Loosely known as Southwest Florida, the region around Fort Myers goes to extremes. To the south, it holds some of Florida's most pristine and unique terrain in Everglades National Park and peripheral preserve lands, which in fact are part of the whole Everglades ecosystem, as much of South Florida is. At its northernmost, a heritage of circus performance gives way to a deep appreciation for the arts in Sarasota. Eastward, small-town America survives among fields of caladium, cattle ranches and Lake Okeechobee, one of the nation's biggest lakes. The western fringe is rimmed with shell-studded white sand beaches.

At the heart of it all beats Fort Myers, saturated with the kind of history that involves name-dropping: Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Charles Lindbergh and Harvey Firestone, to drop a few. Once a humble cow town along the path to cattle-baron riches, Fort Myers holds dear its historic memories and natural treasures.

Thomas Edison discovered Fort Myers as a cure for what ailed him, built a winter home and set up shop. He planted a garden full of exotics, including a banyan tree that has now reached 450 feet in diameter.

Heritage Highlights

 Thomas Edison discovered Fort Myers as a cure for what ailed him, built a winter home and set up shop. He planted a garden full of exotics, including a banyan tree that has now reached 450 feet in diameter, partly to find raw materials for his experiments and those of his friend, tire mogul Harvey Firestone. He persuaded another pal, Henry Ford, to build next door to him. The Edison-Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd., remain a monument to the genius behind America's modernization. It also contains Edison's lab-away-from-home and rare-plant garden, a museum of his inventions, and the Friendship Gate that passed between the two homes. Hours: 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Mon. - Sat.; Noon - 5:30 p.m., Sun. Call (239) 334-3614.

South on Highway 41, the town of Estero opens up a quirky world of bygone intrigue at Koreshan State Historic Site, U.S. 41 at Corkscrew Rd., where a religious cult at the turn of the last century built its utopia on the banks of the Estero River. The cult's religion embraced gardening, arts and weird science. Members believed the world clung to the inside of a sphere, rather than the outside. Its legacy was exotic gardens, culture, beauty, and a celebration of the universe carried on today by solstice festivals and other events held in the park. Hours: 8 a.m. - sunset, daily. Call (239) 992-0311.


Nature Trek

 Summerlin Avenue leads to Sanibel Island, popular as a beach and shelling resort, but more importantly for its J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, 1 Wildlife Dr., which protects more than half of the island for the benefit of the environment. "Ding," with its impressive education center, wildlife drive and trails, exposes visitors to the subtle beauty of the wetlands, home to hundreds of bird species, manatees, bobcats, river otters, alligators and one stubborn crocodile that refuses to be relocated. Refuge hours: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m., Sat. - Thurs.; Education Center hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Nov. - Apr., daily; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., May - Oct., daily. Call (239) 472-1100.

The waters of Estero Bay, to the south, are known for their dolphin population. Get a water-level perspective with a canoeing or kayaking adventure at Lovers Key State Park, south of Fort Myers Beach on Route 865. It is part of the 40-mile Great Calusa Blueway paddling trail. Hours: 8 a.m. - sunset, daily. Call (239) 463-4588.


Culture Quest

 Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd., is one of southwest Florida's most entertaining destinations. The main dining room accommodates 450 guests and features eight professional theatrical productions each season with an award-winning buffet. The Off Broadway Palm Theatre is a 90-seat general admission black box theatre featuring exciting musical revues and comedies October - May. Call (239) 278-4422 for its current schedule.