Dot's Way Cruising Cat: Fort Myers Beach to Naples, Florida

We dinghied towards the bridge and landed at Bonita Bill's for an excellent breakfast on the deck. We walked to the NAPA auto parts store that closed before we could get there yesterday but they did not have the fan belt we needed as a spare. We let loose of the mooring and headed out Matanzas Pass with calm wind and seas. It was a beautiful trip out in the gulf with lots of fishing boats and sailboats. We came in Gordon Pass towards Naples and the boat traffic was fast and furious. We were required to stop at the Naples City Dock for a pump out and registration before heading to one of the four mooring balls. This is a superb marina with floating docks and protected from the boat wake traffic. We went ashore with city map in hand planning to rent a bicycle at Tin City and ride to the auto parts store. No bike rentals to be had so we ended up walking over 10 miles today but did find the Low Brow Pizza and Beer Place with outdoor dining and the best pizzas and craft beers.

Matanzas Pass Bridge

Shrimp boats line up on other side of mooring field

Egret tending bar at Bonita Bill's for breakfast

Waterfront restaurant at Matanzas Marina

The pirate ship with loud music for sunset cruise

Happy face parasailers off our bow in the gulf

Naples downtown city map

A nautical city

Tin City, the tourist trap

Naples on Island Time

Fish cleaning station with Dot's Way in background

On the city docks

By ourselves in the mooring field

We went out to breakfast in the 3rd Street South shopping district in Old Naples. We then wandered out to Naples Pier on the beach and by the oldest cottage, Palm Cottage of the Naples Historical Society. After happy hour and dinner on the boat, we headed back to Naples Pier to see the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico beach.

Gorgeous orchids

Beautiful bougainvillea

Gulf beach

Crowded with fishermen

Osprey on watch

Social distancing reminder

Historical Society oldest Palm Cottage

View of the garden grounds

A peek through the gate

Street art

Third Street South shopping district

Porpoises playing around the boat

Amazing tropical plants

Perfect sunset spot sitting on old pier pilings

Naples City Pier

Naples City Dock lit up

Beautiful night

Dock Restaurant

We headed ashore and headed to breakfast at a Bayfront Cafe and then caught the bus to the Naples Botanical Gardens. They required a timed reservation, masks and social distancing and we planned to get there by 10 am. As it turns out, we got there at 9 am when they opened so we were the only folks in the photographic exhibit, America's Everglades Through the Lens of Clyde Butcher. He does huge black and white poster size photographs similar to Ansel Adams. The exhibit was spectacular. The special exhibit was Steve Tobin: Nature Underground that features large-scale sculptures that celebrated roots and encourages you to think deeper about the life under your feet. We did not want to wait on the bus so we walked back by Key Grocery which was a great Latino market. After unloading groceries we headed to Napoli on the Bay Pizza for an outstanding pizza.