The River District in downtown Fort Myers has an old southern town comfort feel. Kinda like a one…read morecop town with a heavy artsy historic influence. My visit to this area (on First Street) I came here with a buddy and went to the Ford's Garage restaurant which was a perfect addition to the district with it's 1920s theme. This River District is an easy walkable area with corporate businesses, arts & cultural and restaurants.

We love Fort Myers. It is where you go when you want to live a college lifestyle again. Great…read moremusic, friendly people, reasonable parking rates. Constant events especially by the waterfront.

I love discovering public art and thanks to Bruce K. I was pointed to this large, 12 foot high…read moregranite circular piece titled Sun Gate created in 1998. It is located at the entrance to the River District on Main Street. Sun Gate was carved by artist Robert Sindorf who was born in Amsterdam in 1951.His family came to the U.S. when he was five. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in art history and philosophy from Columbia University, where he also obtained a Masters of Architecture in 1977. Sadly he passed away at the young age of 57 in 2008. Sindorf used a circle in almost all of his art work. He preferred to use circles because of their perfect geometry and because they have no beginning or end. Circles represented to him the sun, heaven, and the circle of life. I love the theme of this piece. The sun is also a symbol of Florida which has the nickname Sunshine State. I like how you can make the sculpture interactive by sitting in it or going through it. The granite evokes the feeling of nature. Sun Gate is a great addition to the downtown public art scene.

Twelve feet tall and wide, this large granite sculpture is between the Lee County Community…read moreDevelopment building and the Lee County Justice Center. There is no street parking immediately nearby but if you're here, you've probably already found parking. The art piece is by Robert Sindorf. Virtually all of Sindorf's sculptures incorporate a circle as their primary geometrical shape. "It is perfect geometry and has no beginning or end," Sindorf stated. "It is a peaceful, restful form that transcends time and becomes eternal. It is a symbol of the sun, heaven, perfection and, especially, the cycle of life." Which explains why Sun Gate also Sun Gate Front ViewLgoes by the name "Wheel of Life." Note that you're allowed to climb through the "hole" in the piece and the "back" side of the Fun Gate is finished where the "front" side is not. [Review 13326 overall, 644 of 2020.]

Thirsty? Well you've come to the right place where it will not only leave you feeling hydrated but…read moreyou'll be glowing too! So this is one of those things that the citizens fought to be saved back when the government decided to put the clean water act in and for good reason they did fight as this water is the most delicious sulfur rotten eggs tasting and smelling thing you could ever hope to drink! So I did take a sip and it really is that taste amplified I instantly spit it out it was just sooo bad but in the end I'm glad I tried it because it's not everyday you get to have a sip from The Fountain Of Youth! Overall something that most people would overlook but let's just say it was fun to visit and not so much to drink especially with the spider that came out in my cup! Stay hydrated my friends!

Youth? Radioactivity? If that sounds like something your interested in, definitely gotta stop by!…read moreThis place is very interesting. I always love a random little find during my adventures. As for the actual water it smells like rotten eggs and sulfur. I don't know if those are the keys to youth but give it a try if you're brave enough!

I entered Chips and could not find the Yelp area. Then someone came up and said it's over here. OH…read more I was given a drink coupon, but they had water, so I gave my coupon to one of my table mates. Not knowing what Chips was, I was somewhat taken aback when I saw everyone playing the golf simulator. I was not happy; I wanted to play trivia, and it was possible I needed to understand what this event was about. I have hearing aids, and in this environment, I am almost deaf, so I missed all the explanations about the event, which was playing golf and then playing trivia. The team formed, and we just gathered. We had four players, but one didn't like the table's looks. So, the fearsome threesome gathered. What a fantastic team what one or two people of the three the third knew. I knew we had done well, but as we waited for the standings, our group, Major Sam, was not called. The reason we were not called early is we won. There was a runoff, with the higher number assigned to your answer. One team member knew the answers to all the questions, but nobody came close to Team Major Sam. We received a nice gift certificate, and I, being the gentleman that I am, gave it to someone who would use it.

Thank you to Adela and the Chips team for facilitating this awesome event! Trivia night is an…read moreawesome addition to chips and will continue to bring in more customers. Chips has everything you would want: themed drinks, food, simulators, and now trivia!! The spread chips provided was delicious! I especially loved the tacos!!! Even if the Smartinis didn't get first place in trivia, we still had a blast. I loved how the questions were all different categories which gave no one team an unfair advantage. It ranged from tv to history to science! I can't wait to come again!

