Getaway to Naples, Florida

In this one-day getaway to Naples, Florida, we passed through the Everglades, and along the way, we discovered five places of interest that made the trip more enjoyable and that I want to share with you.

As restrictions are lifted traveling starts to resume. So, to get out of Miami for at least a short time, we went to Naples on the west coast of Florida, along with some friends.

We got an up-close look at various local wildlife that I’ll show you, along with three strolls you can’t miss in Naples, and I also suggest the quickest route back to Miami.

Two Different Roads

From the area where I live in Miami, it’s about a 2-hour drive by car. There are two ways to get to Naples, the faster way, which is also a bit boring, and the slower one. But this one has a lot more to see and discover.  

The slower road, that is the most entertaining, is US Route 41 (the US means United States). In other words, National Route 41, also known as Tamiami Trail.

From Bayside Marketplace in Downtown Miami to the Shopping area on 5th Avenue in Downtown Naples, is about 111 miles (179 km). US-41 is a toll-free road.

The faster road, which is quite boring, is I-75 (the letter I, which is not an L but an “i”, comes from Interstate) that is Interstate-75. Also, from Bayside Marketplace in Downtown Miami to the Shopping area on 5th Avenue in Downtown Naples, the journey is 123 miles (198 km) and it’s also a toll-free road.

If you’re looking for a walking tour through Downtown Miami and the Brickell area, click on this link.

As you can see, in terms of miles or kilometers, the latter is longer but it is the fastest since it is a highway and the other is a regular two-way route.

In conclusion, we took the longer and most entertaining way to go in our Getaway to Naples through the Everglades National Park, and the fastest and most boring route, to get back home. Here are the details.

10 Tips to Drive Safely in Miami

The Most Entertaining Road

When I refer to the longest way, I mean US-41. Which, when passing through Miami, is also known as the famous Calle Ocho. Yes, the same SW 8 Street that runs through Little Havana. To clarify, US-41, Tamiami Trail, and SW 8 Street are the same street, or route, depending on the section.

To avoid the traffic lights and tedious city traffic, we headed west on the Dolphin Expressway, also known as the 826 that leads to the airport. Beware, as this segment on 826 is a toll road. We passed by Miami International Airport and drove to the end that merges onto SW 8 Street.

Last Stop before Leaving Miami

We continue on the Tamiami Trail heading west, but first, we stopped at the last Dunkin Donuts in town before heading into the Everglades. After we got our breakfast, we continued our journey.

The map on the right shows other places where you can buy something to eat and take with. If you don’t get your food in this area, it will be quite a long stretch for you to find another restaurant.

Let’s start our Getaway to Naples, Florida through the Everglades!

The name Tamiami comes from the union of the two city names, Tampa and Miami since this was the only way to travel between both cities in its beginnings.

The ValueJet Flight 592 Memorial

Our first stop was the ValueJet Flight 592 Memorial, which fell into the Everglades swamps on May 11, 1996, just minutes after taking off from the Miami airport.

The monument, inaugurated three years after the tragic accident, was designed by the students of the American Institute of Architecture. They, along with the masons and builders who built it, did so by donating their time.

The memorial consists of 110 concrete pillars representing the 110 victims, and a tombstone with their names, on a base in the shape of a triangular arrow pointing towards the accident site, about 12 miles (19 km) north-northeast.

Notable passengers who died in the accident were:

• Composer and musician, Walter Hyatt 
• The football player, Rodney Culver.

It is a very simple monument which I wanted to visit a long while ago. However, if you don’t plan to stop, it’s easy to miss because it’s not something you can notice from far, even though it’s almost by the side of the road. 

Below I leave you the location and some photos in case you are interested in visiting.

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When you hear about the Everglades, it’s the Everglades National Park, which is a very vast swampy area in South Florida with unique vegetation and fauna in the world. This park, in turn, is divided into several conservation areas, such as the Big Cypress Preserve.

The Eveglades National Park is a UNESCO natural site in the list of World Heritage in Danger.

The park is also in the list of more than 100 things you can do in Miami which you can get here.

