This lazy fishing village has a wide range of retail stores and eateries right on the Gulf of…read moreMexico with million dollar water views of mansions and yachts. Recently, Matlacha was destroyed by Hurrican Ian in 2022, but has since been rebuilt to entice tourists and fisherman back to the village The Key West style vibe is evident. We park and walk on foot to several of the little shops and cafés or grab a great grilled grouper sandwich. My favorite two eateries are Yukatan Waterfront Tiki and the Blue Dog Bar & Grill. Today we are checking out Miceli's restaurant for a grilled grouper sandwich. Also the Ace Hardware has everything needed for home repairs without having to visit the busy Home Depot on the Cape Coral/Ft Myers mainland.

We went to this event on 11.21.10 and went again today (11.18.12). It is still just as good, and…read moreperhaps even better. We tried Pastrami on Rye ($3), Prime Rib Sliders ($2), Shrimp cocktail with lots of shrimp ($2), 4 yummy BBQ ribs ($3), and maybe some other stuff, then proceeded to waddle home. This year there were only locally owned "mom & pop" restaurants allowed to participate and that proved to be a big plus.This continues to be the best "taste" event in the area that we have been able to find. Burp.

Taste of Bonita is one of the biggest events in the area. It welcomes back the seasonal residents…read moreand introduces them to new restaurants and brings them back in touch with old favorites. The festival is usually the 3rd Sunday in November and is hosted by Bonita Springs Rotary Noon. The official website is www.TasteOfBonita.com

I love discovering public art piece and this colorful, large scale piece caught my eye while…read morepassing through Fort Myers. Naiad is a free form public art piece created in 2009 by artist Albert Paley. Paley is a modernist metal sculptor who began his journey into art as a jeweler. Since 1965, Paley's jewelry and metal work have been in over one hundred and fifty national and international exhibitions. Based out of Rochester, New York he was the first metal sculptor to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Institute of Architects. Naiad was created to fulfill Fort Myers ordinance 118.7.7 that requires developers to either place public art on site or donate an amount not to exceed $150,000 to a public art fund. St. Tropez Homes For America Holdings, Inc. decided to commission and install its own piece. It was the first ever public art project funded by a private developer in association with the City's public art fund initiative. Naiad was completed in 2010. Made out of poly-chromed steel it is located in front of the St. Tropez and Beau Rivage Condominium Complex on the Caloosahatchee River. The name of the piece has a connection to the river. In Greek mythology, Naiads are nymphs associated with water. The sculpture is three stories tall and made of colorful abstract pieces. The Fort Myers community is lucky to have an interesting sculpture from such an esteemed artist.

This artwork is located in the traffic circle at the entrance of the Riviera - St. Tropez…read morecondominium project. There is no free parking nearby. Naiad is a colorful freestanding sculpture that stretches three stories into the Florida sky. Designed by internationally-renowned metal sculptor Albert Paley, it is formed and fabricated from polychromed steel. The metal sculpture stands on a circular pedestal set in the center of a bricked turnaround at the front entrance of the Riviera and St. Tropez with a color scheme that complements the yellow-and-white over salmon of the condominiums that tower high above it. In Greek mythology, naiads are a type of nymph associated with fresh water, like that found in springs, streams, brooks, wells, fountains and rivers, like the Caloosahatchee, which is what influenced Albert Paley to choose the name Naiad for this piece. It is worth a stop if you are in the area and you're a fan of public art. [Review 13314 overall, 632 of 2020.]

I love this interesting sculpture I found in Riverside Park on a recent trip to Bonita Springs…read more Unveiled on Jan. 10, 2007, the title of the piece is Setting the Pace. The sculpture is 17 feet tall and 8.5 feet long. It features a man balancing on top of a circle which can be a metaphor for life. You can interpret it as life is a balancing act, or the circle of life. This piece was purchased by the Bonita Springs Art in Public Places Board which was formed to expose the public to the arts and to create art education programs. Setting the Pace, along with two other works purchased at the same time, Lords of the Forest and The Ties That Bind cost a combined total of $160,000.. Art is purchased by the city through donations and grants. The board hopes to bring art to people who might not seek it out in a more traditional setting like a museum. Setting the Pace was created by celebrated Colorado artist, Jane DeDecker. A duplicate of this piece is in Evergreen, Colorado where it is dedicated to the volunteers and staff of the Evergreen Fire Rescue. DeDecker has been sculpting for over 25 years and has created over 600 sculptures, 4 of those monument sized. According to the artist "My art is a cumulative process made of my life experiences and my desire to sculpt the human form. I try to retain in the sculpture the beginning strokes and gestures because they contain the truth of the spirit. As subject matter, I attempt to select a moment with which all of us can relate on a personal basis. These moments span all generations, depicting universally recognizable scenes." DeDecker has won many awards and her art can be seen in many states and in the private collections of celebrities. I enjoy discovering new works of art and this large piece certainly commands your attention. If you sit and ponder it for a moment you can come up with many different meanings. Personally, it reminds me how we are are always balancing in life, one step from falling off. The park provides a beautiful backdrop for this sculpture and it was a joy to find it.

