"Florida – where the summer lasts 6 months, twice a year!"
It has been a minute since we shared a blog post about a trip, so thank you for your support while we figured out what our comfort zone is in the world of COVID. Luckily, things appear to be taking a turn for the better (this is a recording)! We recently went on a trip to the beautiful Naples, Florida, and are currently planning some trips ABROAD for the coming months of 2022! Keep your fingers and toes crossed for us. In this post, we’re going to drop some of our favorite spots that we visited on our trip to Naples and some general tips on how to make your typical beach vacation more fun! We’d love to hear any additional tips you may have in the comments, or shoot us a message on Instagram.
Without further ado, our favorite spots in Naples:
1. Vanderbilt Beach
Beaches on the gulf coast of Florida are hard to beat! With soft, white sand and calm waters, they make for a great place to relax for the day. Vanderbilt Beach is right next to the Ritz Carlton Beach Resort property and has a convenient parking deck just a minute from the beach. Cabana Dan’s is located right at the entrance to the beach and will rent you comfortable beach chairs, umbrellas, etc.
2. Downtown Naples – 5th Avenue South
Who doesn’t love a bustling downtown street full of delicious restaurants, shopping, and palm trees covered in glittering lights?! We don’t know them. This stretch in downtown Naples is a great spot to grab dinner and walk around if you want to enjoy the full Naples vibe.
3. The Village Shops on Venetian Bay & Third Street South
These were our favorite shopping areas to explore during our trip. The Village Shops are along a beautiful bay where you can shop and dine to your hearts content without the downtown crowds. Some of our favorite stores there are Tommy Bahama and Everything But Water. Neither of these are budget shopping destinations (which can be said for most of Naples), but we enjoyed the window shopping!
4. Naples Pier
The Naples Pier makes the list simply because of the amazing sunsets (proof below). If you are lucky, you will spot wildlife like pelicans and even the occasional dolphin!
5. The foood
Naples has no shortage of delicious food options to choose from, so leave it to us to eat out MANY times. Here are some of our favorites from this trip as well as where they are located:
Ocean Prime (5th Avenue South Downtown): We first tried this restaurant in NYC and it was one of our favorite meals ever. This location didn’t disappoint! Their early bird dinner menu is an amazing deal.
Escargot 41 (4351 Tamiami Trail N): A great French restaurant that is tucked away with a nice courtyard.
Parmesan Pete’s (7935 Airport-Pulling Rd N): We love Italian food, and this spot had an authentic feel and delicious food.
Alexander’s Restaurant (4077 Tamiami Trail N D 101): A winner when it comes to outdoor ambience and good food.
Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant (11905 Tamiami Trail N): A fun stop for lunch and wine tasting!
M Waterfront Grille (4300 Gulf Shore Blvd N): Right on the bay, this is beautiful restaurant for a yummy seafood meal.
Now, how to make the most of your typical beach trip…
Even if you are visiting a beach that you are very familiar with, think like a tourist and do something out of your comfort zone! We had never been to Naples before, but after a couple of days of lounging, we wanted to try something new. With the help of Viator, we found a personal catamaran boat tour that took us through beautiful marshlands to a private beach in an area called 10,000 islands. If you are in the Naples area, we’d highly recommend this tour for a little bit of an adrenaline rush and a great destination. You can view this particular tour here.
Regardless of where you are, a Viator or Google search for fun tours in the area you are visiting is a great idea. You never know what you will come across: water sports, outdoor adventures, food tours, day trips near you, etc. It’s a fun way to switch up your typical beach trip!
We sure managed to squeeze a lot of fun into this trip! We hope this is helpful whether you are going to Naples or a different beach in the near future. Since this was our first “big” trip out of North Carolina since COVID, it definitely renewed our love of travel! We can’t wait to show you where we will be going in the rest of 2022, so stay tuned.
Thanks for reading!
Nikki + Pam
