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.
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The nearest Amtrak
station is in 
