Thursday, December 29, 2011

An Old Soul Town

We're not talkin' Detroit...We're talkin' in the heart of Naples....It's called Tin City, a historical district dating back to the 1920's, when the Gordon River was the hub of Naples' fishing industry.

In the seventies, seven of the old buildings were made into a shopping area, a marketplace that mixes restaurants, gift shops and unusual boutiques in a waterfront setting overlooking the Gordon River. There are 30 gift shops and 2 restaurants there...lots and lots of gift ideas from candy to seashells.
I like seeking seashells for sale in a shop by the seashore...heh, heh, heh! It's a good way to learn about what you see on the beach! I bought a little starfish for .99 for my Christmas tree to replace the one I dropped and broke the other day.

I also bought a tee shirt for 20.00 that reminds me of the beautiful Christmas lights at night and all the wrapped palm trees....There's just about anything and everything "kitschy" in these shops....

The shops are old, but that's part of the appeal of visiting something historical...lots of dark wood, beams, tight space and surprises around the corners.

It's fun to sit in one of the restaurants and watch the yachts go in and out and under the bridge which crosses the Gordon River, overlooking the gorgeous shopping centers and urban condos across the river.

Fun, but we haven't tried either one of the restaurants at Tin City....Too busy doing everything else! (And eating elsewhere--Boston's Pizzeria and Roma's in downtown Naples, and the Jolly Cricket for "happy hour") There's a nice boardwalk along the two restaurants which makes for a great viewing point for the boat parade that they had a couple of weeks ago....
Tomorrow we head over to Collier Seminole State Park for a ranger led canoe trip!  Eldo and Sparky will be SHARING a canoe! And guess who's going to be steering? (Sparky, that's a no brainer, you're always in charge! laughs E.) Yep, thirty-four years of being a special education teacher, I admit it, I'm a control freak all the way, old habits die hard....(Sigh!)

2 comments:

  1. You certainly are finding lots to keep you busy.

    Hope you'll show some pictures of Collier-Seminole campground. I've heard really conflicting reports about it. Canoe trip sounds like it will be GREAT!

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  2. Wow. that boardwalk is just soooo typical Florida, huh?

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    Karen and Steve
    (Our Blog) RVing: Small House... BIG Backyard
    http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com/

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