Articles

Navigating Through Southwest Florida’s Seven Distinctive Enclaves

Explore Southwest Florida's Natural Wonders

Southwest Florida is known for pairing the fun in the sun lifestyle with hand-crafted cocktails and culinary delights! Bartenders of the favorite spots around town plated up their favorite duos as part of sharing Local Flavors of the sunshine state.

Southwest Florida: A Golfer's Paradise

Southwest Florida Rebuilds And Renews With Robust Vigor And Freshness

Vandy Major has worked throughout Southwest Florida as a photojournalist, event photographer and portrait specialist since 2004. Her work has been published regularly in Florida Weekly since 2010. She has covered more than 3,000 community events, from red carpet galas to fund-raising fishing tournaments, and has received first-place awards from the Florida Press Association and national level recognition for her tourism magazine covers. Until Hurricane Ian destroyed her longtime home, she lived on Fort Myers Beach, which is where, pre-storm, she took these photos.

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Dennis Goodman’s photographs have been published in Gulfshore Life, Portfolio, Naples Scene, Marco Scene, Island Scene, Kiplinger and Connections magazines. His accolades include Nature’s Best Photography, National Audubon Photography and Epson Pano Awards, along with many individual show awards. A Naples resident since 1985, Mr. Goodman developed his love and appreciation for nature while growing up in Minnesota. “As with so many things in life, your environment greatly influences your perspective,” he says. Clockwise from top: a fallen tree at Wiggins Pass State Park; a resplendent roseate spoonbill on Fort Myers Beach (taken as Mr. Goodman stretched out on his belly in the mud); and a snowy egret he calls “Big Bird.”

Longtime Naples resident and recently retired Peggy Farren now lives in Port Charlotte and is delighting in discovering the many parks and trails there. One of her favorites is Charlotte Harbor State Park, above. “You really feel like you are out in the middle of nowhere,” she says. Before it was blown away by Hurricane Ian, she also loved the Cape Romano Dome House, right. She first visited the six abandoned modules in 2015 and soon was leading photo tours to the locally famous curiosity in the Ten Thousand Islands. Hurricane Irma took the first two domes out in 2017; Ian finished the job last September. “I’m so happy that not only did I get to see the house so many times, but that I could bring so many others there to enjoy and photograph it,” she says.

Polish-born Marco Island resident Mila Bridger has a body of work that includes fine art and fantastical portrait photography shot around the world as well commercial work for numerous magazines. When not on assignment closer to home, she takes her camera along wherever she goes, but especially enjoys photographing nature and wildlife in her own backyard (the burrowing owl) and while trail riding with her husband in the Fakahatchee Strand (top), Big Cypress National Preserve and other vast expanses in the Everglades. They often pass the Ochopee Post Office (above) on the way to a trail. “It’s amazing how much nature you can see that is raw and untouched,” she says, adding her adventures often require a permit and a vehicle inspection.