Marco Island, Everglades, Miami (FLORIDA)
Jan 20th, 2010, 04:59 PM
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Marco Island, Everglades, Miami (FLORIDA)
I will be attending a conference on Marco Island at the Marriott next week. Then driving to Miami for a few days before flying home.
I am looking for recommendations on things to do and places to eat as well as the best route to Miami. Do you ha2-ve a favorite spot to hike in the Everglades or Marco Island. Are there any historic mansions or old homes to tour in the area? Trendy men's clothing or vintage shops?
I'll be staying at the at Marriott on Macro Island. I will be there for a week and may want to self cater a few times or lunch or dinner. Is there a nice grocery store nearby? or places similar to a Panera bread or coffee shop? I like attending locally owned type restaurants.
Also looking for a good seafood or Italian places for a few nice dinners out. (20-40 per person without wine/drinks/tips).
I hope the forecast clears up! It's looking dreary and cold next week!
I am looking for recommendations on things to do and places to eat as well as the best route to Miami. Do you ha2-ve a favorite spot to hike in the Everglades or Marco Island. Are there any historic mansions or old homes to tour in the area? Trendy men's clothing or vintage shops?
I'll be staying at the at Marriott on Macro Island. I will be there for a week and may want to self cater a few times or lunch or dinner. Is there a nice grocery store nearby? or places similar to a Panera bread or coffee shop? I like attending locally owned type restaurants.
Also looking for a good seafood or Italian places for a few nice dinners out. (20-40 per person without wine/drinks/tips).
I hope the forecast clears up! It's looking dreary and cold next week!
Jan 21st, 2010, 06:25 AM
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Drive the Tamiami trail, US-41 across South Florida to Miami.
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/webspecials03/trail/
Plan your trip so you can spend most of the day at the Shark Valley Unit of the Everglades NP.
http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/svdirections.htm
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/webspecials03/trail/
Plan your trip so you can spend most of the day at the Shark Valley Unit of the Everglades NP.
http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/svdirections.htm
Jan 21st, 2010, 10:28 AM
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No help at all on Marco, I am afraid. BUT:
You owe it to your self to visit Everglades City and Chokoluskee. This area, the Ten Thousand Islands, was once one of the biggest drug smuggling centers in the US, but it was tamed in a very interesting way.
Everglades City is located about three miles off US-41 and you can learn about its amazing history in the small museum. The Everglades Club and the town hall (complete with one room public library) look as if nothing has changed in 100 years.
You can eat at the Everglades Club or at a fish market just down the first road to the left after you enter the town. The big thing in this area is grouper and chips, but oysters can be delicious and you can sit on the deck at the fish market and watch the manatees surface in the canal.
Chokoluskee is the end of the earth. Visit the historic general store and learn about the rough justice that took place there. There is a small cafe and tourist shop that had really good sandwiches when I was last there about four years ago.
AS you head east toward Shark Valley and ultimately Miami, you will see alligators everywhere along and in roadside ditches, and on your right, you will see the smallest post office in the US.
Be warned that it takes a lot longer than you might expect from the edge of Miami urban development to the airport and center of the city, so allow yourself a long day to make what is not a very long trip.
You owe it to your self to visit Everglades City and Chokoluskee. This area, the Ten Thousand Islands, was once one of the biggest drug smuggling centers in the US, but it was tamed in a very interesting way.
Everglades City is located about three miles off US-41 and you can learn about its amazing history in the small museum. The Everglades Club and the town hall (complete with one room public library) look as if nothing has changed in 100 years.
You can eat at the Everglades Club or at a fish market just down the first road to the left after you enter the town. The big thing in this area is grouper and chips, but oysters can be delicious and you can sit on the deck at the fish market and watch the manatees surface in the canal.
Chokoluskee is the end of the earth. Visit the historic general store and learn about the rough justice that took place there. There is a small cafe and tourist shop that had really good sandwiches when I was last there about four years ago.
AS you head east toward Shark Valley and ultimately Miami, you will see alligators everywhere along and in roadside ditches, and on your right, you will see the smallest post office in the US.