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.]

I was born in Naples, I've lived almost every year of my life here since Nixon was President. The…read morehouse I grew up in backs up to Goodlette Road, and I'm old enough to remember the trains rolling behind our house frequently and learned how to count by the number of cars on the trains. I also remember when Goodlette Road stopped at Pine Ridge, and there were these strange concrete pilings at the corner of both roads and where the train tracks continued north past Pine Ridge Road. We never really knew their meaning or their purpose when we were kids because there was nothing there to explain what they were. I only learned about their meaning over the past 20 years. As Naples has grown over the past 5 decades, I know I'm not the only one who has forgotten about Plot N the thousands of times I've driven by it in my lifetime. I'm ashamed to say it. I won't forget now, and I'm definitely going to be telling more people about it. Today, I finally took some time to come back here and pay my respects to these forgotten souls. I was pleasantly surprised to see a dedicated plaque from a local Boy Scout Troop explaining the history and significance of Plot N. There are 8 new, beautiful markers that say "Rest In Peace" on each one. The entire area looks well managed with new landscaping. The Troop who rededicated this plot needs to be commended for preserving and honoring these original Neapolitans who richly deserve to be remembered. I hope they put another sign on the opposite side of the post that faces the parking lot for South Street so more people would be aware of what is there. I'd bet 99% of people who shop in this plaza have no idea of the significance of this little strip of land. If you've lived in Naples for a significant amount of time, I'd recommend everyone take a moment to visit.

Plot N is a quirky part of Naples history. At the corner of Pine Ridge and Goodlette-Frank roads…read moreare four concrete posts that are the site of 8 graves. A map from 1944 that plots out where graves are located has this spot labeled as labeled 'Plot N 8 Negro Graves Unmarked'. In the 1930's Naples was home to less than 3,000 people. Most of the people who came to Naples were wealthy snowbirds from the north. Only a few people lived here year round. It is believed that the people buried here were involved in the building of the railroad. Naples like all of Florida was segregated. African-Americans of the time worked as laborers laying the railroad tracks, logging, farming and domestic work. A train used to run where Goodlette-Frank road is today which is why it is thought that the people buried here had something to do with the railroad. It is believed that people who are buried were possibly killed while working on the railroad. With no permanent records it is unlikely that the mystery of who is buried here will ever be solved. Another site listed as plot W was paved over before any examination for graves was ever done. Plot B is the Rosemary Cemetery which has a wrought iron fence around it and is in the parking lot of a CVS. The city restored that site in the mid nineties. Paved over and lost graves is not an unusual story in Florida. As cities grew they weren't always precise in moving graves before building. Unless someone can find documentation or do ground penetrating radar, how many people are here and who they were will remain a secret.

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.]

It took a bit of research to find the name and details because this lovely sculpture doesn't have a…read morecaption or explanation nearby. Maybe there's one inside City Hall? Nonetheless, this sculpture is "Moons of the Galaxy." The artwork is about fifteen feet tall and is a multi-layered piece, almost an obelisk (and you know I love obelisks https://www.yelp.com/collection/_qW015GIAUpX1-YLYabLoQ). It is brightly colored and impossible to miss as you head east on Bonita Beach Road. The online caption reads, "Since the dawn of time earth's moon has lit up our nights and created a sense of wonder in humankind. Luckily, the city of Bonita Springs has been fortunate to acquire a moon to call its own. Currently on display at Bonita City Hall, "Moons of the Galaxy", is one of the latest creations from Pinellas County artist, Clayton Swartz. The towering metallic sculpture was approved by the Art in Public Places Board (APPB), to be featured as a permanent fixture to highlight the city's commitment to the arts and beautification of the community." [Review 19276 overall - 1625 in Florida - 246 of 2023.]