The Whispering Giant Calostimucu is an art piece carved from a 20 foot Enterolobium Cyclocarpum…read moretree known as the elephant ear or monkey pod tree. The tree is said to be similar to mahogany. The piece was commissioned in 1974 by Fred Babcock who owned the Holiday Inn. He discovered the tree damaged by lightning on his land in 1973 and he had seen Hungarian artist Peter Wolf Toth's work in Georgia. Toth had experienced repression in his native country and was shuttled among various refuge camps. When he immigrated to Ohio he became interested in Native American culture because he saw a parallel in the way they were treated and what he experienced. Toth traveled the country over 20 years and donated at least one work in each state and two in Canada. His first carving was a stone Native American head in a cliff in La Jolla California in 1972. After that he switched from stone to wood. His last carving was number 58 in May of 1988 in Haleiwa, Hawaii. The collection of large works is called the Trail of Whispering Giants. According to Toth "The statue is not just to honor Native Americans; it's to represent all people who have suffered injustices." The carving took three months to make and it sits in front of the historic A.C. Freeman House. It originally resided in front of the Best Western, previously the Holiday Inn until Hurricane Charley in 2004 damaged much of the hotel. The carving includes the emerging dream of a dying bison on it's back coming out of the top and eagle with a broken wing meant to represent the prejudice and injustice Native people have faced. The sculpture also features the faces of a Native American man and woman. It was Toth's tenth piece and the only one to feature two faces. The artwork was first dedicated in 1974. It was rededicated on January 20, 2006 and a time capsule was buried at the base.

This piece of public art for display is really cool! Directions tell you to pull into the parking…read morelot behind the Italian restaurant and if you can't find it the artwork is on the corner by the road in front of the yellow house behind the restaurant.

Get pizza to go here. Always good. Dinner in the restaurant with friends comfortable and friendly…read more Had the pizza -good thin crust Dining companion had eggplant parm delicious. Previously had the sausage spinach soup. Sooo good

We ordered a pizza and chicken parmesan from Citrolas on a whim and it was quite underwhelming. The…read morechicken cutlet was okay but the pasta was completely flavorless. We ordered a basic pepperoni and sausage pie and it reminded us of gas station pizza, just with better ingredients. Finally the garlic knots or hot but not super fresh. I felt like they were reheated maybe. The food was not disgusting by any means, just not something we would go out of our way to order again.

Discovering public art is a fun and free hobby. On a recent trip to Fort Myers I spotted the…read moreCaloosahatchee Manuscripts, two cylinder shaped bronze public art pieces in front of the Sidney Berne Davis Art Center. The art center is a former federal courthouse and the land it sits on was once a settlement of Creek Indians that pre-dates the army fort from which Fort Myers derived its name. The Caloosahatchee Manuscripts were purchased for the City of Fort Myers by Florida Power and Light in 2001. The work was commissioned to celebrate the 1998 conversion of its power plant on the south bank of the Caloosahatchee River from oil to natural gas. The decision was made because it was better for the environment and it reduced the oil barge traffic on the Caloosahatchee River. Maryland based sculptor Jim Sanborn, known for his light sculptures was selected to create the art piece. The two bronze projection cylinders are 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide. A water jet cutter was used to create the text in them. The cylinder on the east side contains a story told by Native American leader Tchikilli to state of Georgia founder James Oglethorpe. The tale describes how Native Americans came into the lower Southeast part of North America. The west side cylinder has the Latin name of the 1,500 native Florida plants Thomas Edison tested to make a local source of rubber for his friends, car manufacturer Henry Ford and tire manufacturer Harvey Firestone. The manuscripts are interesting by day but if you love photography you will want to visit at night when the spectacular light display comes alive. Pinpoints of light come through the text and spill over the building and sidewalk at night making a light show.

These two tall bronze cylinders are located on the sidewalk in front of the Old Post Office in…read moredowntown Fort Myers. The sculpture was designed by American artist Jim Sanborn. They are bronze with text cut from a water jet cutter, and a pinpoint light source. The eastern drum contains the text of a story told by Maskoki Indian leader Tchikilli to James Oglethorpe about the migration of Native Americans into Florida. The Seminoles, Miccosukee and Creek trace their ancestry to Tchikilli and his people. The western drum contains the Latin names of 500 botanicals that Thomas Edison tested in an effort to develop a local source of latex from which to make rubber in order to help out his friends Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone. The sculptures were given to the City of Fort Myers in 2001 by Florida Power & Light Co. to commemorate the conversion of its power plant on the south bank of the Caloosahatchee River from oil to natural gas. After a call to artists, Maryland sculptor Jim Sanborn was chosen. The commission cost $125,000. [Review 13323 overall, 641 of 2020.]