Miccosukee Indian Village

After our first stop, we continued our journey, and in less than 10 minutes, we arrived at the Miccosukee Indian Village, which is an attraction where you can spend a lot of time.

The Village has a museum that offers a glimpse into their history and culture. You will see how they made traditional clothes and handicrafts. There are also alligator wrestling demonstrations and a small cafeteria.

From here, you can also take an airboat ride, which are flat-bottomed boats to navigate through the swamps. At the gift shop, you will be able to purchase unique souvenirs.

Due to the pandemic, at the time of publishing this post, only the gift and handicraft business is open to the public. Nonetheless, I still suggest you visit this place because there’s a lot to discover.

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An Art Gallery in the Middle of the Swamps?

After a 20 minute into our Getaway to Naples, we reached an art gallery in the middle of the Everglades! The gallery’s name is Clyde Butcher Big Cypress Gallery. There’s a nice lagoon in the front yard where you might see alligators and snakes, but be very careful because they are real. In other words, you are not in a Disney park where everything is made of plastic.

On the other hand, all these wild animals are protected as part of a national park. So, no touching, no feeding, no hurting them either. Remember, someone could be watching or taking a video, and you might have to face legal consequences.

Inside, the gallery displays different expressions of photography, art, and paintings. Guided tours around the area, can also be arranged with the clerk.

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Big Cypress Visitor Center

We continued on our way, and in less than 5 minutes, we arrived at the Big Cypress Oasis Visitor Center. No doubt, this is the best place to see Florida alligators live, and for free! Along with other animals from the area, such as turtles, ducks, herons, and squirrels, to name a few.

The building, constructed in 1960, was originally a private airport. Very eye-catching from the road, indeed, because of the passenger plane mounted on its roof. Later, it became a gas station until 1980 when the National Park Service bought the building for the Visitor Center.

Inside, park rangers are ready to give you free information. There’s even an auditorium where you can see an informative video of the area.

This stop is good to refill water bottles and visit the restrooms, as well.

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Hike through the Swamps

Well, not exactly. I tell you what.

After taking some pictures, we resumed heading west. After another 10- minute ride, we arrived at Kirby Storter Roadside Park.

This park has an elevated boardwalk trail about 1 mile long roundtrip (1.6 km). Consequently, you will be hiking through the swamps watching some animals of the area in their habitat.

You should know that, apart from alligators, crocodiles, turtles, deer, herons, birds of various types, and snakes, if you’re lucky, you might spot a Florida panther or bear. Although, most of the time is not feasible since they escape to the presence of human beings. But, you never know!

After walking to the end of the trail and back, which took us about half an hour, we continue our Getaway to Naples, through the Everglades.

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Alligator or Crocodile?

Although on the outside, they look very similar, alligators and crocodiles are different animals. Florida is the only place where both can be found in the same wild environment.

Here are some of the most notable differences between the two:

     

      Alligator

• Snout more rounded in the shape of a U
• With the mouth closed, you can see the upper teeth
• They live in freshwater
• They are very dark gray, almost black

Crocodiles

• Sharper V-shaped snout
• With the mouth closed, you can see the upper and lower teeth
• They live in fresh and saltwater
• They are of a lighter color, between gray and brown

Although the crocodile is more aggressive and can attack without being disturbed, both are dangerous.

The Smallest Post Office in the US

As the last stop before reaching our destination, I wanted to stop by the smallest post office in the United States. The clerk of the tiny office greeted us very kindly and gladly answered our questions. We were even able to take a picture with him, which you’ll see below.

Formerly the building was an irrigation shed belonging to a tomato farm, when a terrible fire in 1953 burned out the general store and the post office sitting in the area.

Postmaster Sidney Brown converted the shed into the current post office, which also served as a ticket station for the Trailways bus servicing residents in three counties, including the Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes.

Nowadays, tourists and stamp collectors from around the world come to get the famous Ochopee postmark and pose for a few pictures.

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Almost There!

