Resting on the Gulf Coast of southernFlorida, Naples is renowned for its white-

sand beaches and rolling green fairways. Butthere’s much more to this sophisticated vacation city than

surf and golf. We asked local experts for their top picks —where to eat, shop, explore, and more — in this oasis by the sea.

THE LOCAL TAKE:Naples, Florida By Joshua PramisG

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SHARON KENNYFOOD CRITICSharon Kenny is a restaurantreviewer for SouthwestFlorida’s The News-Press.

Hidden Gems “Some of ourgreatest restaurants are inunassuming little strip malls,like Jimmy P’s Charred. Withthe butcher shop right nextdoor, you can be sure theyserve the freshest and highestquality meat in his restaurant!”

Locally Sourced “There are afew farmers markets in Naples,but I love the one in OldNaples on Third Street South.”

Naples Staples Old Naplesis “where you find some of thebest restaurants like Sea Salt,The Continental, andCampiello, plus the very firstTommy Bahama restaurantand store”. �

Dinner for Two “One of myfavorite areas in Naples isCrayton Cove around the City Dock. There are a fewcasual restaurants and lots of galleries in this very prettyneighborhood, but my favoriteis Bleu Provence. It’s the mostromantic restaurant in Naples.”

Day-trip: Swamp Safari “Ifyou’re up for adventure, thereare lots of places along[Highway 41] that offer airboator swamp buggy rides. I likeWooten’s [Everglades AirboatTours] because they also havea live alligator show and youcan even hold a babyalligator!” (:45 from Naples)

ELAINE REED HISTORY BUFFElaine Reed is president andCEO of the Naples HistoricalSociety.

Explore on Foot “The bestarea for walking is in theNaples Historic District. Thestreets and alleys are as theywere originally platted in1888!”

History in a Half Block “Thetwo most iconic historicalsites are The Naples Pier �and Historic Palm Cottage.They happen to be a halfblock from each other, so it’san easy stroll to enjoy both.”

Real Estate Envy “EleventhAvenue South is home towhat the [Naples Historical]Society refers to as ‘CottageRow.’ There are manyrestored houses in this areaand [they] are visuallypleasing to the eye.”

Go-To Dish “I enjoy ‘fruits’from the sea. The Chilean seabass from USS Nemo’s is oneof my all-time favorites.”

Day-trip: Gator Feast “Notrip to southwest Florida iscomplete without a trip toChokoloskee! Feast onalligator and return to Naplesfor an evening after-dinnerdrink while watching the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico.(1:00)

JO-ANN SANBORNLANDSCAPE ARTISTJo-Ann Sanborn is an award-winning painter based onMarco Island, Florida.

Get the Backstory “I love theMarco Island HistoricalMuseum for exhibits about thehistory of southwest Florida.”

Public Art “One of myfavorites is the large glasssculpture outside of theparking garage on EighthStreet. � It changes colorwith the movement of trafficand pedestrians.”

Moment of Peace Head to“the end of Tigertail Beach.Early in the morning, with thesun coming up, it feels like youare the only person on Earthand it’s 5,000 years ago.”

Galleries Galore “BothMarco Island Center for theArts and Naples’ Von Liebig[Art Center] have monthlygallery exhibitions andwonderful gift shops. I have apublic studio/gallery on theEsplanade on Marco and lovevisitors!”

Day-trip: One With Nature“My inspiration for paintingcomes from the Everglades,so I highly recommend a trip.You can visit Audubon’sCorkscrew SwampSanctuary, Rookery BayEnvironmental [Learning]Center, or take a walk on theMarsh Trail.” (:20 – :50)

JENNIFER ADAMSLIFESTYLE BLOGGERJennifer Adams is the voicebehind The New Naples, awebsite geared toward youngresidents.

Shop for a Cause “Theunofficial Design District indowntown Naples is fun; it’s acluster of home decorboutiques along 10th StreetNorth, many of which areresale shops whose salesbenefit local charities.”

Oh-So-Florida Fashion“Breezy tunics and colorfulresort wear that easilytransition from beach todinner are musts in southwestFlorida. C. Orrico � andTickled Pink … are go-tospots for these.”

See and Be Seen “ThirdStreet South is beautiful —lined with trees and historicbuildings from the 1930s. It’sgreat for people-watchingand window-shopping.”

BLTs for Brunch “Theatmosphere [at The BayHouse] is like none other…and the menu ispredominantly seafood with aSouthern feel. My go-to menuitem is the Sea BLT.”

Day-trip: Boca Grande “It’sthe quintessential Old Floridabeach town. Everyone getsaround on golf carts, there’sfresh seafood everywhereyou go, and nothing iscookie-cutter.” (1:50)

Get to the GulfMake an exchange or buy a

Getaway at IntervalWorld.com.

Getaways start at $779.The Getaway price is valid

June 1 through August 31, 2016.

50 INTERVAL WORLD � Spring 2016 IntervalWorld.com

The Insiders

AREA RESORT Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Naples (HTW)Centered around a lush tropical courtyard, Hawthorn Suites features an outdoor heated pool, whirlpool spa,putting green, exercise facility, and barbecue area. Guests can enjoy a daily complimentary hot-breakfast buffetand happy hour Monday through Thursday.

To view all of the Naples-area resorts in Interval’s network, go to IntervalWorld.com.

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