Downtown Fort Myers, also known as the River District, forms the core of a city that stretches for miles south along the Caloosahatchee River and east to the rural interior.

Called the "City of Palms" because of its palm-lined avenues, Fort Myers is a hub of activity. Shopping malls, restaurants and nightclubs offer respite from the nearby beaches and more than 100 barrier islands. Thomas Edison and his friend Henry Ford both made their winter homes in Fort Myers. The two properties are separated by a fence, which both families named "The Friendship Gate." Today their estates, including Edison's laboratory, are open for tours.

It's hard to imagine Fort Myers Beach as a remote stretch of green edged with white, soft sand and accessible only by boat. However, that's just what it was until the first "Little Bridge" was constructed to bring tourists and locals alike to the seven-mile Estero Island through Bunche Beach on the mainland. Little by little, Estero Island's attractive features, including miles and miles of white, sandy beaches, have captured the imaginations of visitors from near and far.

Boating, sailing, fishing and spectacular Lovers Key State Park make this island a real recreational playground. Add to that a great number of family-friendly resorts, quaint cottages, Old Florida charm, restaurants serving fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico and an annual Shrimp Festival, and it's a beach vacation paradise. Nightlife gleams along the northern tip of the island around shopping-and-dining destination Times Square, and sunset watching is a favorite pastime.

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