Naples, Florida

With its subtropical climate and beckoning family-friendly beaches, the Lower Gulf Coast, also referred to as the state's southwestern region, is a favorite vacation spot of Florida residents as well as visitors. There's lots to do in addition to the sun and surf scene throughout its several distinct travel destinations. Small and pretty downtown Fort Myers rises inland along the Caloosahatchee River, while the rest of the town sprawls in all directions. It got its nickname, the City of Palms, from the hundreds of towering royal palms that inventor Thomas Edison planted between 1900 and 1917 along McGregor Boulevard, a historic residential street and site of his winter estate. Edison's idea caught on, and more than 2,000 royal palms now line McGregor Boulevard alone. Museums and educational attractions are the draw here, as downtown diligently tries to shape itself as an entertainment district and makes slow but sure headway. Off the coast west of Fort Myers are more than 100 coastal islands in all shapes and sizes -- among them Sanibel and Captiva, two thoughtfully developed resort islands. Connected to the mainland by a 3-mi causeway, Sanibel is known for its superb shelling, fine fishing, beachfront resorts, and wildlife refuge. Here and on Captiva, to which it is connected by a short bridge, multimillion-dollar homes line both waterfronts, but the gulf beaches are readily accessible. Just southwest of Fort Myers is Estero Island, home of busy Fort Myers Beach, and farther south, Lovers Key State Park and the growing area north of Naples, Bonita Springs. North of Fort Myers, Punta Gorda is the center of a fishing-frenzied vacationland that remains a well-kept secret.

Farther down the coast lies Naples, once a small fishing village and now a thriving and sophisticated town, a smaller, more understated version of Palm Beach with fine restaurants, chichi shopping areas, and -- locals will tell you -- more golf holes per capita than anywhere else in the world. There's a lovely small art museum in the 1,473-seat Naples Philharmonic Center, which is the west-coast home of the Miami City Ballet. The beaches are soft and white, and access is relatively easy. East of Naples stretch the Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park, and a half hour south basks Marco Island, which people visit mostly for beaches and fishing. See a maze of pristine miniature mangrove islands when you take a boat tour departing from the island's marinas into Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Although high-rises line much of Marco's waterfront, natural areas have been preserved, including the tiny fishing village of Goodland, an outpost of Old Florida that is starting to sprout condos at its fringes.