Tuesday I drove to Marco Island, south of Naples. Many people have suggested a trip there, and many others have never been and have always wanted to go. My advice: don't bother. Other than a few luxury homes, I didn't see where the island had much to offer.
My first stop was Tigertail Beach, one of 2 public beaches on the island. After paying $8 to park (I felt so bad for others who were arriving when I left, that I gave my pass to a young mother and her small daughter), I walked along the boardwalk to reach the beach only to find it was a lagoon where you could rent water craft. To reach the actual Gulf beach, you had to walk about another quarter mile. There were few shells and absolutely no birds other than one pelican.
After a couple hours on the beach, I left the park and drove to Stilts, an "elevated" restaurant at the Marriott Hotel on South Collier Boulevard. Only 4 tables had a great view of the Gulf, so I chose to sit at the bar and get my view over other customers' heads. My Terryaki burger was decent.
After lunch I drove the rest of the way around the island, taking a short cruise through a neighborhood of some beautiful luxury homes. After a half hour of that and I was back to the causeway and the bridge off the island.
Sanibel Island outshines Marco Island by leaps and bounds, and is just a short drive from my home here. Sanibel = 1, Marco Island =0.
