Saturday Jan. 14
Julie and I wake, and I make a banana/strawberry smoothie for us to share, and we complete the breakfast with some oatmeal and fruit. We head over to the Edison/Ford Winter Estates, and take the full guided tour for $25 apiece. You can also do a self-guided tour for $20, but the extra $5 is well worth it, and I recommend it if you ever go. Our tour guide, Larry, was full of little stories and historical tidbits that you don’t get otherwise. Larry guided us for about an hour, then we were left on our own with these compact audio devices that were keyed to numbers that were posted at various points along the estates. You just punched in the number on your audio device, push the “play” button, and hold the device up to your ear to listen.
I say “estates” because Edison purchased the original estate in 1885, and Ford did not purchase the adjoining property until 1916. Edison was only 38 years old when he bought the property, but was already suffering from several ailments, and his doctor recommend he move to a warmer climate (from New Jersey) during the winter months. In addition to his winter home for he and wife, Mina, he set up a laboratory on the property, mostly to research plants from which rubber (mostly for tires) could be extracted. Fort Myers had just been established as a frontier town that same year (1885) and was pretty remote and could be reached mainly by boat, since the railroad and horse trails ended further north at Punta Gorda. Edison paid $2,700 for the 13 acre parcel, and many called him a fool, since nearby property was selling for around $25/acre. But he liked the property, probably because the only navigatible "road" in the town was a cattle trail that cut through the middle of the property, which is now McGregor Blvd. (the "main drag" to and from downtown Ft. Myers lined on either side with Royal Palm trees). When Edison finished the estate in 1887, it was the first home in Florida to be electrified. When he turned on the switch, the entire population of Ft. Myers came to the estate to witness the spectacle – all 350 of them.
The museum at the estate contains many of Edison’s inventions over the years – some of them very successful, and others which never caught on … like the electric pen. All in all, a very interesting tour, and I highly recommend this if you get down here. One feature of the estate is the long pier, which stretches out onto the Caloosahatchee River, which is an estuary (part fresh/part salt water) that separates Ft. Myers from Cape Coral and eventually empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The pier is in rough shape and needs to be restored, and is closed to the public. But I thought it made an interesting picture, especially framed by the arbor that is in front of it. This may very well end up on one of my walls back home:
I should also mention the Banyan tree on the estate. Sister-in-law Karen mentioned this to me after reading the entry for the day and said it's worth mentioning. The Banyan tree was a gift to Edison by Harvey Firestone iin 1925. The tree stood 4 feet tall at the time. Edison planted it, and tended to it because it was one the plants that produced a sap that could be made into rubber. Now it has grown to cover approximately one acre (and still growing!), and is reputed to be the largest Banyan tree in the continental United States. (The largest in the U.S. is in Lahaina on the Hawaiian Island of Maui.)
After the estate, Julie and I had a late lunch/early dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack, the scene of my date earlier with Catwoman. It was close to the estate, and the food was good, so I decided that was as good a place as any to eat. We both ordered an “eastern shore platter” which consisted of a crab cake, two pieces of batter fried fish, and about six crab-stuffed shrimp. We split a side a hush puppies. I had ice tea, while Julie had water. It was all very good, although I have to say that if you ever go to Joe’s, the steamed and broiled items on the menu are a better bet than the deep fried battered stuff. We both thought the batter on the fish was a little heavy and greasy.
After the estate, Julie and I had a late lunch/early dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack, the scene of my date earlier with Catwoman. It was close to the estate, and the food was good, so I decided that was as good a place as any to eat. We both ordered an “eastern shore platter” which consisted of a crab cake, two pieces of batter fried fish, and about six crab-stuffed shrimp. We split a side a hush puppies. I had ice tea, while Julie had water. It was all very good, although I have to say that if you ever go to Joe’s, the steamed and broiled items on the menu are a better bet than the deep fried battered stuff. We both thought the batter on the fish was a little heavy and greasy.
Back to the condo, and Julie and I enjoyed a quiet evening of reading, knitting, watching a little TV, and playing with kitties. I also found a channel on Pandora called “Celtic Thunder” which Julie enjoyed very much. In addition to music from that group, the channel also plays a variety of other Irish music.
I also get an interesting email from Catwoman. She is a former massage therapist (with some pretty impressive credentials), and she wants to know if Julie and I would each like a full body massage performed at the condo as her “welcome” gift to us. She will bring her portable massage table to the condo, along with all necessarily supplies. All I have to is supply the background music. This is quite an intriguing proposal to say the least, so I phone her and tell her I will propose it to Julie and see what she says.
Expenses today: $30 Edison Estate, $30 dinner at Joes. Total: $60.
Bruce
No comments:
Post a Comment