Florida Vacations - Fort Myers

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Fort Myers Florida

142 miles (227 km) south of Tampa, 42 miles (67 km) north of Naples

Fort Myers so attracted the inventor Thomas Edison, that in 1885 he established a winter home in the town. His friend Henry Ford visited the area in 1914 and he too was so impressed that he bought the adjoining land and they became neighbors.

The two properties are separated by a fence and gate which both families named "The Friendship Gate". Edison was a keen amateur botanist and started establishing tropical gardens around the two homes. He also started planting royal palms along the road in front of the properties.

Those were the first of the palms that now line McGregor Boulevard for 14 miles, giving Fort Myers the title of The City of Palms. The homes of Edison and Henry Ford on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River are now the town's major attraction and much of Edison's work is on display.

Fort Myers Beach occupies all of the elongated Estero Island and attracts visitors seeking the sun, sea and sand.  Located on the Gulf Of Mexico coast, the town has some of the best sunsets on the Florida west coast.

The trendy Sanibel and Captiva Islands to the north and up-market Naples to the south tend to overshadow the more staid Fort Myers Beach, yet it offers a great  beach location at value prices. 

Estero Island provides much of the Fort Myers Beach accommodation in the form of beach cottages, condominiums, resorts, inns and vacation rentals. Estero Bay separates Estero island from the mainland and is an official state marine reserve. It is home to a host of marine birds as well as dolphins, manatees and other sea life. Popular cruises operate on this island-dotted protected bay.

Getting There & Getting Around

The entire region is served by Southwest Florida International Airport at Fort Myers with carriers such as Air Canada, AirTran, America West, American, American Trans Air, Continental, Delta, United and US Airways.

Fort Myers Beach photo The nearest Amtrak station is in Tampa with bus connections to the Greyhound/Trailways station in Fort Myers. 

 LeeTran operates a public bus system throughout the Fort Myers area with connections to and from area beaches via a replica trolley service. Taxi cab services operate throughout the area.

  Fort Myers vacation highlights :: getting the most from your Fort Myers vacation

Beach photo courtesy of Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau

 


Fort Myers Florida
South West Florida Yacht Charters
Fort Myers Vacations

Visitor Introduction To --> Naples vacations  ::  Marco Island vacations

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