To Susan: about Naples Affordable Accomodations
 

How strange. Fodors has apparently removed the post a reply option to the Naples Affordable Accomodations thread and I can't imagine why.<BR><BR>Susan, you asked about teenage son activities. Guessing what any teenager wants to do is pretty near impossible. I'd suggest going to Jungle Larry's one day.<BR>They may have half price coupons at Park Shore Resort. Most boat trips, etc. are pretty expensive. If he is into nature or wildlife, then do get to the Corkscrew Sanctuary out by Immokalee, run by the Audubon Society -- great boardwalk through the swamp. <BR>Sorry I can't offer more suggestions. Most teenagers here pretty much hang at the mall or the movies.

I also couldn't post a reply to your original post. Only one suggestion here. If you do the Everglades, don't be bamboozled into taking the Nat'l Park Service boat trip. It's a big boat, goes very slowly and you may, if you're lucky see one alligator or manatee - very boring. They tell you not to do the smaller airboats that go right into the marshes because they feed the alligators meat, which brings them close to the boat. But, hey, if you want to see the alligators, as well as get the feel of really being in the marshland, do it the commercial way. (IMHO, I don't think it harms the allegators or the environment.)

I totally agree with x: once had out of town friends who really wanted to do that boat trip and couldn't be talked out of it despite my telling them I had always heard it was a sort of nothing. I went too and we were all bored to death. They kept pointing out birds -- but we could see all those same birds in my yard or on my little lake or right along the beach any day.

Thank you for the information on activities. Yes, teenagers are hard to please and love to shop and go to movies. We will check out the places you've recommended, including the airboat ride. Thanks again!

Sorry x, but I have to disagree about the feeding of alligators not being harmfull to them or the environment. It is expressly FORBIDDEN BY LAW, and for very good reason. Fed gators are dangerous gators, and only a few selfish tour operators feeding them can damn them to be killed as nuisance/dangerous gators. I have bumped(literally) into large gators while fossil hunting in the rivers and creeks; they hold dead still in terror until they are bumped, then haul ass for all they are worth. If they had been fed by some idiot, they would have had no fear and would have bitten me for sure. Ask any knowledgable environmental advocate or Fish and Wildlife Officer, you will find I am telling you straight. I once bounced a spare Mammoth tooth off of a ten footer`s head in Joshua creek as we went by in a canoe, he was just laying there in the weeds but he sure got the road when it hit. LOL. I was diving in that water and you couldn`t see a foot, so he had to be checked for human familiarity for safety`s sake.