This is a 2 acre beachfront park in Fort Myers Beach at the base Matanzas Bridge on Estero Blvd.  It includes 400 feet of beach with 4 access points.

   It includes 2 modular rest rooms; 2 handicap.parking spaces; 2 sand volleyball courts; 4 picnic shelters with tables.

    The original Fort Myers Beach Pier  was a wooden structure built in 1930’s.  The adjacent land was used for parking, picnicking, swimming.   Lee County acquired the property in the 1970’s.  The pier was reconstructed of concrete. It was 560 feet.  

     The pier was destroyed  in 1991 during a storm.  It was reconstructed.  It has remained intact for 30 years.

     The pier is located at 950 Estero Blvd. Fort Myers Beach

     This is a Japanese influenced house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.  It is located at 12147 South Harvard in the West Pullman neighborhood of Chicago.  It was designed in 1900 as a summer home for Stephen A. Foster, an attorney.  The style is Japanese.  It was designated a Chicago landmark in 1996.

     This is a wood paneled home in hues of green and yellow.  There are 5 bedrooms, a sweeping front porch, a horse stable, a chicken coop, and a fireplace.   It was originally listed for sale at $205,000 in 2017.  There have been price reductions reflecting the amount of work needs to bring the house up to date.

McCollum Hall is a 2 story building located at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard and a Cranford Avenue in the Dunbar community of Fort Myers. It was built for Clifford McCollum, Sr in 1938. The architect was Frank Bail.

It is actually 2 combined buildings. The external walls are masonry and stucco. The second floor was originally a dance hall 2,500 square feet. There is a raised stage where performers such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington performed in the 1940–1950’s. During World War II, the ballroom served as the USO for Afro-American troops from Page and Buckingham Airfields. Later on, the second floor was used for housing.

The ground floor was divided in 3 providing rental space for various businesses over the years.

Unfortunately over the years, the building markedly deteriorated and was in dire need of rehabilitation. There have been various proposals for renovation McCollum Hall.

Buckingham Airfield is owned and operated by Lee County Mosquito District. Use of the airfield is restricted. The airfield is located n7 miles from.Fort Myers.

There are two runways 14/32 4046 X 400 feet; 6/24 2726x 400 feet. Portions of the runways and parking ramps are from the old army airfield

   Buckingham Park is a private community in which owners park their private aircraft either in hangars or in their driveways.  It is located 6 miles north of RSW.  All owners have access to a 4000 feet long and 400 feet wide runway.

     The community roads are shared with aircraft and vehicles.

     There are approximately 50 homes in the community. It is a deed restricted community with a ho me owners association.

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     This park is located at 4000  Honore (Corner of Honore amd Bee Ridge)Sarasota, Florida.  The 55 acre site was previously owned by the Wilson Family.  They grazed cattle at this location.   The property was purchased by Sarasota County in 2002.  The park is named after Jack and Thelma Urfer.  They helped in planning the park.

    There are four playgrounds: Tot Lot for ages 2–5; a School Age playground for ages 5–12; another for ages 10 and up; and A playground for adults.

     The Wilson House is a historic residence located adjacent to the playgrounds. The Doctor C.B. Wilson House aka as Office of Fuller, Breslau and Stinnett  Attorneys was built in 1906. Architect was Edgar Ferdonk.  It was enlarged in 1913 with a roof top addition creating a full second story.  The external wall is made of pressed stone. It was originally located at 235 S. Orange Street, Sarasota.  It was listed in.the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.  In 2004, the house was moved to Urfer Family Park.

    Dr. Wilson was a lifetime resident of Sarasota.  He was educated at Florida Military Institute, University of Florida, and University of Alabama Medical School. He began his practice in Sarasota in 1906.  He died in 1941.

     Another historic structure in Urfer Family Park is the Albert and Selma Svenheim barn.  It was built in 1925. It was relocated to the park in 2007.  It was listed on the Sarasota County Register of Historic Places.

     Another historic structure in the park is the Pine Shores Trailer Park Clubhouse Fireplace.  The Club House and fireplace were originally located at US 41 and Stickney Point Road, Sarasota.  They both dated to 1938.  The trailer park closed in the early 2000’s.   The club house was in a sad state of disrepair.  The fireplace was saved and recently moved to Urfer Family Park.

      There is a paved fitness trail near the playground.  There is a one mile nature trail through pine flatwoods and herbaceous and forested wetlands.  There is a boardwalk overlying the wetland areas.

     There are covered picnic pavilions and restrooms.

      This is a nature preserve located near Fort Myers at 11400 Luckett Road.   There are 8 miles of hiking and equestrian trails.  Total acreage 1219.02

     The preserve contains pine flat woods, oak hammock and cypress swamp.

     Historical note: there is a railroad grade on the property.  This was for a rail line that transported military supplies to Buckingham Army Airfield during World War 2.

     When I visited the preserve , I was the only hiker.  The trail is poorly marked.  Although the entrance signage states that equestrians are to use only the equestrian trail, it is obvious that this is not the case.

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     Galt Nature Preserve is located at 3661 Stringfellow.Rd. Saint James City, Florida.  It is 264.98 acres  ( 3 parcels  cost $4,415,000.

     There are 2.5 miles of hiking trails and boardwalk, fishing pier, picnic pavilion, rest rooms and paved parking.