2011 Travels--Florida Part I: On the Banks of the Caloosahatchee

Our spring vacation in Southwest Florida began with a flight to Ft. Myers and a drive to the new riverfront home of Doug and Matt in the Riviera tower. They live on the 11th floor and enjoy a view to the Southwest of downtown and the broad estuary of the Caloosahatchee River, which runs from Lake Okeechobee in the Everglades to the Gulf of Mexico.

The first evening the five of us (Doug, Matt, us and the poodle Sam) took a walk along the seawall about sunset, when the air had cooled and the air was fresh. We loved the views at first glimpse.








A significant archit- ectural feature is the arching twin spans of the Business 41 highway bridge from downtown to North Ft. Myers. Every morning and evening we saw a different scene as the light played on the water in various slants and hues.

One evening on our walk we actually spotted some dolphins feeding near the seawall. They were too quick, and the light was too low, to capture the images. But it was the first time either of us had seen a live dolphin outside of a TV show or a movie, and it was a thrill.

Palm trees say "Florida" or "tropics" more clearly than anything. These were part of the landscaping at the Riviera and they framed the sky well. There was more interesting vegetation and lovely flowers that I'll include in a later post.





The building boom that went bust in Florida in 2008 is evident in the many empty apart- ments, houses and condos in this area. One casualty was evident in a development just north of the Riviera, where an array of boat docks were now vacant and unused, and being reclaimed by the elements. They were picturesque, anyway.

The sunset on this particular evening turned the sky and water a color that often shows up in Florida architecture, salmon pink. This particular night, the water was calm. It was the same evening we saw the dolphins.

The view from the lanai at night of the Ft. Myers skyline was always a draw. The row of lights at left line First Street, an extension of Palm Beach Boulevard, and the lights beneath the highway bridge are reflected in the water.

Our one-week visit included an historical museum, a nature center, an art walk downtown, and a memorable trip to the beach on Captiva Island. All of that is to come in the next few days. Norm enjoyed relief from his sinus problems the whole week and he is not entirely joking when he says that would be enough to prompt him to move to Florida! That, and the 80-degree temperatures on a day when it was snowing light flurries as we left St. Louis!