Have family in town for Spring Break? We’ve gathered together some ideas to entertain the young and not so young!

Your Boat Club at Park Shore Marina 

This is a relatively new location for Your Boat Club, the multi-state enterprise that specializes in boat-sharing memberships and rentals across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Florida.

YBC started up last year at Venetian Village with boats for renters and members to enjoy. Their current fleet includes Gastron Runabouts and flat-bottomed Southbay 224 pontoon boats available for morning, afternoon, full day and multi-day rental. You can take boats as far north as Bonita Springs and as far south as Marco Island.

Please call 239-236-2720 or click YBC to reserve. GSAC Newsletter readers can benefit from a 20% discount by using this code: GSAC20. The offer expires March 31, 2025.

Family Make-and-Take Workshop

The Baker museum is offering a free family workshop on March 12, 2025 providing young ones with an opportunity to make their own unique mixed media sculptures using some of the styles and techniques from a featured exhibition at the Museum.

The workshop takes place from 2–4pm in the John and Jeanne Rowe Performance and Learning Center. No need to reserve a place, just come along. Participation is free with museum admission.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Fancy a walk with benefits? Visitors to the Audubon Society’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary can stroll along a 2.25 mile boardwalk at their leisure, taking in the sights and sounds of the swamp and a wilderness that’s around 600 years old. The trail meanders through pine flatwood, wet prairie, around a marsh, and finally into the largest old-growth bald cypress forest in North America.

The forest is home to hundreds of alligators, otters, white-tailed deer, and red-bellied turtles although seeing them is not guaranteed. Boardwalk Naturalists wearing khaki-colored uniforms are usually on hand to answer questions and identify the wide variety of resident wading birds, songbirds and raptors.

You can download a high-resolution PDF copy of the boardwalk map or buy a guide to Wildlife & Habitats at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary online or in the Nature Store at the Blair Visitor Center which houses a number of exhibits.

Corkscrew Sanctuary is located at 375 Sanctuary Road W. and is open from 8am daily, with last admissions at 3pm through April 30. The Cafe is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. General admission is $17, 6-14yo $6.

Please bear in mind that keeping hydrated is essential, but no food is allowed on the boardwalk.

Loop Road Scenic Drive

If you are prepared to venture further afield, take US 41 and head 50 miles east and you’ll find the starting point for the Loop Road Scenic Drive. The 24-mile, mostly gravel road, traverses the Big Cypress National Wildlife Preserve. Back in the day, this is where people who wanted to get away from civilization went.

The Loop starts at Monroe Station, one of the original buildings along Tamiami Trail, 15 miles east of the Big Cypress Swamp Welcome Center. The Loop ends at the 40-Mile Bend Check Station, 40 miles from Miami. The trip features the diverse wildlife of the cypress swamp so look out for alligators and the 30 species of snake that inhabit the preserve. Download this Loop Road guide from the National Park Service. It provides some history and mile-by-mile information.

You can also take advantage of multiple Ranger-led programs run by the Park Service, including canoeing, biking and hiking. Two hour “Wet Walks” through the swamp are family friendly on Sundays. Call the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center (239) 695-1168 to reserve your spot and for more information.

On the way home to Naples make sure to stop by the Clyde Butcher Big Cypress Gallery (52388 Tamiami Trail, mile marker 54.5). The gallery houses an impressive collection of photographs by the world-renowned landscape photographer and conservationist.

Entangled in Mangroves Exhibition

Entangled in the Mangroves (March 8-September 21) at the Baker Museum is a must-see for anyone interested in art, ecology and community. It features nine artists and one theme: the unique and diverse ecosystem of the Florida Everglades.  While highlighting the beauty and variety of the Everglades, the exhibition also hopes to draw attention to the climate challenges affecting these extensive wetlands and the need for their protection. Made up of drawings, paintings, photographs, sculptures and video installations, the exhibition is designed to engage visitors of all ages.  Located on the second floor of The Baker Museum. You can reserve tickets online at museum admission.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

This very popular parade (now the largest privately-funded parade in the state) draws over 40,000 people to downtown Naples each year to celebrate Irish heritage and Irish culture in America.

The 49th annual St Patrick’s Day parade begins at 11am on March 15, rain or shine at the corner of 3rd Street South and 10th Ave.  It turns East onto 5th Ave S and then East on 8th Street South to finish in front of the Naples City Hall. You may find it less crowded down around 8th Street.

The organizer, Naples St Patrick’s Foundation, has donated over $200,000 to support high school music programs and provide college scholarships in the last five years.