Myakka River State Park

Photo by Terry Lineberger

Myakka River State Park is one of Florida's oldest state parks. Its namesake river is one of only two rivers in the state to have a "Florida Wild and Scenic River" designation. This designation preserves the 34-mile portion of the river in Sarasota County, particularly the basin of lakes and marshes that the river flows through.

Photo by Terry Lineberger

Wildlife sightings may include alligators, manatees, turtles and wading birds, as well as bald eagles, ospreys, sandhill cranes and other shore birds depending upon the time of year you visit.

Photo by Terry Lineberger

The Canopy Walkway was inspired by Dr. Margaret Lowman, a former director of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, who saw Florida's forests as imperiled as many of the rainforests she studied and wanted to use the same methods to study and conserve Florida's ecosystems. It consists of a suspension bridge 85 feet long and 25 feet high and a tower reaching a height of 74 feet high.

Photo by Terry Lineberger

A visitor center provides more information about the park and a concession is available for air boat rides, tram tours, canoe and kayak rentals, bike rentals, food, books and souvenirs. Picnic areas, two campgrounds, log cabins, playgrounds, ranger programs and special events are also on site.

The park is located nine miles east of I-75 at 13208 State Road 72, Sarasota, Florida and  is open 365 days from 8:00 am until sunset with an entrance fee of $6.00 per vehicle for 2 to 8 persons.

Holocaust Boxcar

First Assembly of God in Fort Myers recently hosted a Holocaust Boxcar as part of The Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest's Florida's Boxcar Transportation and Education Project. This box car travels to area schools to educate students about the Holocaust and to support the Museum's mission of "promoting  tolerance and understanding by teaching the history and lessons of the Holocaust."

This boxcar was originally built in 1919 and was restored in 2008 with approximately 75% of the original wood and most of the original metal. These small, cramped boxcars with no heat or air and no bathroom carried up to100 people at a time to the Nazi concentration camps.

In addition to the Boxcar, the Museum has over 1,000 artifacts and photographs chronicling the rise of Nazism to the Allied Liberation and Nuremberg Trials, with many items donated by local survivors. The Museum is located at 4760 Tamiami Trail N in Naples, Florida and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm, except for holidays including the day after Thanksgiving. Admission is listed as $8 for adults and $3 for students ages 12-18. Due to the nature of the exhibits, student visits under the age of 12 are not recommended and require parent permission.

Please visit their web site for more information and may we, both individually and as a nation, never forget.

Fort Myers River District

Atomic Clock  - Centennial Park

The Fort Myers River District is the result of years of historical restoration projects, new construction projects and major road and street-scape projects to revitalize the downtown area. Downtown Fort Myers had been in a state of decline with many decaying buildings abandoned in the1980s and 1990s until redevelopment began and it was renamed the River District.

Edison Bridge Light

Many historical buildings have been restored including the Arcade Theatre, Bradford building, the Dean building, the DeLeon Building, the Earnhardt building, the Gwynne Institute, the old Lee County Courthouse, as well as, the old post office, which was transformed into the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center. Additionally, some of the original lights from the old Edison Bridge were moved to the pier at Centennial Park.


Color-coded maps are available online and at local venues listing an eclectic mix of cultural and historical attractions, boutiques, entertainment, restaurants, retail shops and services. A self-guided tour to the free public art and parks is also available with monuments and landmarks described and numbered on a map, including the Uncommon Friends Fountain, with Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone and a few Florida natives, shown below.