A (mostly) Kids' Guide to Naples, Marco Island & The Everglades

The Second Edition of A (mostly) Kids’ Guide to Naples, Marco Island &The Everglades is a roadmap to regional discovery and fun like no other, featuring both indoor attractions and outdoor adventures for school-age kids, parents and grandparents, as well as teachers, armchair travelers and even adults on their own.

Written by an award-winning travel journalist, this outrageously colorful 80-page family guidebook features Seminole Indian reservations and cowboy ranches…a children’s museum and discovery centers… wild swamp expeditions and fancy sailing yachts, an extraordinary botanical garden, and family-friendly theater stages, remote islands, spectacular beach parks, and a gazillion other experiences, from sophisticated Naples to the wilds of the Ten Thousand Islands.

From the very first chapter: "Everything You Need to Know: Some of it is Quite Weird,” to a section featuring annual festivals, parades and unique happenings, every page is a visual feast, combining practical ideas and inside tips on free things to do with freaky factoids, fascinating legends and hilarious quizzes. 

Several spokes-creatures, including Marigold the loggerhead turtle, Freckles the hermit crab, a roseate spoonbill named Rosie, and Marrrge the Pie-rat jump into the conversation, dispensing insightful, intelligent (and often impertinent) commentary and ideas.  

In this guidebook one will encounter the unexpected, such as a real-life polka-dotted, walking fish with lipstick, seashells hanging on trees, and even a kid-friendly geocache filled with dinosaur poop. 

Unlike typical guidebooks, no valuable space is wasted on hours and directions. Instead, the author provides a handy listing of websites and telephone numbers for the regional, state and national parks, tourist bureaus, and the 150-plus attractions, outfitters and resources mentioned in the book. 

Travelers who enjoy this book will also want the equally exciting companion book, A (mostly) Kids’ Guide to Sanibel & Captiva Islands and the Fort Myers Coast.  Readers will be captivated by Bartlett's deep sense of place and humorous style, as she writes from the perspective as a travel journalist, a storyteller and a mom. Each book is a must for anyone planning a visit to Florida, as well as newcomers and locals who want to discover more exciting things to do and see in their own backyard.