Hunting and Fishing fed the early settlers
Since the beginning, Naples has attracted a great number of hunters and fishermen to our region. Not only was hunting and fishing great sport, our early settlers depended on game and the abundant fish for food. Swamp Buggy Days came in the late 1940s to mark the beginning of the hunting season. For those of you who still like to hunt for wildlife you need only drive down to the Everglades. Theses swamps hold many mysterious tales of the past and are home to deer, quail, wild


Fun Things to Do in November in Naples
Film buffs will be excited to see what November has for them to enjoy. Naples put themselves on the international film scene years ago with the Naples International Film Festival. Each year this event grows and grows and brings to our front doors some of the finest films for your personal screening. The NIFF opens with a screening of “Last Man on the Moon” at 7 p.m. Thursday, November 5, at Artis─Naples. Screenings will continue through Sunday, November 8, at Silverspot Cinem


Rebuilding aging City Docks
Everyone that lives in Naples that is a boater or lives in the area of the city docks know that they have need replacing for years. The Naples City Council has voted to pay for a search for an engineering firm that will design and permit a rebuild of the city dock, which means that the aging facility could be replaced within a few years. The dock, the third-most used of all the city’s facilities, hasn’t been rebuilt since 1983 and requires more than $60,000 in annual repairs


Upcycling - discarded objects reborn as light fixtures
I found this story posted by designers in New York, New York to be very interesting and also to spark my creative streak to start looking around my home for anything that I could recycle as a new accessory in my home. Many of us also have families that live up North or in other areas with lots of stuff gathering dust in their attics, basements or storage areas. According to the designers mentioned below, household objects, industrial castoffs and vintage farm tools — all thes


Naples Foodies Win Again
Naples is by far one of the best places to visit and live in Florida for the true “foodie”. Our town continues to be a destination for people from all over the world seeking the best of the best. TripAdvisor has named Brooks Gourmet Burgers and Dogs in Naples as one of the Top 10 burger restaurants in the U.S. — for the second year in a row. This was the only restaurant in Florida to receive the award two times in two years. TripAdvisor compiled the latest list after weighing


Some updates on tennis happenings
Under the seasoned leadership of veteran tennis professional Spike Gonzales, USTA Junior Team Tennis returned to the Collier County Parks and Recreation landscape on Saturday, Oct. 24. There was a Kickoff Party on that date, a six-week schedule of team matches posted, and finale awards parties will be held on the weekend of Dec. 12. Junior Team Tennis will have two categories: 10-and-over (for intermediate and advanced players) and 12-and-under (for novice and advanced beginn


Collier and Lee County Dog Parks
Many people living in Naples have dogs as part of their families but don’t have a yard for them to run free. The dog parks listed below offer your dog a place to run free (without a leash) in most cases, although each has its own restrictions. Naples Dog Park Naples’ premiere pubic dog park, the Naples Dog Park on Riverside Circle gives your pet more than an acre to run and play. The public facility has a large 1.35 acre fenced-in area, with the south section dedicated to big


Back-to-School Benefit
The entire team at Gulf Coast International Properties (GCIP), contributed to the success of the local back-to-school event held by Project Outreach again this year. Thousands of dollars and many hours of time were donated to this local community organization. Project Outreach organizes volunteer-based projects in the community to teach youth about giving. Having some fun before school started and the community helping the less fortunate was the theme of their back-to-school


New Performing Arts Center to Open
After a few delays and 2 and a-half years of work a new performing arts center has been announced and is being built with the grand opening set for early 2016. Measuring over 27,000 square feet with many exciting amenities there is a 650-seat dinner theatre and a state-of-the art culinary test kitchen. The facility will encompass many features including: a broadcast media studio, interactive social media kiosks, the world's first Podcast Cafe, and ample space to accommodate i

Relaxing and Reducing Stress
Who doesn’t need this in our busy day-to-night schedules these days? Naples Illustrated first introduced me to these Finding Zen meditation apps. These smartphone apps make it very easy to accomplish your goals even if you only have five minutes a day to spare. Research continues to show the importance of making some personal time for yourself to live a healthier, more peaceful and productive long life. Mindfulness: This app comes outfitted with numerous silent and guided med

