Upcoming trip to Fort Myers,Florida

bdtex

Major General
★★ Sr. Moderator
Silver Patron
Annual Winner
Regtl. Quartermaster Chickamauga 2018 Vicksburg 2019
Joined
Jul 21, 2015
Location
Texas
Spouse and I are going to Fort Myers,Florida in June. Probably leaving extremely early on Wednesday 6/19 and stopping in Mobile for the rest of the day. Been through Mobile many times travelling to and from Florida,but only stopped for gas a few times. Only gonna have that Wednesday afternoon in Mobile for sightseeing. Plan to stay in a Hampton Inn on the bay and visit Magnolia Cemetery and Mobile National Cemetery. Time permitting, a run to Blakely State Park is on the radar too.

Leaving early Thursday morning 6/20 for Fort Myers and we'll be there from Thursday afternoon - noon Sunday 6/23. It's not a Civil War sightseeing visit but I have found a few things to see. There are a coupla monuments there,a historical marker for the Battle of Fort Myers and supposedly some CW artifacts in a museum there. If anyone knows of any other CW sites there,I'm all ears. Haven't checked for cemeteries there or closeby yet.

Leaving around noon on Sunday 6/23 and heading for Pensacola for the night. I'll have 4-5 hours on Monday morning 6/24 for CW sightseeing. Plan to visit Barrancas National Cemetery and Fort Pickens. Not sure if there will be time to go to Fort Barrancas too in the time allotted. Definitely plan more visits to Pensacola and Mobile in the future.
 
Spouse and I are going to Fort Myers,Florida in June. Probably leaving extremely early on Wednesday 6/19 and stopping in Mobile for the rest of the day. Been through Mobile many times travelling to and from Florida,but only stopped for gas a few times. Only gonna have that Wednesday afternoon in Mobile for sightseeing. Plan to stay in a Hampton Inn on the bay and visit Magnolia Cemetery and Mobile National Cemetery. Time permitting, a run to Blakely State Park is on the radar too.

Leaving early Thursday morning 6/20 for Fort Myers and we'll be there from Thursday afternoon - noon Sunday 6/23. It's not a Civil War sightseeing visit but I have found a few things to see. There are a coupla monuments there,a historical marker for the Battle of Fort Myers and supposedly some CW artifacts in a museum there. If anyone knows of any other CW sites there,I'm all ears. Haven't checked for cemeteries there or closeby yet.

Leaving around noon on Sunday 6/23 and heading for Pensacola for the night. I'll have 4-5 hours on Monday morning 6/24 for CW sightseeing. Plan to visit Barrancas National Cemetery and Fort Pickens. Not sure if there will be time to go to Fort Barrancas too in the time allotted. Definitely plan more visits to Pensacola and Mobile in the future.
Go see the Edison estate in Fort Myers—not CW but very cool
 
Enjoy. Natural Bridge Battlefield, small battle where the Confederates frustrated a Federal attempt to capture Tallahassee in March 1865, is located a little southeast of the city. Used to be some good seashell hunting on Sanibel Island, but it's been many years.
 
Enjoy. Natural Bridge Battlefield, small battle where the Confederates frustrated a Federal attempt to capture Tallahassee in March 1865, is located a little southeast of the city. Used to be some good seashell hunting on Sanibel Island, but it's been many years.
Visited Natural Bridge on February 2nd this year and posted a thread about it here in The Traveler's Companion.
 
The Southwest Florida Military Museum and Library is just across the Caloosahatchee River inlet at Cape Coral, FL. https://www.veterans-foundation.org/military-museum/
Ive never been there, but it looks like it might be worth checking out. At 34,000 sq ft, its the largest military museum in Southwest Florida. :thumbsup:
 
The Southwest Florida Military Museum and Library is just across the Caloosahatchee River inlet at Cape Coral, FL. https://www.veterans-foundation.org/military-museum/
Ive never been there, but it looks like it might be worth checking out. At 34,000 sq ft, its the largest military museum in Southwest Florida. :thumbsup:
Thank you ma'am. I saw that earlier today. Gonna check it out some more. Might have time for that on Friday 6/21.
 
I grew up in Sarasota, about 75 miles north of Ft. Myers.
My first suggestion is to visit the Gamble Mansion, between Tampa and Bradenton. Confederate Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin stayed there on his way to Cuba at the end of the war. Neat place.
You might want to get a copy of Florida's Peace River Frontier, by Canter Brown Jr. It has a good bit of information about the Civil War in SW Florida. When you cross the Manatee River at Bradenton, imagine the Union gunboats cruising by on their raids up the river.
Lastly, I strongly recommend the Dade Battlefield, just off I-75 about 30 minutes north of Tampa. It's not a CW site, but the site of the massacre of over a hundred US troops by the Seminoles in 1836. Really a great place to visit. You might want to read Dade's Last Command, by Laumer. If you do, you won't be able to drive past the battlefield without stopping.
On a personal side note regarding the Edison estate, it is also worth a visit. My great grandmother used to visit Mrs. Edison there for afternoon tea in the 1920's. I still have family in Ft. Myers.
 
My first suggestion is to visit the Gamble Mansion, between Tampa and Bradenton. Confederate Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin stayed there on his way to Cuba at the end of the war. Neat place.
Thanks for that suggestion. I will look into that. I read about his and Gen. Breckenridge's escape to Cuba years ago.
 
Thanks for that suggestion. I will look into that. I read about his and Gen. Breckenridge's escape to Cuba years ago.
My pleasure.
Beware of the massive development along the west coast from Tampa down to Ft. Myers. It used to be a nice area, but is now a monster. I think everyone from up north has moved to Florida in the past 25 years. I refer to it as "The Second Wave of Carpetbaggers." Is anyone left in Yankeeland?
 
My pleasure.
Beware of the massive development along the west coast from Tampa down to Ft. Myers. It used to be a nice area, but is now a monster. I think everyone from up north has moved to Florida in the past 25 years. I refer to it as "The Second Wave of Carpetbaggers." Is anyone left in Yankeeland?
Sightseeing time while in Fort Myers will be limited to probably sunrise - 4pm on Friday 6/21. Friday evening - Sunday morning is pretty booked. I read yesterday that there is/was a Southwest Florida Museum of History in Fort Myers that had/has a Civil War exhibit but the website link and phone number I found don't work. That's never a good sign.
 
So I went online on Friday and made us a reservation for Wednesday 6/19 at a hotel on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. Got a bayview room with a balcony looking westward. I am already thinking about leaving a day earlier and staying there 2 nights. :D
 
Back
Top