Day 43 - Sanibel to Naples - A Long Journey by Land and Sea

We got an early start today because we have a lot of miles to cover.  First, we are off to North Miami to drop off our friends Chuck and Pam at their Mercury dealer – they have had new engines put on their boat – then across the state to Sanibel and our boat.  Clearly the post Christmas crowds have arrived as Sanibel Island was very crowded.  We did not have a chance to explore the island, but liked what we did see.  We "checked out" with the dock master and left the dock at 2:25 p.m..  We left the ICW and ran near the shore on the Gulf to Naples, passing the Sanibel Lighthouse on the southern tip of the island.

The day started cloudy and drizzly, but turned partly sunny and warm in the afternoon, and the water was calm.  There were not too many crab pots so we had more time to watch the scenery.  Lots of older midrise hotels and condos line the shore, with more large homes as we drew closer to Naples.  The Municipal Pier appeared just before the Gordon Pass, our inlet from the Gulf, and we followed the Gordon River a few miles to our destination, the Naples Boat Club.  The River is a flurry of boating activity; fishing boats, tour boats, private boats, large and small were all around us.  More gorgeous homes line the town side of the river while low trees and beaches line the other side.

 

 

We get to the marina fuel dock at 4:30 p.m., waiting a few minutes for another boat to finish fueling.  The dock master directed us to a large slip with floating docks and cleats – hooray!  The well-maintained marina has a very nice clubhouse and small pool.  The only downside is that it is right in the airport flight path and regional jets roar over our heads.  Living near O’Hare Airport, it was nothing new to us!  Later we walked to the Tin Shed area of Naples for dinner at Pincer’s Crab Shack.  Tin Shed is the older section of Naples and the buildings likely were used for packing and shipping seafood in the past.

 

After dinner we walked over to 5^th Street, the “main drag” of Naples.  Tons of restaurants with sidewalk seating dominate, with upscale shops mixed in.  The crowds have arrived here too and almost every seat is filled.  I heard many different languages, so Naples seems to be a popular spot with foreign tourists.  Naples is a much larger and more developed “resort town” than where we had been so far in Florida, from the Panhandle down the west coast.