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We’re 1/2 way through with our month stay here in Fort Myers and it’s been nothing but fun, fun, fun ever since we arrived.  It’s a reunion every time a new boat of loopers comes into the marina.  And the marina is located right dow…

We’re 1/2 way through with our month stay here in Fort Myers and it’s been nothing but fun, fun, fun ever since we arrived.  It’s a reunion every time a new boat of loopers comes into the marina.  And the marina is located right downtown so it’s easy access to stores, restaurants, parks…   Every day @ 5 boaters meet up at the tiki bar for cocktails and chatter.

The Edison Winter Estate is a short walk from the marina.  We haven’t done the tour yet but plan to next week with Carol & Mitch on Serendipity.  There is a statue of Edison, Ford & Firestone called “Uncommon Friends” displayed in Centennial Park downtown near the waterfront.

Walking around downtown I noticed the Florida Repertory Theater & invited two couples to join us for a viewing of “Sylvia” which turned out to be a very funny play about a very lovable dog played by a young woman.  The show was so good it was written up in the New York Times.

Jim on Merried With Her has several antique Vets & wanted to take in the Muscle Car Show one day.  It was a great place with all kinds of beautiful antique cars.

Here we are enjoying a 50’s style restaurant that is located in the car building.

One of the highlights of our Ft. Myers visit is our trip over to Sanibel Island.  Part of the island has been set aside as the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge – a sanctuary for many species of wild animals, birds & native vegetations.  We went along to the refuge with Mitch & Carol from Serendipity armed with our camera & binoculars. A tram ride took us 4 miles along Wildlife Drive making numereous stops to observe wildlife & learn many interesting facts from our guide. The area is full of red, white & black mangrove trees which actually play an extremely important role in supporting the ego system of the refuge.  You can tell them apart by observing how far from the water they are growing.  The mangrove tree leaves fall into the water & become covered with tiny microscopic things making the leaves very edible for birds, fish, & ducks. And, of course, the abundance of fish support the heron, egrets & white pelicans.

Our guide pointed out these shiny leaves on the vegetation which is the salt coming through from the salt water.

After lunch at the Sunnyside Cafe. we drove over to the Bailey Tract with another 2 miles of nature.  Here’s an alligator’s path leading down to the water.

and here’s one of several alligators we saw –

Didn’t know there are tri-colored herons.  You can pick them out by their white chests.

Mitch told us that these cute little turtles catching some rays are Peninsula Scooters

Another highlight of our visit here in Fort Myers was our tour of the Edison & Ford Winter Estates. 
We started off with the largest Banyan tree in the continental US at a height of 84′ & 376″ in circumference along with a statue of Edison.

The estate is located on the Caloosahatchee River with a 1,500′ dock.  Here’s a look down the shoreline.

And Greg took this really nice photo of palm trees that lead down to the river.  There are almost 50 different types of palms on the estate.

The landscape of the estate today is still dominated by huge Ficus trees that were planted by the Edison, Ford & Firestone to find a viable source of rubber (latex) to grow in the region.  The estate also includes 13 varieties of citrus, 12 varieties of bamboo & other exotic tropical plants like this Bird of Paradise.

For many years, Henry Ford visited Fort Myers at the invitation of his friend, Thomas Edison.  Henry & his family stayed in the guest house.  In 1916, the owner of the property next door wrote to Ford asking if he would be interested in purchasing the estate next to his friend & Henry did so for $20,000.  After Edison’s death, Ford rarely visited Fort Myers & eventually sold the property.

The estate includes a museum which houses an impressive amount of Edison’s inventions including the phonograph, dictaphone, mimeograph machines & silent movies.  Edison was almost completely deaf & a wooden cabinet shows his teeth marks which was the only way he could tell if his phonograph invention was working.  Edison received a patent every year for 60 consecutive years.  

On days we’re not sightseeing Greg’s busy working hard on cleaning & waxing the boat.   The dinghy comes in handy for reaching the hull.

We finished off our month long stay in Ft. Myers with a bang!  Our dear friends Pam & Rich who we traveled on the Loop with for 3 months drove 26 hrs. from Illinois to see us & other loopers in the area.  Since they arrived on a Thursday they walked right into our weekly pot luck & since it was 4 º when they left home. Pam waltzed in with her big brown fur coat on.  It was so good to see them again.  Here we are at dinner with two other Looper couples – Carol & Mitch on Serepidity and Jay & Joan on Wind Song, Loopers who we met over the summer.

Pam & Rich

Mitch & Carol

Jay & Joan

My awesome family shocked me for my 60th birthday with my two daughters & granddaughter flying in for a long weekend.   We had so much fun & then 2 weeks later my sister, Nancy, flew in which made my b’day celebration over a month long.  My sister, Mare, was suppose to come too but was sick.  We took everyone out on the boat across the river for a family gathering for my b’day.

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For the past year we’ve traveled with a white AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruiser’s Association) burgee flying on the bow of our boat signifying that we were current loopers.

This burgee is actually the first one we purchased back in 2008.  By t…

For the past year we’ve traveled with a white AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruiser’s Association) burgee flying on the bow of our boat signifying that we were current loopers.

This burgee is actually the first one we purchased back in 2008.  By t…

Stayed a second day in Punta Gorda because of thunder storms above us & below us.  Did talk to Pam from Adena who we traveled with last summer for 3 months.  She & Rich are planning a trip to FL & plan on hooking up with us -…

Stayed a second day in Punta Gorda because of thunder storms above us & below us.  Did talk to Pam from Adena who we traveled with last summer for 3 months.  She & Rich are planning a trip to FL & plan on hooking up with us -…

Borrowed Sandy & Charles’ car for church & breakfast at the local Kof C hall where we met some really nice folks from Michigan & Wisconsin. 

By 10 we were on our way down Venice Canal passing through the Circus Bridge with …

Borrowed Sandy & Charles’ car for church & breakfast at the local Kof C hall where we met some really nice folks from Michigan & Wisconsin. 

By 10 we were on our way down Venice Canal passing through the Circus Bridge with …

Sandy & Charles dropped us off at the Ringling Estate in Sarasota.  I had no clue that John Ringling, who died in 1936, was such an enterprising entrepreneur.  He not only made himself very wealthy running the circus but also taught …

Sandy & Charles dropped us off at the Ringling Estate in Sarasota.  I had no clue that John Ringling, who died in 1936, was such an enterprising entrepreneur.  He not only made himself very wealthy running the circus but also taught …