Back from Naples

I'm back up north from a week in Naples, FL with Anni and mom. It was immensely relaxing - the food was great, the weather was perfect, and the pool was warm. The highlight of the trip would have to be the drive down to Everglades City on our last day. We started by eating at the Rod & Gun Club, a nice little restaurant that used to be visited by presidents like Eisenhower and Roosevelt. Thankfully, it survived Wilma, and I enjoyed a seafood platter for an early lunch. Then we took a boat tour of the everglades, where we saw wildlife like dolphins, ospreys, and other birds. Then a trip up to a little road stop where there was a boardwalk built over a river. The place was teeming with alligators. On the way back on Tamiami Trail, we came on a place called Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe. It was a classic old Florida place run by one guy, filled with individuality and charm, and was a great contrast from the over-developed and overly "hip" restaurants of Naples. You grabbed your own beer from the fridge, and then told him what you wanted. The tables on the porch had Corona bottle salt and pepper shakers, and paper-towl rolls with which to grab your napkins. We first ordered the last stone crab that he had, and it was delicious. He prepared it really quite well. Then another round of beers, and a serving of gator. It was a great meal on a porch, and we then drove home. On getting home, Anni and I took a canoe trip on the lake while the sun set, she enjoying her Bitburger while I paddled against the wind. Then a nice quiet evening of snacks and watching college basketball with the GF. A perfect last day. I'll be posting pictures in a few days.