Whew.....winding down after a very busy day with Marilyn. Left the park at 8:30 and started off with a stop at Starbucks for our coffee fix and then on south to the Botanical Gardens in Naples - wow....had heard about this place from several others over the years, but 1st time visit for us. What a spectacular place of 170 acres developed in 1993 by a donor who gave $5m to get the project started. The weather was perfect and we just meandered around the grounds - here's a "few" pics I took....
Marilyn and the orchids
Pretty lily pads
"Catrina" display (elegantly dressed skeleton figures used as a symbol of the Day of the Dead)
Stickworks
Us and Lake Tupke
We had an excellent lunch at the Fogg Cafe (delicious club sandwich and mango chicken salad) in the garden. Then we were off to the Seed to Table grocery store and so much more. Mark and Marilyn were amazed - we did a little shopping and then to the beach.
Beautiful color-coordinated display of veggies
Marilyn wanted some souvenirs to take back to her grandkids, so she shopped at Mango Bay in Bonita Springs.
Happy shopper
Another somber ride along Estero Boulevard seeing all the sadness of what used to be Fort Myers Beach, Marilyn was truly amazed as she remembers her visit there a few years ago.
Then time for Love Boat and ice cream - sooo many choices (Marilyn had s'mores, a chocolate shake for Mark and I had cinnamon caramel pecan)! All very good!!!
And finally on home at 4:15......what a big day but lots of fun! We were only home a few minutes and Tom and Beth arrived. They've been in Orlando (business for Tom) and drove down here for a few days. Jim and Lydia walked over and a fun family visit on our patio!
Jim, Beth, Mark, Tom, Marilyn, Pat (Lydia was photographer)
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