Gulf Getaway: Oasis in Condo-Land

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Never super-keen on the Gulf coast of Florida for no particularly discernible reasons except Miami, Palm Beach, and Amelia Island, I headed there for a quick stay on Marco Island with the Brawny Sherpa before pointing north to a family get-together in nearby Naples.

Someone recently asked me what city I’d live in if work and family ties were of no concern. The answers are easy: Key West before the big cruise ships; New Orleans prior to Katrina, Punta Gorda, Belize right now. It’s easy to see that I’m fleeing crowds when I want to get away. Would I be able to find some solitude so close to Naples?

I was fortunate to find a tiny inn on an island of beige condos for my Marco Island adventure. We managed to ditch the car and the traffic for a bit for an all-too-brief sojourn at the Lakeside Inn, where we had the pool and the lounge and the lake mostly to ourselves, although we gladly shared some space with the cats who live there. We were surprised, too, that despite all of that concrete so close to the beach, we had the space largely to ourselves late in the day. Restaurants were within walking distance, and we found ourselves reluctant to leave.

The unexpected privacy at the beach and the yellow confection of this little inn were just the salve we craved as we anticipated the brighter glare of traffic we’d encounter on our way to Naples.

—Lori Tripoli

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Planning a trip to the Gulf Coast of Florida? You might like these posts:

• Parking, Central, Hotel, Naples
• R & R, Nature and Nurture, on Sanibel
• Bubbling Good Times on Captiva Island
• Sanity on Sanibel

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