If you're visiting Pine Island this is one of two places you must visit if you want to explore the…read moreentire island - sitting on the most southern point it's a quaint little village that is laid back and for all accounts there's not much going on here and that's just how the residents like it, since you definitely don't get here by accident. We were out for the day exploring the area so it made no sense not to stop in St. James City, the road onto Pine Island is almost dead center of the island so you take a left to get here or take a right to explore Bokeelia on the opposite end of the island. We enjoyed checking out the bay where the road ends and when I say ends if you ignore the signage you can drive right into the water. It's a beautiful area and seems to be coming back stronger than ever after the most recent hurricanes although there are still a few blue tarps on some of the roofs the recovery is well underway, it's worth the drive to experience this place if only for a short visit...

Sequestered on Pine Island at the southern most point...amongst the fragrant pine trees, thick…read moremangroves and bountiful mango orchards...you'll encounter the small town charm of St. James City. This colorful, sleepy little town rich in history is only 2 miles wide and 17 miles long, but you will find plenty of things to discover and explore. Visitors to the Island will uncover a unique mix of waterfront dining, distinct boutiques & shops, comfortable accommodations and an array of outdoor activities including kayaking tours, nature preserves, fishing charters and airboat excursions. I delved into the Galt Preserve where I conquered the lush walking trails, while enjoying scenic views of the shimmering water, wild hogs and indigenous Florida birds. Embark on an adventure or just seek out relaxation...either way...just delight in the picturesque landscape of this tropical paradise.

The woman known as Tootie McGregor was born in 1843 as Jerusha H. Barber in Cleveland Ohio. She…read moremarried a man named Ambrose McGregor who became the president of Standard Oil. The couple had one son named Bradford who was ill. To improve his health the doctor recommended that the family spend the winters in Florida. The picked Fort Myers because of the excellent tarpon fishing and they purchased the home next to Thomas Edison in 1892. The couple became real estate and business developers in the Fort Myers area, at one point owning more than 30 properties. Ambrose died of cancer at the age of 58 on October 28, 1900. His fortune at the time of his death was 12 billion dollars in today's rates. Bradford died in 1902, two days after marrying his high school sweetheart. With a broken heart and free time on her hands Tootie set about developing Fort Myers. Tootie was heavily involved with the hotels in the area which allowed Fort Myers to become a tourist destination. She is most remembered for her efforts to improve the roads in Lee County. She struck a deal with the county where she would pay to pave 20 miles from Whiskey Creek to Punta Rassa if the county agreed to pave Riverside Drive from Whiskey Creek to downtown Fort Myers. Tootsie died before the road was started but her second husband, Dr. Marshall Terry completed her wishes. Dr. Marshall had been Tooties first love but he was too poor to marry her at the time and she went on to marry Ambrose but the couple reconnected after his death. Tootie and Marshall were married for six years until she died on August 17, 1912. Dr. Marshall decided to donate a fountain to the city in honor of his late wife. The Tootie McGregor Fountain can be found in front of the Edison Restaurant at the Fort Myers Country Club clubhouse. The fountain was Fort Myers' first public art piece. It was first installed at five points, the intersection of Cleveland Avenue, Anderson Avenue which is now Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, McGregor Boulevard, Main and Carson Streets during the summer of 1913. The fountain was a landmark and also a place where people could water their horses and dogs. You can see the water bowl for dogs to the left of the dedication on the base of the fountain. The fountain was taken down in the 1950's to make room for the approach to the Caloosahatchee Bridge. In 1983 the Fort Myers Beautification Advisory Board commissioned local sculptor D.J. Wilkins to reassemble the fountain. Wilkins is the artist who created the famous Uncommon Friends sculpture in Centennial Park. He added a 40 foot diameter receiving pool with bullfrogs on upturned leaves as water spouts. The fountain is a palm tree on a base in a bowl that used to be a horse trough. The fountain is made from pink granite from north Georgia and bronze. There are five venomous snakes on the fountain, two water moccasins, two are eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, and a coral snake. The fountain is inscribed with Tooties humble words , "I only hope the little I have done may be an incentive to others to do more." Stumbling on this landmark turned out to be very interesting. I really enjoyed learning about Tootie and her Harlequin romance love life. It would have been a disservice to all the contributions she made to the city if the fountain had not been reassembled. Today it stands in memorial of a woman who loved the City of Fort Myers and shaped it into the popular visitors destination it is today. May Tooties legacy live on in the good works of others.