Florida
Roadtrip Series
Everglades City The Gateway to the Ten Thousand Islands
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Written by: Dave Kelly
n the southwest coast of Florida lies a small town with a big history and an expansive reach. Everglades City sits tucked away on Chokoloskee Bay, surrounded by Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, and unspoiled pristine waters. But don’t let the location of this sleepy little city fool you—it is worth the drive to learn its story and discover its natural beauty. George W. Storter Jr. opened a trading post on the Barron River in 1892, securing a post office in 1895 which he called Everglade. Over the years the islands of Chokoloskee Bay became more populated than the city itself, with the majority of the area’s settlers choosing to live, farm, fish and trade on the low-lying keys that fill the bay. Entire communities sprung up on these islands in the early 1900s—so much so that Everglade became the county seat of Collier County when it was formed in 1923.
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SUBTROPICAL WILDERNESS UP CLOSE To explore this subtropical wilderness up close, we chose one of Florida’s charismatic old outposts—The Everglades Adventures Hotel Suites by Ivey House—as our home base. Centrally located on a quiet side street, our room was only minutes from the restaurants, attractions and shops that dot the city.
It allowed for peaceful serenity at night, yet exciting Everglades' adventures by day. Our hotel is one of three Everglades City properties owned by a local family. Each location combines the look and feel of Old Florida, with beautiful, modern, and spacious rooms, many surrounding their tropically landscaped screenedin courtyard and pool. Our room included a delicious complimentary breakfast with each night’s stay, yet it also supplied a full-sized refrigerator and microwave. Free bike rentals allowed us to explore at our leisure as well.
