By Sue Nielsen, MD
It’s about a 2 hour drive to Naples from Sarasota, and may be a little longer with a dog. We stopped at a rest stop to take a potty break and stretch all our legs. If you are going to be traveling with your dog, you may consider investing in a dog seat for large dogs, or a center console for small dogs. Rico, the Chihuahua loved his center seat! He could watch out the window or take a nap. Look for one that will hold your dog securely in place with a harness in case of a sudden stop.
We were only able to spend a half day on Marco Island doing sightseeing, lunch and the dog park, but felt some disappointment with the dizzying array of businesses, restaurants, shopping, homes and resorts at the detriment of the natural beauty. The island’s beach access is limited and it was difficult to find free or convenient parking. No dogs were allowed on any of the beaches. A visit to the off leash Dog Park “Canine Cove” at Mackle Park is worth the trip.
The dog park sits on a slight hill overlooking a natural setting. Your dog can exercise off leash inside the fence, or may take a walk on leash around the pond. Grassy areas to run in the sun, shade for a rest, and unique water fountains provided refreshments for dogs and their companions. Donated private money had improved the park and memorials to beloved animals were found all over in the form of benches, picnic tables, and trees. A “Waggin Wall of Thanks” gave recognition to the generous. Rico made friends quickly and ran around the entire confines of the small dog section which was as spacious as the large dog area. He peed on a doggie painted fire hydrant specially placed for that purpose! He raced his new big dog friend back and forth along a fence line, barking in excitement and stopping only to catch his breath. Rico would rate this park highly – 2 PAWS UP!
We had lunch on the outdoor patio at CJ’s on the Bay. It overlooks a marina full of sailboats and yachts. With Rico in his stroller we sat down at a table overlooking the water. Within a minute, an older gentleman came over to us and said, “And we thought WE spoiled our dog!!” He wanted a picture of Rico in his travel buggy! During our meal, people smiled as Rico sniffed around our table looking for tasty scraps. Afterwards, we strolled past the shops nearby as two small girls ran over to Rico and politely asked to pet him. Usually Rico is a little tentative, but today he welcomed their affection. Afterwards I felt like Rico needed his own business card to give out to his fans as they stopped to meet him. It would have a short bio, “Hi, My name is Rico and I work for SarasotaDog.com. I go to dog friendly destinations and then have my human write about it for me” It could happen, right?!?!
We came back to our temporary home at La Quinta East. The hotel provided poop bags outside with plenty of areas to walk around the property and green grass for a potty break. In the evening, a “woof” down the hall would start a chain reaction of barking dogs, but overall it was very quiet. Rico soon learned to ignore the hotel noises and he went to sleep very early on our first day. Pooped out in more ways than one!
Hiking was the agenda for day two. First stop at Collier-Seminole State Park, about a 20-25 minute drive south from Naples. Pets are welcomed at all Florida State Parks as long as they are on a 6 foot leash; well behaved and maintained at all times (i.e. pick up the poop). However, no dogs are allowed on any state park beach.
We took the 3.5 mile biking and hiking trail loop. Shorter and longer hikes are available. Our trail was flat, wide and surrounded by vast parkland. Signs at the park entrance let us know this was Panther territory. A small sliver of Florida is the only habitat left for this wild cat and its estimated there may be less than a hundred left in the wild. It is very rare to see them especially during daylight hours. Despite this information, during the first few minutes of our walk, we all thought we heard a panther exhale in the woods; Rico’s ears perked up and he froze staring into the woods. Highly unlikely, but I picked Rico up and kept walking slowly! We did spot a small snake…black…not poisonous. Another sign on the trail highlighted a specific area where gators frequent, and YEP! A five foot gator was just resting quietly in the shallow water. I swept Rico off the ground again just in case. It was a long enough walk to enjoy the park, but not too long to wear us out. We had plenty of energy for our next stop, The Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk.
An amazing way to see the Fakahatchee Strand forest, this 1.2 mile flat wooden boardwalk kept us above the swamp floor as the trail took us through pristine ancient Bald Cypress trees. This small piece of land has never been disrupted and the trees were towering above. Impressive! A spot to view nesting bald eagles has been there for years. A young eagle was in the nest this day stretching out his wings in anticipation of flight. Giant strangler figs “hugged” host trees to their eventual death. Natural history markers provided interesting information about the plants, trees, and animals in the park. No entrance fee required, donations are encouraged, and after this walk, you will feel compelled to give a few dollars to preserve this natural wonder!
Downtown Naples has the famous 5th Avenue. Every night a variety of dogs with their human companions are bustling along the sidewalks in front of the elegant restaurants and shopping. Very glamorous, well dressed clientele made for excellent people watching. High end dog boutiques offered every comfort imaginable at an unaffordable price. It’s so busy we needed Rico’s stroller to keep him safe. Many restaurants along this strip had outdoor dog friendly seating. On our way home from a very active and busy day, Rico sat in his center console seat while his head slowly bobbed downward – He was falling asleep sitting up!