Be warned that it takes a lot longer than you might expect from the edge of Miami urban development to the airport and center of the city, so allow yourself a long day to make what is not a very long trip.
Jan 26th, 2010, 03:37 AM
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It is not a gourmet destination, sorry to report. This isn't to say that new restaurants have not opened for which you can get local recommendations.
What you should look for are certain readily available local specialties, mostly seafood: stone crabs, grouper (and chips), conch fritters, conch chowder, and Cuban food in gneral. You might want to find and eat at a "chickee bar", which will feature southern food, again with an emphasis on seafood, mostly local and mostly fried. Other good fish beyond grouper are redsnapper and mahi mahi. If you are very lucky, you may find smoked mullet, a bit like a kipper, to eat with drinks, but they have been mostly fished out.
What you should look for are certain readily available local specialties, mostly seafood: stone crabs, grouper (and chips), conch fritters, conch chowder, and Cuban food in gneral. You might want to find and eat at a "chickee bar", which will feature southern food, again with an emphasis on seafood, mostly local and mostly fried. Other good fish beyond grouper are redsnapper and mahi mahi. If you are very lucky, you may find smoked mullet, a bit like a kipper, to eat with drinks, but they have been mostly fished out.
Jan 26th, 2010, 08:50 AM
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Places to eat: go to Grimm's for stonecrab claws - it's on the way into Everglade City, the 1st road on the right after you get off the east-west highway leading toward Miami and heading south toward EC. You pick the weight of the claws you want (get at least a pound!), pay a slight additional charge to have the woman crack the claws for you, take your plate and go sit out back along the canal and have a feast. Can't beat the price, taste, or quality.
I think the restaurant in EC is called the Rod & Gun Club. I didn't go this year but have been in the previous 2 years (recommended by someone here on the Forum). Great atmosphere, sitting on the screened back porch, watching passing boat traffic. Food was great the first time, so-so the second, but ambiance was fantastic. A place that time forgot.
There are a couple of grocery stores on Marco; very high prices and nothing special. We've never found a Panera type place but there are a few breakfast places with ordinary brkfst/lunch meals. There's a good restaurant called CJ's on the Bay (at the Esplanade) that we had some very nice lunches at, sitting outside beside the harbor. The pizza place that's right on the 1st floor of the Marriott has very good flatbread pizza and a wonderful patio behind the hotel and with a view of the beach. It was even delightful at night, sitting outside and enjoying the night air.
To my knowledge and experience, there is absolutely nothing that's historic on Marco but there is a historic house in Naples that I've never been able to orchestrate a visit to, because we're in that area before Christmas and the hours get muddled for Christmas events, etc.
There are some nice nature trails but I can't remember any names, but do a search on this forum for Marco and Everglades and you should pull up a bunch of recommendations.
Have fun.
gail
I think the restaurant in EC is called the Rod & Gun Club. I didn't go this year but have been in the previous 2 years (recommended by someone here on the Forum). Great atmosphere, sitting on the screened back porch, watching passing boat traffic. Food was great the first time, so-so the second, but ambiance was fantastic. A place that time forgot.
There are a couple of grocery stores on Marco; very high prices and nothing special. We've never found a Panera type place but there are a few breakfast places with ordinary brkfst/lunch meals. There's a good restaurant called CJ's on the Bay (at the Esplanade) that we had some very nice lunches at, sitting outside beside the harbor. The pizza place that's right on the 1st floor of the Marriott has very good flatbread pizza and a wonderful patio behind the hotel and with a view of the beach. It was even delightful at night, sitting outside and enjoying the night air.
To my knowledge and experience, there is absolutely nothing that's historic on Marco but there is a historic house in Naples that I've never been able to orchestrate a visit to, because we're in that area before Christmas and the hours get muddled for Christmas events, etc.
There are some nice nature trails but I can't remember any names, but do a search on this forum for Marco and Everglades and you should pull up a bunch of recommendations.
Have fun.
gail
Jan 27th, 2010, 07:16 AM
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We spent two weeks on Marco Island last year and found a couple of good eating places with entertainment on our last two nights. You need to ask at your hotel where these places are because they aren't obvious when you drive past them.
