We will be in Naples, FL in April and would welcome suggetions for day trips. We enjoy wandering, museums, art galleries, almost anything but sports. Also, what will the weather be like during the day and at night?

There are enough art galleries to keep you busy for days, and there is also the rather new Art Museum at the Naples Philharmonic Center in Pelican Bay.
There are always lots of events happening in Naples, check when you get here for art festivals, concerts in the park, or other events.
Palm Cottage near the pier is a small but interesting settlers cottage open at odd hours.
If you like nature, do the Corkscrew Sanctuary about 20 to 25 miles northeast of town -- run by the Audubon Society. Also the Conservancey right in Naples.
What a strange year we're having weather-wise. But April should be pleasantly warm. Maybe a sweater at night, but I pulled a coat out yesterday I haven't worn in three or four years!

Thanks Patrick. I love to grow orchids. Are there any places in the near vicinity where I could buy some small ones at a reasonable price. (I'll have to drag them home on an airplane.)I don't know where our condo is located, but I understand we have to cross a bridge and walk about 1.5 miles to get to the ocean.

I'm not that familiar with orchid growers, but there are some with retail outlets mainly way out east of Naples. I tried to find some, but I suggest this: google Naples Orchid Society which has a number of links to that organization which may have someone you can email and get advice from. At the same time, when I did that, I came up with a lot of links for the Naples Botanical Garden and several other things which might really interest you.
I can't picture where you'd be -- unless, are you the person who mentioned you would be at "the Dunes"?

Thanks, I should have thought of the Naples Orchid Society google. I have no idea of where we're staying! It's a very upscale new condo, not on the beach. Since there's still snow in my backyard in Chgo area, and it will probably still be here in early April, anywhere in west FL sounds good to me.

I enjoyed Warm Mineral Springs ..you might enjoy a day in the water

also enjoyed Edison's Home in Ft Myers..and the Sarasota area..Ringlings Home and all that had to do w/that

How about shopping centers, outlet or other? Do they have anything you won't find at malls in the midwest? I also heard you could take a day trip to Key West - is it worth it?

Please, please, go see Corkscrew Swamp Nature Center. It's so worth it! Operated by the Audobon Society, it will occupy about 3 hours of your day, and will show you so much about what Florida was like before we all came here and screwed it up. There's a boardwalk that goes through a wetlands area, and we kept hearing an otter hunting. We could never see him, but heard him catching and eating fish right near us!

Miramar Outlet is crammed full of outlet shops. It's an outdoor festive place, new-ish, next to the TECO arena on I-75. Don't know how you're getting into Naples but you might pass it on the interstate. I would imagine there were easily a hundred and more name-brand shops.

I just returned from a trip to Naples and traffic from Tampa was fine until I got to Ft. Myers. Then it literally crawled. It will only be worse in April so you should plan few trips on the interstate. Hwy. 41 was not as crowded (it hugs the gulf heading north and south).

Someone told me about going to a nature preserve type area where they saw flocks of spoonbills. Could that be the Corkscrew Swamp area. About how far is it from Naples?

Yes, that's probably it. It's about a half hour east of north Naples on Immokalee Road.

There are also some nice things to see at the Naples Conservancy near downtown, practically next to Carribean Gardens (Jungle Larry's). I got a recent mailing from them and they offer a number of things, including canoe and kayack trips on the Gordon River or the back bay. Also worth a check out -- I really should do that one of these days.