get there to make the memory.  Many of us locals, those who live in Bonita Springs and Estero, forget to go to the beach.  Can you believe it?  I would have never thought it myself but we eventually take it for granted.  I have lived in Bonita Springs for about thirty years and months go by without me seeing the beach, sometimes.

Second, you have to “get the shot”.  While I do carry professional camera equipment sometimes, the best shots are the shots you just simply take the moment to capture.  This Bonita Beach sunset with one of my favorite subjects, my grandson Aiden, was taken with an Android cell phone.  Many of my photos are now taken with a cell phone partly because it is handy .  It’s about the composition and luck, of course.  I do not use or even own photo shop.

Third, send the photos to Walgreens online or one of your other processing stores and get that memory framed.  If you don’t do it it’s going to shrivel on a hard drive or get lost on the internet. 

Enjoy southwest Florida and take lots of pictures.  This photo was taken at Bonita Beach access #10 across the street from Bay Park North and Big Hickory Grille.

Bonita Springs is The Gateway To The Gulf

Bonita Springs is a water sports town. There is more than one way to get there whether it is by car or boat.  Our waterways, including the Imperial River, Oak Creek, Leitner Creek, Spring Creek, all connect to Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. There are tons of water sports in the Bonita Springs and Estero, Florida areas.  The latest pass time is standup paddleboarding.  For those looking for an alternative to the standard kayak or canoe rental, standup paddleboard outfitters often included guided tours of mangrove estuaries and a little history lesson along the way.

Of course many of the homes in southwest Florida, such as homes in Bonita Farms, Brendan Cove, Serrano, Paradise Village, Plan of Riverside, Quail Creek, Heitmans,  Pirates Cove and River Royale, offer gulf access via canals behind each private home.  It’s the sportsman fisherman’s dream.  Pleasure boaters often use floating pontoon or “party boats” to get around and leisurely take in the surroundings.

For those who do not live on a canal there are ample boat ramps located around Bonita Springs which offer public access to the beautiful waterways of Bonita Springs, Florida.