By Nanette Wiser
BERRY MERRY Shortcake lovers, don’t miss Plant City’s Strawberry Festival March 3-13 for the headline entertainment, youth livestock shows, rides, exhibits of commerce and strawberry desserts. With 500,000 visitors, it draws some top name acts including 2022’s Beach Boys, Lady A,Zach Williams, Cole Swindell, The Bellamy Brothers and more.
One of the top 40 fairs in North America, the event began back in 1930 when members of the newly organized Plant City Lions Club conceived the idea of an event to celebrate the bountiful harvest of strawberries. In 1948, American Legion Post #26 helped get the Florida Strawberry Festival reactivated following a six-year hiatus due to World War II. The Lions Club and other civic organizations have participated in the Festival ever since, celebrating the more than 10,000 acres of strawberries planted annually in the local area. www.flstrawberryfestival.com
If You Go Hotels: Ask about Festival deals at the nearby Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn & Suites. Nearby Attractions: Dinosaur World, Keel & Curley Winery (Strawberry Riesling, Wild Berry Pinot Noir) which also hosts jazz concerts, Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum and The Florida Air Museum. Plant City was named after railroad developer Henry Plant, not the strawberry plants! Don’t miss the Plant City Water Tower, built in the shape of a strawberry. Stop in at Fred’s Southern Kitchen for some home cooking.
NAPLES NATURE There’s so much new to discover at the expanded and newly re-opened Conservancy Nature Center in Naples. Explore hands-on activities, an Augmented Reality Wildlife Encounter, electric boat tours on the Gordon River, the updated Dalton Discovery Center and the John & Carol Walter Discovery Wing showcasing Invasive Species and Climate Change Galleries. Kids love the Touch Tank and Little Explorer Play Zone. Open Tues.-Sat. 9:30am-4pm.
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida was founded in 1964 by a small group of concerned citizens fighting to protect the natural beauty of our region and is now one of Florida’s largest and most respected environmental organizations. In addition to the Nature Center, their Environmental Science Department includes ecological research (Everglades, coastal and urban), monitoring programs, restoration initiatives, collaboration with universities and state and federal agencies and community outreach. www.conservancy.org/naturecenter
ROMANTIC RENDEZVOUS A staycation in Paradise on our Gulf beaches is just a kiss away, but if you need a total break from reality, drive to the Keys and book the ultimate adults-only vacay, Little Palm Island. Enjoy world-class cuisine and seafood, an indoor/outdoor spa, British West Indies design and thatched roof bungalows on a lush island with crushed seashell paths and verdant tropical foliage and wildlife. No televisions or telephones (Wi-Fi available) allow you to swim, snorkel and relax. Arrive by seaplane or the resort’s private boat, kicking off your journey with refreshing cocktails at the onshore reception and lounge, the Shore Station.
Book the Island Romance Suites, featuring a large, terraced deck with a copper outdoor tub and couples’ lounger. www.littlepalmisland.com