The 40 minutes remaining on the road, we spent chatting and looking out the window at the canal along the route, where we saw more alligators, birds of prey eating the remains of a dead animal, and turtles crossing the road.

NAPLES, FLORIDA

Naples is a beautiful and charming city on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. It has a population of about 322,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area, according to the 2019 census.

Some of the friends going with us had never been to Naples before, and because we only had a few hours since we were returning to Miami the same day, I decided to make the most out of this Getaway to Naples and show them the most important and picturesque places.

Did you know . . .

The name of Naples comes from the italian city of Napoli (Naples in English)?

Reportedly, when its founders, John S. Williams and Walter N. Haldeman from the state of Kentucky visited the area, the climate, the beauty of its beaches, and the bay they discovered made them compare it with the Italian peninsula. Eventually, the name Naples became popular when developers selling their land attracted buyers by describing the bay as “surpassing the Bay of Naples in Italy.” Arguably or not, this is where this city got its name.

Downtown Naples

After traveling several miles entering the city, which grows more and more over the years, we arrived at the city center, or downtown, where the main commertial district is, 5th Avenue.

It is very easy to find 5th Avenue because Route 41, which is the road we traveled on all this time from Miami, becomes 5th Avenue when entering the city.

Continue driving until you will see a sign indicating to make a 90-degree right turn to continue on the US-41 toward Ft. Myers. But because you want to go to downtown Naples, you just need to carry on straight, as indicated by the signs.

We quickly looked for a parking space, which by the way to my surprise, is still free in that area. Afterwards, we set out to walk the busy blocks full of shops, restaurants, and art galleries. If we were to walk three more blocks to the west, leaving the commercial area behind, we would have reach the beach, but we wanted to do that later.

Since it was around 3 pm, we walked back to the busy area looking for a restaurant to have a late lunch, or an early dinner, however you want to call it.

After a great meal, we left the restaurant and took them to the Naples Pier for a stroll. We could have walked from where we were, but I drove them down Gulf Shore Blvd so they could admire the beautiful properties. We reached 11th Avenue, parked, and walked along the beach the two remaining blocks to get to the pier.

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Naples Pier

We walked on the sand and then, all the way to the end of the wooden pier, passing by other tourists, fishermen, and hungry pelicans, trying to steal someone’s catch.

From that point, you can watch spectacular sunsets or lose yourself in the immensity of the sea.

We returned to the car walking down the street, delighting in the neighborhood and the beautiful gardens.

Very important fact:

Here, I do recommend that you pay for parking even if you intend to stay for just a few minutes.

We didn’t because the weather turned chilly, there was no one on the beach, and we thought it would only take a few minutes to walk to the pier and be back.

In short, upon getting back to the car, we were sadly surprised with a $ 77 fine.

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What is Tin City?

We got going after that bitter incident, and we went to Tin City.

Tin City is a very particular shopping center that resembles a fishing village with tin roof sheds, hence the name.

Besides the gifts, soaps, t-shirts and many other souvenir and crafts shops, this shopping center is another great place to eat because of the many options.

Although most of them are fish and seafood restaurants, many include traditional items like hamburgers and pasta on their menus.

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Time to Head Back Home

It was already starting to get dark when we decided to return home and start ending this exciting Getaway to Naples.

For that reason, I decided to take the faster route, and I mean I-75 highway, to head back to Miami.

I recommend you make sure your gas tank is full since once you are on the highway, it will be a long stretch to find a gas station.

Respecting the maximum speed signs is also recommended since surveillance and fines are rigorous on this road.

The way back was about two hours, more or less.

Conclusion

Thank God we got home safe and sound and for a One Day Getaway out of Miami, I can say it was fantastic. I highly recommend doing it.

Just remember to leave Miami early to make the most of your daylight. If it is possible for you to stay at least one night, much better.

Naples has so much more to see. Therefore I promise to go back and visit other places so I can share that with you.

If you have read this far, I thank you for that. In addition, I hope you have enjoyed this Getaway to Naples, Florida, through the Everglades. Until my next post!

Have you been to Naples before? What do you think about it?

Do you have any experience or advice to share?

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