Naples, FL 10-20-14

If you wish to join us on this trip, click on the button to open and print the reservation form. Remember to tell us if you wish to travel on the same bus with friends so that we can be sure to accommodate your request.

After a good night's rest and a hearty breakfast, we'll head home, stopping at North Jetty Beach on Casey Key where you can simply relax for an hour or enjoy watching the fisherman trawling the fast-moving channel. We will proceed 7 miles up Casey Key Road to catch glimpses of the luxurious homes of millionaires, including Stephen King and Martina Navratilova. Our buses will use a 1923 single lane swing bridge to proceed north for lunch in Sarasota at Geckos with its spacious patio overlooking a water feature. At 10,000 square feet, it hints of retro Sarasota and old Florida--high open ceilings, brick walls, marble bar and tables, rattan tropical furniture, elaborate ceiling fans and rich chocolate hues make patrons feel like they have stepped back in time. After lunch we will return to The Villages at about 5:30 pm.

Tempted ??????

Cost for Naples' 4-day/3-night trip at Inn at Pelican Bay:

$89 a night (plus 10% tax) for a city view with a king or two double beds.
$99 a night (plus 10% tax) for lake view with balcony with king bed (plus sleeper sofa) or two doubles.
$20 per night for a third guest in the king room.

There is also a $12 per night, per room, resort fee which covers a "hot deluxe breakfast" each morning (including make-your-own waffles) served lakeside, WI-FI in rooms, free shuttle to Vanderbilt Beach, terry robes, afternoon cookies, national newspapers, fitness and business centers, and beach towels. Reservations can be cancelled by October 16 with no hotel penalty. After October 16, there is a one-night room charge (plus tax) penalty. All hotel reservations must be made personally by club members by calling the Inn at 1-800-597-8770 and identifying yourself as a BBC member.

Transportation - The cost of the 4-day bus trip is $93. That includes a significant number of customized drives, gas, parking and tolls, on/off loading of your luggage and beach equipment, the bus drivers' rooms and tips, and your breakfast snacks and refreshment on Day 1.

Cancellations - Please visit our Policies page for cancellation policies related to the trip transportation fee and hotel reservations for this trip.

On our third day in Naples, you may choose to enjoy a free day on your own, or use our buses to get to various locations including :

Lowdermilk Beach
Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary on the western shore of the Everglades
Third Street South shopping and dining venue
The Mercato's luxurious Silverspot movie theater for a "date night"
Tin City--wander through a colorful maritime-mix of eateries and more than 40 eclectic shops where you will be offered merchandise and mementos unlike any other
the Tin City dock where a 2-hour sunset cruise ($) departs, or
hop on/hop off Naples Trolley Tour.

(Close your eyes and ears momentarily, gentlemen.) There are also many shops here, ladies, one of which "Best of Everything" at 747 5th Avenue South, comes highly recommended and apparently--you can open your eyes and ears now, gentlemen--is less expensive than most!

That evening, we will visit 5th Avenue South in Old Naples where beautiful banyan trees line the avenues. This shopping and dining district combines a historic main street feel with modern sophistication. You can indulge in gourmet meals at any of 32 unique restaurants. (Hope you're not the indecisive type or we might never see you again!) To get a head start on deciding which restaurant might appeal to you, consider visiting the following website: http://www.fifthavenuesouth.com/category/business_-directory/cafes-restaurants-markets/

The next day after breakfast, Publix will deliver to our hotel your personally selected box lunch (sandwich, chips, cookie and drink--approx. $8) to take to the Delnor-Wiggins Park where we'll spend a lovely day on the beach. Although there is a food concession at that park, its menu is very limited.

After freshening up at the Inn, we will take a 3-minute drive to The Mercato, which offers 12 notable restaurants, over 20 upscale retailers, and entertainment. The restaurants include Capital Grille, McCormick & Schmidts, AZN Azian Cuizine, The Rusty Bucket, Stage 62 Deli, Chipotle, 345 Caffe Italiano, and The Pub Naples.

We have been offered rooms with plush bedding and furniture for $89 or $99 (plus tax) depending on the view. There is also a mandatory $12 resort fee per room per day which covers a "hot deluxe breakfast" each morning served lakeside, WI-FI in rooms, free shuttle to Vanderbilt Beach, terry robes, afternoon cookies, national newspapers, fitness and business centers, and beach towels (saving space in your luggage for souvenirs).

After you receive e-mail confirmation that you are confirmed for this trip, call the Inn at 1-800-597-8770 and identify yourself as being a member of the Barefoot Beachcombers Club. You can cancel your hotel room without penalty until

October 16, 2014.

Enjoy looking at additional tempting photos of this Inn by visiting this site: http://www.innatpelicanbay.com/gallery.php

and your lovely room.

You might want to brush the sand off your feet before entering the elegant lobby ...

The Inn at Pelican Bay

Oh yeah, there's a popular beach there too!

How does a 3-night stay in beautiful, sophisticated Naples, Florida, sound to you ????

Before all those loving family members begin arriving for the holidays to exhaust both your energy and your finances, treat yourself to 3 nights in Naples for some advance R&R. On Monday, October 20, we will travel from The Villages to Ft. Myers (FM), stopping along the way for a club-provided breakfast snack at a shaded picnic grove, giving us the opportunity to flex our knees, necks, backs, and to meet new friends.

Back aboard, we will proceed to FM's Times Square, saturated with restaurants, shops, and things to do, reminiscent of the Atlantic Coast boardwalks.