I have a trip planned to the Naples Area (Bonita Springs) next week. I know one hurricane hit Sanibel Island pretty hard and thats not too far from Bonita Springs.

Is it worth going to Florida next week? I'm not scared about another hurricane. If there has been a lot of damage and many restaurants are closed, etc., it might not be worth going. I called the hotel and they said that the hotel was fine. But again, what does the surrounding area look like?

Bonita Springs and Naples are completely fine. Restaurants, shops and beaches are back to normal. You will see a few trees that have had damage and the beach may have more seaweed and debris due to Ivan passing a couple of hundred miles to our west. Nothing that would ruin a vacation.

If you came today to Naples, you'd still see some hurricane panels and plywood over windows from our most recent scare this past weekend and Ivan. But I suspect by this afternoon those will be all down as it looks like we will again be spared. There are some piles of tree branches at the corners of lots still to be picked up, but they should be gone within a couple of days. There is no visible damage in Naples or Bonita. It will not affect your vacation! Sanibel is another matter with a fair amount of damage and lots of downed trees. The best news is that after Ivan passes through the gulf this week (if it does) we should have particularly nice weather in Naples by next weekend.

Sounds good - going to Hyatt in Bonita Springs. Don't care too much about beach (e.g., stirred up) as the Hyatt has plenty of pools. Looking forward to a "veg-out" vacation. Not worried b/c what is the chances of a fourth hurricane? Thanks everyone.

My wife is expressing concern - please help me assuage those concerns about going down to Florida now. She says that eventhough I called the hotel, they may not be telling me the whole truth about the condition of the property. In addition, she doesn't want to go down to the Bonita Springs (around Naples) area where there are going to be downed trees everywhere, boarded up houses, closed restaurants.

Is there anyone on this board who lives around there or who has visited that can give me something that I can tell my wife. I believe everything is fine - there may be remnants but nothing to stop us from going and having a good time. Thanks.

Patrick is a really great dependable trustworth source of information. And he's a great son to boot, ask his mom! (And no, that's not me)

I live in Tampa so I'm speaking from a degree of storm experience. With the exception of Punta Gorda, the Gulf beaches have been the least impacted by this recent spate of storms. Charley, when it hit Punta Gorda, had very little storm surge and a small eye. The damage was very confined.

Patrick is your best source. I hope he can set your wife's mind at ease.

Hyatt in Bonita Springs isn't on a beach-- so the "look" of the beach shouldn't matter if what you mainly want to do is hang around the pool. I live in BS, but am in Maryland now, so I can't answer first-hand about damage except to say that what other posters have said is confirmed by reports I've gotten from neighbors. If you do go to the beach, by the way, I hope you'll make your way down to the beaches in Port Royal. They're interesting because there are many dozens of really spectacular mansions down there; also a great place to ride a bike for a day. If you go, try to eat at Roy's and Chops, both in Bonita Springs. There's also a Carrabas in BS. While it's a "chain," it has the best mussels I've eaten anywhere-- and I eat mussels everywhere! Another great restaurant is Campiello's. It's in Olde Naples, another area you should try to visit. And there's a good Japanese restaurant-- Da Ru Ma-- just across the street from the Naples Ritz-- another fun beach area (called Vanderbilt Beach) If you have other specific questions about the area, let me know and I'll try to answer them. Hope you have a wonderful trip!

I can't improve on poss's suggestions above, including a great list of places to eat.

We will probably spend a decent amount of time by the pool but will also like to go out around Naples and for dinner. My wife's concern is that why should we deal with this on our one vacation when there are other places that may not be impacted like this. So, we may go to the beach - don't know if the ocean is stirred up, if there is a lot of stuff in the water, etc.; we will be driving around town - don't know if the stores are closed or boarded up; we will be going to restaurants - same thing.

If many restaurants are closed - that would be something that impacts our range of choices and ultimately, our enjoyment on this vacation.

We do plan on going to Chops and Roys. Hotel recommended Vincenzo's on the Bay for Italian. Better than Campinello's?

Patrick:
Since you live in Naples: We are coming to Naples the first week of October for only 4 days for a getaway for my daughter's 16 bday. Do you know if the area at the LaPlaya Beach Resort is ok. There are rumors going around about flooding problems and sewer problems - but they are probably wrong. Any info would be appreciated.

No, haven't heard a word about sewer or flooding problems at LaPlaya area, or anywhere else in this entire area! Sounds like rumors to me.
There has been some discussion about some beach erosion -- loss of sand, but I wouldn't think enough to make any difference.

Vincenzo's on the bay better than Campiello? Vincenzo's is a standard classic red sauce kind of place -- so if that's what you think of as Italian -- then yes, you might like it better than Campiello which is a more contemporary take on Tuscan food with a much more trendy atmosphere.

Patrick is right on about Vincenzo's and Campiello's. Also: Vincenzo's is about a 10-12 min drive from Hyatt; Campiello's more like half an hour. It's fun to stroll around the area where C is, not very interesting where V is located.

Leaving Thursday morning! We are really looking forward to this vacation - without the kids and long overdue. My wife wants to spare no expense and really enjoy the food. Any last minute restaurant recommendations (3 nights)?

My wife really likes seafood with pasta (seafood/ broth sauce more than a red sauce). Again, hotel recommended Vincenzo's By the Bay. Others on this board have recommended Campiellos.

Thinking about Chops, Roys, P.F. Changs

Campiellos is wonderful! It is a hike into Naples from the hotel, but one I'm more than willing to make.

The best meal we had close to (and including) the Hyatt was at Ristorante Farfalla, at the corner of Corkscrew Rd and Tamiami Trail, 5-10 minutes from the hotel. It has a number of pasta/seafood dishes--my favorite too. It is upscale dining in an unlikely strip mall. http://www.ristorantefarfalla.com/menu.shtml.

I have heard the Hyatt weathered the storm beautifully. They were very fortunate. Have also heard, but not seen for myself yet, that the storms increased the size of the beach on their island. It's a beautiful 10 minute water taxi ride across Estero Bay--if you get out there, I'd love to hear back on the status of the beach now.

As much as I love PF Changs, you can do that almost anywhere!
A couple others to check out. Pazzo on 5th Avenue south -- contemporary Italian -- may be just what you describe. I love their first course of Tuscan Bean soup with mussels, as well as everything else on the menu. This is a sister restuarant to Chops (of which there are two -- one on Fifth Avenue and another in Bonita).

And for something a little different, Mangrove Cafe on Fifth Avenue South is an excellent restaurant with unusual dishes, mostly with a Carribean flair.